Kuleba: Russia uses talks to buy time, not to stop the war.
They are open to talks, but too far from settlement to stop.
They will keep bombing and advancing. For Ukraine, nothing has changed — we must survive what may be the hardest winter of our independence.
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Kuleba: A ceasefire is impossible without three detailed agreements approved by Ukraine: security guarantees, Ukraine’s reconstruction, and EU membership.
Without these, there are no real guarantees the deal will hold — and no reason for Ukraine to make concessions.
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Kuleba: EU accession is first of all about money. The EU budget runs in 7-year cycles, and the next one starts in 2028.
If funding for Ukraine’s enlargement isn’t built into that budget by 2027, adding it later will be extremely hard.
Rutte: We’re coming up to the 4th anniversary of Russia's all-out war on Ukraine.
This is the harshest winter for Ukrainians in over a decade. It is -20°C in Kyiv. Russia is heavily targeting civilian infrastructure, leaving Ukrainians in freezing cold without heat or water. 1/
Rutte: Europe cannot provide enough of what Ukraine needs to defend itself today and to deter tomorrow.
Without flow of weaponry from the US, we cannot keep Ukraine in the fight. They provide interceptors to take down missiles going into Kyiv. 2/
Rutte: The time when we let the US carry much of the burden for our shared security is over. It's fair that Europe and Canada take more responsibility for their own security. And they do. 3/
Stoltenberg on Greenland: It’s serious when NATO's biggest ally, the US, is challenging the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Denmark and Greenland.
Especially because the core mission of NATO is to protect borders and sovereignty. 1/
Stoltenberg on progress in Davos: When there are disagreements among NATO allies, it’s good to find different platforms for talking.
There have been some contacts between Denmark and the US. That's a good thing. 2/
Stoltenberg on the existential moment for NATO: It's serious. We have made it clear that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark that has been recognized by Nordics and the US for many years.
There are challenges in the Arctic strategically. 3/
Russia has just 3 Oreshnik missiles but is trying to scare Europe with a growing “arsenal”.
Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence (FISU): The system is a tool for intimidating Ukraine’s partners, but it's combat performance is dubious and relies on outdated technology — United 24. 1/
FISU: Moscow plans to start serial production of Oreshnik in 2026, aiming for at least five missiles per year. But its combat value is doubtful.
The system relies on Soviet-era designs, suffers frequent failures, and one launch reportedly flew without a proper warhead. 2/
The Oreshnik strike on Lviv earlier this month appears to have been psychological, not kinetic.
With only a handful of missiles available, Moscow is using them to amplify fear and political pressure on Europe. They compensate for limited stock with intimidation. 3X
Three Ukrainian officers carried out a solo assault in Lyman, and captured a Russian infiltration group — United24.
Officer “Fifteen”: “Orel” was wounded, but he didn't mention it when we were escorting the prisoners. He said he didn't want them to hear it and get any ideas. 1/
Three officers — Granat, Fifteen, and Orel, launched the operation after intel confirmed Russian troops inside the town.
Russians had set up a covert outpost in a basement, with antennas, radios, ammo, thermobaric grenades, and supplies — planning to hold until reinforcements arrived.
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The assault was coordinated with aerial reconnaissance. After a short firefight, the Russian soldiers surrendered.
The Pentagon has unveiled a new US defense strategy: Russia will remain a persistent but manageable threat to NATO's eastern members for the near future.
Russia suffers from demographic and economic issues. Moscow is not in a position to make a bid for European hegemony. 1/
Russia still retains deep reservoirs of military and industrial power. Russia has also shown that it has the national resolve required to sustain a protracted war in its near abroad. 2/
Our NATO allies are strongly positioned to take primary responsibility for Europe's conventional defense, with critical but more limited US support. 3/