BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has entered the economic track of Trump–Ukraine negotiations — a major signal that reconstruction planning is moving into real money and procedures, reports Bloomberg. 1/
Zelenskyy said Fink joined Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Jared Kushner on Wednesday for what he called “the first meeting of the group that will work on a document concerning reconstruction and economic recovery of Ukraine.” 2/
Fink’s return is notable: BlackRock paused its Ukraine recovery fund nearly a year ago after Trump’s re-election.
Before the freeze, the fund was on track to raise $2.5B from governments, development banks and private investors. 3/
Zelenskyy: The Ukrainian people must answer the territorial question — either through elections or through a referendum.
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Zelenskyy: The US President said Ukrainians want the war to end and shouldn’t delay it just so someone can hold on to a position. So I said clearly: yes, I support elections.
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Zelenskyy: If our partners can help us organize elections safely and on time, I will support it. 3/
Shapiro: The US shouldn't pretend to be neutral between Russia and Ukraine. There’s corruption in Ukraine, but also in Qatar and other nations with which Trump has relations. The idea that Russia will become pro-American is foolish. Russians are adversarial to US interests. 1/
Shapiro: Many Europeans on the right want to make a separate deal with Russia. That’s bad for the U.S. if Russia gains a large part of Ukraine and invades again.
I can see why Russia wants to expand, but what guarantee could the U.S. offer Ukrainians to stop fighting? 2/
Shapiro: You can see why Zelenskyy is refusing to cede land to Russia, though this doesn’t excuse the corruption in his regime. I asked Zelenskyy directly about corruption when I visited him in Kiev. You can watch the interview. 3/
Croatian Prime Minister, Andrej Plenković: Croatia has already transferred M84 and M80 tanks to Germany so they could go straight to Ukraine, where they will be used against Russian aggression.
This cooperation works and it should grow. 1/
Q: Why is Russian energy still entering the EU when Croatia can fully fill it through Liquefied Natural Gas and Jadranski Naftovod?
Plenković: JANAF can supply 100% of the oil Hungary and Slovakia need, without Russian oil. Croatia will present this again to the EU Commission 2/
Q: Does Croatia support ending sanctions exemptions?
Plenković: The Serbia–Hungary route breaks the logic of sanctions.
Russian oil enters via Druzhba, gets refined in Hungary and is shipped to Serbia — we can’t send non-Russian oil because they control the Serbian refinery. 3/
Boris Johnson: The only chance of ending the Russia-Ukraine war is to turn up the heat on Putin
It’s no use for Europeans to blame Americans while Europe still buys Russian gas. And no use us sitting in beautiful Bergen whimpering about Friday’s document [the new US strategy] 1/
Johnson: I was sitting in every significant NATO meeting from 2016 to 2022, and there was never a snowball’s chance in Hades [hell] of Ukraine joining NATO.
Because any such suggestion faced vetoes from France, Germany, and the USA — a caviar bowl of black balls. 2/
Johnson: It is a damnable lie for Putin to claim he was driven to invade by NATO expansionism.
He is the revanchist and neoimperialist terrified of Ukraine’s choice of a free, pluralist, democratic Western European identity. That’s what he hates, that’s what he fears. 3/
Q: What about the Ukraine peace plan? Where do we stand now?
Defence analyst, Michael Clarke: Russia hasn’t made concessions and is more rigid. Trump may pressure Ukraine to sign a surrender agreement. Europe support Ukraine and U.S.-Europe relations are fracturing over this. 1/
Q: What’s happening with the NATO relationship?
Clarke: NATO relationship is fracturing over Ukraine. This split, anticipated in the summer, has now emerged in December. It’s uncertain if this will be permanent, but the division is clear. 2/
Q: What’s happening on the ground in Ukraine?
Clarke: Russia claims to control Pokrovsk but hasn’t fully secured it. Ukraine still holds the north, and Russia’s surrounded Myrnohrad. Despite some gains, it’s been slow, with heavy casualties on both sides. 3/