Munz comments on recent Putin warning: Western economies won't endure significant damage from halted commodity shipments
08:40 Mysterious Construction Near Crimea Bridge Perplexes Ukrainian NavyAn unidentified construction project near the Crimea Bridge has left the Ukrainian Navy baffled. As reported by "The Kyiv Independent," Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk shared this information during an appearance on Ukrainian television. The true purpose of the construction remains unknown. "It could serve as a defensive installation, or it could be another crossing," Pletenchuk stated. "However, it's still too early to draw any conclusions." Pletenchuk is skeptical about the project's completion given the unfavorable weather conditions. "The Russians are constantly trying to set up new structures in the Kerch Strait for constructing various hydrotechnical facilities or barriers," Pletenchuk explained. "But after each storm, they seem to wash up on shore." The bridge links Russia to the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed.
08:08 Ismajil City Under Attack by Russian Drones: Three Dead, Eleven InjuredThe city of Ismajil in southern Ukraine was targeted by Russian drones this morning, resulting in the deaths of three elderly individuals, including a woman in her 90s. Eleven others, including a child, suffered injuries. The governor of the Odessa Oblast, Oleh Kiper, confirmed the incidents and reported damage to buildings and vehicles, as well as several fires. Ismajil is situated near the Romanian border, with the northern mouth of the Danube River marking the border.
07:40 Roth Urges European Countries to Provide More Military Aid to Ukraine for NegotiationsSPD foreign policy expert Michael Roth has advocated for increased European military assistance to Ukraine. "The major European nations need to provide militarily more support to ensure Ukraine remains a free and democratic country," Roth said in an interview with "Tagesspiegel." "Now is the time to deploy all our resources to place Ukraine in the best possible position for potential negotiations." Roth argued that nations wishing to swiftly end the conflict must supply Ukraine with the necessary resources. Military tools and diplomacy are two sides of the same coin, he explained. "Russia will only be open to negotiations if Putin believes victory over Ukraine is unattainable."
07:09 Baerbock Warns Against Withdrawing Support for Ukraine as Children's Hospitals Would Be DefenselessForeign Minister Baerbock defended Western arms deliveries to Ukraine and cautioned against reducing support for Kyiv. "The belief that there wouldn't be fighting or casualties in Ukraine without defensive weapons is as straightforward as it is false," Baerbock stated in the UN General Debate in New York on Thursday. "If Russia halts its assault, the war concludes. If Ukraine stops defending itself, however, that would be the end for Ukraine." Putin responded to an invitation for a peace conference in June by launching an air raid on a children's hospital. As long as Putin is unwilling to attend negotiations, ending our assistance would mean "that the hospitals and children of Ukraine would be defenseless. It would result in more war crimes, possibly even in other countries." Baerbock emphasized that Russia has "repeatedly challenged the inviolability of the borders of the Baltic states and Poland."
06:45 Golob Doesn't Rule Out Long-Range Weapons for Ukraine after Cautioning Against Premature DecisionsThe Slovenian government cautioned against hasty decisions concerning the employment of long-range Western weapons on Russian territory given German reservations. "It's seldom wise to say that certain matters are off-limits from the outset," Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said during the UN General Debate in New York. "At this point, all options should be considered, and then the one that best suits the prevailing circumstances should be chosen." Golob responded to inquiries about the use of long-range cruise missiles after German and US opposition.
06:11 Baerbock Encourages Iran to Cease Support for Russia's Aggression Against Ukraine and Halting Ballistic Missile and Drone TransfersForeign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged Iran to halt any assistance for Russia's war effort against Ukraine and to prevent the transfer of ballistic missiles and drones. The Foreign Office posted this information on the platform X. Baerbock interacted with her Iranian counterpart Abbas Araktschi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
06:01 Trump to Meet with Zelenskyy in New York on FridayFormer US President Donald Trump announced plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York on Friday. The meeting is scheduled to take place at Trump Tower in Manhattan, according to Trump. Zelenskyy is said to have extended his trip to the US to meet with Trump following his encounter with Democratic President Joe Biden on Thursday. Prior to his journey to the US, Zelenskyy indicated his desire to engage in discussions with Trump, Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris to present his "victory plan" to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine. Read more about this here.
04:25 Harris Offers Assistance to Zelensky, Subtly Warns Against OpponentDemocratic presidential hopeful Harris pledges assistance to Ukrainian President Zelensky and indirectly warns against a potential triumph of her Republican adversary, without explicitly mentioning him. "My backing for Ukraine's people remains unwavering. (...) I will persist in backing Ukraine and strive to ensure that they emerge victorious in this conflict and live in tranquility and prosperity," Harris expresses during Zelensky's Washington visit. She advises that the conflict's conclusion cannot be decided without Ukraine. However, she acknowledges that "certain" individuals in the U.S. are considering this. Their agenda, she reveals, is to persuade Ukraine to relinquish large portions of its territory, accept neutrality, and disregard security assurances from other nations. In her perspective, these proposals are akin to those proposed by Kremlin leader Putin, and amount to a call for surrender.
02:08 Attacks Reported in Tomyna BalkaRussian forces have frequently bombarded the Tomyna Balka settlement west of the Ukrainian-controlled Kherson city today, as reported by the region's governor, Prokrudin. One woman was killed and another was injured in the assault, as per Telegram reports.
00:55 UK Provides More Self-Propelled Artillery to UkraineThe UK will give another batch of self-propelled artillery systems, AS90s, to Ukraine's defense forces. Ten of these systems have already been handed over, with six more set to be delivered in the coming weeks, according to the British Ministry of Defense.
23:33 UN Struggles to Fund Ukrainian Support This WinterThe UN admits it lacks enough funds to assist Ukrainians this winter. "The funding level of our organizations is excessively low for this time of year," says Karolina Lindholm Billing, the Ukraine coordinator for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The UNHCR currently holds just 47% of the funds needed to support the millions of Ukrainians affected by the war or displaced. Last year at this time, it was 70% funded.
22:13 Biden Plans to Enhance Aid to UkrainePresident Biden announces that the U.S. will amplify its aid to Ukraine ahead of his term's end. This move is expected to enhance the negotiation position of the Kyiv government, according to Biden, before a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington. Biden's tenure concludes in January. He could be succeeded by his vice president, Kamala Harris, or the Republican Donald Trump, who is speculated to reduce U.S. involvement with Ukraine.
21:34 Ukraine Warns of Intensified Attacks in Saporizhzhia RegionIntelligence reports from Ukraine suggest that Russian troops are about to intensify their assaults in the Saporizhzhia region. "There's an inclination towards escalation in the combat zone in the Saporizhzhia region," says a spokesperson for troops based in southern Ukraine on national television. "In the past 24 hours, there have been five [Russian] attacks, and we anticipate this figure to rise, as our information indicates that the enemy is concentrating attack groups close to the [settlement of] Pryiutne." The spokesperson also mentions that the Russian side has received light armored vehicles. "This suggests they are preparing for offensive operations."
21:00 Biden and Zelensky Meet: Russia Won't SucceedAt the start of their meeting in Washington, US President Joe Biden assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of continued US support. "Russia will not prevail, Ukraine will," Biden declared as he welcomed his Ukrainian counterpart to the Oval Office at the White House: "And we will stand by you every step of the way." Learn more about this here.
You can review all previous developments here.
The Russians have been known to construct defensive installations or new crossings in the Kerch Strait, and the ongoing construction near the Crimea Bridge could follow this pattern, according to Dmytro Pletenchuk, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy.
Given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Michael Roth, an SPD foreign policy expert, has urged European countries to provide more military aid to Ukraine, stressing the need for Ukraine to be a free and democratic country.
