War against Ukraine: this is the situation

Russian invasion - War against Ukraine: this is the situation

During a visit to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, US President Joe Biden dampened the prospects of further US aid being approved quickly. Although Biden was combative at a joint press conference, he admitted that he could not make "any promises" but was hopeful that there would be an agreement in Congress. At the same time, he left no doubt about his fundamental stance that the USA must support Ukraine.

However, the release of new US funds for the country attacked by Russia is currently being blocked by a dispute in the US Parliament between Republicans and Biden's Democrats. Biden said that negotiations were underway with the Republicans. He urgently warned that Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin was counting on the USA no longer helping Ukraine. "We have to prove him wrong."

Selenskyj on a hopeless mission

Zelenskyi was in Washington for talks with a view to further US military aid. It was his third visit to the US capital since the start of the Russian war of aggression in February 2022. He also met members of the US Congress - including leading Republicans. They are standing in the way of the approval of new aid because they are demanding more funding from Biden in return to protect the US southern border and stricter rules on migration policy.

Selenskyj said that the signals from the talks were "more than positive". "But we know that we have to separate words from concrete results." However, the Republican Chairman of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, made it clear after the meeting that his party's line had not changed.

In concrete terms, this means that a possible approval of further aid is likely to be further delayed. Johnson maintained that he would soon be sending his MPs on their Christmas break. This is particularly problematic because, according to the White House, the US aid approved so far will be used up by the end of the year. It is noteworthy that Biden apparently deviated from his administration's previous language. He said: "We will continue to provide Ukraine with essential weapons and equipment for as long as we can." Previously, he had always emphasized that the US would support Ukraine "as long as it is necessary".

However, the US President never tired of warning in no uncertain terms against an American withdrawal. "Ukraine will emerge from this war proud, free and firmly rooted in the West, unless we leave." The topic of air defense was particularly close to Selensky's heart during his visit. He discussed this with Biden. "We want to win the air battle and break Russia's air superiority," said the Ukrainian President. Whoever controls the airspace controls the duration of the war. In response to criticism of the conduct of the war, Selensky said that there was a clear plan.

Heavy fighting around Avdiivka

Meanwhile, Ukraine is still under pressure in the fighting in the east of the country. According to the military, the situation around the town of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, which has been embattled for weeks, has intensified once again. "It is very hot. In fact, it is even hotter today than yesterday and the day before yesterday," said the head of the local military administration, Vitaly Barabash, on Ukrainian television.

According to him, the new wave of attacks by the Russians is due to the ground having become hard as a result of the recent frost, which allows the attackers to use armored vehicles. According to him, the defenders have shot down dozens of vehicles. However, the pressure from the attackers remains high, also due to the use of the air force.

The fact that Avdiivka is currently the center of Russian attack efforts is also evident from the evening situation report of the Ukrainian General Staff, which lists 37 attacks in this area alone. According to official information from Kiev, all of them were repelled. Further south in the Donetsk region, the heavily destroyed town of Marjinka continued to be attacked by Russian troops. In the north, in the Kharkiv region, the Russian attackers are trying to increase the pressure in the Kupjansk area.

Ukraine: Defense Minister and Commander-in-Chief visit the front line

According to official information, Kiev's Defense Minister Rustem Umjerow and the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Valerij Saluschnyj, visited the front in the east of the country together. They were briefed on the current situation, decorated soldiers and developed a joint action plan for further action, the Ministry of Defense announced.

At the same time, the ministry published a picture of Umjerov and Salushnyj together with army commander Olexander Syrskyj, in which the three demonstrate their unity. Recently, there have been several reports of increasing quarrels in the Ukrainian leadership and alleged rivalries between Zelenskyi and Salushnyi. There was speculation that Zelenskyi wanted to replace his popular commander-in-chief with Syrskyi. The photo should also serve to quell such speculation.

What will be important today

Heavy fighting continues in Ukraine. Fighting has recently been particularly intense in the eastern Donetsk region. Meanwhile, the authorities are trying to repair the damage following a hacker attack on Ukraine's largest mobile phone provider Kyivstar. According to media reports, however, this may take some time.