Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov accuses Ukraine of wanting to draw NATO deeper into the war. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy calls the situation on the front in Donbass “difficult and painful”. The developments in the live ticker.
2:40 a.m
Lavrov: Ukraine wants to draw NATO deeper into conflict
Russia accuses Ukraine of wanting to draw NATO deeper into the war. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the TASS state agency in an interview published overnight: “The (Kiev) regime is trying on its behalf to draw the Americans and other NATO members deeper into the conflict, hoping to rush into a rush to make clash with the Russian army inevitable.” In this context, Lavrov recalled the impact of a rocket in Poland in mid-November and described the Ukrainian reaction to it as a provocation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tried to “pass the missile off as a Russian missile,” Lavrov said. “It’s good that Washington and Brussels had the wisdom at the time not to fall for it.” However, this incident showed that nothing can stop Kyiv. The West had recently assumed that the projectile was a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile used to defend against Russian attacks.
2:07 a.m
Zelenskyj: Situation at the front is “painful”
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the situation on the front in the Donbass region is “difficult and painful”. It requires all of the country’s “strength and concentration,” Zelensky said in his evening video speech. The occupiers used all the means at their disposal – and they were considerable resources – to advance in any way.
1:14 a.m
Strack-Zimmermann criticizes the Chancellery
The chair of the defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, has sharply criticized the chancellor’s stance on the issue of further arms deliveries to Ukraine. “I’m so tired of the excuses why we can’t deliver tanks,” said the FDP politician to the editorial network Germany. “Anyone who fantasizes about the concern that a red line would be crossed with Russia is telling the story of the aggressor, not that of the victims.”
Strack-Zimmermann also accused the chancellor’s office of repeatedly acting too late in the past few months with regard to arms deliveries to Ukraine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s advisors are “always behind the curve and don’t think strategically at all”. Now in the winter “belong to Ukrainian soldiers trained on the Marder and Leopard 2,” she said. Despite requests from Kyiv, the German government has so far refused to hand over modern Leopard and Marder tanks to Ukraine.
12:08 am
Monday’s live blog to read
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is hoping for India’s help in implementing his peace formula. Kremlin chief Putin has removed US President Biden from his list of New Year’s wishes.