Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky accuses Scholz of opening ‘Pandora’s box’ after call with Putin

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine must ensure the war with Russia ends next year through diplomacy.

Mr Zelensky accepted in a radio interview on Saturday that the situation on the eastern Ukrainian front is difficult as Russia continues to advance in key areas.

US legislation prevents the president from meeting with US president-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration in January – but Mr Zelensky has said he will only talk with Trump himself rather than an advisor.

“I, as the president of Ukraine, will only take seriously a conversation with the president of the United States of America, with all due respect to any entourage, to any people.”

“From our side, we must do everything so that this war ends next year, ends through diplomatic means,” Mr Zelensky said.

Ukrainian forces defending the eastern region of Donetsk are heading into the “moment of maximum tension” as Russian forces rush to take territory across Ukraine ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration next year, war monitors have claimed.

Mr Trump’s comprehensive victory in the US election, which came off the back of his promises to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours, has brought into sharp relief the difficult situation on the frontline for Kyiv.

Russian forces have continued to make gains in the eastern region of Donetsk, advancing along several fronts towards the city of Pokrovsk, a linchpin of the wider area’s defence.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine hasn’t received even half of the weapons allocated to it by the US.

Speaking on Ukrainian Radio, he said according to Ukrainska Pravda: “Now, regarding the huge assistance [from the US – ed.]. Look, that money still needs to be delivered. If you asked me how much we have received from this, I wouldn’t go into the details because there are various reports from different institutions, such as the Ministry of Defence, intelligence agencies, and so on.

“I would only say that we haven’t received half.

“When I talk about half, I actually mean less, and I’m talking about weapons. I negotiated for weapons. Of course, there is humanitarian aid, financial aid, targeted financial aid to the budget, as well as specific humanitarian programmes directed to the regions.”

In a secret factory in central Russia, engineers are manufacturing hundreds of decoy drones meant to overwhelm Ukrainian defences as they try to protect against a horrific new weapon.

The plant in Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone recently started churning out thermobaric drones alongside the decoys, an Associated Press investigation has found.

The thermobaric warheads create a vortex of high pressure and heat that can penetrate thick walls. They suck out all the oxygen in their path, and have a fearsome reputation because of the injuries inflicted even outside the initial blast site: Collapsed lungs, crushed eyeballs, brain damage.

Russian forces have captured two villages in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, Russian news agencies cited the defence ministry as saying on Saturday.

The villages of Makarivka, just over 100km west of Donetsk city, and Hryhorivka, which is is situated to the west of the town of Selydove, captured by Russia last month, the ministry claims according to Reuters.

It comes as Russia continues to progress in its offensive on the eastern Ukrainian front.

US president Joe Biden urged his Chinese counterpart to dissuade North Korea from further deepening its support for Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The leaders, with top aides surrounding them, met at a Lima hotel on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Mr Biden wants Mr Xi to step up Chinese engagement to prevent an already dangerous moment with North Korea from further escalating, officials said.

White House officials have expressed frustration with Beijing, which accounts for the vast majority of North Korea’s trade, for not doing more to rein in Pyongyang.

The North Koreans also have provided Russia with artillery and other munitions, according to US and South Korean intelligence officials.

on UkrainePresident Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that representatives from Iran were present during Russia’s launch of the Shahed kamikaze drone targetting Ukrainian cities.

“As per Ukrainian intelligence, representatives from Iran were present during the first, murderous, Shahed attacks on Ukrainian cities, because at first, almost none of the Russians could operate these weapons,” he was quoted by Ukrinform as saying.

“They claim they only sell, that this is just business, but this isn’t just business, because licenses for these drones were handed over to Russia, factories were set up. Moveover, they trained Russian troops,” he added.

Germany’s Scholz: Ukraine war justifies financial emergency – and more spending

Embattled chancellor Olaf Scholz has insisted that the war in Ukraine constitutes a financial emergency for Germany – which would open up the possibility of more spending.

In an interview with the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, Mr Scholz said that, at the start of the war in February 2022, Germany had no idea how long the conflict would last or how long over 1 million Ukrainian refugees would need protection in the country.

“The misjudgement we made back then does not prevent us from doing the right thing today. Russia’s war is an extraordinary event that justifies a financial emergency – and therefore higher spending,” said Scholz, while also calling for a moderate change in the debt rule that currently limits public spending.

“A reform will not solve all of our financial problems, but it will make our path a little easier,” he added.