Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned Friday that his nation was “not seeing the willingness from Ukraine” to negotiate a peace deal, once more blaming the nation he ordered a full-scale invasion of almost 4 years in the past for the continuation of a conflict he is refused even to acknowledge is a conflict.
Putin mentioned he was open to a negotiated finish to what he calls a “particular army operation,” however solely on his phrases, insisting, as he has for years, that Ukraine should settle for an enormous, formal forfeiture of occupied territory and a point of nationwide demilitarization — each phrases that Kyiv has rejected.
The Russian president mentioned his forces had “totally seized strategic initiative” within the battle and would take much more floor alongside the roughly 600-mile entrance line in jap Ukraine earlier than the top of the yr.
“Our troops are advancing all throughout the road of contact, sooner in some areas or slower in some others, however the enemy is retreating in all sectors,” Putin mentioned through the stay, wide-ranging end-of-year information convention that has been a trademark of his tenure.
Alexander NEMENOV/AFP/Getty
His remarks got here as Ukraine claimed a dramatic new blow in opposition to Russia, but in addition as divisions amongst European nations over tips on how to hold supporting Kyiv — fueled, many consider, by Moscow’s strain techniques — have been laid naked.
Putin’s newest casting of blame for the conflict at each Kyiv and its backers in Europe additionally got here as a senior Russian envoy ready to satisfy once more for talks with Trump administration officers in Florida this weekend. The White Home is pushing onerous for a negotiated decision to the battle that President Trump had vowed to finish rapidly when he took workplace.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday referred to as proposals being negotiated with the U.S. “very workable,” suggesting they might be finalized in a matter of days, permitting American officers to debate with their Russian counterparts.
Ukraine claims drone strike on Russian “shadow fleet” tanker in Mediterranean
Ukraine has been defending itself with the help of the U.S. and its European companions, and as Putin spoke in Moscow, Kyiv claimed a big growth of its wartime resistance, with a primary purported assault on an oil tanker mentioned to be a part of Russia’s sanctions-violating “shadow fleet” within the Mediterranean.
In a press release, Ukraine’s SBU intelligence company mentioned Friday that it had “struck a tanker belonging to Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ in impartial waters within the Mediterranean Sea for the primary time,” touting it as an “unprecedented particular operation greater than 2,000 km [1,200 miles] from the territory of our state.”
The SBU mentioned it used aerial drones to disable the Oman-flagged oil tanker Qendil, which it mentioned was empty on the time, and thus “didn’t pose any risk to the ecological scenario within the area.”
Handout/Safety Service of Ukraine (SBU) 
The SBU shared a black-and-white video, seemingly captured by a drone, of the purported strike that exhibits a number of explosions on the deck of a tanker.
“Russia used this tanker to avoid sanctions and earn cash that went to the conflict in opposition to Ukraine,” a supply within the SBU instructed CBS Information. “Subsequently, from the viewpoint of worldwide legislation and the legal guidelines and customs of conflict, that is a completely reputable goal for the SBU. The enemy should perceive that Ukraine is not going to cease and can strike it wherever on the earth, wherever it could be.”
Ukraine has lengthy focused gasoline tankers and infrastructure in Russian ports and on land as a part of its efforts to undermine Moscow’s conflict funding, however solely this month has Kyiv acknowledged attacking vessels exterior Russia’s territorial waters. CBS Information reported on the primary such strikes, focusing on tankers off the coasts of Turkey and West Africa, simply over every week in the past.
The SBU mentioned the brand new strike had disabled the Qendil, which ship monitoring web site MarineTraffic.com confirmed was positioned within the jap Mediterranean as of Friday afternoon. In keeping with MarineTraffic, the vessel — which has not been listed by the U.S. Treasury among the many Russian shadow fleet ships subjected to sanctions — was crusing from the Indian port of Sikka to the Russian port of Ust-Luga.
The U.S. authorities has sanctioned many vessels and maritime corporations in an effort to crack down on Russia’s shadow fleet, ships with usually murky registration and possession that Moscow allegedly makes use of to evade heavy Western sanctions on its vitality merchandise, offering very important income for its conflict effort.
The Trump administration accuses a number of main oil producers, together with Russia, Venezuela, and Iran, of utilizing a worldwide fleet of such ships, and simply final week, U.S. army forces seized a sanctioned 20-year-old oil tanker after it left a port in Venezuela, sources instructed CBS Information.
Armed personnel approached in helicopters and boarded the vessel, which was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury three years in the past for its alleged position in an oil smuggling community that helped fund the Iranian army and its proxies within the Center East.
Requested Friday concerning the strike on the Qendil throughout his information convention, Putin was dismissive, however vowed to reply.
“They’re pursuing some utilitarian functions,” the Russian chief mentioned, with out confirming any specifics. “They need to elevate insurance coverage premiums, however this is not going to convey concerning the end result they want. This isn’t going to disrupt the provides. This could solely create further threats, and Russia is actually going to reply.”
Regardless of divisions, EU agrees on monetary lifeline for Ukraine
The European Union, in the meantime, stepped up in a single day to supply a help package deal for Ukraine value greater than $100 billion — however the bloc couldn’t agree on proposals pushed by leaders to make use of frozen Russian property to do it.
After failing to agree on specifics, the EU ended up taking out an interest-free mortgage for Ukraine, in opposition to its personal funds, meant to fund the nation’s army and financial wants for 2 years.
EU leaders needed to finance the help package deal with the frozen Russian property, however there was all the time resistance to that concept amongst some members — most notably Belgium, the place a lot of the ringfenced Russian cash is held.
Putin renewed threats in his remarks on Friday that there can be extreme penalties for European nations that selected to make use of the Russian cash, held as a part of the sanctions in opposition to Moscow.
He mentioned any such transfer would have been “daylight theft.”
“Why cannot this theft be carried out? As a result of the implications might be grave for the robbers,” he mentioned Friday.
Russia has been accused repeatedly in current months of waging a hybrid conflict in opposition to Ukraine’s European companions, with a collection of unclaimed drone incursions, together with round airports and army bases, Russian warplanes violating European — and NATO — airspace, and different acts of alleged sabotage focusing on very important infrastructure.
“If Europe had walked away immediately with out an settlement, we might not solely have failed Ukraine, we might have failed ourselves,” Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever mentioned Friday, placing a constructive spin on the settlement that was reached.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz additionally hailed the settlement for a “zero-interest mortgage” for Ukraine, and leaving room for the Russian property to be leveraged sooner or later.
Michael Kappeler/image alliance/Getty 
“These funds are ample to cowl the army and budgetary wants of Ukraine for the 2 years to come back,” Merz mentioned, noting that the frozen Russian property will stay blocked until and till Russia pays reparations to Ukraine for the massive harm inflicted through the conflict.
“If Russia doesn’t pay reparations, we’ll — in full accordance with worldwide legislation — make use of Russian immobilized property for paying again the mortgage,” the German chief mentioned.
Ukraine’s authorities welcomed the deal, however made it clear that Kyiv nonetheless feels Russia’s frozen property must be accessed in help of its protection.
“Certainly, there are moments when one ought to understand that ‘Excellent is the enemy of excellent,'” Ukrainian Deputy International Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya mentioned. “It was an extended evening for European leaders, however they have been in a position to provide you with a workable end result.”
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