Ukraine latest updates: US, France blame Moscow for war crimes
In a joint statement, US and French presidents pledge support for Ukraine and promise to hold Russia responsible for atrocities.
This live blog is now closed. Thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war for Thursday, December 1:
This live blog is now closed. Thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war for Thursday, December 1:
- United States President Joe Biden and French President Emanuel Macron pledge to hold Russia accountable for “widely documented atrocities and war crimes” in Ukraine.
- Biden says he is willing to talk with President Vladimir Putin but only if the Russian leader is willing to discuss ending his country’s war in Ukraine.
- Russia condemns a spate of attempted letter bomb attacks on high-profile targets in Spain, including the Ukrainian and US embassies.
- Kyiv’s mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, urges residents to stock up on food, water and warm clothing in case of future blackouts as temperatures continue to drop.
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Washington and NATO are participating in the war and defends Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Ukraine to limit Moscow-linked religious groups: Zelenskyy
Ukraine will move to impose limitations on religious organisations in the country that have links to Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.
“The National Security and Defence Council has instructed the government to propose to [parliament] a bill on proscribing activities in Ukraine by religious organisations affiliated with centres of influence in Russia,” Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine has lost between at least 10,000 soldiers in war: Official
Ukraine’s armed forces have lost somewhere between 10,000 and 13,000 soldiers so far in the war against Russia, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak has told a Ukrainian television network.
The remarks appeared to be the first estimate of dead since late August, when the head of the armed forces said nearly 9,000 military personnel had been killed.
“We have official figures from the general staff, we have official figures from the top command, and they amount to [between] 10,000 and 12,500 to 13,000 killed,” Podolyak told the Kanal 24 channel.
“We are open in talking about the number of dead,” he added, saying more soldiers had been wounded than had died.
Italy puts Lukoil-run refinery into state supervision
Italy put a refinery run by Russian oil giant Lukoil into provisional state supervision to avoid its closure and guarantee energy supplies, a government source has told the AFP news agency.
The ISAB refinery is one of the biggest in Europe and was in danger of having to cease production because of the European Union embargo on the import of Russian crude oil by sea, which comes into force on December 5.
Russia says EU call for Ukraine tribunal illegitimate
The Kremlin has condemned a call by a top European Union official to create a special court to prosecute possible war crimes by top Russian officials in Ukraine, saying any such body would be illegitimate and unacceptable to Moscow.
European Commision President Ursula von der Leyen said that such a tribunal could be backed by the United Nations, to investigate possible “crimes of aggression”. Legal experts say the crime of aggression is a leadership crime.
“As for attempts to establish some kind of tribunal: They will have no legitimacy, will not be accepted by us and we will condemn them,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Ukraine has been pushing for a tribunal to prosecute Russian military and political leaders over Moscow’s February 24 invasion, though there has been no consensus on what form such a body might take.
Biden says willing to speak with Putin – only if he wants to end war
US President Joe Biden said he’s willing to talk with Vladimir Putin – but only if the Russian president was willing to discuss ending his country’s war in Ukraine.
“I’m prepared to speak with Mr Putin, if, in fact, there is an interest in him deciding he’s looking for a way to end the war. He hasn’t done that yet,” Biden said at a White House news conference after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Biden also said he would only speak to Putin in consultation with NATO allies.
Otherwise Biden said that “I have no immediate plans to contact Mr Putin.”
Meanwhile, Macron pledged not to push Kyiv into any peace talks with Russia that it did not agree with.
“We will never urge the Ukrainians to make a compromise that will not be acceptable for them,” he said.
Macron said there was a “real willingness” on the part of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to pursue a path to peace, adding, “Our job must be to work together with him.”
NATO’s Stoltenberg says too early for conclusions on Poland Patriot talks
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that it was too early to make conclusions about continuing talks on Poland’s request to move Patriot systems offered by Germany to Ukraine.
“We all agree on the urgent need to help Ukraine, including with air defence systems,” said Stoltenberg in Berlin at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
However, he added, “It is important to understand that this is not only about delivering new systems but ensuring the systems that are being delivered can operate,” including having enough ammunition, spare parts and maintenance.
Germany says ready to step in with OSCE funding if Russia blocks budget
Germany is ready to contribute more to the Organisation for Security and Co-Operation (OSCE) if Russia attempts to block the 57-member security bloc’s budget, German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said.
“Germany is supporting the work of the OSCE in this extremely difficult year more than ever,” Baerbock told reporters in the Polish city of Lodz, where OSCE foreign ministers were meeting.
In light of the war in Ukraine and the suffering it has caused more broadly, Berlin upped its contribution to the OSCE from seven million euros ($7.35m) to 10 million euros, she added.
“If Russia tries to continue blocking the budget and rendering the work in all other countries impossible, we as Germany, including with our voluntary contributions, will step in for the other countries,” the minister said.
France and US will ‘help build peace’ when moment is right, Macron says
France and the United States agree on the need to continue to support Ukraine in its war against Russia and will be there in order to build peace, once the moment is right, Macron said at a joint news conference with his US counterpart on Thursday.
“When the moment is right and under conditions for their territories which will be determined by the Ukrainians, we will be there to help building peace,” Macron said.
Biden, Macron pledge to support Ukraine’s fight ‘as long as it takes’
US President Joe Biden and visiting French leader Emmanuel Macron have declared that they would not let up on support for Ukraine’s war against Russia and pledged to hold Moscow responsible for war crimes.
The two reaffirmed “support for Ukraine’s defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, including the provision of political, security, humanitarian, and economic assistance to Ukraine for as long as it takes,” they said in a statement.
“They also reiterate their steadfast resolve to hold Russia to account for widely documented atrocities and war crimes,” the statement added.
Russia implements expanded ‘foreign agents’ law
Russia has put into effect a new version of its foreign agents law that expands authorities’ powers to consider anyone under “foreign influence” to be an agent of another country.
“Foreign influence is considered to be ‘the provision of support by a foreign source to a person or influencing a person including by coercion, persuasion or other means’,” according to a statement from the Duma, the lower house of parliament.
The law obliges organisations to publicly identify themselves as being foreign agents; media outlets designated as agents must run a lengthy statement to that effect with their stories.
The new version of the law also prevents foreign agents from organising public events, teaching in state schools and receiving state financial report, among other restrictions.
Kremlin says OSCE is losing its meaning
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) stance shows that Europe’s top security and rights watchdog is losing its meaning, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, according to Russian news agencies.
Peskov was asked whether Russia might quit the pan-European body.
He also said Moscow had no plans to contact the US administration before the end of the year, calling for discussions about possible prisoner exchanges between Russia and the United States to be conducted behind closed doors.
Spain: Numerous devices found after Ukrainian Embassy blast
Police in Spain detonated a suspicious parcel discovered at the US Embassy in Madrid, Spanish officials have said, a day after a similar package sent to the Ukrainian Embassy ignited upon opening and injured an employee.
“We can confirm a suspicious package was received at the US Embassy in Madrid, and are aware of reports of other packages sent to other locations throughout Spain,” the American embassy said in a response to an Associated Press inquiry.
“We are grateful to Spanish law enforcement for their assistance with this matter,” it added.
Spain’s police said the detonated parcel “contained substances similar to those used in pyrotechnics”.
EU needs patience to see the effects of sanctions on Russia: Lithuania
The European Union needs patience with its sanctions on Russia as most measures will only have an impact in the medium and long term, Lithuania’s prime minister said in an interview at the Reuters news agency’s NEXT conference.
“My message is – we need to have patience. Because there are no sanctions that can switch Russia off overnight. It is not possible, we should not look for this,” Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said.
She said there was a broad agreement among NATO members not to pressure Ukraine to negotiate and called on NATO to provide air defences to not only eastern NATO members but also to Ukraine.
Lithuania will host a NATO summit next year, which Simonyte expects to be dominated by Ukraine but also by the decision of Sweden and Finland to join the alliance.
50 ‘protectors of Ukraine’ released, says Ukrainian official
Russia’s Defence Ministry and the head of Ukraine’s presidential administration swapped 50 service personnel each in the latest prisoner exchange between the warring sides.
Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, reported the release of 50 “protectors of Ukraine” and said that the exchanges of prisoners of war would continue “until the liberation of the last Ukrainian”.
“The defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal have returned, also those captured … in the battles in the Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia directions,” Yermak wrote on Telegram.
Russia said it would fly its released prisoners to Moscow for medical checks and rehabilitation.
Kyiv’s mayor tells residents to stock up on food and water
Kyiv’s mayor tells residents to stock up on water, food and warm clothes in case of a total blackout.
Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko warned that the temperature in homes could drop rapidly due to “a blackout and the destruction of infrastructure and a total absence of electricity, water supply, drainage and heat supply”.
“The temperature in the apartments may not differ much from the outside temperature,” he told a security forum in Kyiv, where temperatures are approximately -4 degrees Celsius (25 degrees Fahrenheit).
“I appeal to the people … to have a supply of technical water, drinking water, durable food products, warm clothing.”
Klitschko added that people should consider temporarily moving to stay with friends or relatives who own houses on the outskirts of Kyiv.
Ukraine says attacks amount to a war crime, but Russia says its attacks on vital infrastructure are militarily legitimate, and Kyiv can end its people’s suffering if it yields to Russian demands.
Macron, Biden discuss Russia during US state visit
President Emmanuel Macron called for France and the United States to be “brothers in arms” at the start of a state visit to the White House, where President Joe Biden and a military honour guard greeted him.
Emphasising the history of the US-France alliance, Macron said, “We bear a duty to this shared history as war returns to the European soil following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. And in light of the multiple crises our nations and our societies face, we need to become brothers in arms once more”.
“France is our oldest ally, our unwavering partner in freedom’s cause,” Biden said, welcoming “the enduring strength and vitality of the great friendship between France and the United States of America.”
Biden added that France and the US were united in “facing down” Russia, which had “shattered peace” in Europe.
Americans fear future effects of war: WSJ
Americans fear that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could lead to a knock-on effect in Europe and possibly influence China to do something similar in Taiwan, the Wall Street Journal reported.
According to a national defence survey, while Americans support the US government sending weapons and providing financial support for Kyiv, they have less trust in their military leadership.
In total, the survey found that 57 percent of respondents said the US needs to continue supporting Ukraine, while 33 percent said they should focus on domestic issues and avoid angering Russia.
The US has sent more than $19bn in military aid to Ukraine this year, which 39 percent of Americans said was the right amount.
European Council president urges China to use its influence over Russia
European Council President Charles Michel is once again urging Chinese President Xi Jinping to use the country’s “influence” on Russia over its war in Ukraine during a visit to Beijing.
Ukraine took up “a lot of time” during their three-hour meeting at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, where trade, climate, human rights, COVID-19 recovery, Xinjiang and Taiwan, were also discussed, Michel told reporters via video link from Beijing.
“I urged President Xi, as we did at our EU-China summit in April, to use his influence on Russia to respect the UN charter,” Michel said.
President Xi made it clear that China is not providing weapons to Russia and that nuclear threats are not acceptable, the European Council president said.
Who controls what?
Here are four maps, which we update daily, charting the latest war developments.
EU: Possible Russia oil price cap at $60 per barrel
The European Union is discussing a price cap on Russian seaborne oil at $60 per barrel, with a review every two months, yielding to pressure from some countries to lower the lid, diplomats said.
Last week, the Group of Seven nations (G7) proposed a price cap on Russian oil to diminish Moscow’s revenues and its ability to finance its war in Ukraine by $65-70 per barrel.
The cap, if agreed upon, is to take effect from December 5.
Poland, Lithuania and Estonia refused to back the cap at that level, arguing that Russian crude was already trading lower, so the cap would be ineffective.
“The new level under discussion is now $60 per barrel, but talks are continuing,” one EU diplomat with knowledge of the discussions said.
Two others confirmed the $60 level, noting no agreement yet.
Spanish PM received ‘similar’ letter bomb
The Spanish prime minister received a booby-trapped letter last week which was “similar” to one which exploded at Ukraine’s embassy in Madrid, officials said.
Security staff carried out a “controlled explosion” of the mailed item, whose “content was similar” to that found in other letters sent to the Ukrainian embassy, an air force base, the defence ministry and a military equipment firm.
The envelope, “containing pyrotechnic material” and addressed to Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, arrived by regular mail on November 24, the interior ministry said in a statement.
Missiles found with defective warheads, says Ukraine
Ukraine’s military says it has found fragments of Russian-fired nuclear-capable missiles with dud warheads in west Ukraine, whose apparent purpose was to distract air defences.
Mykola Danyliuk, a representative of the Ukrainian armed forces’ research unit, told a briefing that missile fragments that fell in the western regions of Lviv and Khmelnytskyi on October 31 had been identified as parts of Kh-55 cruise missiles.
The Soviet Union designed the Kh-55 in the 1970s for use on strategic targets.
But Danyliuk said Russia had not used the Kh-55 in Ukraine before October 31.
“The uniqueness of the missiles discovered was that they were equipped with a non-explosive warhead,” Danyliuk said.
“We can state that the launch of these missiles is intended to … distract the attention of Ukraine’s air defence system and tire it out, while modern Russian rockets … are fired on critical infrastructure objects”.
Danyliuk added that all the Kh-55 missiles discovered had their serial numbers scratched.
Ukrainian foreign minister calls for more EU sanctions
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met the EU foreign policy head Josep Borrell and called for more sanctions on Russia.
On Twitter, Kuleba wrote: “In Łódź, Josep Borrell and I agreed: total war against Ukraine means total support for Ukraine. I thanked the EU for its continued defence assistance and stressed that next EU sanctions should include those hitting Russia’s missile production industry: it must be put to a halt.”
In Łódź, @JosepBorrellF and I agreed: total war against Ukraine means total support for Ukraine. I thanked the EU for its continued defense assistance and stressed that next EU sanctions should include those hitting Russia’s missile production industry: it must be put to a halt. pic.twitter.com/mM5zioAbwd
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) December 1, 2022
Air raid warnings ring out across Ukraine
Air raid alerts were issued across Ukraine following warnings by Ukrainian officials that Russia was preparing a new wave of missile and drone attacks.
“An overall air raid alert is in place in Ukraine. Go to shelters,” the country’s border service wrote on Telegram.
Russia has pulled some troops from towns near Dnieper River: Ukraine
Ukraine’s military says Russia pulled some troops from towns on the opposite bank of the Dnieper River from Kherson city.
Ukrainian officials stressed that Russia had intensified shelling across the river, knocking out power again in Kherson, where electricity had only begun to be restored.
Since Russia abandoned Kherson last month, the river now forms the entire southern stretch of the front.
Ukrainian officials have previously said Russia pulled back some artillery near the river to safer positions further away, but until now, had stopped short of saying Russian forces were quitting towns.
“A decrease in the number of Russian soldiers and military equipment is observed in the settlement of Oleshky,” the military said, referring to the town opposite Kherson city, on the far side of a destroyed bridge over the Dnieper.
It added that most of the Russian troops in the area were recently mobilised reservists, suggesting that Moscow’s best-trained professional troops had already left the area.