Ukraine latest updates: EU tops up arms fund, weighs sanctions
European Union foreign ministers agree to replenish Ukraine’s military aid fund as the war drags on.
This live blog is now closed. Thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war for Monday, December 12:
This live blog is now closed. Thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war for Monday, December 12:
- European Union foreign ministers have agreed to top up a fund for arms deliveries to Ukraine by a further two billion euros ($2.11bn) and discuss further sanctions on Russia.
- Russian forces hit eastern and southern Ukraine with missiles, drones and artillery, Ukraine’s General Staff has said.
- The Kremlin says, without elaborating, that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not hold his annual end-of-year news conference.
- Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer freed last week in exchange for American basketball star Brittney Griner, reportedly joins the Kremlin-loyal ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party.
Russia could resume business with Germany if it ends Ukraine war: Scholz
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said that economic cooperation between Germany and Russia could be possible again if the Kremlin ended its war in Ukraine.
Scholz has said in previous speeches that the West would not lift sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine until Moscow withdrew its troops from Ukraine and reached a peace agreement with Kyiv.
“At the moment the relations we have are being reduced, reduced, reduced,” he told the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, referring to western sanctions on Russia that have quashed bilateral trade and investment.
“A Russia that ends the war”, Scholz said, should be given a chance for renewed economic cooperation. “But that is not now,” he said.
Zelenskyy asks G7 to supply Ukraine natural gas, long-range weapons
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the Group of Seven (G7) nations to help his government obtain an additional two billion cubic metres of natural gas and to supply it with modern tanks, artillery units and shells as well as long-range weapons.
Speaking remotely at the G7 video conference hosted by Germany, Zelenskyy also called on Russia to make a “substantive” step towards a diplomatic resolution of the war in Ukraine and suggested that Moscow should pull its troops out by Christmas.
“If Russia conducts a withdrawal of its forces from Ukraine, then it will also ensure a reliable end of hostilities,” he said. “I see no reason why Russia should not do this now – in time for Christmas.”
Senior Russian-appointed Kherson official injured in his car
The Russian-appointed deputy governor of Ukraine’s Kherson region, Vitaly Bulyuk, was injured when his car exploded, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported, citing the occupation administration’s health minister.
The Russian-appointed minister, Vadim Ilmiyev, said Bulyuk was in stable condition.
“The driver of the car died on the spot,” he said, according to Interfax. “According to my information, a directional mine went off – the car burned out.”
It was not clear whether explosives had been attached to the car. Numerous officials in Russian-appointed occupation administrations have been killed or injured in recent months. The Kyiv government has declined to say whether the attacks were the work of Ukrainian partisans.
Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior ministry, said in a post on the Telegram messaging app that Bulyuk’s car had exploded near his home in the town of Skadovsk, and did not disguise his approval for the attack on a “traitor” and “collaborator”.
EU agrees to adding names to Russia sanctions list, but no deal yet on sanctions package
European Union foreign ministers agreed in principle to add about 200 Russian people and groups to a sanctions list, even if a whole ninth package of sanctions wasn’t approved yet, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said.
“What we have already approved is the individual sanctions … to about 200 individuals and entities,” he told a news conference.
“This is approved, it is going to hit hard the Russian defence sector and the Russian military. It is going to hit also the political masters of the Russian government, in the Duma, in the Federation Council and in the judiciary. We are targeting those responsible for looting the Ukrainian grain, and for the deportation of Ukrainian people and in particular children.”
The bloc’s foreign ministers, however, could not yet adopt the full package of new sanctions proposed by the European Commission, diplomats have said.
Borrell said there had been disagreement on some of the content and its possible impact, but did not go into details. He said he hoped it could be approved later this week.
G7 to focus on boosting Ukraine’s air defence
The Group of Seven (G7) economic powers have said they would continue to work together to bolster Ukraine’s military capabilities, with an immediate focus on air defence systems, according to a leaders’ statement released by Britain.
“We will continue to coordinate efforts to meet Ukraine’s urgent requirements for military and defence equipment with an immediate focus on providing Ukraine with air defence systems and capabilities,” the statement said.
Hundreds of thousands more refugees expected from Ukraine: NRC
The head of the Norwegian Refugee Council has said he anticipates another wave of hundreds of thousands of refugees from Ukraine in Europe over the winter, because of “unliveable” conditions.
“Nobody knows how many but there will be hundreds of thousands more as the horrific and unlawful bombing of civilian infrastructure makes life unliveable in too many places,” Jan Egeland told Reuters news agency.
“So I fear that the crisis in Europe will deepen and that will overshadow equally crises in other places of the world,” he said.
Nestle to open new $43m Ukraine factory
Swiss food giant Nestle has said it was opening a new production site in western Ukraine, and would invest tens of millions of dollars into a factory and production network set to employ 1,500 people.
“Nestle is announcing the opening of a new production site in Ukraine. 40 million Swiss francs ($43m) will be invested in production in Smolyhiv located in Volyn region, in the western part of the country,” the company, which had three facilities in Ukraine before the war broke out, said in a statement.
Russian e-scooter firm expects IPO to price at bottom of range
Russian electric scooter company Whoosh has said it expected its initial public offering (IPO) price in Moscow to be 185 roubles ($2.94) per share, at the bottom of an estimated range announced last week.
It said the total size of the IPO, which would be Russia’s first since Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February, would be around 2.3 billion roubles ($37m).
Ukrainian refugee crisis will get worse over winter: Norwegian Refugee Council
The head of the Norwegian Refugee Council says he anticipates another wave of hundreds of thousands of refugees from Ukraine over the winter.
“Nobody knows how many, but there will be hundreds of thousands more as the horrific and unlawful bombing of civilian infrastructure makes life unliveable in too many places,” Jan Egeland told Reuters news agency by phone after returning from a trip to Ukraine earlier this month.
“So I fear that the crisis in Europe will deepen and that will overshadow equally crises in other places of the world,” he said.
Polish president thanks Germany for Patriot defence system
Polish President Andrzej Duda has thanked Germany for the planned deployment of Patriot air defence missile systems after a wayward missile hit a Polish village in November.
“For us in Poland, this is a very important gesture by an ally and a very important gesture on the part of our neighbour,” Duda said after a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin.
Following the explosion, which killed two people, the German and Polish defence ministers agreed to deploy parts of Germany’s Patriot missile defence system on Polish soil.
On Tuesday, a Bundeswehr reconnaissance team is expected to travel to Poland to inspect suitable locations.
Duda also advised Germany to prepare for a new wave of refugees from Ukraine this winter, saying, “people are fleeing from the frost, from death and from Russian missiles and bombs”.
Britain ‘open-minded’ about sending long-range weapons to Ukraine
British Defence Minister Ben Wallace says he would be “open-minded” about supplying Ukraine with long-range weapons systems if Russia continues targeting civilian areas.
Speaking to Parliament, Wallace was asked by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a vocal supporter of Ukraine, about the possible supply of longer-range missile systems to Kyiv to destroy or damage drone launch sites.
“I constantly review the weapons systems we could provide,” Wallace told Parliament.
“We too have in our armour potential weapons systems that are longer, and should the Russians continue to target civilian areas and try and break those Geneva Conventions, then I will be open-minded to see what we do next,” he said.
Since the invasion, Britain has committed 3.8 billion pounds ($4.6bn) to supporting Ukraine, which includes military training, weapons and humanitarian assistance.
‘One person killed’ in Kherson shelling
Shelling of the city of Kherson in Ukraine has killed at least one person and wounded three more, the regional governor said.
“As a result of the Russian artillery attack today, houses in the Tavriysky district, cars in the parking lot and a gas line were damaged”, Governor Yaroslav Yanushevych said on Telegram.
“According to preliminary data, one person died, and three were injured. Racists meanly kill peaceful Kherson people. There are traces of blood and piles of broken glass on the ground. People show what happened when “Russian peace visited” their apartments.
“Ukraine and the whole world should know the truth about Kherson. About our pain and strength. Let’s persevere”, he wrote.
EU threatens to keep billions from Hungary over Ukraine veto
Germany has reminded Hungary of the importance of the European Union’s values as the bloc threatens to keep billions from Budapest unless it lifts its veto on a joint loan to Ukraine and a global corporate tax.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s comments add pressure ahead of a meeting on Monday of the EU’s national ambassadors to try to break the deadlock.
The EU has withheld 5.8 billion euros ($6.1bn) from an economic stimulus pot, citing poor judicial independence in Hungary, and a further 7.5 billion euros ($7.9bn) it said should be frozen over corruption.
But Hungary blocked the 18 billion euros ($19bn) joint EU loan to Ukraine and the tax plan, drawing ire from other countries for what they said was an attempt to blackmail the bloc into releasing the funds to Budapest.
Hungary says it opposes joint EU borrowing to support Ukraine but that it would extend bilateral aid to Kyiv instead.
Russian oil insurer will not offer new policies after EU import ban
Russian insurer Ingosstrakh says it has no plans to offer policies to new clients who may lose coverage from international insurers after restrictions against Russian oil came into force on December 5.
The European Union banned all seaborne Russian crude imports, with a fuel import ban to follow in February.
The EU also banned companies and individuals in the bloc from providing financing, brokerage, shipping and insurance services to ship Russian oil elsewhere if the crude was bought above a price cap of $60 a barrel.
Turkey’s maritime authority said on Thursday that it would continue to block the passage of oil tankers without appropriate insurance letters, adding that the insurance checks on ships in its waters were a routine procedure.
“We are not willing and will not provide short-term P&I [protection and indemnity] coverage for vessels caught up by the new Turkish regulations at the mouth of the Bosphorus,” Ingosstrakh said.
‘Eight people wounded’ in Donetsk shelling
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s office says that eight people were wounded in Russia’s shelling of the town of Hirnyk in the eastern Donetsk region.
“All the wounded were taken to the hospital; we are determining the extent of the damage”, Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram.
“This is another attack by the Russian army on the civilian population. This time the enemy used the Uragan MLRS. The terrorist state is continuously terrorizing peaceful Ukrainians — it is shooting and will continue to shoot at civilians until we drive it out.
“I am asking everyone: evacuate! Do not expose yourself to danger!” he wrote.
Nestle to invest in new production facility in Ukraine
Nestle will invest 40 million Swiss francs ($42.88m) in launching a new production facility in western Ukraine, the company said.
“This is an important move for Nestlé, taken in a very challenging time for the country,” Alessandro Zanelli, Nestlé’s chief executive officer for the South Eastern Europe Market, said in a statement.
“We aim to create a food and culinary hub, ensuring incremental jobs and serving the needs of Ukrainians and all European citizens with high-quality products.”
Nestle is one of the few international companies to announce new investments in Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February.
The company already has around 5,800 staff in Ukraine and plans to add 1,500 jobs at the new production facility in Smolyhiv in the Volyn region.
NATO will not treat Russia like they treat Ukraine: Polish president
NATO can guarantee that they will not treat Russia the way they are treating Ukraine, Poland’s president said in response to a question about French President Emmanuel Macron’s idea of security guarantees for Russia.
“What we, as honest people, politicians, NATO members, are able to guarantee to Russia is that no one is going to do to Russia what she is doing to her neighbours,” Andrzej Duda told a news conference in Berlin.
Ukrainian PM appeals for Patriot missile batteries
Ukraine’s prime minister appeals for Patriot missile batteries and other hi-tech air defence systems to counter Russian attacks.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told French broadcaster LCI that Russia wants to swamp Europe with a new wave of Ukrainian refugees by taking down infrastructure that has caused electricity and water outages for millions during freezing winter.
The provision of Patriot surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine would mark a significant advance in the air defence systems the West is sending to help the country defend itself from Russian aerial attacks.
So far, no country has offered them, although Germany has provided Patriot missiles to neighbouring Poland, its NATO ally.
EU ministers agree to recharge military aid fund for Ukraine
European Union foreign ministers agreed to replenish a fund that has been used to pay for military support for Ukraine with another two billion euros ($2.11bn).
There is a possibility of another boost later, with the total increase until 2027 amounting to up to 5.5 billion euros, said the European Council.
“Today’s decision will ensure that we have the funding to continue delivering concrete military support to our partners’ armed forces,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.
Ukrainian embassy in Greece sent a ‘bloody package’
Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesman, Oleg Nikolenko, says the Ukrainian embassy in Greece has been sent a “bloody package”.
Altogether, 33 packages from the same German address of a Tesla showroom in Sindelfingen have been sent to embassies and consulates around Europe.
On Facebook, Nikolenko wrote: “We also expect the acceleration of the investigation by German law enforcement. In total, we already have 33 threat cases in 17 countries: 1 attempted terrorist attack, two mine reports, one vandalism, one written threat and 28 covered packages.
“As Dmytro Kuleba said, no matter how the enemies try to intimidate Ukrainian diplomacy, they will not succeed. Working towards the win”.
‘Russia has already lost’: Ukrainian presidential adviser
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhail Podolyak says Russia has already lost and that everything must be done to stop a reoccurrence of Russian aggression.
He tweeted: “Russia has already lost — mobilisation only delays its defeat. After Ukraine liberates its territories and RF’s [Russian Federation] defeat will be official, everything possible must be done to prevent recurrence of ru-aggression. It’s simple: tribunal, sentences to war authors and as NATO member.”
Russia has already lost — mobilization only delays its defeat. After Ukraine liberates its territories and RF’s defeat will be official, everything possible must be done to prevent recurrence of ru-aggression. It's simple: tribunal, sentences to war authors and 🇺🇦 as NATO member.
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) December 12, 2022
Who controls what?
Here are four maps, which we update daily, charting the latest war developments.
Putin will not hold annual news conference: Kremlin
Russia says President Vladimir Putin will not hold his annual end-of-year news conference this year.
“There will not be [a news conference] before the New Year,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
He gave no reason for the break with tradition but added that Putin “regularly speaks to the press, including on foreign visits”.
EU to review budget for new energy investments
The European Union will need to review its budget and consider launching a new fund for additional energy investments to wean countries off Russian gas, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
“The question is whether it [the EU budget] is still fit for purpose, and a fresh look through a midterm review of the budget would open the door to create a sovereignty fund,” von der Leyen said.
The EU chief declined to specify if this new fund would require the EU to take out the further joint debt but said the bloc’s existing funds would need to be “augmented by other sources”.
Body of student killed in Ukraine returns to Zambia
The body of a Zambian student who died while fighting in Ukraine arrived in Zambia on Sunday.
An AFP journalist reported seeing a white, glass-panelled hearse of the container holding the body arrive on the tarmac at Lusaka airport, where grieving relatives gathered.
Zambian Foreign Affairs Minister Stanley Kakubo said on Friday that the student was pardoned from serving his nine-year sentence of drug offences to go and fight in Ukraine.
“We were informed that Russia allows for prisoners to be provided an opportunity for pardon in exchange for participation in the special military operation,” Kakubo said.