Ukraine-Russia War Latest: President Zelenskiy accuses Scholz of opening ‘Pandora’s Box’ after phone call with President Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his country had not received even half of the weapons allocated to it by the United States.

“Now, about the huge aid (from the US), that money still needs to be delivered. When asked how much we have received,” he said on Ukrainian radio, according to Ukraiska Pravda newspaper. I answered,” he said. I won’t go into details as there are various reports from various agencies such as the Ministry of Defense and intelligence agencies.

“I just want to say that I haven’t even received half of it yet.

“When I talk about half, I actually mean less than that, and I’m talking about arms. I negotiated arms. Of course, humanitarian aid, financial aid, targeted financing for the budget. aid, and there are specific humanitarian programs directed to the provinces. ”

Leaders of the Group of Seven major democracies on Saturday reiterated their pledge to impose harsh retaliation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The G7 said the implications would include sanctions, export controls and other measures. The group added that it will continue to support Ukraine as long as necessary.

“Russia remains the only obstacle to a just and lasting peace,” the country said in a statement on Saturday. The statement was adopted “in support of Kiev as the thousandth day of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine approaches.”

“The G7 affirms its commitment to impose tough costs on Russia through sanctions, export controls and other effective measures. We stand in solidarity with Ukraine,” the statement added.

Italy currently holds the G7 rotating presidency in 2024. Other member countries include the United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his country must end its war with Russia next year through diplomacy.

Zelenskiy acknowledged in a radio interview on Saturday that the situation on Ukraine’s eastern front is difficult as Russia continues to advance in key areas.

U.S. law prevents presidents from meeting with President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office in January, but Zelensky said he would only meet with Trump himself, not his advisers.

“As President of Ukraine, I will only take seriously my dialogue with the President of the United States, with the utmost respect for any of his aides and citizens.”

“For our part, we must make every effort to end this war next year and through diplomatic means,” Zelenskiy said.

Russian forces have captured two villages in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Russian news agencies reported Saturday, citing the Defense Ministry.

According to Reuters, the ministry claims that the villages of Makarivka, more than 100 kilometers west of Donetsk city, and Hrihorivka, west of Seridobe town, were captured by Russia last month.

It happened as Russia continued its offensive on the eastern front of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticized German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying it opened a “Pandora’s Box”.

“This is exactly what President Putin has wanted for a long time. It is extremely important for President Putin to reduce his isolation and Russia’s isolation and to have normal negotiations that don’t end in anything,” Zelenskiy said. .

In their first telephone conversation in nearly two years, Scholz urged President Putin to withdraw troops and end the full-scale invasion that began in February 2022.

After spending months seizing large swaths of Russian territory following a daring summer offensive, Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Ukraine is now in control of 50,000 troops gathered by Vladimir Putin in the border Kursk region. He claimed to be at war with.

However, Moscow is now in the process of reclaiming territory. Fighting reaches new intensity as Russia claims record losses for second day in a row, Ukrainian military claims Russia has suffered record losses for the second day in a row, following reports that thousands of North Korean troops are stationed in Kursk It suggests that.

The Independent spoke to analysts about how the situation could develop in the coming weeks and months.

President Joe Biden is expected to use his last meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to encourage North Korea to dissuade it from further supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Today’s meeting, which coincides with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation annual summit in Peru, comes just over two months before Biden leaves office and Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

It will be Biden’s final check-in with Xi, whom Democrats consider the most influential person on the world stage.

Officials have said that from their final meeting, Mr. Biden will ask Mr. Xi to step up China’s engagement to prevent an already dangerous situation with North Korea from escalating further.

Biden yesterday joined South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to send thousands of troops to help Russia repel Ukrainian forces that have seized territory in Russia’s Kursk border region. He criticized North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s decision to do so.

Biden called this “dangerous and destabilizing cooperation.”

White House officials have also expressed frustration that Beijing, which accounts for the lion’s share of North Korea’s trade, has not taken more steps to rein in Pyongyang.

Embattled Chancellor Olaf Scholz argued that the war in Ukraine was a financial emergency for Germany, opening up the possibility of further spending.

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

“The bad decisions we made then do not prevent us from doing the right thing today. Russia’s war is a fiscal emergency, an extraordinary event that justifies increased spending.” said Scholz, while also calling for modest changes to debt rules that currently limit public spending.

“Reforms won’t solve all our fiscal problems, but they will make our path a little easier,” he added.

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya descended on the Ukrainian capital today for an unannounced visit in a clear show of solidarity with the war-torn country.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Iwaya traveled to Kiev by train from Poland after visiting Peru for a regional economic conference.

The Mainichi Shimbun reported that the top diplomat met with Ukrainian diplomat Andriy Sibikha and was scheduled to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy later that day.

An exiled Russian TV chef based in London has been found dead in Serbia.

Alexei Zimin, 52, has been an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea. He was found dead in a Belgrade hotel room earlier this week, Russian media reported. He was in the Serbian capital to promote his new book about Britain, Anglomania.

Serbian authorities said there were “no suspicious circumstances” surrounding Jimin’s death. According to BBC News, an autopsy and toxicology investigation were underway.

Jimin spent his later years in exile in England, where he ran a cooking show on Russia’s NTV channel. However, the program was canceled after he issued an anti-war message on social media in the wake of President Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.