THE Kremlin has rejected Joe Biden’s terms for Ukraine talks with Vladimir Putin - vowing Moscow’s bloody invasion will continue.
Vladimir Putin's puppet spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is not willing to adhere to Joe Biden's demands that the invaders leave Ukraine, with the aim to end the bloody Ukraine war.
Peskov told reporters: "What did President Biden say in fact? He said that negotiations are possible only after Putin leaves Ukraine," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding Moscow was "certainly" not ready to accept the conditions.
"The special military operation is continuing," he added.
During a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, Biden said Thursday he would be willing to speak to Putin if the Russian leader truly wants to end the fighting.
Read our Ukraine-Russia live blog below for the latest news...
Justin Welby says 'we must not force peace on Ukraine'
The Archbishop of Canterbury has said there must be "no way we force peace" in Ukraine as he warned the West has not "taken on board" that the conflict could drag on for years.
Justin Welby said Russia's "evil" invasion must not succeed.
During a three-day visit to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, the Archbishop had to take cover in a bomb shelter when air raid warnings were sounded after Russian bombers were reported to have taken off.
Asked what he learned from his visit to the war-torn country, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "First of all, the need for solidarity and support for Ukraine.
"And secondly, that there must be no way in which we force peace on Ukraine or they're put under pressure. Third, that the need for support is going to be very long term."
Pressed on whether he meant, in some cases, war is the right course, he said: "Peace is always better than war. But there are times when justice demands that there is the defeat of what we call, the Archbishop of York and I called when it started, an evil invasion. And I don't regret saying that.
He added that Ukraine is the "victim" and urged the West to show "real resilience" and resist anything similar to the carving up of Czechoslovakia to appease Hitler in 1938.
Russia shells city housing Europe's biggest nuclear plant
RUSSIA has attacked critical infrastructure in a city housing Europe's biggest nuclear plant overnight as part of Putin's sick energy war.
Vladimir Putin's forces reportedly struck the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, which houses the sprawling power plant currently controlled by Russia.
Zaporizhzhia mayor Anatoly Kurtev announced the attack on Telegram early this morning, saying: "As a result of the enemy attack, the building of the infrastructure object is on fire. The blast wave blew out windows in nearby houses."
Meanwhile, an advisor to president Volodymyr Zelensky has said between 10,000 and 13,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the Ukraine war.
But in comparison, the MoD yesterday said Russian losses are nearing 90,000 in just ten months, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. As of December 1, 2022, Putin's army has seen 89,440, with over 500 coming in the last 24 hours.
In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers celebrate following prisoner swap
Yesterday, 50 Ukrainian POWs were returned to safety in a prisoner swap with Russian forces.
The Ukrainian men were all smiles as they reached freedom, taking pictures in celebration.
Ukraine orders probe into Russian-linked church, says Zelensky
Ukraine's top security officials have ordered an investigation into the activities of a branch of the Orthodox Church linked historically to Moscow, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday.
Zelenskiy said the probe would look into whether the Moscow branch of the church was entitled to operate at one of Ukraine's most hallowed sites - the Pechersk Lavra complex in Kyiv.
The Orthodox Church in Russia has lavishly backed the Kremlin's nine-month-old invasion of Ukraine.
"We have to create conditions so that no actors dependent on the aggressor state (Russia) can manipulate Ukrainians and weaken Ukraine from within," Zelenskiy said in a video address.
In Ukraine, the Moscow-linked church formally severed ties with the Russian Orthodox Church last May, but is still mistrusted by many Ukrainians and accused of secret co-operation with Russia.
Up to 13,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed since Russian invasion says Zelensky adviser
As many as 13,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed since Russia's invasion in February, a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
"We have official estimates from the General Staff... And they range from 10,000 ... to 13,000 dead," Mykhailo Podolyak told Ukraine's Channel 24 on Thursday.
Zelensky would make the official data public "when the right moment comes", he added.
Russia tests new missile-defence system rocket
Russia has tested a new missile defence system rocket, the defence ministry said.
The missile was launched from the Sary Shagan testing range in Kazakhstan, the defence ministry said. Other than saying the test was successful, the ministry gave few other details.
Inside Britain’s Ukraine training scheme
Taking to Twitter yesterday, the Ministry of Defence shared an insight into its training of Ukrainian soldiers.
The British army has taken a central role in training and equipping Ukrainian soldiers, as they continue to fight Putin’s brutal invasion.
Fitting Ukrainian recruits with kit, protecting fellow soldiers in the field or working on the finer details – Armed Forces personnel do it all. pic.twitter.com/bhAUoeWuMo
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) December 1, 2022Six million Ukrainians without electricity as winter sets in
As winter officially gets underway in Ukraine, six million people are without electricity, President Zelensky claimed on Wednesday.
Speaking in his nightly address, he said: “As of this evening, about 6 million subscribers in most regions of our country and in Kyiv are disconnected from electricity.
“The situation remains very difficult in the capital, as well as in the Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Lviv, Odesa, Khmelnytskyi and Cherkasy regions.”
Switzerland freezes nearly $8bn in Russian assetsSwitzerland confirmed on Thursday that it has frozen a total of 7.5 billion Swiss francs (£6.5billion) in Russian assets to date.
The move is in connection with the sanctions imposed over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The amount, which has been fluctuating for months, is nearly one billion francs more than the figure provided by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in July.
Switzerland, a favoured destination for wealthy Russians and their assets, has also seen 15 Russian properties seized, it said.
Erwin Bollinger, in charge of bilateral economic relations at SECO, stressed to reporters that the amount frozen at any given time does not necessarily “reflect the efficacy of the sanctions.”
That is because Swiss authorities seeking to implement the string of sanctions on Russia sometimes freeze assets as a precautionary measure, which may be released again once clarifications have been completed.
EU praises Irish citizens for taking in Ukrainian refugees
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen yesterday thanked the Irish people for their “outstanding” support in welcoming Ukrainian refugees.
Speaking on the steps of Government Buildings in Dublin, Ms von der Leyen said: “I want to personally thank you (Micheal Martin) for the excellent cooperation we had in the last two and a half years.
“These were very eventful years indeed. As you said, first of all the pandemic.
“You have steered very skilfully, Ireland through the pandemic and out of the pandemic, and I highly appreciate how you’ve always been a strong supporter of our vaccine strategy.
“You have presented an excellent national recovery resilience plan and the next generation EU where I had the honour and pleasure to be here to present it together with you.
“Now, indeed, we are in difficult times because Russia unleashed an atrocious war against Ukraine.
“First and foremost, I want to thank the Irish people, for opening their hearts and their homes to Ukrainian refugee.
“This is outstanding. I want to thank you for the strong support for Ukraine to become a candidate Member of the European Union.”
Air raid warning issued across Ukraine yesterday
Air raid alerts were issued across all of Ukraine on Thursday following warnings by Ukrainian officials that Russia was preparing a new wave of missile and drone strikes.
“An overall air raid alert is in place in Ukraine. Go to shelters,” country’s border service wrote on Telegram messaging app.
Ukraine sacks engineer accused of collaborating at occupied nuclear plant
Ukraine sacked a top engineer at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Thursday, accusing him of collaborating with Russian forces, and urged other Ukrainian staff at the plant to remain loyal to Kyiv.
The head of state nuclear energy firm Energoatom made the appeal a day after Russia said it had promoted Ukrainian engineer Yuriy Chernichuk to serve as director of the vast plant in southeastern Ukraine.
“Instead of taking all efforts to liberate the station as fast as possible, he decided to help the Russian occupiers legalise its criminal seizure and is now inciting other atomic workers to do this,” Energoatom chief Petro Kotin said.
Chernichuk could not immediately be reached for comment.
Lavrov says Ukraine war affects prospects for nuclear talks
Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov claims Moscow is willing to play a responsible part in nuclear arms control.
However, he argued it is “impossible to discuss nuclear stability” while ignoring Western involvement in the war in Ukraine.
“It is crystal clear that it is impossible to discuss strategic stability today while ignoring everything that is happening in Ukraine.
“Because the goal in Ukraine has been declared – not to save Ukrainian democracy, but to defeat Russia on the battlefield, or even destroy Russia,” he said.
Ukraine’s Western allies say they are arming Kyiv to help it defend itself against Russian aggression, rejecting Russia’s assertions that they are exploiting Ukraine as part of a strategy to weaken and defeat Russia or even break it up.
Lavrov said Moscow had expressed willingness in the past to discuss extending its New START nuclear arms treaty with Washington to take account of its latest hypersonic weapons.
Lithuania says Russia sanctions will work in medium and long term
The European Union needs patience as it sanctions 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 NEXT conference on Thursday.
“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.
Russia to invest in nuclear weapons infrastructure
Russia this week announced it will be investing in “strategic nuclear forces” next year.
“When preparing the list of major construction facilities for 2023, special attention will be paid to construction in the interests of the strategic nuclear forces,” Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said according to Russian state media RIA news agency.
The Kremlin will reportedly develop new military systems at five bases.
UK sanctions Russian officials who enlisted criminals to fight in Ukraine
Senior Russian prison officials who helped to enlist convicted criminals to fight in Ukraine have been targeted in the latest round of UK sanctions, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has said.
Arkady Gostev (pictured below), director of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service, and Dmitry Bezrukikh, head of the Federal Punishment Service of the Rostov region, are among 22 officials to be made the subject of asset freezes and travel bans.
The FCDO said the two men are reported to have worked closely with Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the notorious Wagner Group of mercenaries, which has been linked with some of the worst atrocities in the conflict, to fill its ranks with inmates from Russia’s jails.
Prisoners – including murderers and sex offenders – were offered pardons from President Vladimir Putin if they agreed to sign up to fight in Ukraine.
Sanctions have also been imposed on officials associated with the partial mobilisation of Russian reservists, including deputy prime minister Denis Valentinovich Manturov, who is responsible for equipping the troops.
Ukrainian official calls for stronger sanctions
A top Ukrainian official has called on the EU to hit Russia with more sanctions.
This comes as Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with EU leadership today.
Taking to Twitter, Mr Kuleba said: “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.”
Joe Biden has 'no plans' for talks with Putin
Speaking during France's State Visit to the United States today, President Joe Biden said he has no plans to speak with Putin but would be willing to in the future.
“I have no immediate plans to contact Mr Putin,” he said.
“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.”
France's President Macron condemns Russian attacks on Ukraine in US speech
Speaking in the US today, the French President reaffirmed his country's support for Ukraine.
"We clearly condemn this war, immediately,” he said
“We support both the Ukrainian army that is resisting and the Ukrainian population.”
“The war effort is targeting the civilian infrastructure, bringing even more violence to make the Ukrainian people desperate and make it difficult for them to survive this winter,” Mr Macron added.
US and France will 'stand together' against Russian 'brutality'
Speaking during President Macron's State Visit to the United States, Joe Biden slammed Russia as "brutal."
“I knew Russia was [brutal], but I didn’t anticipate them being as brutal as they have been,” the 46th President said.
“Today we reaffirm that we are going to stand together against this brutality.
"We will continue this strong support for the Ukrainian people as they defend their homes, their families, hospitals, their nurseries, their sovereignty, their integrity, against Russian aggression.”
In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers celebrate following prisoner swap
Today, 50 Ukrainian POWs were returned to safety in a prisoner swap with Russian forces.
The Ukrainian men were all smiles as they reached freedom, taking pictures in celebration.
Ministry of Defence provides further details on Russia's brutal bombing campaign
The British Ministry of Defence has shared some new information regarding the Russian bombing of Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
The statement said: "Since October 2022, Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukraine’s electricity distribution grid, primarily with cruise missiles.
"This is likely the first example of Russia attempting to implement the concept of a Strategic Operation for the Destruction of Critically Important Targets (SODCIT), a key component of the military doctrine it has adopted in recent years.
"Russia’s strikes continue to cause power shortages resulting in indiscriminate, widespread humanitarian suffering across Ukraine.
"However, its effectiveness as a strategy has likely been blunted because Russia has already expended a large proportion of its suitable missiles against tactical targets.
"Also, with Ukraine having successfully mobilised for nine months, material and psychological effect of the SODCIT is likely less than if it was deployed in the initial period of a war."
Kyiv residents urged to stack up on water and food amid Russian attacks
Kyiv's mayor has called on residents to stockpile food and water as the city faces blackouts.
“The temperature in the apartments may not differ much from the outside temperature,” Vitaliy Klitschko said today.
“I appeal to the people … to have a supply of technical water, drinking water, durable food products, warm clothing.”
This comes as the city is bombarded with Russian attacks targeting Ukraine's ability to produce electricity and heat its homes.
UK announce fresh round of sanctions against 22 Russians
The UK has announced a fresh round of sanctions against 22 Russians, including those the Foreign Office who have promoted and enforced mobilisation to fight in Russia’s war on Ukraine.
This includes the Deputy Prime Minister Denis Valentinovich Manturov, who is responsible for overseeing the Russian weapons industry and responsible for equipping mobilised troops.
A further ten governors and regional heads have also been sanctioned.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: ”The Russian regime’s decision to partially mobilise Russian citizens was a desperate attempt to overwhelm the valiant Ukrainians defending their territory. It has failed.
”Today we have sanctioned individuals who have enforced this conscription, sending thousands of Russian citizens to fight in Putin’s illegal and abhorrent war.
”The UK will continue to use both sanctions and military aid to support Ukraine in the defence of their independence.”
