Zelenskyy speaks out harshly on Trump's statements about ending the war
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Politics
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Zelenskyy speaks out harshly on Trump's statements about ending the war

Volodymyr Zelensky
Source:  The Guardian

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised US presidential candidate Donald Trump for irresponsible statements about his alleged intentions to end the war in Ukraine by making concessions to the aggressor country Russia.

What Zelenskyy says about Trump and his statements

The head of state emphasised that the Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin's aggression will not stop in Ukraine and will spread to other countries in case of victory.

At the same time, Zelenskyy expressed confidence that Putin will not abide by any possible agreements with Trump.

I don't understand, does he really want to be a loser president? Let's imagine that Trump became president and decided to end the war at the expense of Ukraine. Example. And somehow I got confirmation from Putin that this is a stop, that's all. The Ukrainians will not put up with this, but he can then say that he does not give us any support, and Ukraine will not be able to fight without weapons. Let's imagine. And imagine for a second that after that Putin will go further. So who will this US president be for the whole world? — explains the head of state.

Zelenskyy also warned that against the background of the likely victory of Putin's army in Ukraine, Trump will look weak.

It is not only about the personal personality of the American leader, but also about the institutionality of the US. And then Putin will move on, realising that the US is no longer such a big player. And then other authoritarian leaders of other countries will enter the arena. And here you have the ceasefire and the beginning of what everyone is afraid to talk about. This is the third world war, emphasises Zelenskyy.

What Zelenskyy says about the probability of a frozen conflict

The president warned that any freezing of the criminal war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine would still be a conflict, but in a slow form.

Zelenskyy noted that such a conflict could flare up again at any moment.

And there will come a moment when all this will thaw for one reason or another. The occupier will always find an excuse. He needs a break to strengthen his position on the battlefield. To understand where he is lacking. We know that. We have the same deficit, we talk about it openly, explains Zelenskyy.

He emphasised that the occupation army of the Russian Federation has more equipment, but feels a shortage of soldiers with combat experience, artillery shells and missiles.

This pause will benefit them, certainly not us. They will become stronger, and after that, as was the case in the Normandy Agreements, he will gain strength, and he can give you an ultimatum — recognise all territories, not be in the Alliance, forget about European integration, and there will be many such conditions, Zelenskyy emphasises.

He also reminded that during the absence of an active phase of the war in Donbas until 2022, people still died.

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World
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Biden is preparing two speeches in his last days in office — what exactly will they be about

Biden is preparing two speeches in his last days in office — what exactly will they be about
Source:  NBC News

Incumbent US President Joe Biden is planning to deliver two major speeches before his term ends. This is how he wants to sum up his 50-year political career.

Points of attention

  • Joe Biden is preparing two speeches before the end of his term as US president.
  • The first speech will be dedicated to foreign policy, where he will focus on the importance of preserving global alliances and supporting Ukraine.
  • The second speech will be about his work in the White House and public service and will be a farewell address to the citizens of the United States.
  • Joe Biden announced a new $2.5 billion military aid package for Ukraine.
  • Ukraine will receive support through security assistance measures, which will ensure the strengthening of its positions in the international arena.

What speeches is Biden preparing in his last days in office?

According to sources, the first speech will be dedicated to US foreign policy. It will be delivered after January 12, when Biden returns from an official visit to Italy.

The president is expected to focus on the importance of preserving global alliances, expanding NATO, strengthening relations in the Indo-Pacific region, and providing military and financial support to Ukraine in response to a full-scale Russian invasion.

The second speech will be dedicated to his work in the White House and public service. It will be a virtual farewell address to the citizens of the United States.

According to the publication, this speech will likely be similar to the addresses of his predecessors: George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.

The speeches are not yet complete, but Biden's team has already identified their key themes and overall plan.

Let us remind you that on January 20, the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump will take place in the United States.

US announces aid to Ukraine on New Year's Eve

American leader Joe Biden announced the allocation of a new military aid package to Ukraine worth $2.5 billion.

It is worth noting that it includes:

  • $1.25 billion — an additional package of spending cuts for the Ukrainian army;

  • $1.22 billion — Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which includes the use of all remaining funds from this program.

"Under my leadership, the United States will work tirelessly to strengthen Ukraine's position in this war for the rest of my term in office," Joe Biden said.

In addition, on December 30, it became known that official Washington would provide Ukraine with $15 billion.

These funds are secured by future income from frozen Russian assets.

Category
Politics
Publication date

Trump still hasn't developed a plan to end the war. Why it's beneficial for Ukraine

Trump
Source:  The Times

According to The Times, future US President Donald Trump has not yet chosen a strategy for ending Russia's war against Ukraine. According to the journalists, this is precisely what gives Volodymyr Zelensky's team a leeway to win the Republican over to their side.

Points of attention

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy's team has a chance to influence the decision of the future American president.
  • Under the Logan Act, future administrations are not allowed to conduct policy with foreign partners, but the Trump team is already negotiating with Ukraine.
  • Trump should do everything possible to get Putin to agree to peace talks.

Ukraine has a chance to convince Trump

The journalists concluded that Ukraine is currently trying hard to "charm" Trump and prove to him that a deal with Putin will cost the US dearly in the long run.

What is important to understand is that under the law known as the Logan Act, future administrations have no right to conduct policy with foreign partners.

Despite this, it is no secret that Donald Trump's team is actively discussing its strategy with Ukraine, and Kyiv has received a unique opportunity to influence the process of creating the plan.

For several weeks, representatives of President Volodymyr Zelensky have been trying to persuade Donald Trump's entourage in Washington. Some of the initiatives have been quite unexpected. In particular, the chairman of the Rada's Foreign Affairs Committee, Oleksandr Merezhko, has nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Moreover, as is known, the Ukrainian leader offered the United States joint investments in the development of Ukraine's natural resources as part of his victory plan.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump (Photo: president.gov.ua)

What to expect from Russia

The editorial board of the publication draws attention to the fact that so far the aggressor country Russia has not shown any signs of being ready to discuss peace agreements.

The only thing Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is really trying to achieve is the complete surrender of Ukraine.

Against this backdrop, the key goal of the Trump team is not only to broker a ceasefire, but also to force the illegitimate head of the Kremlin to sit at the negotiating table.

Interestingly, Putin stubbornly continues to ignore the fact that the Russian economy is facing an increasing number of problems, and the stimulus created by the sharp increase in military production is weakening.

Given this, US sanctions may serve as the motivation needed to force Russia to seriously engage in negotiations, former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodniuk said in a comment to journalists.

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