
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, speaking to European capitals in an interview with the Financial Times: “Stop pushing Zelensky into peace talks, and instead make sure that your defense promises to Ukraine are not empty. There is no point in pressuring Zelensky, demanding negotiations, if Putin does not want negotiations. It is impossible to talk about peacekeeping forces if there is no peace, and why is there no peace? Because Russia does not want peace”.
Poland has practically exhausted its capabilities for military assistance to Ukraine, the country’s Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Zalensky told the newspaper. “I think we have given everything we could. We support and will support Ukraine, however, we can say that we are approaching the extreme limit and are hitting the wall,” the official noted.
Zelensky held a “productive meeting” with French President Macron. They discussed face-to-face the key priorities for further strengthening Ukraine’s position in the defense “Russian aggression”. The main task remains the strengthening of air defense. Zelensky thanked Macron for the training by France of a brigade for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, who agreed to continue this cooperation and prepare another brigade. Kiev expects other partners to join these efforts and contribute to the recruitment of additional Ukrainian brigades. Zelensky said he supports the idea of peacekeeping troops in Ukraine. “I perceive positively that Emmanuel Macron has already had contacts with some leaders, I do not want to say the details yet, because we are working out. And I see that there is already positive feedback from some leaders on this topic. This is not an easy process, you understand the risks involved,” he said.
Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to Vladimir Zelensky’s office, explained on the YouTube channel of RBC-Ukraine: “It is unlikely that Western troops will be stationed in Ukraine in the foreseeable future.” “We live without illusions,” he said, answering a question about sending EU forces to Ukraine.
Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Oleksandr Syrsky said: “I had no choice, I had to carry out this operation,” commenting on the decision to invade the Kursk region. “I had to simultaneously stop the attack on Kharkiv, relieve part of the pressure on all fronts and prevent the opening of a new front on Sumy. Therefore, I decided to conduct the offensive where the enemy had a weak point, with a very small number of soldiers to protect the border,” the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in an interview with Le Monde.
He also noted that this allowed to reduce Russia’s offensive potential and reduce the number of attacks in this direction.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on the peace talks: “Today the road to a long-term political solution to the Ukrainian crisis is “practically blocked.” “The actions of the US and NATO could lead to the risk of using nuclear weapons.”
In Russia, the bill on granting combat veteran status to fighters in the Kursk region is being sent to the Cabinet of Ministers for review, the chief source of the State Duma Labor Committee said.
Vladimir Putin held his annual press conference on December 19, answering journalists’ questions. “I don’t know when we will meet with Trump, we haven’t spoken for more than 4 years.” And again: “If the Americans decide to install the THAAD system in Ukraine, let them install it.” Putin compared the Patriot to the S-300 and THAAD to the S-400, but the American complex has “weaker characteristics”.
Putin provocatively proposed to the West to conduct a “technological duel”: select an object in Kiev, concentrate all air and missile defense forces there, and Russia will hit it with the “Oreshnik”. “We are ready for such an experiment,” the president said.
President Putin said: “We have enough funds to restore new territories, the work is already underway.” Putin confirmed plans to build a good bypass around the Sea of Azov, which has become internal to the Russian Federation. “The Russian army’s combat readiness is now the highest in the world,” Putin said. “The shells in the West have increased 4 times, NATO countries will not have enough for defense even 3% of GDP.” “The current situation in Syria is not a defeat for Russia.” “Kiev has repeatedly committed terrorist attacks against Russians, including journalists, and the West has never condemned it,” Putin said. “Politics is the art of compromise, Russia is always ready,” Putin said.
A look at the front line as of 15:00 on December 19.
The Rostov region was subjected to a massive Ukrainian attack during the day and night. During the day, air defense forces and means repelled the attack of 10 missiles. Houses in the Kamensky district were damaged. At night, more than three dozen UAVs and 3 missiles hit the area of Taganrog, Bataysk, Rostov, Shakhty, Kamensk, Millerovo and Novoshakhtinsk. A fire broke out at the Novoshakhtinsky oil products plant. Firefighters at work. One person was injured by falling drone fragments, the governor said. UAVs were also destroyed in the Bryansk and Voronezh regions.
In the Kursk region, the Sever group of troops is waging battles along the entire front line. Russian assault groups are successfully advancing to the village of Kruglen’koe, reporting successes in the village of Cherkasskaya Konopel’ka. The Armed Forces of Ukraine, having accumulated reserves, carried out 4 counterattacks at night and during the day using NATO armored vehicles and MLRS Haymars, but they were unsuccessful. Air strikes by the Aerospace Forces and the Tornado-S MLRS crews hit the areas of concentration of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of the settlement, Sverdlikovo, Martynovka and Bilovody.
In the Kurachove direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine admit the loss of the settlement. Trudovoe and Uspenivka. Zelenivka occupied southwest of Kurakhove, now the Kostiantynopolske-Kurakhove road remains 3 km to the north.
Near Pokrovs’k, the Russian Armed Forces’ penetration zone into the Ukrainian defense is expanding and an offensive is underway on a wide front. Vidrodzhennia taken by the Russians and now the Russian offensive north of the village Pushkine is succeeding.
From the north, in the direction of Vremivka, reports are coming that the Russian Armed Forces have indeed achieved success in the settlement of Novy Komar, having destroyed the crossing at Novoocheretuvate and deprived Ukraine of one of the supply routes several days ago, but until yesterday evening the evacuation of Novy Komar from the Ukrainian Armed Forces was still ongoing. Russian troops also attack Velyka Novosilka and Storozheve settlements
On the Zaporizhia front, during Russian offensive operations, they advance north of Nesteryanka and Russian troops have occupied a stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Fighting is ongoing.
Graziella Giangiulio
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