Ukraine
EU-US rift deepens as European leaders warn Zelenskiy not to trust Trump - Der Spiegel
Deep divisions have emerged between the US and Europe as the first serious attempt to halt the war in Ukraine gets underway. EU leaders warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy not to trust the White House, as it could “betray” Kyiv.
EU proposes emergency powers to raise €210bn from frozen Russian assets for Ukraine
The European Commission will invoke “emergency powers” to raise up to €210bn for Ukraine using frozen Russian state assets, in a move that could bypass the need for unanimous approval by member states and sidestep potential vetoes.
ASH: Ukraine funding - what a s**t show
Excuse my French but the EC’s push to assure Ukraine’s financing, and to keep it in the war, despite the US pulling back, is turning into a bit of a shit show.
Trump: Putin wants to do a deal, but next steps unclear
After being debriefed on the Moscow meeting between US special envoys and Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump told reporters that the Russian leader wants to do a deal, but the next steps were “unclear.”
Russian oil exports reshuffled as non-sanctioned firms offset decline from Lukoil and Rosneft
US investment bank Goldman Sachs reports that the oil exports by Russia’s recently sanctioned energy giants, Lukoil and Rosneft, have fallen by 1.1mn barrels a day, while those of non-sanctioned companies are up the same amount.
Key talks between the US and Russia to end the war in Ukraine inconclusive but positive
Key talks between the US and Russia to end the war in Ukraine on December 2 ended inconclusively but made “some progress.”
ECB refuses to back EU’s plan for €140bn Ukraine loan
The European Central Bank has refused to support a €140bn EU loan package intended for Ukraine, dealing a significant blow to a controversial initiative that sought to finance Kyiv using a cash pile from the investment of Russian frozen assets.
EU foreign policy shifts to eastern neighbourhood under von der Leyen
Brussels increased focus on Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans while scaling back engagement in other regions, says new analysis by Carnegie Europe.
Russian military claims capture of Pokrovsk and Vovchansk, but Ukraine says fighting continues
Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov told President Vladimir Putin that Russian forces had seized the cities of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region and Vovchansk in Kharkiv region during a visit by the Russian leader.
US-Ukraine delegations meeting in last chance to coordinate peace talk positions before US-Kremlin meeting
US officials met with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida to thrash out a timetable for presidential elections, the possibility of land swaps between Russia and Ukraine and other issues that remain unresolved on November 30.
Kazakhstan tells Ukraine to cease "unacceptable" attacks on its main oil export facility on Russian Black Sea coast
Drone strikes are “harming bilateral relations”, warns Astana.
General Zaluzhnyi attacks Zelenskiy’s administration in apparent bid for the presidency
Ukraine’s former commander in chief and now ambassador to the UK General Valerii Zaluzhnyi lashed out at the Zelenskiy administration in what appears to be the start of a bid to take over as president.
US-Ukraine meet in Florida to talk peace plans
The United States is preparing to resolve all outstanding territorial issues with Ukraine in advance of high-level negotiations in Moscow, Axios reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the talks.
Kyiv hits Russia’s sanction-evading shadow fleet in Black Sea off Turkey
Ukraine has intensified its campaign against Russia’s oil trade by striking two tankers linked to Moscow’s sanction-evading maritime network in the Black Sea.
Zelenskiy accepts resignation of key aide Andriy Yermak amid expanding corruption probe
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has accepted the resignation of Andriy Yermak, his long-time chief of staff and the power behind the throne, after anti-corruption investigators raided his home and office on November 28.
KYIV BLOG: Principles vs Pragmatism
This is the most concerted effort to end the war in Ukraine since the failed Istanbul peace deal in 2022. But after the initial optimism, the chance of a deal going through are fading.
Could Russia come to accept Turkish boots on the ground in Ukraine ceasefire?
As always with Moscow-Ankara relations, it’s complicated.
RAGOZIN: Why opposition to Trump’s 28-point peace plan is endangering the very existence of Ukraine
Aggressive escapism might not be a legitimate psychological term, but it is the best way to describe the opposition to the 28-point peace plan for Ukraine pushed by Trump’s administration.
Putin backs US peace plan as basis for Ukraine talks, demands recognition of Russian territorial gains
As the information frenzy surrounding the ongoing Ukraine peace deal talks intensifies, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a series of comments on November 27 designed to cut through some of the haze and lay Russia’s demands a bit more clearly.
European Parliament passes Ukraine peace deal law that clashes with US version
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on November 27 setting out the conditions for a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine that starkly clashes with the US proposals and will almost certainly be rejected out of hand by the Kremlin.