2025-12-18: Ukraine Roundup

So far today: 2025-12-18 3:49pm GMT

DPA (2025-12-18). Putin vows victory in Ukraine as US and Russia prepare for Miami talks. scmp.com Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed confidence in victory for his war in Ukraine during a meeting with senior military officials on Wednesday amid a renewed diplomatic push to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict. | He said that more than 300 localities in the neighbouring country have been conquered this year alone. "Among them are also large cities that have been turned by the enemy into fortress nodes with permanent defensive installations," Putin said.

Ian Proud (2025-12-18). They are calling fast-track Ukraine EU bid 'nonsense.' So why dangle it? responsiblestatecraft.org

Dr. F. Andrew Wolf, Jr. (2025-12-18). The Ukraine War — Where it Stands Today. globalresearch.ca The leadership in Kiev has repeatedly required two major conditions as a quid pro quo for ending the three and one-half year-long war with Moscow.

____ (2025-12-18). EU Summit: Pledging Financial Support for Ukraine's Future. devdiscourse.com European leaders are set to leave this week's EU summit with a concrete decision regarding Ukraine's financial requirements for the years 2026 to 2027. This commitment was reaffirmed by Antonio Costa, head of the European Council, during a press briefing on Thursday.

hindustantimes (2025-12-18). Smokescreen in Ukraine? Moscow hosts Iran as nuclear clock ticks, Araghchi drops bombshell for Trump. hindustantimes.com Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and MGIMO University Rector Anatoli Torkunov discussed expanding academic and strategic cooperation between Russia and Iran, including joint master's programmes, research initiatives and student exchanges. Araghchi highlighted shared positions on global issues, opposition to US hegemony, and appreciation for Russia's support during the recent conflict with Israel. Talks also covered energy cooperation, gas swaps, countering US sanctions, and regional security in the South Caucasus through the proposed 3+3 mechanism. Araghchi reiterated Iran's stance against nuclear weapons,…

Saeed Minhas (2025-12-18). Has the EU Secretly Agreed to Fight Russia in Ukraine? thinktank.pk tensions between Russia and Europe remain high amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Public discourse has raised urgent questions about European involvement: Has the European Union committed to direct military engagement? Are member states ready to counter potential Russian aggression? Have UK military leaders signaled an imminent war? And is a large-scale European war truly …

Sana Khan (2025-12-18). Why Ukraine's Economy Hinges on the EU's Frozen Russian Assets Loan. moderndiplomacy.eu European Union leaders are weighing proposals to use proceeds from immobilised Russian sovereign assets, most of which are held in Belgium, to support Ukraine's financial needs in the coming years through what has become known as the "reparations loan". The plan has run into resistance from Belgium, which wants other EU member states to share …

hindustantimes (2025-12-18). Satellite pics expose Zelensky's lie on 'world-first drone attack on submarine'? No damage? | Russia. hindustantimes.com Ukraine's first underwater drone strike on a Russian Black Sea submarine is now backed by fresh satellite imagery that undercuts Moscow's denials. The attack shows Kyiv can still hurt Russia's fleet even as it loses ground on land. New commercial satellite images of Novorossiysk port, obtained after the attack, show clear damage to the pier where the Russian submarine was moored. A large section of the quay appears destroyed, with concrete debris scattered around the impact point near the stern of the boat. Watch for details…

Tatiana Sovrou (2025-12-18). What Gaza and Ukraine reveal about a new era of imposed peace. independentaustralia.net

hindustantimes (2025-12-18). Putin's speech: Ukraine & EU's worst fear is here? Oreshnik warheads ready for 2025. hindustantimes.com Russia says its new Oreshnik intercontinental ballistic missile system will be on full combat duty by the end of the year, President Vladimir Putin has announced. The deployment marks another step in Moscow's ongoing nuclear forces modernisation amid deep tensions with the West. The advanced ICBM platform, designed to strengthen Russia's nuclear deterrent against the United States and NATO, is expected to enter service as part of an accelerated push to modernise the strategic rocket forces. Watch for details…

Sana Khan (2025-12-18). EU Split Over Ukraine Funding as Belgium Holds Key to 2026—27 Plan. moderndiplomacy.eu European Union leaders are set to decide on Thursday how to finance Ukraine's war effort in 2026 and 2027, with the use of frozen Russian central bank assets emerging as the preferred option. About 210 billion euros of Russian assets are immobilised in the EU, most of them held in Belgium through the clearing house …

WSWS (2025-12-18). European powers set course for escalation of war in Ukraine against Russia. wsws.org The talks on a supposed "peace plan" for Ukraine, which took place in Berlin over the past few days, have made one thing clear above all else: the leading European powers—above all Germany—are doing everything they can to prolong NATO's war against Russia.

hindustantimes (2025-12-18). Does Zelensky really want peace? Kremlin gives cryptic response after Berlin talks. hindustantimes.com Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov addressed questions on possible US diplomacy, sanctions, and the Ukraine conflict during a press briefing in Moscow. Peskov said a visit by US special envoy Steve Witkoff is not planned this week, adding that Russia expects updates once Washington completes consultations with Ukraine and Europe. Commenting on peace prospects, Peskov said Moscow will assess official documents before drawing conclusions. He also warned that any new US sanctions, including against Russia's shadow tanker fleet, would harm efforts at normalisation. Russia's stance on foreign troops in Ukraine, he str…

hindustantimes (2025-12-18). Ukraine's big admission: Putin's army swells to 710,000 as Zelensky scrambles for whooping $60 Billion. hindustantimes.com Russia has launched a massive war-ending offensive on Ukraine, deploying 710,000 troops while Kyiv faces catastrophic losses. Ukrainian Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed heavy casualties, with nearly half a million troops lost, as Russia continues its strategic push across Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. The Institute for the Study of War reports Russia has occupied 4,669 sq. km in 2025, a 22% increase over last year. Amid the conflict, Ukraine requests $60 billion from the U.S. and Europe for 2026 defense costs. Tensions escalate as Moscow pursues its objectives, ignoring NATO warnings and conti…

Editor (2025-12-17). US Tells Ukraine 'It Must Withdraw From Donetsk Region For Peace Deal'. menafn.com (MENAFN – Gulf Times) US negotiators have told Ukraine during peace talks in Berlin that it must agree to withdraw forces from the eastern Donetsk region under any deal to end the nearly …

A A (2025-12-17). La NATO dichiarata "non eterna" : una lettura critica della nuova Strategia di Sicurezza Nazionale degli Stati Uniti. strategic-culture.su Gli strati dirigenti europei sono ora isolati, ampiamente impopolari e privati di ogni potere. | Segue nostro Una Strategia di Sicurezza Nazionale (NSS) viene elaborata periodicamente dalle amministrazioni statunitensi (Trump ne ha redatta una durante il suo primo mandato). Nella maggior parte dei casi, questi documenti presentano una versione idealizzata della politica estera e di sicurezza dell'amministrazione e non hanno grande rileva…

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