Ukraine

The Associated Press reports: The leaders of the 27 European Union countries sealed a deal Thursday to provide Ukraine with a new 50-billion-euro ($54 billion) support package for its war-ravaged economy despite weeks of threats from Hungary to veto the move. That Hungary lifted its veto, and so quickly, came as a surprise. On the eve of the summit, Hungarian …

Reuters reports: Hungary’s far-right Our Homeland party would lay claim to a western region of Ukraine that is home to about 150,000 ethnic Hungarians if Ukraine loses its statehood due to Russia’s invasion, the party’s leader said late on Saturday. Our Homeland leader Laszlo Toroczkai made the remarks at a conference where the party, which has six lawmakers in the …

The Messenger reports: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Friday said she will fight pairing supplemental aid for Ukraine and border security together even if she has to file a motion to vacate House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., because it is a “failing” strategy. “We don’t have to trade $60 billion for Ukraine for our own country’s border security,” Greene …

The Kyiv Independent reports: Russia has lost 356,670 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24 last year, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on Dec. 28. This number includes 920 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day. According to the report, Russia has also lost 5,940 tanks, 11,015 armored fighting …

Nikkei Asia reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that Russia “will fight for [at least] five years” in Ukraine, sources have revealed. This was apparently Putin’s way of summarizing a situation that at the time was not favorable to Russia and assuring Xi that Russia would emerge victorious in the end. The likely implication was …

The New York Times reports: A Ukrainian attack hit a Russian warship moored in Crimea early on Tuesday, in what appeared to be one of the most significant strikes against Moscow’s prized Black Sea Fleet in months. The Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement that it had destroyed the Novocherkassk, a large landing ship, in the southeastern Crimean port …

The New York Times reports: Mr. Putin has been signaling through intermediaries since at least September that he is open to a cease-fire that freezes the fighting along the current lines, far short of his ambitions to dominate Ukraine, two former senior Russian officials close to the Kremlin and American and international officials who have received the message from Mr. …

The New York Times reports: Hungary on Friday blocked the European Union from approving a financial aid package for Ukraine, though E.U. leaders agreed to officially open accession negotiations for Ukraine to join the bloc, an important breakthrough for Kyiv as it tries to bolster support from its allies. Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, said that all …

The BBC reports: European leaders have decided to open EU membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova and to grant candidate status to Georgia. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the decision, made at a summit in Brussels, as “a victory” for his country and Europe. A spokesperson for Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, said that agreement was unanimous. …

CBS News reports: President Biden is meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday before the two hold a joint news conference at the White House, with the pair making a renewed push for Congress to approve more aid for Ukraine in its war with Russia before the end of the year. At the top of his meeting with Zelenskyy, …

Reuters reports: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday plans a last-ditch plea to U.S. lawmakers to keep military support flowing as he battles Russia, in visits to the White House and Capitol Hill. Heading into winter, with tens of thousands of Ukrainians dead, a yawning budget deficit and Russian advances in the east, Zelenskiy is scheduled to press U.S. lawmakers …

Axios reports: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet in person with senators in both parties and House Speaker Mike Johnson during a visit to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. The Ukrainian president’s visit to Congress comes as lawmakers remain at an impasse over an emergency national security spending package that includes roughly $60 billion for Ukraine. Congress has just one week …

The New York Times reports: Republicans on Wednesday blocked an emergency spending bill to fund the war in Ukraine, demanding strict new border restrictions in exchange and severely jeopardizing President Biden’s push to replenish the war chests of American allies before the end of the year. The failed vote highlighted waning support in the United States for continuing to fund …

The Insider reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin is urging women to have as many as eight children as the number of dead Russian soldiers continues to rise in his war with Ukraine, worsening the country’s population crisis. Addressing the World Russian People’s Council in Moscow on Tuesday, Putin said the country must return to a time when large families were …

Axios reports: Lachlan Murdoch, who last week succeeded his father Rupert as chairman of both Fox Corp. and News Corp., over the weekend traveled to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyl. Fox News remains the most powerful source of information for Republicans, a majority of whom have soured on continuing to fund Ukraine’s war with Russia. Murdoch was …

The New York Post reports: A decorated Russian general who previously blasted President Vladimir Putin for running a “third-rate” air force has died under mysterious circumstances alongside his wife. Lt. Gen. Vladimir Sviridov, 68 — who commanded Russia’s 6th Army of the Air Force and Air Defense from 2005 to 2009 — was found dead in bed Wednesday at his …

Politico Europe reports: A Ukrainian MP who in 2019 helped former U.S. President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani in his search for dirt on Joe and Hunter Biden has been charged with treason. Oleksandr Dubinsky, together with ex-Ukrainian lawmaker Andriy Derkach and ex-prosecutor Kostyantyn Kulyk, had joined an organization formed by chiefs of Russia’s Military Intelligence (GRU), Ukraine’s Security Service …

“Former President Trump said that [in] about 24 hours, that he can manage it and finish the war. For me, what can I say? So he’s very welcome as well. President Biden was here, and he — I think he understood some details which you can understand only being here. If he can come here, I will need 24 minutes …

Axios reports: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) on Thursday said he denied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request to deliver a joint address to Congress. Zelensky’s visit comes at a crucial moment for Ukraine, as it seeks to shore up support and secure additional funding for its counteroffensive against Russia. “Zelensky asked for a joint session, we just didn’t have time. …

The Daily Beast reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin praised SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk Tuesday as an “outstanding person” and “talented businessman” in remarks at the Eastern Economic Forum, according to Russia 24. “As for Elon Musk’s private business… He is definitely an outstanding person, it must be recognized,” Putin said. “I think this is recognized all over the …