Ukraine updates in English

[US7IGN]

I don't have enough knowledge to know why the Poles chose to take responsibility and move forward, while some Ukrainians chose not to. My guesses would be that the Poles had a longstanding culture that was much more distinct from Russian culture, due to their distance from Russia. Also, they still had more of a Christian orientation than Ukraine did, after the fall of the Russian bloc (I think this is true - but you would know better than I would as to the veracity of that assumption).

You are right. I also haven't heard anything about Poles going to work in russia, unlike Ukrainians.
At one time, Poles chose Catholicism and Latin, and Ukrainians chose Orthodoxy and Cyrillic.
So in general, every nation receives the consequences of its actions in the past.

The reality in Ukraine, which finds itself on the border of the interests of the West and the East, remains difficult, despite the positive statements of the government.

In November 2025, the growth of real GDP in Ukraine accelerated to 5.3% compared to 2.3% in October. The main drivers of the acceleration were agriculture, domestic trade, construction and the processing industry. This was reported by the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture.

I am not an economist, but I understand what manipulation of numbers is. You can rejoice in comparing conditional percentages, but in fact the state of the Ukrainian economy should be expressed in negative values. https://me.gov.ua/News/Detail/5b1c984c-a1c6-4741-815b-8006e660629a?lang=uk-UA&title=UkrainskaEkonomikaZroslaNa5-3-UListopadi2025-Roku

The White House has complained about the large number of negotiations and meetings to end the russian-Ukrainian war. US President Donald Trump has blamed both russia and Ukraine - he says he is "disappointed in both sides", White House press secretary Caroline Levitt said at a briefing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UuqTZnCjDA (17m)

[US7IGN]

Zelensky said territory and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remained the two main unresolved issues in the peace plan proposal for Ukraine. In a sobering briefing to reporters, Zelensky addressed the US desire for a quick end to the conflict, the complex nature of the ongoing negotiations, and his belief that russia had no desire to stop the war. However, he noted that it would not be fair for the Ukrainians to withdraw unilaterally, and that russia should also pull back by the same distance. Zelensky said these were "very serious concerns" and that Ukraine might not accept the proposal at all – although he opened the door to elections or a referendum to give the Ukrainian people a choice. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgjnd9y52pno

russia hits back at Europe's big plan to loan Moscow's frozen cash to Ukraine. russia is taking legal action in response to moves by Ukraine's European allies to use Moscow's frozen assets to help Kyiv fund its military and economy. The russian Central Bank is suing Belgian bank Euroclear in a Moscow court, and russian officials accuse the EU of an act of theft. Ukraine is running out of cash, after almost four years of russia's full-scale war. For Europe, the solution to plugging Kyiv's budget hole of €135.7bn (£119bn; $159bn) for the next two years lies in frozen cash held by Euroclear, and EU leaders hope to sign that off at their Brussels summit next week. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98nnd01g91o

The media writes that now a soldier who left the unit and then returned will be sent to the assault troops. https://hromadske.ua/viyna/256175-viyskovykh-poperedzaiut-shcho-perevestysia-cherez-szch-mozna-bude-tilky-u-shturmovyky?_gl=1*12c0g6z*_up*MQ..*_ga*NzYyMzAxMTIwLjE3NjU0NTcyNjU.*_ga_5QMSRNVKWQ*czE3NjU0NTcyNjQkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjU0NTcyNjQkajYwJGwwJGgw*_ga_V3WYTMZ64J*czE3NjU0NTcyNjQkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjU0NTcyNjQkajYwJGwwJGgw*_gs*MQ..*_ga_QRXBZKG0YN*czE3NjU0NTcyNjQkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjU0NTcyNjQkajYwJGwwJGgw*_ga_FFQQ6F8PRK*czE3NjU0NTcyNjQkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjU0NTcyNjQkajYwJGwwJGgw*_ga_47KVPEYFJ4*czE3NjU0NTcyNjQkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjU0NTcyNjQkajYwJGwwJGgw&gclid=Cj0KCQiA9OnJBhD-ARIsAPV51xNObs3Uo7a3gOkHkQHX-Atb_njXTRw6p3_S37kvXSDgA-CkznUEZ2EaAt5sEALw_wcB&gbraid=0AAAAACVRZnqggSq2bnHJXYPe6M4qDGe6f

The armed forces deny this, but the problem is deeper. Unauthorized leaving of the unit used to be not only a way to avoid service, but also a crooked mechanism to get into another unit. Due to the fact that soldiers who went to the army, for example, as drivers or engineers, could be sent randomly to another unit without taking into account qualifications, experience and health status, and the commanders of such units ignored the appeals of the soldiers, the latter chose to simply flee from such units. Instead of improving mobilization and the service itself in order to increase efficiency and make the best use of available resources, the state seems to be choosing only senseless coercion again.

In Odesa, an incident involving the beating of Roman Pokydko, a soldier of the 36th separate marine brigade, who returned from captivity in the Russian Federation six months ago, is being investigated. According to the public organization “Defense of the State. Odesa”, on December 4, a group of nine people who introduced themselves as employees of the Peresypsky district mobilization center stopped Roman Pokydko on the street. Despite presenting military documents, medical certificates and a certificate of a combatant, the serviceman was pushed into a mobilization center car. He was tear gassed and beaten, and then thrown out of the car while it was moving. https://novosti-n.org/ua/news/V-Odesi-praczivnyky-TCZK-pobyly-zvilnenogo-z-polonu-zahysnyka-Mariupolya-328743

The lawyer and family of the deceased mobilized Roman Sopin have filed a complaint with the court against the investigator. They accuse him of deliberately not ordering a number of examinations that would help to reveal the circumstances of the man's death. Earlier, the lawyer for the family of the deceased in the mobilization center of Kyiv Roman Sopin, Oleksandr Protas, questioned the official version of the mobilization center that the cause of the man's brain injury was a fall. https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-advokat-sopina-zajavljaje-pro-bezdijalnist-slidchoho/33619425.html

Meanwhile, military technology is beginning to be used outside the front lines.

Yesterday, two explosions rocked Kyiv. One person was killed and four were injured. The deceased and one of the injured were National Guard soldiers. https://glavnoe.in.ua/news/vnaslidok-vybuhu-u-kyyevi-zahynuv-naczhvardiyecz-sbu-rozsliduye-terakt

A private house in Sokilnyky near Lviv was hit by a FPV drone. Police are investigating an attempted murder. https://zahid.espreso.tv/novyny-lviv-u-privatniy-budinok-u-sokilnikakh-bilya-lvova-vluchiv-dron-politsiya-pratsyue-na-mistsi

[N0TZU]

It’s good to see you posting more often, Brady, and I enjoy your thoughtful viewpoints. I agree with you and Wlad over the last several posts.

It really is astonishing to see the Ukrainian government choose and even extend nearly the worst policies possible despite the clear failures of them. One definition of insanity is to do the same thing repeatedly yet expect a different result.

[KD8ZM-Brady]

Greetings Bob, and thank you! I could well be wrong, but my experience is that when leaders keep doing things that haven't worked, it's a sign that they are in a position that they are grossly unqualified for, and don't know what else to do. Z has been very good at influencing western partners, but I think he is terribly unqualified in other areas such as policy, fighting corruption, and decision making.
I am now done editing 250 pages of 266, of Wlad's manuscript, so I'm making good progress.
Wishing you and Wlad a very merry Christmas!
Brady

[US7IGN]

Hi all!

Thank you Braden for your great help! Working on the third book, and even more so on the fourth, has made me think about the fate of Ukraine and what lessons can be learned from it. I will probably write in detail about my thoughts on this matter.

In my opinion, Zelensky played his role as well as possible, but one should not expect anything more from him than from an undeniably talented, but still just an actor. Those who really make decisions and shape policy aimed exclusively at personal enrichment, but found themselves in a situation where their fate may be directly linked to the fate of the country. It seems that even the option to steal and run no longer works. At least the fate of former Ukrainian President Yanukovych or Assad shows that they can only count on a sad life in exile. But this is still better than the fate of Hussein.

Thank you for your great help! Working on the third book, and even more so on the fourth, made me think about the fate of Ukraine and what lessons should be learned from it. I think I will write in detail about my thoughts on this matter. On the other hand, it is painful to watch your country being turned into a giant concentration camp, and the so-called civilized world pretending not to notice it. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1305009357951161

The position voiced by Zelensky on the transfer of the issue of territories to a referendum again plays in favor of russia. If Zelensky were to sign a peace agreement now and transfer power to patriots who would take advantage of the cessation of hostilities to develop Ukraine, this would make it easy in the future to abandon its implementation and, at the right opportunity, try to return the occupied lands. On the other hand, if this decision is made in a referendum, russia will declare that the entire people of Ukraine have abandoned the occupied territories and can no longer consider them Ukrainian.

Another thing is that if you ask me who can be considered patriots who are capable of leading Ukraine to success and victory, I will not be able to answer this question. It is clear that none of those who currently occupy high positions in the state can be considered patriots, since they hold them solely because of their loyalty and affiliation with the ruling regime. As for the youth and the hope that they will become the future elite, the situation is also extremely difficult. In addition to good knowledge of state management, which is almost impossible to obtain in Ukraine, you also need appropriate experience. It must be taken into account that the majority of capable people chose to leave Ukraine rather than devote their lives to hopeless struggle and hardship.

But first, in any case, the war needs to be stopped, and I decided to listen to what the head of Ukrainian intelligence, Kirilo Budanov, has to say. Of course, he will never say everything he thinks and knows, but what he does say is also valuable. He believes that it makes no sense for russia to take real steps in this direction while it has the potential to attack the front and destroy Ukrainian energy during the winter. In his opinion, provided that Ukraine continues its resistance, russia may decide to stop no earlier than February, after further destruction of the energy sector will no longer have such an effect. He also believes that russia may attack Europe after it ends the war in Ukraine. In his opinion, it will need to preserve and use the existing potential of the army. If soldiers are sent home, on the one hand, it will increase the level of unemployment and crime, and on the other, in a few years they will lose their skills. He also says that replacing Putin with someone else will not change anything in russian politics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m5Ns_wgjI8

This thus confirms that Europe is interested in supporting Ukraine and continuing the war for as long as possible. But I hope that between the extremes, everything will always be somewhere in the middle.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, fresh from a meeting with ussia's Vladimir putin, said he hopes to discuss a Ukraine-russia peace plan with U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that "peace is not far away". https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/peace-is-not-far-away-says-erdogan-returning-putin-meeting-2025-12-13/

Today more than 450 drones and 30 missiles were used by russia in overnight strikes, that hit energy and industrial infrastructure, officials said. More than a million households are without electricity in Ukraine after the Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Odesa and Chernihiv regions were hit. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l9954yr9ko

[US7IGN]

Today the first snow fell. There was no shelling at night and everything looks very peaceful and calm. For the first time in many years I had a good dream. My parents were alive, and I was flying to some meeting by plane. This is probably a consequence of the fact that the last month of treatment gave results and I feel better. Also yesterday I talked for a long time with Kate, who took part in a very interesting event for the first time and was delighted with it.

It was the first edition of Tarnów Model United Nations. https://mymun.com/conferences/tarmun-2025

Model UN simulations engage hundreds of thousands of students each year, helping them to learn more about the principles of the UN and how it functions. Many of today’s leaders in law, government, business and the arts – including at the UN itself – participated in Model UN as students.

The United Nations supports Model UN simulations by building and maintaining strong links between the UN and Model UN participants. It does this by sharing first-hand knowledge about the work of the UN at Model UN conferences; providing guidance with organizers to create accurate and authentic simulations; and encouraging Model UN clubs to take concrete action to support UN values and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). https://www.un.org/en/mun

[N0TZU]

I’m happy that Kate was delighted with the MUN conference. She seems like a perceptive and thoughtful young woman who will have success in whatever she chooses to do.

I agree that a referendum is a bad idea, for multiple reasons beginning with the obvious fact that those in the occupied territories could not participate, thus invalidating the legitimacy of it.

It seems to me that the government of Ukraine, the ministers and officials, the Ukrainian people themselves, the economy, and of course decisions on the course of the war are all arriving at an inflection point almost simultaneously. One somewhat wild card is Trump who, so far, has only damaged Ukrainian interests and improved those of Russia. The question in my mind is how quickly and much worse his actions, or inaction, will be. Perhaps he will surprise me though.

Two AI engines reported to me, based on European government forecasts and independent forecasts, that this winter in Ukraine is likely to have milder temperatures than normal, but with some short, sharp dips to as low as -20C expected especially in the northern and eastern oblasts.  Somewhat more precipitation than normal is likely overall.

[US7IGN]

I’m happy that Kate was delighted with the MUN conference. She seems like a perceptive and thoughtful young woman who will have success in whatever she chooses to do.

I agree that a referendum is a bad idea, for multiple reasons beginning with the obvious fact that those in the occupied territories could not participate, thus invalidating the legitimacy of it.

I am glad that we were able to support Kate and inspire her to study well and get her interested in such activities. A great merit in this is Guna, who spends a lot of time communicating with Kate and is a good example for imitation.

On the other hand, I am saddened by the fact that Seva does not use his abilities. Since I myself do not have great talents and have achieved everything solely through hard work and many efforts, I have to admit that discipline and work ultimately give a greater result than abilities without their proper application.

Regarding the elections, it is funny to observe how, in a fairly short time, Zelensky's principled and categorical position on the impossibility and inadmissibility of elections has changed to an instruction to parliament to prepare for them in the near future. https://24tv.ua/rada-nayblizhchim-chasom-maye-napratsyuvati-varianti-provedennya_n2970595

I wonder how the issue of voting for Ukrainians abroad will be resolved? On the one hand, it is impossible to ignore the millions of Ukrainians who have found refuge in the West, and on the other, the russians will talk about several million Ukrainians who live in russia, although they were all forced to accept russian citizenship long ago.

[KD8ZM-Brady]

Very cold here today - was -18C when we got up this morning, with about 5 inches of snow (~12cm). I plowed snow from our 0.4 km driveway so we could get out to church. Glad I didn't have to shovel that!
Very nice to hear that the Model UN is now underway and she is enjoying it!
I agree that as president, Z did what he could do, which is act a part, and he did it very well. We can only expect him to be what he is, not what we want him to be. He did a better job than I would have, most likely.
My views on the path forward for Ukraine and Europe in general are probably very divergent from the views of anyone else. Personally, I feel that no country is going to actually provide a security guarantee against Russia, no matter what they may say - when it comes right down to it, no nation is going to risk nuclear war unless their OWN existence is threatened. There is no "ally" so precious that the USA, or France, or the UK, are going to bet their very existence on that ally. That's why neither Trump nor Biden were willing to risk offending Russia beyond providing minimal military aid - no matter how small the risk is that Russia will use nukes, as long as the risk is not zero, the existential stakes are too high. The only thing that will stop Russia, is for every country on their border to possess their own nuclear weapons. I think the Baltic states, Finland, Poland, Moldova, etc are all at least as trustworthy to have them, as North Korea, China, or Russia. So then someone asks, "How can a small country like Finland or Estonia develop and maintain a nuclear deterrent arsenal?" To that I would say, how does North Korea (which has half the GDP of Estonia) do it? Here's how: Someone (China or Iran) helps them with the technology. If the autocratic powers of the world can do this, why can't the democratic powers?
I also don't believe that NATO would have ever fought Russia if they had invaded Europe - it was only the uncertainty of whether we would that stopped the Soviet Union from doing so - that and their own internal issues.
Having said that, the idea being put forth that the road to peace in Ukraine is for Ukraine to be demilitarized and rely on "allies" for defense, while Russia remains armed, is a nonstarter in my view.
I'm sure that you all will find plenty to dispute in what I've said, but since people have freely shared their thoughts, I thought that I would, also.

[US7IGN]

Hi Braden! You made good points.

As for security, it requires a strong army, which is impossible without a strong economy, and strong diplomacy, which is impossible without strong diplomats. Unfortunately, all the corrupt officials and comedians of Ukraine taken together are unable to provide either.

As for any security guarantees, the Budapest Memorandum showed that the guarantor can be the first to violate the guarantee. Will nuclear weapons help? I think not because no one will actually use them.

President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to drop Ukraine's aspirations to join the NATO military alliance as he held five hours of talks with U.S. envoys in Berlin on Sunday to end the war with russia, with negotiations set to continue on Monday. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/zelenskiy-demands-dignified-peace-us-ukraine-officials-meet-berlin-2025-12-14/

Neither side has yet made public any information about the results of the negotiations. https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-berlin-zavershennia-perehovoriv-delehatsii-ukrainy-ta-ssha/33623699.html

Generally it seems quite ridiculous that Ukraine is at war with russia and is negotiating with the United States.

It seems that all the fundamental red lines are rapidly changing color and as I said - the result will be the same, only later and with greater damage to Ukraine, and with even greater victims. Well, the hedgehogs pricked themselves, cried, but continued to mate with the cacti...

The temperature in Kyiv is around 0C and the ground is a mess of mud and snow. It was quiet last night, although russia continues to destroy the energy sector every day and if the attacks continue at the same pace, residents of some large cities will have to live with constant power outages until spring. https://glavred.net/energy/v-ukraine-polnostyu-otmenyat-grafiki-otklyucheniy-ekspert-sprognoziroval-kogda-10724288.html?utm_source=ukrnet_news

The most difficult situation is now in the south, where hundreds of thousands of people remain without electricity for the second day. https://uatv.ua/uk/sotni-tysyach-ukrayintsiv-zalyshayutsya-bez-svitla-pislya-ataky-rf-de-najskladnisha-sytuatsiya/

Kyiv and eastern Ukraine are close to a complete blackout, The Washington Post suggests. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/12/15/ukraine-russia-electricity-energy-infrastructure-attacks/ In its opinion, the strikes threaten to completely disable transmission systems that move electricity from west — where most of Ukraine’s electricity is currently being produced — to east, which would effectively split the country in two, said several people familiar with the crisis.

Ukrainian underwater drones Sub Sea Baby for the first time attacked a russian diesel-electric submarine of the Varshavyanka class, which was in the port of Novorossiysk. The operation was carried out by the Security Service together with the Navy. The vessel suffered critical damage and was effectively disabled. It was equipped with four Kalibr cruise missile launchers. This class of submarines is known as the “Black Hole” due to the hull’s ability to absorb sound and remain invisible to sonar. https://babel.ua/news/123742-ukrajinski-pidvodni-droni-vpershe-atakuvali-rosiyskiy-pidvodniy-choven-vin-vivedeniy-z-ladu

[KD8ZM-Brady]

Hello Wlad, that is an interesting point you've made, "Will nuclear weapons help? I think not because no one will actually use them.", but of course it is also true that neither the US or Russia will use them, and yet all western nations have cited Russia having nukes as being the reason they have put so many restrictions on what weapons they will provide to Ukraine, how they can be used against Russia, an unwillingness to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, and so on. It is also (in my opinion) why Russia has been careful not to trigger Article 5. I think nations are unwilling to cross the line with nuclear-armed states as long as there is any nonzero probability that doing so will elicit a nuclear response from a wounded, cornered animal.

Speaking of rationality... if the leaders and voters of Ukraine are (as you say) not capable of thinking long term enough to develop the economy and culture that can support at least a formidable, deterrent conventional military, then the only rational thing for an individual citizen (slave) to do is to more or less permanently get out of there and out from under the constant threat of Russian invasion, once the war's end affords that opportunity. Personally I don't see "European forces will protect Ukraine" or "US forces will protect Europe" as being a realistic long-term bet: If the US (under Biden or Trump) has not been willing to fight Russia up to now, why would they be willing to do so in the future? - No matter what we/they may "commit" to doing, on paper, I don't see us/them doing it. 

Europe has a lot more at stake than the US in keeping Russia intimidated, but to develop a combined world-class military force, the EU would have to put their internecine squabbles aside and actually unite into a single power, which to me seems unlikely. As 99% of the people living in Europe only know war as a service that the US provides for them, I believe most of Europe is in denial that the Pax Americana free rider arrangement is coming to an end, quickly, and they are going to have to take over.

That's why I think a nuclear firewall along Russia's border could be the only realistic way to intimidate Russia into nonaggression. But, maybe I'll be wrong the Europeans will get their act together? I hope so.

[KD8ZM-Brady]

Here's an interesting article I read this morning. I admit that the Black Sea is a geographic feature that I haven't paid much attention to, up to this point:

https://geopoliticalfutures.com/russias-escalation-in-the-black-sea-has-turkey-on-edge/?tpa=YmZmMGVkZWRmZTBmNTA5MDA5NGMzODE3NjY2NzgwMjNmODY2ZDk&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=https%3A%2F%2Fgeopoliticalfutures.com%2Frussias-escalation-in-the-black-sea-has-turkey-on-edge%2F%3Ftpa%3DYmZmMGVkZWRmZTBmNTA5MDA5NGMzODE3NjY2NzgwMjNmODY2ZDk&utm_content&utm_campaign=PAID%20-%20Everything%20as%20it%27s%20published

Erdogan may be getting the unforeseen consequences of his trying to keep one foot in the Russian camp, and one foot in the NATO camp? Or perhaps he's known, all along, what a tenuous balancing act he is forced into by geography?

[N0TZU]

I’ve been thinking about the prospect of more nuclear armed countries in Europe. I agree that nuclear weapons are the best known way to avoid annihilation by deterring the enemy from attempting it.

I don’t know where the deterrence level begins for a huge nuclear armed country like Russia ruled by a bloodthirsty dictator eager for conquest. Probably it isn’t just a few warheads on a few missiles.

France has around 250 warheads on submarine ballistic missiles and some air launched nuclear cruise missiles. The UK has around 120 warheads on submarine ballistic missiles. Each of them operate 4 nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines. So that gives some sense of what two wealthy European countries have determined is necessary for a credible operational deterrent.

Similar numbers are estimated to exist in India and Pakistan but are most likely not maintained in high alert ready to launch status on land, but India has nuclear powered and armed submarines which probably are. Israel is thought to have 80 or so, but not thought to be in a high alert ready to launch status.

Could a nation with only a few nuclear warheads and a small number of ballistic missiles on mobile launchers have a credible deterrent to annihilation? Perhaps, but only if the enemy believes that they cannot reliably be eliminated in a first strike and that the will to use them is unquestionable.

The will to fight is probably weakest point. Already Russia constantly attacks the West with propaganda and provocations in an attempt to destroy that. Would they succeed eventually? Unclear, but they have certainly had some success amongst significant portions of target populations even for conventional weapons. 

[KD8ZM-Brady]

Hi Bob - yes I agree that those are the "$64,000 questions" about the idea of creating a nuclear firewall around Russia. To work, there would have to be a delivery system that could stand at least a plausible chance (25%? 15%?) of getting through to someplace that Russia would not be willing to sacrifice, such as Moscow or perhaps even St Petersburg. A plausible choice of getting through without being intercepted, that is.

I know it sounds like a crazy idea, but what's the alternative, really, when you are a small nation in the shadow of a totally untrustworthy, expansionist, militaristic regime, that doesn't value its own citizens any more than Stalin did? An all-Europe conventional force could possibly work, but I don't think the Europeans are capable of uniting to the degree that would be required, or sacrificing any of their generous social benefits for the sake of defending the former Soviet Bloc - something that would certainly be required. 

So far at least, there is no situation I know of where a country has invaded a nuclear armed state. There can be a first time for anything, but the evidence so far is that it's a good deterrent for aggression. I concede that the chances of this being adopted are close to zero, though.

I definitely don't trust any honoring of the "security guarantees" that the Europeans are proposing as a peace settlement - unless they agreed to ironclad commitments to actually station European fighting troops near the eastern border of Ukraine - and I don't think Putin would agree to that anyway - do you?

[US7IGN]

Hi guys! Thanks for your thoughts. Unfortunately, we know too little about what is really happening. Perhaps this is a concerted show of the elites for their peoples, the main purpose of which is to distract attention and keep them in fear. Let me remind you that the armies on the chessboard are fighting fiercely, while those who move the pieces are usually best friends or do it for money or fame.

The presence of nuclear weapons in India and Pakistan does not prevent them from regularly fighting conventional wars. Just as Israel has never used its nuclear weapons against Iran. There is an opinion that russia has actually become a province of China, which will never allow its nuclear weapons to be used in such a minor conflict from their point of view.

Turkey's position is clear and the Black Sea is very important for regional states, among which Turkey wants to dominate. Turkey has too many economic benefits from cooperation with russia to spoil relations over Ukraine. Let's not forget that Turkey has historically both fought and been in alliance with both Ukraine and russia, and keeping Crimea is its long-standing dream.

The US is promising Ukraine security guarantees similar to NATO's Article 5. However, Washington has hinted that the agreement must be agreed before Christmas, otherwise the subsequent terms may be less favorable, Politico reported. The offer is the strongest and most explicit security pledge the Trump administration has put forward for Ukraine, but it comes with an implicit ultimatum: Take it now or the next iteration won’t be as generous. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/15/us-ukraine-article-5-security-00690826

The United States is opposing European Union initiatives to seize frozen russian sovereign assets, deepening the rift between Washington and European capitals on the issue, the British newspaper The Times reports. According to the publication, US administration officials are privately warning their European partners against such moves and stressing the potential financial consequences. Washington is making it clear that if the funds are seized, the EU and the UK will have to compensate them in the future. https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/frozen-russia-assets-ukraine-eu-us-hcrt8xjmw

In my opinion, it is significant that in Beijing, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Serhiy Kyslytsia, held Ukrainian-Chinese political consultations with the Assistant (in the rank of Deputy) Minister of Foreign Affairs of the PRC, Liu Bin. It seems that this is the first meeting of this level in China with Ukrainian diplomats, who were previously ignored there, along with the Ukrainian Ambassador to China. Kyslytsia, one of the best Ukrainian professional diplomats, was appointed Deputy Minister after being recalled from his position as a Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations. So this once again confirms that only people who are not part of the regime’s team can benefit Ukraine, although it is sad that he is forced to work for them. https://interfax.com.ua/news/diplomats/1129569.html

Meanwhile, activists point to the example of Kyiv, where billions of dollars are literally being buried in the ground that the country could have used to support the army or citizens. Large-scale infrastructure projects and unnecessary construction of bridges and road junctions, the sole purpose of which seems to be the use of budget money by contractors close to the government. https://zn.ua/ukr/local-government/bez-modeljuvannja-ta-inkljuzivnosti-jak-stolitsja-vitrachaje-miljardi-na-nepotribni-rozvjazki-ta-zolotij-asfalt.html


The National Bank of Ukraine has held a tender for the purchase of an automated system for destroying coins by pressing. This coincides with the adoption of a law on changing the name of coins from "kopeck" to "shag" (step). Considering that such small coins have already almost gone out of circulation due to inflation, this looks like a new attempt to distract the public from more important things and possibly spend a little more budget money. https://censor.net/n3591206