War briefing on Ukraine: Zelenskyy claims that after Trump takes office, the conflict would "end sooner."

 

In a rare phone contact, the German chancellor calls on Putin to begin negotiations with Kyiv, while the US president-elect declares that the violence has "got to stop." Our knowledge as of day 997

When Donald Trump takes office as US president next year, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Russia's war against his nation will "end sooner" than it otherwise would have.

The Ukrainian president acknowledged in a Saturday radio interview that Russia was making progress and that the battlefield situation in eastern Ukraine was challenging. He claimed that Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, had no interest in signing a peace agreement.

Zelenskyy claimed that he was unable to meet with Trump before to his inauguration in January of next year due to US regulations. Instead of speaking with an adviser or emissary, the Ukrainian leader stated that he would only speak with Trump.

"With all due respect to any entourage or people, I, as the president of Ukraine, will only take seriously a conversation with the president of the United States of America."

"We have to do everything in our power to ensure that this war ends diplomatically next year," Zelenskyy stated.

Following Trump's win in the US presidential election, Zelenskyy stated on Friday that he had a "constructive exchange" with him over the phone. He said, "I didn't hear anything that contradicts our position." "We're going to work very hard on Russia and Ukraine," Trump stated Friday while speaking at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. It must end.

In more developments:

Zelenskyy criticized a phone conversation between Putin and Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, claiming it undermined attempts to isolate the Russian leader and opened a "Pandora's box." "There might be more calls and discussions now. In his evening speech on Friday, Zelenskyy remarked, "Just a lot of words." "And this is precisely what Putin has long desired: it is crucial that he reduce his isolation and engage in normal talks." Zelenskyy and other European officials had warned Scholz against the action, according to Reuters.

According to Scholz, Donald Trump had "a more nuanced position than is often assumed" on Ukraine in private. Trump's reelection in the US presidential election last week has sparked worries that, if he wins, he would revoke Washington's strong backing for Ukraine. Scholz told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper on Friday that his phone discussion with Trump on Sunday was "perhaps surprisingly, a very detailed and good conversation." Scholz responded that Trump offered "no indication" that he would reach a deal over the heads of the Ukrainians when the paper asked him whether he would. Scholz stated that Germany will not accept a "peace by diktat."

In the first phone call between the two leaders in almost two years, Scholz urged Putin to withdraw Russian military from Ukraine and start negotiations with Kyiv that would pave the path for a "just and lasting peace." According to the Kremlin, Putin warned Scholz that any deal to halt the war in Ukraine must consider Russian security interests and take into account "new territorial realities." The discussion on Friday was arranged at Berlin's request. Scholz "stressed Germany's unbroken determination to back Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression for as long as necessary," according to a spokesman for the German ministry.

According to officials, a number of Ukrainian drones were caught by Russian air defense forces in various Russian regions, including the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops staged a significant assault in August. According to Russia's defense ministry, 15 drones were shot down by air defenses in the Kursk region near the Ukrainian border. According to the report, forces shot down one drone each in the Lipetsk region, farther north, and the Bryansk region, which is also on the border. One drone was shot down in the central Oryol district, according to the ministry. A number of strikes have destroyed windows in a block of apartments and caused other damage, according to the governor of the Belgorod area, which is frequently targeted along the Ukrainian border. However, no injuries have been reported.

On Saturday, Russia will stop sending gas to Austria through Ukraine. By the end of this year, Russia's gas export pipeline to Europe through Ukraine is scheduled to close. In an attempt to deny Russia money that Kyiv claims support the war against it, Ukraine has declared that it would not renew its transit arrangement with Russian state-owned Gazprom. While Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha claimed Russia's conduct demonstrated that it "once again uses energy as a weapon," Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said Gazprom's warning of terminating shipments was long anticipated and Austria has taken preparations.

Sovcomflot, the largest tanker group in Russia, announced declining revenues and core earnings on Friday, claiming that the financial performance of the company was being hindered by western restrictions on Russian oil tankers. As part of Washington's efforts to limit Russia's oil sales profits, which it can utilize to fund its war in Ukraine, the US placed sanctions on Sovcomflot in February. Sovcomflot's nine-month revenue fell 22.2% year over year to $1.22 billion, while its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization fell 31.5% to $861 million.