Ukraine updates: G7 say air defenses the 'immediate focus' - DW (English)

The Group of Seven (G7) economical powers connected Monday pledged to proceed helping Ukraine support itself against Russia's invasion. G7 leaders were joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy via videolink during Monday's meeting.

In a associated connection issued by the UK government, G7 leaders slammed Moscow's "irresponsible atomic rhetoric" and said if Russia ever were to usage chemical, biologic oregon atomic weapons it "would beryllium met with terrible consequences."

G7 leaders emphasized the value of boosting Ukraine's aerial defenses.

"We volition proceed to coordinate efforts to conscionable Ukraine's urgent requirements for subject and defence instrumentality with an contiguous absorption connected providing Ukraine with aerial defence systems and capabilities," G7 leaders said.

Ukraine has been urging its Western partners to assistance boost its air defence strategy capabilities with precocious weapons systems, amid Russian rocket attacks connected captious and civilian infrastructure.

In October, Kyiv received the archetypal Iris-T aerial defence strategy from Germany, portion the NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System) and Apside aerial defence systems arrived successful the state successful November.

Here are the different apical stories related to the warfare successful Ukraine connected Monday, December 12:

Biden assures Zelenskyy of defence support

In a telephone with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Joe Biden reiterated Washington's beardown enactment for the war-torn country and highlighted his administration's efforts to boost Ukraine's aerial defense, the White House said.

Biden mentioned the December 9 announcement of $275 cardinal (€261 million) successful further ammunition and instrumentality that included systems to antagonistic the Russian usage of unmanned aerial vehicles, arsenic good arsenic the November 29 announcement of $53 cardinal to enactment Ukraine's vigor infrastructure.

He besides welcomed Zelenskyy's "stated openness to a conscionable bid based connected cardinal principles enshrined successful the United Nations Charter." On the call, Biden emphasized the "ongoing US enactment for Ukraine's defence arsenic Russia continues its assaults connected Ukraine's captious infrastructure."

Weapons supplied by the Western countries, including from the US, person played a important relation successful Ukraine's efforts to thrust Russian troops back.

Thanking Biden for the caller information bundle successful a "fruitful conversation," Zelenskyy said that they "discussed further defence cooperation, extortion and attraction of our vigor sector."

Biden reaffirmed the US committedness to proceed providing Ukraine with security, economic and humanitarian assistance, holding Russia accountable for its warfare crimes and atrocities, and imposing costs connected Russia for its aggression.

EU overseas ministers sermon Ukraine warfare successful Brussels

The European Union's apical diplomats are holding talks successful Brussels connected Monday, with Russia's warfare successful Ukraine and protests successful Iran topping the database of the talks.

Foreign ministers from the bloc's 27-member states are expected to hash retired caller sanctions against Moscow implicit the invasion. 

The ministers volition besides sermon the EU's wider policies successful Ukraine, including subject grooming for Ukrainian equipped forces, arsenic good arsenic whether to grow a backing mechanics that has provided Kyiv with €3.1 cardinal ($3.2 billion) successful subject aid.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is expected to articulation for portion of the talks via video link.

Kremlin cancels Putin's end-of-year property conference

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin volition not clasp his yearly end-of-year property league this year.

"There volition not beryllium [a property conference] earlier the New Year," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. 

Peskov gave nary crushed for the interruption with contented astatine the extremity of a 12 months dominated by Russia's warfare successful Ukraine and sanctions imposed successful effect by the West.

Putin, who has been successful powerfulness since 2000 — isolated from a four-year spell arsenic premier curate alternatively than president — has held a property league successful December astir years of his rule.  Peskov said that Putin "regularly speaks to the press, including connected overseas visits."

During the media gathering — a large governmental lawsuit successful Russia — Putin takes questions from the property and members of the nationalist successful a marathon that usually lasts respective hours. Last year, helium spoke for much than 4 hours.

Putin sent troops into Ukraine connected February 24 announcing an unpopular mobilization effort — mostly seen arsenic botched — to bolster Moscow's forces determination connected September 21.

Russia's beforehand apt stalled for 'the adjacent respective months,' says UK

The Kremlin is inactive seeking to beforehand successful eastbound and southeastern Ukraine, but its subject propulsion volition not apt marque immoderate advancement during the winter, the British Defense Ministry said.

In its latest quality update, the ministry said "Russia is apt inactive aiming to widen power implicit each Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson Oblasts" and that determination is simply a peculiar accent connected "advancing deeper into Donetsk Oblast."

Despite these goals, British defence officials said "it is highly unlikely" the Russian subject volition beryllium capable to make capable of a striking unit successful these areas.

"Russian crushed forces are improbable to marque operationally significant advances wrong the adjacent respective months," the Defense Ministry said successful its statement.

Ukraine reports onslaught connected 'Wagner HQ' 

Ukraine connected Sunday claimed that it launched a bid of missile attacks connected bid points and warehouses successful Russian-occupied territory.

The connection which came from the country's subject did not specify their people locations but noted the targets included dormitories and were carried retired utilizing artillery and missiles.

The military's connection besides added that it's anticipating a retaliatory onslaught from Russia.

"There is inactive the information that the force volition motorboat attacks with rockets and drones targeting our vigor infrastructure and the full country of Ukraine," Ukraine's military's connection read.

Meanwhile, Serhiy Haidai, the exiled politician of the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, told Ukrainian tv that section forces had struck a edifice successful the municipality of Kadiivka wherever members of Russia's backstage Wagner subject radical were based. 

He said the mercenary unit had suffered "significant losses."

DW was not capable to instantly verify the claims.

Nick Connolly, a DW analogous reporting from Kyiv, said a deficiency of autarkic journalists connected the crushed successful Russian-occupied eastbound Ukraine makes it hard to corroborate information.

"We person seen immoderate images connected societal media of immoderate evident caller demolition connected immoderate buildings," Connolly said.  

"Now the section Russian-occupation authorities assertion that determination were really civilians staying there, thing that's been disputed by the Ukrainian side," helium added. "But it seems to benignant of acceptable the broader representation of Ukraine attacking places wherever these Russian soldiers oregon Russian mercenaries are staying down the frontlines."

More DW contented connected the warfare successful Ukraine

Moscow is downplaying the consequences of Ukrainian airstrikes connected its subject airfields. But adjacent if they are lone tiny stings, DW explains however they nonstop important signals astir the people of the warfare going forward. 

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban maintains adjacent relations with Russia and seems to beryllium turning a unsighted oculus to the beingness of Russian agents successful Hungary. Is Hungary becoming Russia's spy hub wrong the EU?

kb, rs, mf/rt (AFP, dpa, Reuters)