Ukraine watchful of borders as Putin heads to Belarus - Reuters

KYIV, Dec 19 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine was acceptable for each imaginable defence scenarios against Moscow and its state Belarus, arsenic Russia's Vladimir Putin headed to Belarus and Russian troops stationed determination prepared to behaviour exercises.

Officials successful Kyiv person warned for months that neighbouring Belarus could articulation Russian forces and service again arsenic a launching pad for a caller onslaught to signifier a 2nd beforehand successful the months-long war.

"Protecting our border, some with Russia and Belarus - is our changeless priority," Zelenskiy said aft a gathering connected Sunday of Ukraine's apical subject command. "We are preparing for each imaginable defence scenarios."

Putin heads to Belarus connected Monday for his archetypal sojourn successful 3-1/2 years with the Kremlin describing it arsenic a wide "working visit" with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Belarus - 1 of Russia's closest allies- allowed its territory to beryllium utilized arsenic a launchpad for Moscow's Feb. 24 penetration of Ukraine, but has not joined the warring directly. Lukashenko has said repeatedly helium has nary volition of sending his country's troops into Ukraine.

Whatever Lukashenko mightiness beryllium persuaded to bash for Russia "this volition not assistance them, conscionable similar each the different sick ideas successful this warfare against Ukraine and Ukrainians," Zelenskiy said.

Russian troops that were moved to Belarus successful October volition behaviour battalion tactical exercises, the Russian Interfax quality bureau reported, citing the Russian defence ministry.

It was not instantly wide erstwhile and wherever successful Belarus the exercises volition beryllium conducted.

AIR RAIDS

Kyiv and surrounding areas came nether onslaught again aboriginal connected Monday, with the Ukrainian capital's subject medication saying 9 Iranian-made Shahed drones were changeable down successful Kyiv's airspace.

"Air defence systems are astatine enactment successful the region," Oleksiy Kuleba, politician of the Kyiv portion said connected Telegram. "Stay successful shelters and harmless places until the alarm is over. Take attraction of yourself and loved ones."

Several large blasts were heard, but it was not instantly wide whether they were aerial defence systems destroying the drones oregon drones hitting their targets.

Zelenskiy connected Sunday again called for Western nations to beef up Ukraine's aerial defences aft weeks of Russian aerial strikes targeted the country's vigor web arsenic a freezing wintertime settles in.

Zelenskiy said powerfulness had been restored to 3 cardinal much Ukrainians successful the past 24 hours pursuing a monolithic rocket onslaught connected energy infrastructure connected Friday that killed 3 radical and damaged 9 powerfulness facilities.

"Electricity supplies person been restored to a further 3 cardinal Ukrainians," helium said. "Plus six cardinal yesterday. That means aft the violent strikes connected Friday, we person results already for 9 cardinal of our people."

The struggle has killed tens of thousands of radical and driven millions from their homes.

Zelenskiy told Ukrainians the equipped forces were holding steadfast successful the municipality of Bakhmut - country of the fiercest warring successful the state for galore weeks arsenic Russia attempts to beforehand successful eastbound Ukraine's Donetsk region.

"The battlefield successful Bakhmut is critical," helium said. "We power the municipality adjacent though the occupiers are doing everything truthful that nary undamaged partition volition stay standing."

Denis Pushilin, Russian-installed head of the information of the Donetsk portion controlled by Moscow, said that Ukrainian forces shelled a infirmary successful the Donetsk city, sidesplitting 1 idiosyncratic and injuring respective others.

Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield accounts.

KISSINGER CALLS FOR NEGOTIATION

Putin casts what helium calls Russia's "special subject operation" arsenic a watershed infinitesimal erstwhile Moscow yet stood up to a Western bloc, led by the United States, seeking to capitalize connected the 1991 autumn of the Soviet Union by destroying Russia.

Kyiv and the West accidental Putin has nary justification for what they person decried arsenic an imperial-style warfare of concern that has resulted successful Russia present controlling astir a 5th of Ukraine.

Henry Kissinger, an designer of the Cold War argumentation of detente towards the Soviet Union arsenic caput of authorities successful the 1970s, said the clip was approaching for a negotiated peace.

"The clip is approaching to physique connected the strategical changes which person already been accomplished and to integrate them into a caller operation towards achieving bid done negotiation," Kissinger wrote successful The Spectator magazine.

Ukraine rejected the proposal, saying it amounted to appeasing the aggressor by sacrificing parts of Ukraine.

"All supporters of elemental solutions should retrieve the obvious: immoderate statement with the devil - a atrocious bid astatine the disbursal of Ukrainian territories - volition beryllium a triumph for Putin and a look for occurrence for autocrats astir the world," Ukrainian statesmanlike adjutant Mykhailo Podolyak said connected Telegram.

Kremlin officials were not disposable for remark precocious connected Sunday.

Reporting by Reuters bureaus Writing by Lincoln Feast Editing by Shri Navaratnam

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