Vladimir Putin being ‘kept alive’ to fight Ukraine war: report
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not just battling a war, but is being kept alive by a surprising source, according to a startling new report.
World
Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Vladimir Putin is being kept alive by Western medical treatments, according to a Russian historian and political analyst.
Valery Solovey is the latest figure to claim the Russian President is seriously unwell with cancer.
“I can say that without this [foreign] treatment he would definitely not have been in public life in the Russian Federation,” Mr Solovey told Ukrainian media.
“He uses the most advanced treatments, [and] target therapy which Russia cannot provide him with,” he said.
He was “certain” Putin is getting specialised therapy unavailable in Russia and that it was so far “successful”.
They have been treating him too well.”
But Mr Solovey claimed “the end is already in sight, even according to the doctors who are curating this treatment, because no medication can be endlessly successful.”
Recent reports have also suggested Putin was suffering from either cancer or early stage Parkinson’s disease.
THREE DIE AFTER DRONE ATTACK
Russian air defence troops downed a Ukrainian drone as it approached an air base in southern Russia and three people died after being struck by debris, Russian news agencies said Monday.
It was the second attack on the Engels base this month. Engels, in the southern Saratov region, lies more than 600 kilometres (370 miles) from Ukraine.
“On December 26, at around 01:35 Moscow time (2235 GMT), a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down at low altitude while approaching the Engels military airfield in the Saratov region,” the TASS news agency reported, quoting the defence ministry.
“As a result of the fall of the wreckage of the drone, three Russian technical servicemen who were at the airfield were fatally injured.” On December 5, Moscow said Ukrainian drones had caused explosions at the Engels airfield and another base in the Ryazan region.
According to TASS, the defence ministry said no planes were damaged.
UKRAINE’S UN MOVE
Ukraine is planning to call for Russia to be removed as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council on Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
“Tomorrow we will officially express our position. We have a very simple question: Does Russia have the right to remain a permanent member of the UN Security Council and to be in the United Nations at all?” he said, speaking late Sunday during a national television marathon.
“We have a convincing and reasoned answer - no, it does not.”
Mr Kuleba said the question of Russia’s veto-wielding permanent seat in the UN Security Council - also held by the United States, Britain, France and China -- was already being discussed around diplomacy circles.
“These issues are not yet discussed at press conferences and in public statements by the leaders of states and governments, but at a lower level, people are already asking the question -- what Russia should become like in order not to pose a threat to peace and security,” he said.
The powerful Security Council consists of 15 members tasked with tackling global crises by enacting sanctions, authorising military action, and approving changes to the UN charter.
But the permanent five - who all carry veto power that can block any resolution - reflect the power dynamics at the end of World War II.
Countries have long pleaded for reform of the Security Council, with some criticising the lack of representation when it comes to permanent seats for African and Latin American countries.
The body can also be rendered impotent by a single veto-wielding member - as was shown in February when diplomats carried on reading pre-written statements just as Russia started bombarding Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden in September said he supported an expansion of the Security Council and for it to “become more inclusive”, a rare call for action from Washington, given that it famously bypassed the Council to invade Iraq during George W. Bush’s administration.
PUTIN LASHES OUT
Putin has lashed out at the West for trying to “tear apart” Russia and said his war on Ukraine aimed to “unite the Russian people”.
Meanwhile in Kyiv, a day after deadly shelling in southern Ukraine, residents held Christmas services on Sunday, defying Russian spiritual leaders who celebrate it on January 7.
On Christmas Eve, shelling in Kherson killed at least five people and wounded 20.
Putin has used the concept of “historical Russia” to argue that Ukrainians and Russians are one people - undermining Kyiv’s sovereignty and justifying his 10-month offensive in Ukraine.
He said Russia’s “geopolitical opponents (were) aiming to tear apart Russia, the historical Russia,” Putin said in excerpts from an interview to be aired later on Sunday.
“Divide and conquer, that’s what they have always sought to accomplish and are still seeking to do,” Putin added.
“But our goal is different: it’s to unite the Russian people,” he said. Putin said his government was acting “in the right direction... protecting our national interests, the interests of our citizens, of our people.”
He repeated that Moscow was ready to negotiate and appeared unfazed when asked about the new air defence system the United States will deliver to Ukraine.
“Of course we will destroy it, 100 percent!” Putin said, referring to the Patriot missile battery promised to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Since Putin ordered the invasion in February, Russia has officially spoken of a “special military operation” and imposed a law that criminalises what authorities call misleading terminology.
But at a news conference on Thursday, Putin himself used the word “war” as he said that he hoped to end it as soon as possible.
“Since February 24, the United States and rest of the world knew that Putin’s ‘special military operation’ was an unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine. Finally, after 300 days, Putin called the war what it is,” a US State Department spokesperson said.
“As a next step in acknowledging reality, we urge him to end this war by withdrawing his forces from Ukraine.”
The State Department said that, whatever Putin’s terminology, “Russia’s aggression against its sovereign neighbor has resulted in death, destruction and displacement.”
It continued: “The people of Ukraine no doubt find little consolation in Putin stating the obvious, nor do the tens of thousands of Russian families whose relatives have been killed fighting Putin’s war.”
A Russian court earlier this month sentenced an opposition politician, Ilya Yashin, to eight and a half years in prison under the new law over his “false information” about the war.
Yashin had spoken of a “massacre” in Bucha, the town near Ukraine’s capital Kyiv where the bullet-ridden bodies of Ukrainians in civilian clothes with hands tied behind their backs were discovered after Russian forces retreated.
Russian politician Nikita Yuferev, from Saint Petersburg, called for legal action against Mr Putin for referring to the conflict in Ukraine as a “war” instead of using an official term coined by Moscow.
“Vladimir Putin called the war a war but there was no decree to end the special military operation and no war was declared … I sent an appeal to the authorities so Putin can see justice for spreading ‘fake news’ about the army,” Mr Yuferev wrote on social media Thursday.
He posted images showing complaints addressed to Russia’s prosecutor-general and interior minister.
A court in Moscow this month sentenced opposition politician Ilya Yashin to eight-and-a-half-years in prison for spreading “false information” about Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, the highest-profile conviction under the new legislation.
Another Moscow councillor, Alexei Gorinov, was sentenced to seven years in prison in July for speaking out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
INSIDE SECRET MISSION TO GET ZELENSKYY TO U.S.
A top secret mission involving spy planes and fighter jets was launched to get Volodymyr Zelenskyy safely to Washington for his historic address to Congress, it’s been revealed.
The Ukrainian president was snuck out of the Ukraine in the dark before he was met with a high security VIP jet flight guarded by an anti-submarine spy plane and a fighter jet escort.
It was the first time the president – who is under constant threat of assassination – has left Ukraine since the Russian invasion.
Sources said Mr Zelenskyy had been hoping to visit the US for months and now was finally “the right time”, according to The Sun.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is said to have initiated talks to make it possible at a conference in Croatia in October.
But after privately confirming the trip on Friday, the elaborately executed plan by US and Ukrainian officials came together in a matter of days, security sources said.
It is believed only a few key people knew the visit was happening due to fears for his safety.
Mr Zelenskyy‘s private train – containing an office on wheels disguised as a normal low-key carriage – carried him back towards his war HQ in Kyiv.
But under the cover of darkness, the train continued west and discreetly crossed the border into Przemysl in Poland.
Footage shows the president marching from the train station with his bodyguards while accompanied by the US ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, according to AP.
From there a US embassy vehicle escorted him and his team to an airport in Rzeszw where a US Air Force C40B executive jet was waiting on the tarmac.
CHINA DEMANDS LETTER FROM PUTIN ON WHEN WAR WILL END
Chinese President Xi Jinping has demanded a written explanation from Russian President Vladimir Putin on how and when he intends to end the war with Ukraine, it has been claimed.
In an extraordinary development, it’s also claimed that ex-Russian president Dmitry Medvedev was dispatched to Beijing “as a postman” to deliver the letter.
According to Telegram channel General SVR, Mr Xi “demanded from Mr Putin a detailed plan with dates, where the Russian president was to write how and when he was going to end the war”.
Without giving sources, it is further claimed that “only if there were such written explanations or, if you like, promises, the Chinese leader was ready to agree to telephone conversations with Mr Putin and discuss the possibility of a visit to Russia next year”.
“How much the letter of the Russian president convinced Xi Jinping will be clear from whether the leaders of the two countries will have telephone conversations in the near future or not.”
Official Chinese accounts of the meeting stressed that Mr Medvedev had handed Mr Xi a letter that “conveyed his friendly greetings and good wishes” to the Chinese leader.
On Ukraine, Mr Xi emphasised that Beijing “has always decided its own position and policy based on the merits of the matter itself”, the China Daily reports.
“(China) takes an objective and fair position on the issue – and has made active efforts to facilitate peace talks.”
“(Xi) expressed his hope that the parties concerned will show rationality and restraint, start a comprehensive dialogue and address each other’s security concerns through political means”.
US FIGHTING ‘INDIRECT WAR’ AGAINST RUSSIA
The Kremlin has claimed that Washington and Kyiv are turning a deaf ear to Russia’s concerns following Mr Zelenskyy’s historic trip to the US.
Mr Zelenskyy enjoyed a hero’s welcome on a lightning trip to Washington where US President Joe Biden committed nearly $US1.8 billion ($A2.7 billion) in military supplies including, for the first time, the Patriot missile defence system.
“We can say with regret that so far neither President Biden nor President Zelenskyy have said even a few words that could be perceived as potential readiness to listen to Russia’s concerns,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“Not a single word was heard warning Zelenskyy against the continued shelling of residential buildings in towns and villages in Donbas and there were no real calls for peace,” Mr Peskov said.
“This suggests that the United States is continuing its line of de facto fighting an indirect war with Russia to the last Ukrainian,” he added.
Hours before Mr Zelenskyy’s visit, Mr Putin said Moscow would next year continue developing its military potential and the combat readiness of its nuclear forces.
It comes as reports out of Ukraine have stated that 100,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the invasion began 303 days ago.
Russia’s military death toll is already more than six times higher than the Soviets lost in Afghanistan, and 20 times higher than US casualties in Iraq.
Meanwhile, Mr Putin has vowed to unleash his unstoppable hypersonic Satan-2 nuke missile within weeks.
It comes as the Kremlin insists there will no chance of peace talks with Kyiv after Mr Zelenskyy’s trip to the White House.
Mr Putin said this week during a meeting with military chiefs that he aimed to deploy his terrifying RS-28 Sarmat missile – nicknamed Satan-2 – in January.
The world-ending missile can blast targets at almost 25,000km/h – meaning it has the potential to obliterate the UK 2500km away in just six minutes.
Politician Aleksey Zhuravlyov previously threatened to bomb Britain with the Satan-2 hypersonic missile in a matter of minutes and wipe out Finland in just 10.
It can also carry 15 warheads and drop multiple nukes in a single strike.
After a successful first test in April, Mr Putin claimed the nuclear missile can “break through any defences” – and would “force those who try to threaten Russia to think twice”.
During the launch, footage showed the enormous 35-metre missile being launched from an underground silo, triggering an enormous fireball.
The missile travelled almost the entire length of Russia – almost 5800 kilometres – in around 15 minutes.
ZELENSKYY’S HISTORIC CONGRESS ADDRESS
On Wednesday, Mr Zelenskyy began a historic address to the US Congress with a defiant message, telling politicians: “Ukraine is alive and kicking.”
Mr Zelenskyy, wearing his military greens, received a standing ovation as he took to the podium.
In his first overseas trip since Russian leader Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion on February 24, Mr Zelenskyy vowed his country would never surrender to Russia. “Ukraine holds its lines and will never surrender,” he said.
He gave a Ukrainian battle flag signed by soldiers to US politicians following his address, describing how it was from the frontline city of Bakhmut, which he visited the day before his US trip.
Mr Zelenskyy has won vows of long-term US support including a new missile defence system during his first foreign trip since Russia’s invasion, with US President Joe Biden promising him, “You will never stand alone.”
Mr Zelenskyy enjoyed a hero’s welcome on a trip to Washington, but he also made clear he would not accept any pressure to compromise.
Dressed in his signature green military clothing and combat boots, he got a red-carpet welcome and military honour guard at the White House after arriving on an American military aircraft at Joint Base Andrews.
Mr Zelenskyy called for continued financial support from the US. “Your money is not charity. It is an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.”
He urged the US not to loosen its sanctions against Russia. “Let the terrorists be held responsible for aggression,” he told Congress.
“Last year, 70,000 people lived there in Bakhmut … Now only a few civilians stay. Every inch of that land is soaked in blood … Donbas changed hands several time in fierce combat, and even hand-fighting. But the Ukrainian Donbas stands,” he said.
The war would not destroy Christmas for Ukrainians, who would celebrate “even if there is no electricity the light of our faith in ourselves will not be put out.”
Mr Biden said that Americans “understand in our bones that Ukraine’s fight is part of something much bigger.”
“Together I have no doubt we’ll keep the flame of liberty burning bright and the light will remain and prevail over the darkness.”
Mr Zelenskyy flew home after his address to Congress, which is finalising a new $67 billion package for Ukraine heading into the new year.
MEDAL PRESENTED TO ZELENSKYY
Earlier, as they sat in the Oval Office before their talks, Mr Zelenskyy presented Mr Biden with a medal from a Ukrainian soldier, who he visited in Bakhmut on Tuesday.
The award had been originally given to the captain of a HIMARS rocket launcher battery fighting in the eastern city of Bakhmut.
The soldier said he wanted the US President to have the award, Mr Zelenskyy said.
“He said, ‘Give it to the very brave President,’’ Mr Zelenskyy said.
A visibly moved Mr Biden said the medal was “undeserved but much appreciated” and then talked about his late son Beau, who served in Iraq, and asked Mr Zelenskyy to bring back a US military challenge coin to that soldier.
US President Joe Biden has announced he is sending nearly $US2 billion in additional security assistance to Ukraine, including a sophisticated new air defence system.
The secretly arranged trip came on the same day Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his top military officials to assess the conflict in Ukraine and set goals for next year in what the Kremlin described as an “important, voluminous speech”.
Mr Zelenskyy arrived in the US on an Air Force jet on a plane that was sent by the American government to retrieve him.
The visit will send Russia a strong message of Western unity and “underscore the United States’ steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
It marks Mr Zelenskyy’s first trip outside Ukraine since Russian forces invaded in February, when they planned for a rapid takeover of Kyiv and much of the country.
Instead, the visit to Washington comes on the 300th day of a war that has seen Russian forces halted by a stubborn Ukrainian army backed by Western arms, forced to retreat from captured territory and struggling to avoid further setbacks.
“On my way to the US to strengthen resilience and defence capabilities of (Ukraine),” Mr Zelenskyy tweeted earlier in the day.
PATRIOT MISSILES FOR UKRAINE
Mr Biden has announced a new arms package worth almost US $2 billion that a senior administration official said includes Patriot air defence missiles.
Patriot missiles are seen as crucial to help Kyiv fend off Russia’s punishing missile and drone attacks on its infrastructure.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that new weapons deliveries would lead to an “aggravation of the conflict” and do not “bode well for Ukraine”.
He added that Moscow does not expect Ukraine to change its stance on peace talks – including refusing to negotiate while Putin is in power – during the visit.
The visit was quietly planned, beginning with a phone call between Mr Biden and Mr Zelenskyy on December 11, followed by a formal invitation one week ago and confirmation of the visit on Sunday.
Details of the visit leaked on Tuesday afternoon, with officials stressing to US media that there were still security concerns over Mr Zelenskyy’s travel.
Mr Zelenskyy landed in the US after a risky visit to the front lines in Bakhmut, where both sides have endured heavy tolls in constant shooting and shelling over the past two months.
Brutal trench warfare and artillery battles around Bakhmut – once known for its vineyards and salt mines – have flattened large portions of the city and its surroundings.
“Here in Donbas, you’re protecting all of Ukraine, ”Mr Zelenskyy told Ukrainian fighters.
“This is not just Bakhmut, this is fortress Bakhmut,” he said, handing out honours to Ukraine servicemen.
– with AFP
More Coverage
Read related topics:Russia & Ukraine Conflict
Join the conversation
Trump 2.0: Everything you need to know
From inauguration to immigration, and from his criminal charges to his climate policies, this is your five minute guide to Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Read more
Time to accept harsh truth about Harris
Democrats are in a state of shock and bewilderment as to how Kamala Harris lost. Perhaps they need to face up to the truth.
Read more