Ukraine war updates: Putin praises ‘intelligent and experienced Trump’
Russia’s leader took aim at Joe Biden for creating “additional difficulties” while heaping praise on Donald Trump.
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Vladimir Putin has praised US President-elect Donald Trump as an “intelligent and experienced” politician capable of finding “solutions,” as Russia-West tensions escalate over the war in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters in Kazakhstan, the Russian President also took aim at Joe Biden for creating “additional difficulties” for the incoming Trump administration, after the US President greenlit Ukraine’s use of American ATACMS longer-range missiles in Russia.
Asked about future relations between Moscow and Washington, Mr Putin suggested things could improve after Mr Trump takes office in January.
“As far as I can imagine, the newly-elected president is an intelligent and already quite experienced person. I think he will find a solution,” he said.
Mr Trump has pledged to end the war in Ukraine “within 24 hours” without saying how.
Mr Putin, in Kazakhstan for a security summit, said Mr Trump had overcome a “serious test” to return to the White House, seemingly referring to two assassination attempts against him during the election campaign.
He added “absolutely uncivilised means of struggle were used against Trump” and added that he fears the incoming President is not currently safe.
He also criticised the “humiliating, unfounded judicial procedures” that Mr Trump was “subjected” during the US election campaign.
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PUTIN ORDERS SATAN 2 NUKE
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the deadly 16,000mph Satan 2 to be battle-ready, which sparked fears of a major escalation in the war.
Dubbed the world’s “deadliest weapon”, the intercontinental missile system, known to Russians as Sarmat, is the size of a 14-storey tower block.
Head of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces, General Sergei Karakayev said that work continues to place the missile on “combat duty.”
“As of today, fifth-generation Yars and Avangard missile systems have been introduced in the strategic missile forces,” he said.
“Work continues on placing the newest silo-based Sarmat missile system with a liquid-fuelled superheavy missile on combat duty.”
The threat follows Moscow’s attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro last week, where it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time, marking a significant escalation in the conflict.
Dramatic footage shows rockets, reportedly launched from six separate warheads of a nuclear-capable Russian R-26 Rubezh ICBM.
DRAMATIC FOOTAGE OF RUSSIAN TANK BEING BLOWN UP
Shocking footage has captured the moment a Russian tank was blown to pieces after being blasted by Ukraine’s killer Switchblade drone in Vladimir Putin’s latest battlefield blow.
The dramatic clip shows the commander of the T-90M Proryv turning just seconds before the explosion that sparked a huge mushroom cloud.
The unaware commander can be seen positioned above the hatch, observing the surrounding area and appears to be turning his head before realising he is about to be struck by the drone a few seconds before a massive explosion.
It’s believed that Moscow has lost at least 117 T-90M tanks, dubbed “Breakthrough”, which is said to be one of the most advanced tanks in the world.
The latest loss came when the tank was wiped out by Ukraine’s deadly Switchblade kamikaze drone – also known as Flying Javelin.
‘BRINK OF CATASTROPHE’: RUSSIA’S ULTIMATE WARNING TO AMERICA
Kremlin spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has warned all bets will be off if America supplies Ukraine with nuclear weapons.
Ms Zakharova made a statement on behalf of the Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday labelling any such potential move as “insane" and “suicidal”.
She also railed against the “irresponsible actions” of Ukraine and its western backers which could bring the world to “the brink of catastrophe.”
The comments came just hours after Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov made a chilling direct threat to America via Russian state media.
“The signal is very clear and obvious – stop, you should not do this any more, you mustn’t supply Kyiv with everything they want, don’t encourage them towards new military adventures, they are too dangerous,” Mr Ryabkov said.
“The current (US) administration must stop this spiral of escalation.
“They simply must, otherwise the situation will become too dangerous for everyone, including the United States itself.”
The comments come as Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kazakstan on Wednesday for a two-day visit.
While Kazakhstan is one of six post-Soviet states in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and therefore technically a Russian ally, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has never condoned the war with Ukraine and just last week made public comments calling for “peaceful dialogue".
Meanwhile Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov is in South Korea leading a delegation to meet with President Yoon Suk Yeol.
A statement from Mr Yoon’s office “expressed hope that South Korea and Ukraine would work together to devise effective measures to address security threats posed by North Korea’s military co-operation with Russia”, the presidency said.
“Both sides agreed to continue sharing information on North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia and the transfer of weapons and technology between Russia and North Korea,” the presidency added.
The trip came after South Korea signalled it could reverse a longstanding policy of not providing weapons to countries in conflict, but there was no mention of arms supplies in the statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said in an interview with South Korean media last month that his country was preparing to submit a list of needed military support.
He added that the list would include artillery support and air defence systems.
Earlier this month, Yoon said whether – or how – South Korea decides to help Ukraine directly depends on “the level of North Korean involvement” in the conflict, adding that Seoul was “not ruling out the possibility of providing weapons”.
‘RETALIATORY ACTIONS ARE BEING PREPARED’
Vladimir Putin has vowed to retaliate after confirming Ukraine struck Russian military targets with US-supplied weapons overnight.
Russia’s defence ministry posted a short but chilling threat on Telegram, writing: “Retaliatory actions are being prepared.”
This followed Kyiv launching long-range rockets for the first time on 18 November, after US President Joe Biden approved their use by Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s troops.
Russia’s defence ministry said Ukraine had carried out fresh strikes, on 23 and 25 November, using the ATACMS rockets.
The nearly three-year war has escalated dramatically over the last week, with both sides deploying new weapons as they try to secure an upper hand on the battlefield before Donald Trump enters the White House in January.
Russia’s defence ministry posted pictures of what it said were fragments of a ATACMS, showing large casings on the road.
The Ukrainian military also fired British Storm Shadow rockets, which are capable of dodging air defences, on 20 November.
This deadly strike was said to have killed a top-Russian military man, Lt-Gen Valery Solodchuk, and 500 North Korean troops, who were sent to help Mr Putin’s army.
Moscow retaliated by firing intercontinental ballistic rockets into several Ukrainian cities for the first time, on Thursday – Mr Putin has hinted the new Oreshnik experimental hypersonic missile was capable of carrying a nuclear payload.
And the Russian President previously threatened to continue unleashing the devastating ICBMs on Ukraine and already threatened to strike the UK and US “if necessary,” in a press conference last week.
RECORD DRONE STRIKE ON UKRAINE CUTS POWER
The threat against Kyiv and the West comes as Russian forces staged their largest drone attack on Ukraine, cutting power to much of the western region of Ternopil and damaging residential buildings in the Kyiv region, Ukrainian officials said.
Of the record 188 Russian drones used overnight, Ukraine shot down 76 and lost track of 96, probably due to active electronic warfare, the air force said. Five drones headed towards Belarus.
The Russian President said he would not hesitate to use the destructive “Oreshnik” hypersonic ballistic weapon, which hit the Ukrainian city of Dnipro last week.
Kyiv fears Russia may already have 10 of the missiles in its arsenal with Mr Putin vowing to mass produce dozens more.
According to The Sun, Moscow’s military vowed a chilling “response” to the fresh Ukrainian air attacks deep inside Russia using US-supplied ATACMS missiles.
UK’S RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT EXPELLED OVER ‘SPYING’
The latest hostilities follow Russia’s expulsion of a UK diplomat accused of being a spy.
He has also taken political swipes at the West as the expulsion of the British diplomat Wilkes Edward Prior was revealed.
Diplomat Prior was accused by the Kremlin of “intentionally providing false information when receiving permission to enter our country, thereby violating Russian legislation.”
Russia said he came to the country after six other diplomats were expelled in August.
Moscow said: “A decision was taken to withdraw his accreditation and he was ordered to leave Russia within two weeks.”
The statement added: “Signs of intelligence and subversive work threatening the security of the Russian Federation have been revealed.”
The Kremlin provided no details or proof of these accusations.
A UK government spokesman said: “To be clear, we refute these allegations. They’re baseless.
“We’re now considering our response. This is not the first time that Putin’s government has made malicious, baseless accusations against our staff.”
TRUMP PICK WEIGHS IN ON WAR
US President-elect Donald Trump’s top security adviser has called for an end to the escalation of the war between Ukraine and Russia, and for both parties to come to the negotiating table.
“We need to bring this to a responsible end. We need to restore deterrence, restore peace, and get ahead of this escalation ladder, rather than responding to it,” said Mike Waltz, Mr Trump’s pick for the influential role of US national security adviser.
In recent days, Washington has authorised Kyiv to use US-supplied missiles to strike targets in Russian territory and agreed to supply it with landmines, prompting Moscow to respond with the use of an experimental medium-range ballistic missile.
Mr Waltz, noted foreign policy hawk and former US special forces officer, has been critical of Russia but has, like Mr Trump, opposed increasing aid to Ukraine.
“President Trump has been very clear about the need to end this conflict,” he told Fox News.
“We need to be discussing is who’s at that table, whether it’s an agreement, an armistice, how to get both sides to the table and then what’s the framework of a deal?”
Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, with the United States and others coming to Kyiv’s aid in its fight to hold its territory in the east of the country.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has in the past ruled out ceding any territory to Russia, and told Fox News last week that Ukraine would lose the war if Washington pulls funding.
US President Joe Biden’s administration has promised a smooth transition to Mr Trump, who has pledged major shake-ups on both foreign and domestic policy.
Mr Waltz said he had met Mr Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and warned adversaries abroad against thinking they could gain an advantage in the months before Mr Trump takes office in January.
“For our adversaries out there that think this is a time of opportunity that they can play one administration off the other. They’re wrong … we are hand in glove.”
FRANCE GIVES UKRAINE MISSILE APPROVAL
France appears to have given Ukraine the green light to fire French-made Scalp long-range missiles into Russia.
Foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the BBC that the West should not put limits on support for Ukraine against Russia and “not set and express red lines”.
Mr Barrot said: “We will support Ukraine as intensely and as long as necessary. Why?
Because it is our security that is at stake. Each time the Russian army progresses by one square kilometre, the threat gets one square kilometre closer to Europe.”
NATO and Ukraine are expected to hold emergency talks this week to discuss the escalation in the two-and-a-half-year conflict.
It comes after North Korea’s decision to send troops to fight alongside Russian forces.
RUSSIA ‘TESTS’ EXPERIMENTAL MISSILES ON UKRAINE
Vladimir Putin has boasted of the capabilities of his new high-speed ballistic missile which have set the world on edge.
Mr Putin spoke of the powerful new weapon, the Oreshnik, which both the Kremlin and the US have said is nuclear capable, at a defence conference on Friday according to the Interfax news agency.
“The tests (of the missile) have passed successfully, and I congratulate you all on that,” Putin said.
“As has been said already, we’ll be continuing these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and nature of threats being posed to Russia’s security, especially considering that we have enough of such items, such systems ready for use in stock.”
Russian strategic missile forces commander Sergei Karakayev also took to the stage at the conference to elaborate on the terrifying capability of the new weapon.
“Depending on the objectives and the range of this weapon, it can strike targets on the entire territory of Europe, which sets it apart from other types of long-range precision-guided weapons,” Mr Karakayev said.
US officials describe the missile as a variation of Russia’s existing RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile.
They fired the first at a Ukrainian rocket factory in the city of Dnipro on Thursday.
‘THE THIRD WORLD WAR HAS BEGUN’
The former Commander in Chief of the Ukrainian military made the startling claim that World War Three was already underway at an awards ceremony this week.
Four star general Valery Zaluzhny made the comments at the Ukrainska Pravda’s UP100 award ceremony in Kyiv this week.
Mr Zaluzhny, who is now a diplomat serving as Ukraine’s envoy to the UK, was fired by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February after they continually butted heads about the direction of the war.
“I believe that in 2024 we can absolutely believe that the Third World War has begun,” Mr Zaluzhny said according to Politico.
“Because in 2024, Ukraine is no longer facing Russia. Soldiers from North Korea are standing in front of Ukraine.
“Let’s be honest. Already in Ukraine, the Iranian ‘Shahedis’ are killing civilians absolutely openly, without any shame.”
Mr Zaluzhny said all was not lost, but stopping the war required a concerted global effort.
“It is still possible to stop it here, on the territory of Ukraine. But for some reason our partners do not want to understand this,” he said.
“It is obvious that Ukraine already has too many enemies. Ukraine will survive with technology, but it is not clear whether it can win this battle alone.”
– with AFP
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Originally published as Ukraine war updates: Putin praises ‘intelligent and experienced Trump’