Russia-Ukraine war live: Kremlin says Ukraine joining EU ‘very remote prospect’; 14 Russian drones shot down
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Kremlin says Ukraine joining EU ‘very remote prospect’
The Kremlin said on Friday that Ukraine’s accession into the EU was a very remote prospect and Brussels’ initiatives on that were just an expression of political support for Kyiv, Reuters reports.
Neither Ukraine nor Moldova, another former Soviet republic seeking accession, match EU’s strict criteria and letting Kyiv in could destabilise the bloc, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a briefing.
Updated at 07.03 EST
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Closing summary
This blog is now closing. Below is a roundup of today’s stories:
Hungary’s president, Viktor Orbán, vetoed a €50bn EU aid package to Ukraine, just hours after Kyiv had celebrated the bloc taking the symbolic step of agreeing to open membership talks. Ukraine was counting on the funds to help its damaged economy survive in the coming year.
The Kremlin said that Ukraine’s accession into the EU was a very remote prospect and Brussels’ initiatives on that were just an expression of political support for Kyiv. Neither Ukraine nor Moldova, another former Soviet republic seeking accession, match EU’s strict criteria and letting Kyiv in could destabilise the bloc, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a briefing.
Russia launched 14 drones at Ukraine overnight, all of which were shot down, the Ukrainian air force wrote on Telegram on Friday morning.
Japan has unveiled new sanctions on Russia, Belarus and organisations in the UAE, Armenia, Syria and Uzkekistan, over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. In total, Japan has now applied export bans on 494 Russian organisations and 27 Belarusian.
The EU has decided to open membership negotiations with Ukraine, in an unexpected move that will be a critical boost to Volodymyr Zelenskiy and deal a blow to Vladimir Putin. The announcement, made on Thursday after eight hours of tense negotiations in Brussels, came despite the opposition of Hungary, whose prime minister, Viktor Orbán, had for weeks said it would veto any opening of accession talks.
After hours of talks, Orbán walked out the room as leaders formally made the decision to open accession talks – thus getting unanimity. The Hungarian prime minister said: “Hungary does not want to share in this bad decision, and for this reason Hungary did not participate in the decision today.”
Zelenskiy said: “This is a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe. A victory that motivates, inspires, and strengthens.”
Putin held his annual end-of-the-year press conference for the first time since launching the invasion, saying “there will only be peace in Ukraine when we achieve our aims”, seeking to project confidence in his war machine.
Putin also said he was open to repairing relations with Europe and the US but added that Russia had done nothing wrong in its invasion of Ukraine. He blamed the west for “spoiling relations” with Russia.
The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested in Russia on espionage charges, lost an appeal on Thursday to be released from jail and must remain in custody until at least 30 January.
The Guardian visited Avdiivka. After almost a decade on the frontline, the city is a wreck, with just 1,200 people left, but it remains of huge symbolic value.
Russia is ready to talk with the US, but only on its own terms, Reuters reports, citing state news agency RIA who quoted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Peskov also said that Russian president Vladimir Putin is ready to work with anyone who realises the need to take Russia’s concerns into account.
A new summit to discuss financial support for Ukraine is planned for early new year, European Council president, Charles Michel, said on Friday at the end of a two-day meeting of EU leaders, Reuters reports.
“I am confident and optimistic that we will be in a position to fulfil our promise to support Ukraine with financial means,” Michel said. He added that 26 member states had agreed so far.
Updated at 10.08 EST
British arms companies held conference in Kyiv, defence minister says
A joint UK-Ukrainian industry conference was held in Kyiv this week, with the largest British weapons manufacturers participating, the Ukrainian defence minister said on Friday, Reuters reports.
“I called on British defence companies to use Ukrainian factors, the possibility of testing weaponry in combat and getting quick feedback from the military for transparent and effective cooperation with Ukrainian manufacturers,” Rustem Umerov, the minister, said on Facebook.
Ukraine is interested in direct deals with British manufacturers, he added.
Updated at 09.29 EST
This blog will be on a pause for the next hour. We will be back at 2pm.
Russia will respond in kind if the US resumes nuclear tests, the Tass news agency cited deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Friday, Reuters reports.
Ryabkov also said Russia was not trying to influence the upcoming presidential election in the US and had little hope for a thaw in bilateral relations even in the event of a victory for Donald Trump.
Updated at 08.03 EST
Pope Francis has denounced the deaths of thousands of children in a “whirlwind of violence” in Ukraine, the Gaza Strip and Yemen, Reuters reports.
“Do you know how many children have died in Gaza in this last war? More than 3,000. It is incredible, but it is the reality,” Francis said.
“And in Ukraine there are more than 500, and in Yemen, in years of war, thousands,” he added.
“Their memory leads us to be ourselves lights for the world, to touch the hearts of many people, especially those who can stop the whirlwind of violence.”
Updated at 08.04 EST
The Kremlin said on Friday that a planned defence pact between Finland and the US will lead to tensions between Helsinki and Moscow, Reuters reports.
Russia would regard the presence of Nato infrastructure near its borders as a threat, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a briefing.
“This will certainly lead to tension. We can only regret this,” Peskov said.
“We had excellent relations with Finland. No one threatened anyone, there were no problems or complaints against each other. No one infringed on anyone’s interests, there was mutual respect.
“But now, when Finland is a Nato member and Nato’s military infrastructure will already enter Finnish territory, this will pose an obvious threat to us.”
Finland became Nato’s newest member this year and is due to sign a defence cooperation agreement with the US on Monday.
Russia said on Friday that the EU’s decision to open membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova was a politicised decision that could destabilise the bloc, Reuters reports.
“Negotiations to join the EU can last for years or decades. The EU has always had strict criteria for accession and it is obvious that at the moment neither Ukraine nor Moldova meets these criteria,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“It is clear that this is an absolutely politicised decision, the EU’s desire to demonstrate support for these countries. But such new members could destabilise the EU, and since we live on the same continent as the EU, we, of course, are closely watching this.”
Kremlin says Ukraine joining EU ‘very remote prospect’
The Kremlin said on Friday that Ukraine’s accession into the EU was a very remote prospect and Brussels’ initiatives on that were just an expression of political support for Kyiv, Reuters reports.
Neither Ukraine nor Moldova, another former Soviet republic seeking accession, match EU’s strict criteria and letting Kyiv in could destabilise the bloc, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a briefing.
Updated at 07.03 EST
Allies of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said on Friday that it was still unclear where he was after prison authorities said he was no longer in the penal colony where he had been serving his sentence.
Allies, who had been preparing for his expected transfer to a “special regime” colony, the harshest grade in Russia’s prison system, said Navalny has not been seen by his lawyers since 6 December.
A Navalny lawyer, Vyacheslav Gimadi, said that prison officials told a court on Friday that Navalny had left the IK-6 facility in Melekhovo, 235 km (145 miles) east of Moscow. They did not say where he was taken.
“Where he was taken is not known,” Navalny’s spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, said, adding that lawyers had been told that he left the Vladimir region where IK-6 is located on 11 December.
“Let me remind you that the lawyers have not seen Alexei since 6 December. Why they were not allowed to meet with him, if Alexei was still in IK-6, we do not know.”
26 out of 27 leaders agreed on funding, European Council president says
Speaking to reporters overnight, after many hours of discussion among the bloc’s 27 leaders, European Council president said “26 leaders agreed” on the budget proposal on the table.
“One leader, Sweden, needs to consult its parliament, which is in line with the usual procedure for this country – and one leader couldn’t agree,” he said, in a veiled reference to Hungary’s Viktor Orbán.
The budget revision includes a proposed €50bn package for Ukraine and spending on migration, defence and other priorities.
Michel added:
It means that we will revert to this matter early next year and we will try to get unanimity.
But, he stressed, “tonight we spent a very powerful signal to the European citizens, a very powerful signal to the Ukrainian citizens”.
Earlier in the evening, European leaders agreed to open accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, with Orbán leaving the room while the decision was made.
“This is a historic moment, a historic European Council,” Michel said.
Updated at 05.12 EST
Opening summary
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. The second day of the EU summit will take place today, after EU leaders failed to agree on a €50bn ($55bn) aid package for Ukraine and on the renegotiation of the EU budget.
Hungary’s president, Viktor Orbán, vetoed the aid package, just hours after Ukraine had celebrated the bloc taking the symbolic step of agreeing to open membership talks. Ukraine was counting on the funds to help its damaged economy survive in the coming year.
You can follow our live coverage of the summit here:
Here are the latest developments:
Russia launched 14 drones at Ukraine overnight, all of which were shot down, the Ukrainian air force wrote on Telegram on Friday morning.
Japan has unveiled new sanctions on Russia, Belarus and organisations in the UAE, Armenia, Syria and Uzkekistan, over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. In total, Japan has now applied export bans on 494 Russian organisations and 27 Belarusian.
The EU has decided to open membership negotiations with Ukraine, in an unexpected move that will be a critical boost to Volodymyr Zelenskiy and deal a blow to Vladimir Putin. The announcement, made on Thursday after eight hours of tense negotiations in Brussels, came despite the opposition of Hungary, whose prime minister, Viktor Orbán, had for weeks said it would veto any opening of accession talks.
After hours of talks, Orbán walked out the room as leaders formally made the decision to open accession talks – thus getting unanimity. The Hungarian prime minister said: “Hungary does not want to share in this bad decision, and for this reason Hungary did not participate in the decision today.”
Zelenskiy said: “This is a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe. A victory that motivates, inspires, and strengthens.”
Putin held his annual end-of-the-year press conference for the first time since launching the invasion, saying “there will only be peace in Ukraine when we achieve our aims”, seeking to project confidence in his war machine.
Putin also said he was open to repairing relations with Europe and the US but added that Russia had done nothing wrong in its invasion of Ukraine. He blamed the west for “spoiling relations” with Russia.
The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested in Russia on espionage charges, lost an appeal on Thursday to be released from jail and must remain in custody until at least 30 January.
The Guardian visited Avdiivka. After almost a decade on the frontline, the city is a wreck, with just 1,200 people left, but it remains of huge symbolic value.
Updated at 03.53 EST