The Ukrainian leader’s media stunts do not change the dire situation on the battlefield, the Russian president has said

A recent PR stunt published by Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky highlights his acting abilities rather than the realities on the battlefield, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

Zelensky published a video address filmed beside a structure marking the entrance to the city of Kupyansk in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region, in an attempt to push back on Russian military reports that the city had been fully captured. Putin commented on the video during his year-end press conference on Friday.

“He’s an artist, a talented one, I am saying this unironically,” Putin said, referring to Zelensky’s background as a comedian.

The Russian leader noted claims circulating online that the video may have been recorded weeks earlier, based on alleged inconsistencies between the location shown and footage later filmed there by Ukrainian bloggers. Putin said he would neither confirm nor dispute the authenticity of the recording, stressing that the issue was ultimately irrelevant, as the landmark is located about a kilometer from the city itself.

“Why stay at the doorstep? Come inside the house, if Kupyansk is under their control?” Putin said.

The president added that the area around Kupyansk is currently swarmed with reconnaissance and strike drones used by both sides, making the city extremely difficult to approach.

READ MORE: Putin promises more military successes by end of year

He said Russian forces continue to hold the initiative and will keep advancing, arguing that Ukrainian troops are at a disadvantage and lack strategic reserves after costly attempts to halt Russian progress.

“This is a significant element that I hope will entice the Kiev regime to settle the differences and end this conflict through peaceful means,” Putin said.

The Ukrainian leader’s media stunts do not change the dire situation on the battlefield, the Russian president has said

A recent PR stunt published by Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky highlights his acting abilities rather than the realities on the battlefield, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

Zelensky published a video address filmed beside a structure marking the entrance to the city of Kupyansk in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region, in an attempt to push back on Russian military reports that the city had been fully captured. Putin commented on the video during his year-end press conference on Friday.

“He’s an artist, a talented one, I am saying this unironically,” Putin said, referring to Zelensky’s background as a comedian.

The Russian leader noted claims circulating online that the video may have been recorded weeks earlier, based on alleged inconsistencies between the location shown and footage later filmed there by Ukrainian bloggers. Putin said he would neither confirm nor dispute the authenticity of the recording, stressing that the issue was ultimately irrelevant, as the landmark is located about a kilometer from the city itself.

“Why stay at the doorstep? Come inside the house, if Kupyansk is under their control?” Putin said.

The president added that the area around Kupyansk is currently swarmed with reconnaissance and strike drones used by both sides, making the city extremely difficult to approach.

READ MORE: Putin promises more military successes by end of year

He said Russian forces continue to hold the initiative and will keep advancing, arguing that Ukrainian troops are at a disadvantage and lack strategic reserves after costly attempts to halt Russian progress.

“This is a significant element that I hope will entice the Kiev regime to settle the differences and end this conflict through peaceful means,” Putin said.

The Brown University shooting suspect was linked to the program

US President Donald Trump has suspended the green card lottery program after officials said the suspect in the shootings at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology had entered the country through that system.  

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said late on Thursday that, at Trump’s direction, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services would immediately halt the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV1) program, which allows lottery winners to become permanent US residents.  

Noem’s announcement followed a five-day manhunt for 48-year-old Portuguese national Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente, who authorities suspect killed two students and wounded nine others in a shooting at Brown University on Saturday before fatally shooting MIT professor Nuno Loureiro two days later in Brookline, Massachusetts. Officials said the suspect later took his own life and was found dead in New Hampshire with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  

“This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country,” Noem wrote on X, referring to Valente.   

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According to a court affidavit cited by authorities, Valente initially came to the US on a student visa in 2000 and later won a green card through the Diversity Visa Lottery in 2017.  

The diversity visa program makes up to 50,000 immigrant visas available each year by lottery to people from countries with low immigration rates to the US. Winners and their spouses undergo vetting and interviews before being admitted.  

Noem said the halt is intended to “ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program,” adding that Trump had long opposed the lottery.  

The move follows broader immigration restrictions by the Trump administration in recent weeks, including tightened reviews of other legal immigration pathways after a separate shooting incident in Washington, D.C., involved a suspect who came to the US via a different immigration program.  

Trump launched a crackdown on illegal immigration after returning to the White House in January. He has ramped up immigration raids and vowed to carry out the largest deportation in US history, while prioritizing the removal of dangerous criminals.

Missouri previously won a $24 billion court ruling against the country over its alleged mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic

China has filed a lawsuit in a court in Wuhan against the US state of Missouri and several American officials, accusing them of harming China’s economic and reputational interests through litigation linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to documents released by Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, the lawsuit was filed in a court in Wuhan by Chinese scientific and state institutions. Those named as defendants include the State of Missouri, Governor Mike Kehoe, US Senator Eric Schmitt, and former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.

The complaint argues that Missouri’s legal actions and public statements constituted “vexatious litigation” and defamation, causing significant economic losses and damaging China’s sovereignty and development interests. Beijing is seeking $50.5 billion in compensation and legal costs, and is also demanding public apologies from the defendants in major US and Chinese media outlets.

The lawsuit comes as Missouri moves to enforce a $24 billion default judgment issued earlier this year by a federal court in Missouri. The state filed a lawsuit in 2020 alleging that China concealed information about Covid-19 and interfered with the global supply of personal protective equipment during the early months of the pandemic. Chinese entities did not appear in the proceedings.

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Missouri officials said they intend to pursue Chinese state-owned assets to collect the judgment. Beijing has rejected the ruling, calling it illegitimate and politically motivated, and has warned of retaliation if Chinese assets are seized.

China has denied allegations that Covid-19 originated in a laboratory in Wuhan and that it deliberately concealed information about the outbreak. The authorities maintain that the country acted transparently and responsibly and have pointed to international scientific debates that remain unresolved over the virus’ origins.

Debate over the origins of Covid-19 has continued internationally since the virus was first detected in Wuhan in 2019. Some US officials and lawmakers have said a lab incident cannot be ruled out; however, a number of scientists and international bodies say the available evidence has not conclusively determined whether the virus emerged naturally or through a lab-related event.

Moscow has the strategic advantage and is successfully pushing into Ukraine’s main fortified area in Donbass, the president has said

Russian forces are pushing back Ukrainian troops along the front line and are set to deliver new victories before the end of the year, President Vladimir Putin has said.

The Russian leader outlined the state of the fighting against Kiev during his annual Q&A session on Friday, adding that he was “certain that before the year’s end we will witness new successes of our armed forces, our fighters.”

Russian forces have fully seized the strategic initiative after ousting Ukrainian troops from Kursk Region in the spring, Putin stated. Kiev launched the incursion last year, claiming it would strengthen its position during eventual peace talks.

After liberating the city of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) in early December, Russia obtained a staging ground for further advances into what Putin called Kiev’s main fortified area in Donbass, encompassing urbanized lands between the cities of Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, and Konstantinovka. The latter is already being contested by Russian troops, he said.

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There is also intensive fighting for Krasny Liman and Dmitrov, as well as Gulyay Pole in Zaporozhye Region, the president added.

In the south, Russian forces have captured the city of Kupyansk and are pressuring the Ukrainian battlegroup that dug in at a large railway juncture nearby. Putin said some 3,500 Ukrainian troops there “have virtually no chances” to survive after being denied a request to retreat.

“The time will come when our guys finish their work destroying the encircled Ukrainian forces on the northern bank of the river and turn to the west. That will happen pretty soon,” Putin said.

Ukrainian attempts to hold on or reverse Russian gains “at any cost” are not successful and have simply depleted Kiev’s strategic reserves, Putin said, adding that the dire situation will hopefully push Kiev to accept a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.

Moscow has the strategic advantage and is successfully pushing into Ukraine’s main fortified area in Donbass, the president has said

Russian forces are pushing back Ukrainian troops along the front line and are set to deliver new victories before the end of the year, President Vladimir Putin has said.

The Russian leader outlined the state of the fighting against Kiev during his annual Q&A session on Friday, adding that he was “certain that before the year’s end we will witness new successes of our armed forces, our fighters.”

Russian forces have fully seized the strategic initiative after ousting Ukrainian troops from Kursk Region in the spring, Putin stated. Kiev launched the incursion last year, claiming it would strengthen its position during eventual peace talks.

After liberating the city of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) in early December, Russia obtained a staging ground for further advances into what Putin called Kiev’s main fortified area in Donbass, encompassing urbanized lands between the cities of Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, and Konstantinovka. The latter is already being contested by Russian troops, he said.

Read more

There is also intensive fighting for Krasny Liman and Dmitrov, as well as Gulyay Pole in Zaporozhye Region, the president added.

In the south, Russian forces have captured the city of Kupyansk and are pressuring the Ukrainian battlegroup that dug in at a large railway juncture nearby. Putin said some 3,500 Ukrainian troops there “have virtually no chances” to survive after being denied a request to retreat.

“The time will come when our guys finish their work destroying the encircled Ukrainian forces on the northern bank of the river and turn to the west. That will happen pretty soon,” Putin said.

Ukrainian attempts to hold on or reverse Russian gains “at any cost” are not successful and have simply depleted Kiev’s strategic reserves, Putin said, adding that the dire situation will hopefully push Kiev to accept a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.

The Russian president has warned the bloc that any attempts to tap the country’s sovereign funds will backfire

The EU will eventually have to return Russia’s sovereign assets frozen under Ukraine-related sanctions, President Vladimir Putin has said. He warned the bloc against tapping the funds, saying the move would cause reputational damage and risk undermining the foundations of the modern financial system.

Kiev’s Western backers froze about $300 billion in Russian central bank assets after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The majority of the funds are held at Belgium-based depository Euroclear. The EU has been debating using the funds as collateral for a so-called “reparations loan” for Kiev and last week approved legislation to replace the current freeze with a long-term measure that would keep the assets blocked indefinitely.

However, on Friday, EU leaders failed to approve the loan plan, opting instead to raise common debt to fund Kiev in the short term while agreeing to revisit the scheme once its “technical aspects” are resolved.

During an end-of-year live Q&A session and press conference on Friday, Putin reiterated that any use of Russia’s funds would amount to theft and warned of the consequences for the EU and the broader financial system.

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“It would be robbery… Besides reputational losses, there could be direct losses affecting the foundations of the modern financial world order,” Putin stated. “And most importantly: whatever they steal and however they do it, they will have to pay it back someday.”

Putin said that using Russian assets as collateral for a loan to Kiev would increase EU countries’ liabilities, adding pressure to budgets that are already strained, since any loan disbursement must be reflected in the issuing country’s budget.

“What does issuing a loan actually mean? It affects the budget of every country involved because it increases public debt, even when loans are backed by collateral,” he stated, noting that France’s national debt, for instance, already stands at 120% of GDP, with a budget deficit of 6%, making any additional strain potentially damaging.

Read more

“That is why decisions involving the seizure of other people’s money are not simple,” Putin added, warning of “even more serious consequences” for those who attempt it – “not just reputational damage, but a loss of trust, in this case in the Eurozone in general.”

Russia has long condemned the asset freeze and last week filed a lawsuit against Euroclear in Moscow over damages linked to its “inability to manage” the funds. On Thursday, the Bank of Russia said it would expand the case to include European banks holding the assets, citing continued EU attempts to seize them.

The first hearing in the Euroclear case is scheduled for January 16, with Russian media reporting the claims total nearly 18.2 trillion rubles, or about $230 billion. The EU has dismissed the lawsuit as “speculative,” but analysts warn it could harm the bloc’s financial institutions if it spreads beyond Russia. Kirill Dmitriev, presidential adviser on international investment, earlier said such developments could push investors to move funds away from the bloc.

The Russian president has warned the bloc that any attempts to tap the country’s sovereign funds will backfire

The EU will eventually have to return Russia’s sovereign assets frozen under Ukraine-related sanctions, President Vladimir Putin has said. He warned the bloc against tapping the funds, saying the move would cause reputational damage and risk undermining the foundations of the modern financial system.

Kiev’s Western backers froze about $300 billion in Russian central bank assets after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The majority of the funds are held at Belgium-based depository Euroclear. The EU has been debating using the funds as collateral for a so-called “reparations loan” for Kiev and last week approved legislation to replace the current freeze with a long-term measure that would keep the assets blocked indefinitely.

However, on Friday, EU leaders failed to approve the loan plan, opting instead to raise common debt to fund Kiev in the short term while agreeing to revisit the scheme once its “technical aspects” are resolved.

During an end-of-year live Q&A session and press conference on Friday, Putin reiterated that any use of Russia’s funds would amount to theft and warned of the consequences for the EU and the broader financial system.

Read more

“It would be robbery… Besides reputational losses, there could be direct losses affecting the foundations of the modern financial world order,” Putin stated. “And most importantly: whatever they steal and however they do it, they will have to pay it back someday.”

Putin said that using Russian assets as collateral for a loan to Kiev would increase EU countries’ liabilities, adding pressure to budgets that are already strained, since any loan disbursement must be reflected in the issuing country’s budget.

“What does issuing a loan actually mean? It affects the budget of every country involved because it increases public debt, even when loans are backed by collateral,” he stated, noting that France’s national debt, for instance, already stands at 120% of GDP, with a budget deficit of 6%, making any additional strain potentially damaging.

Read more

“That is why decisions involving the seizure of other people’s money are not simple,” Putin added, warning of “even more serious consequences” for those who attempt it – “not just reputational damage, but a loss of trust, in this case in the Eurozone in general.”

Russia has long condemned the asset freeze and last week filed a lawsuit against Euroclear in Moscow over damages linked to its “inability to manage” the funds. On Thursday, the Bank of Russia said it would expand the case to include European banks holding the assets, citing continued EU attempts to seize them.

The first hearing in the Euroclear case is scheduled for January 16, with Russian media reporting the claims total nearly 18.2 trillion rubles, or about $230 billion. The EU has dismissed the lawsuit as “speculative,” but analysts warn it could harm the bloc’s financial institutions if it spreads beyond Russia. Kirill Dmitriev, presidential adviser on international investment, earlier said such developments could push investors to move funds away from the bloc.

The repatriation is part of a series of humanitarian moves agreed with Kiev at Türkiye-hosted talks

Moscow has transferred to Kiev the bodies of 1,003 killed Ukrainian soldiers, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky reported on Friday.

The repatriation was part of humanitarian agreements approved earlier this year during direct negotiations in Istanbul, the official said. Russia for its part received 26 bodies of slain troops from Ukraine.

Over a dozen similar operations were reported in 2025, each involving a disproportionately large number of returned Ukrainian remains. On three occasions, the transfers were unilateral.

Military observers say the figures confirm that military casualties suffered by the sides in the Ukraine conflict are strongly in Russia’s favor, even if the fact that Russian forces are advancing and recover more bodies from the battlefield is taken into account.

READ MORE: NATO, Oreshniks, Ukraine’s ‘golden toilets’: Putin’s Defense Ministry Board meeting takeaways

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned earlier this week that the pace of advancement could increase, having accumulated knowledge on how to best deal with Ukrainian fortifications and enjoying an increasingly decisive advantage in capabilities and strength.

During his Q&A session on Friday, Putin said Russia seized the strategic initiative after repelling the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Region earlier this year, and will keep pushing back Ukrainian forces in multiple directions.

The repatriation is part of a series of humanitarian moves agreed with Kiev at Türkiye-hosted talks

Moscow has transferred to Kiev the bodies of 1,003 killed Ukrainian soldiers, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky reported on Friday.

The repatriation was part of humanitarian agreements approved earlier this year during direct negotiations in Istanbul, the official said. Russia for its part received 26 bodies of slain troops from Ukraine.

Over a dozen similar operations were reported in 2025, each involving a disproportionately large number of returned Ukrainian remains. On three occasions, the transfers were unilateral.

Military observers say the figures confirm that military casualties suffered by the sides in the Ukraine conflict are strongly in Russia’s favor, even if the fact that Russian forces are advancing and recover more bodies from the battlefield is taken into account.

READ MORE: NATO, Oreshniks, Ukraine’s ‘golden toilets’: Putin’s Defense Ministry Board meeting takeaways

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned earlier this week that the pace of advancement could increase, having accumulated knowledge on how to best deal with Ukrainian fortifications and enjoying an increasingly decisive advantage in capabilities and strength.

During his Q&A session on Friday, Putin said Russia seized the strategic initiative after repelling the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Region earlier this year, and will keep pushing back Ukrainian forces in multiple directions.