Moscow will review its negotiating position given that Kiev has fully turned to state terrorism, Sergey Lavrov has stated
The Ukrainian military fired a barrage of 91 long-range kamikaze drones overnight at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state residence in the Novgorod Region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed late on Monday.
The Kiev regime has fully switched to state terrorism policies, and Moscow will review its negotiating position accordingly, the top diplomat warned.
“All the unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed by air defense systems of Russia’s Armed Forces,” Lavrov confirmed.
The attack came amid “intensive negotiations between Russia and the US,” the top diplomat pointed out, adding that the “reckless actions” of Kiev will not remain unanswered.
Moscow has already designated targets and the timing of the impending retaliatory strikes, Lavrov warned.
The incident is bound to affect the Ukraine conflict settlement process, the foreign minister said without providing any exact details on the potential shifts in Russia’s positions.
“We do not intend to withdraw from the negotiation process with the US. However, given the complete degeneration of the criminal Kiev regime, which has shifted to a policy of state terrorism, Russia’s negotiating position will be revised,” Lavrov stated.
Ukraine’s leader Vladimir Zelensky, however, has strongly denied the attack on Putin’s state residence. Moscow is only seeking a pretext to jeopardize the “progress” made by the US and Ukraine, and attack the government quarter in Kiev, he claimed.
Advances were made along almost the entire frontline, the chief of Russia’s General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, has said
The Russian military has taken control of 32 frontline settlements in December and continues to advance against Ukrainian forces in multiple locations, the chief of Russia’s General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, has told President Vladimir Putin.
On Monday, the Russian president held a meeting with the country’s top military brass, including Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, and the commanders of troop groupings operating in the conflict zone.
In December, Russian forces liberated over 700 square kilometers of territory, taking some 32 settlements under control, Gerasimov said at the meeting. This month, the military has shown the highest rate of progress in the entire outgoing year, he noted, adding that troops are advancing “along virtually the entire frontline.”
“The adversary is not undertaking any active offensive actions. They have concentrated their main efforts on strengthening their defenses and are attempting to slow the pace of our advance by conducting counterattacks in isolated areas and using drones en masse,” Gerasimov said.
Active fighting continue in the town of Krasny Liman, a major Ukrainian-controlled logistics hub located in the north of Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). Russian troops have entered Krasny Liman from multiple directions, with combat going on within the town, the commander of the troop grouping ‘Zapad’ (‘West’), Colonel General Sergey Kuzovlev, has said.
The town of Kupyansk, located in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region and recently liberated by the Russian forces, remains a major frontline hotspot. Moscow’s forces are seeking to destroy lingering Ukrainian forces that are tactically encircled to the east of the town. The operation is expected to be concluded by the end of February at the latest, according to Kuzovlev. Kiev’s efforts to disrupt the situation in Kupyansk must be “decisively suppressed,” Putin noted, apparently referring to the ongoing attacks launched by Ukrainian forces on the town from the west.
The Russian president commended the actions of the country’s troops, expressing his gratitude for the tireless efforts of soldiers, and officers that had made the latest achievements possible. “Undoubtedly, the decisive role in the successes of the Russian Armed Forces on the frontline belongs to our soldiers and officers, who, liberating the land of Donbass, display courage and heroism every day, risking their lives,” Putin stated.
The US president’s contacts on December 28 proved who controls the endgame
Two important events of this month:
– On December 15, the two-day negotiations between the US and Ukraine concluded in Berlin. European representatives joined the talks at the final stage. Following the discussions, it was announced that about 90% of issues concerning the Ukraine peace deal had been resolved.
– On December 28, US President Donald Trump met with Vladimir Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago. Following the meeting, it was said that around 95% of the issues had been resolved.
The territorial issue is usually considered the main sticking point; the argument goes that if Zelensky were to withdraw Ukrainian forces from Donbass, the conflict would come to an immediate end. However, this isn’t entirely true. In reality, the biggest issue is Western security guarantees which Zelensky demands in exchange for agreeing to the peace plan. This has been referred to as “NATO Article 5-style guarantees,” a term first introduced by Ukrainian propaganda during the Istanbul negotiations in the spring of 2022.
America: “Hurry up!”
The issue of security guarantees was the main reason the deal fell through in 2022. Then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Kiev and told Zelensky that the West would sign no such guarantees and wouldn’t engage in a military conflict with Russia because of Ukraine.
Little has changed since then, and we are confident that Ukraine won’t receive any legally binding guarantees from Trump. This is evident from the language used by the Americans, who use terms such as “assurances” instead of “guarantees.”
It feels like a simple two-step maneuver. To pressure Zelensky, Trump makes grand promises. Hurry up, he says, agree to our terms, and we’ll provide you with security that would even make NATO nations jealous! You want Congress to vote? Sure, don’t worry! (Who wouldn’t back empty promises?)
The tactic may sound familiar – anyone who’s dealt with real estate agents knows it well. The agent flits around the buyer, urging them to act fast because the opportunity might slip away: Tomorrow, prices will go up, and the day after everything will be sold out. Come on, hurry up!
Europe: Trying not to miss the boat
Since Trump’s return to the White House, European globalists have been focused on winning his favor. Time and again, European leaders attempt to interfere in the direct negotiations between Russia and the US, either disrupting the talks or trying to persuade Trump to push Russia into accepting their terms.
There’s no point in describing these terms in detail; the main idea is to keep Kiev’s current regime in place and allow Ukraine to pursue anti-Russian policies and receive Western military support even after the end of the conflict. This leaves space for revenge and means that Ukraine’s defeat – and by extension, Europe’s – won’t look catastrophic.
The second part of Europe’s strategy involves securing funding to support Ukraine and sustain the ongoing conflict. Despite a failed attempt to seize Russian sovereign assets, Europe has managed to find some financial resources for the coming year. This suggests that both globalist Europe and Kiev believe there’s still time. They can always surrender later; but as long as they are able to hold the front, they feel they can continue fighting.
Among the various statements made yesterday at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s remark that Europe would bear the primary responsibility for Ukraine’s post-war security went largely unnoticed. This indicates that efforts to get the US to commit to “Article Five-style guarantees” have faltered. Europe might begin pushing Kiev toward capitulation to minimize its own losses.
Russia: The most predictable stance
Based on his discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump claims that Russia is open to peace. But what kind of peace plan are we talking about? The one the US and Europe agreed upon in Berlin? Certainly not. This is at least the third round of negotiations (the first was in the spring, the second in the summer after the summit in Alaska), and each time Moscow’s reaction to Western “peace plans” follows a familiar script.
While Europe and Ukraine work on rewriting the peace agreement negotiated by Putin and Trump, top Russian officials such as Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov monotonously repeat: if it wasn’t agreed upon with Moscow, Russia won’t accept it.
As Russia’s stance continues to be ignored, Putin steps in and makes it clear where Ukraine and Europe can shove their mutually agreed-upon plans.
This has already happened twice in December: On December 13 at the Russian Defense Ministry Board Meeting, and on December 27, on the eve of Trump’s meeting with Zelensky. Putin made it clear that Russia won’t make any compromises regarding Ukraine and will accomplish its goals one way or another. In other words, peace will only come on Russia’s terms.
One might wonder why Russia even engages in negotiations when they consistently end the same way.
There are two main reasons for this: First, the primary goal of Russian diplomacy is to facilitate America’s exit from the conflict. In many ways, Russia has already succeeded in doing so; this has pushed the conflict into its final phase, ensuring the agony of the Kiev regime.
Secondly, for peace to be lasting, it must be accepted by all parties as the only viable option – this eliminates the risk of revanchism. The conditions first proposed in Istanbul in 2022 were articulated by the US and have served as the starting point for any negotiations. This is the result of diplomacy bolstered by successes on the battlefield. Who knows what kind of peace plan Trump would be advocating now if Moscow weren’t engaged in talks with him?
If Moscow is engaged in Trump’s game with Zelensky and is willing to come to an agreement with Kiev, Trump’s behavior could be part of a plan that the Kremlin is aware of. Of course, it’s largely a matter of mutual trust, but, who knows, there may be a secret additional protocol signed by Putin and Trump through US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, confirming that Kiev will receive no real military guarantees, regardless of what public statements are made or what the Europeans include in the peace plan.
Ukraine: Real security guarantees
Above, we mentioned Putin’s conditions outlined during the negotiations in Istanbul. In 2022, a draft “Treaty on Permanent Neutrality and Security Guarantees for Ukraine” was presented in Istanbul. The plan envisioned that, alongside the US, the UK, and France, Russia and China would also serve as security guarantors for Ukraine.
The guarantees could be reduced to three key points:
1. Guarantees are contingent on Ukraine maintaining its neutrality and adhering to other conditions of the agreement (including protecting the status of the Russian language, the Russian Orthodox Church, ensuring denazification, reducing the size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and legally renouncing claims to certain territories).
2. No arms or troops can be supplied to Ukraine, nor can military exercises be conducted without the consent of all parties involved.
3. Any actions regarding Ukraine must receive unanimous approval from all guarantors (including Russia). This essentially introduces a veto principle similar to that of the UN Security Council.
It seems that Russia is only open to a peace settlement based on these principles. There are no reasons for the Kremlin to agree to unilateral security guarantees for Ukraine without Russia’s involvement, especially while it still has the capacity to fight.
However, I currently see no reason for Washington, Paris, or London to support such an agreement.
This indicates that a true peace resolution remains elusive. As President Putin has stated, in the coming months Russia will likely have to achieve its goals in the Ukraine conflict by military means.
Moscow believes the end of the conflict is approaching, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said
US President Donald Trump is correct to say that Ukraine peace talks are in their final phase, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
Trump hosted Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky in Miami on Sunday for the latest round of discussions on a possible peace proposal for Russia. Asked whether Trump was right to assert that the world is now much closer to peace, Peskov said that “certainly” was the case.
During his joint press conference with Zelensky, Trump said the deal was 95% ready, even though he personally didn’t like to measure progress in percentages. “We’re doing very well,” he added. “We could be very close.”
Peskov said Trump is yet to brief Putin on the details of his latest talks with Zelensky, which the two leaders agreed would happen in a phone call soon. He also reiterated Moscow’s reluctance to make public comments about the specifics of American mediation.
Earlier, Zelensky revealed a 20-point plan that he claimed was under consideration, but Trump did not express support for the draft during the joint press conference. When asked later whether the US had a ‘Plan B’ should its mediation fail, Zelensky said that Russia should be the party thinking about a backup, because allegedly “Russia’s ‘Plan A’ is war.”
When asked about the remarks, Peskov said Kiev should heed Trump’s warnings that the situation on the front was getting worse for Ukrainian troops every day. He stressed that “Russia is seeking the suspension of the military conflict in the context of achieving its objectives.”
Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have repeatedly stated that Moscow has always preferred to seek diplomatic solutions to all differences and considers military action only as a last resort, which was the case with Ukraine. Russia sees NATO’s increasing involvement in Ukraine and Kiev’s discriminatory policies targeting ethnic Russians as the key causes of the crisis.
Retired General Valery Zaluzhny would win a presidential election if he chooses to run for office, polls have suggested
Former Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny, who polls suggest would defeat Vladimir Zelensky in a presidential election, is set to return to Kiev from London in early January, a Ukrainian news outlet reported Monday.
Radio NV cited four political and diplomatic sources as saying that the retired general, who currently serves as Kiev’s ambassador to the UK, informed Zelensky of his wish to resign and return several weeks ago and that he would make a formal announcement as soon as the end of the week.
Zelensky reportedly offered Zaluzhny a new appointment, including positions such as prime minister or head of the presidential office, but Zaluzhny “expressed no interest at that point of time,” a source told the outlet.
Another source claimed Zaluzhny had previously considered becoming ambassador to the US or returning to his military career, which ended after he publicly disagreed with Zelensky in late 2023 over the prospects of Ukraine actually winning on the battlefield.
Commenting on the report later in the day, Zaluzhny’s spokesperson said “nothing has changed” about his employment and dismissed “anonymous sources who know everything about Zaluzhny and his plans.”
Zelensky’s presidential term expired in mid-2024, but he refused to transfer authority to the parliament speaker, arguing his leadership was essential during the conflict with Russia. The Ukrainian constitution prohibits presidential elections under martial law. Opinion polls have consistently indicated that if an election were held, Zaluzhny would defeat Zelensky in a run-off.
Zelensky has recently faced several corruption scandals. Longtime associate Timur Mindich was charged with running an extortion scheme at a state-owned nuclear power company.
Zaluzhny has not publicly confirmed any presidential ambitions. Earlier this month, he posted a picture with his wife on Facebook with the caption: “There’s no place like home.”
Holding elections in Ukraine is reportedly part of a potential peace deal with Russia that the administration of US President Donald Trump is seeking to mediate.
People seeking to prolong the conflict are “in full panic mode” as Trump pushes for resolution, Kirill Dmitriev says
People seeking to prolong the Ukraine conflict fear US-Russian diplomatic contacts, senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev has said.
US President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone before hosting Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky at his Miami residence on Sunday. “Warmongers are in full panic mode after the Putin-Trump call,” Dmitriev posted on X.
Zelensky spoke with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer before the meeting, thanking him for “constant coordination” with Kiev. Dmitriev remarked, “People follow Keir’s advice at their own risk.”
Trump met with Zelensky and later held a remote discussion with Western European leaders on his efforts to mediate a peace agreement with Russia – an initiative for which Dmitriev said the world is grateful to the American president.
Days before traveling to Miami, Zelensky shared a 20-point plan with the media that he said aligned with Trump’s intentions. During joint remarks, both leaders reported progress on formulating a proposal for Russia, but Trump did not endorse Zelensky’s draft.
Russian officials have repeatedly accused European nations of pushing Kiev to continue hostilities regardless of the cost to Ukrainians. Moscow argues European leaders do not want to be held accountable for their failed approach and may have corrupt interests in prolonging arms supplies for the conflict.
Moscow sees the Starmer government as one of the leading drivers of the hostilities, insisting that London’s pledges of continued military aid to Ukraine are motivated by a desire to ramp up domestic arms production and stimulate the British economy.
The UN watchdog says a temporary “window of silence” has enabled power line repairs near the facility
The International Atomic Energy Agency has brokered a local ceasefire between Russian and Ukrainian forces near the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, enabling crucial repairs to power lines serving the facility, agency chief Rafael Grossi has said.
Europe’s largest nuclear facility, which has been under Russian control since 2022, has repeatedly lost external power due to attacks on surrounding infrastructure. Russian officials have accused Ukrainian forces of targeting the station, forcing it to rely on emergency power systems. The disruptions have raised concerns over nuclear safety. Ukraine, in turn, has accused Russia of severing power lines supplying the plant.
In a post on X on Sunday, the IAEA said its on-site team was monitoring repair work expected to last several days, as part of efforts to reduce the risk of a nuclear accident during ongoing hostilities.
Director General Rafael Grossi thanked both sides for agreeing to a new temporary “window of silence” to restore power transmission and strengthen nuclear safety, the agency added.
The IAEA has repeatedly warned that military activity near nuclear facilities poses serious safety risks and has urged all sides to ensure the protection of critical nuclear infrastructure.
During Grossi’s trip to Moscow in September for the Global Atomic Forum, Kiev attempted to strike Russia’s Kursk II nuclear power plant with a drone. Later the same day, the IAEA chief met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss global nuclear safety and Russia’s cooperation with the IAEA. Putin praised the agency’s work and pledged Moscow’s continued support for its activities.
US President Donald Trump also addressed the issues of the Zaporozhye plant following a meeting with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in Florida on Sunday.
“President Putin is actually working with Ukraine on getting it open,” Trump told reporters, adding that the Russian leader has never targeted the facility “with missiles.”
Moscow deems the self-governing island as an integral part of China, the foreign minister has said
Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and Russia stands firmly against the island’s independence in any form, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
In an interview with TASS published on Sunday, Lavrov stated that Russia believes that “the Taiwan problem is an internal affair” of China and that “Beijing has every right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
According to Lavrov, the standoff over Taiwan is often being discussed “in isolation from reality and by manipulating facts.” He noted that some countries, while declaring commitment to the One-China policy, de-facto favor preserving the status quo, which actually means “their disagreement with the principle of China’s national reunification.”
In addition, Taiwan is currently being used as a tool of “military-strategic deterrence” against Beijing, with some Western countries keen to profit from Taiwanese money and technologies, including by selling expensive US armaments to Taipei, the minister said.
Russia’s support for China over Taiwan is enshrined in the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation signed between Moscow and Beijing in July 2001, Lavrov recalled, stressing that one of its basic principles is “mutual support in defending national unity and territorial integrity.”
Taiwan became a self-ruled territory following the Chinese Civil War in 1949, when Nationalist forces retreated to the island after losing mainland China to Communist forces. While formally adhering to the One-China policy, the US maintains close unofficial ties with Taipei – which include visits by top lawmakers – drawing ire from Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized his preference for peaceful reunification with Taiwan but has not ruled out the use of force while denouncing what he described as Taipei’s separatism.
Lavrov’s statement comes after Russia reaffirmed its support for Venezuela as the country faces a US military blockade in the Caribbean. Washington has accused Venezuelan authorities of having links with drug cartels – a charge Caracas has denied – and has struck boats allegedly transporting narcotics to the US. Washington also seized oil tankers off the Venezuelan coast, a move Caracas has denounced as “piracy.”
A weaker side has never dictated conditions to anyone and will never do it, Kirill Budanov has conceded
Kiev needs to engage in talks with Moscow, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, Kirill Budanov, has said. Negotiations are simply unavoidable for the ongoing conflict between the two nations to end, he added.
He made the remarks in an interview with the broadcaster Suspilne published on Saturday, ahead of a meeting between Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and US President Donald Trump on Sunday. The two are about to discuss a peace framework, according to the Ukrainian leader.
Earlier this week, Zelensky also revealed a 20-point plan he claimed Kiev had discussed with the US. Moscow dismissed it as a non-starter. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday it was “radically different” from the proposals discussed by Russia and the US. He also said that Moscow was “fully ready” to move forward with the peace process while Kiev and its European backers were seeking to “torpedo” it.
”A negotiation process is definitely needed and cannot be avoided anyway,” Budanov said. He also maintained that the talks should be held behind closed doors to be successful. “All negotiations on very difficult issues – and the war between Russia and Ukraine… is one – had failed when silence was not observed,” he noted. His words echoed earlier comments by Moscow, which also stated that the peace talks should be held behind closed doors and criticized what it called the EU and Kiev’s megaphone diplomacy.
Budanov also called on Kiev to rein in its ambitions. “A weaker side has never dictated conditions to anyone and will never do it,” he stated, while rhetorically asking in which field Ukraine could consider itself to be stronger than Russia. He also admitted that it was natural for Moscow to think about its interests first just like any other nation would.
Budanov had initially emerged as a hardliner in the Ukraine conflict. In December 2023, a Moscow court ordered his arrest on terrorism charges after accusing him of masterminding over 100 “terrorist attacks” on Russian soil – something he had openly advocated. Earlier this year, he changed his rhetoric and called for a ceasefire “as soon as possible.”
A Soyuz rocket successfully blasted off from the Vostochny Cosmodrome on Sunday
A Russian Soyuz-2.1b rocket has successfully launched 52 satellites into orbit, Russia’s space agency Roscosmos reported on Sunday. The payload included three Iranian remote-sensing satellites.
The three-stage rocket, also carrying two Russian Aist-2T satellites, blasted off from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the country’s Far East and was broadcast live.
Vahid Yazdanian, head of the Iranian Space Research Institute, told IRNA that their low-orbit observation satellites will take images that can be used in agriculture, water resources management, and environmental protection.
The joint Russian-Iranian initiative is part of a growing civil space cooperation program between the two countries.
Moscow and Tehran signed a 20-year comprehensive strategic partnership agreement in early 2025, which encompasses space and peaceful energy, science and technology collaboration.
