Live blog: No 'final deal' on fresh EU sanctions against Russia - Borrell

Monday, December 12, 2022

No 'final deal' on fresh EU sanctions against Russia

European Union countries have not yet agreed on a ninth package of sanctions on Russia, the bloc's foreign policy chief said.

"An agreement was not been reached by the ministers but I hope it will be agreed this week," Josep Borrell told reporters after a meeting with his EU counterparts in Brussels.

The EU foreign ministers, however, agreed in principle to add about 200 Russian people and groups to a sanctions list, which Borrell warned is "going to hit hard" Russia's military establishment and several branches of the government. 

Ukraine needs extra gas and weapons: Zelenskyy to G7

Ukraine needs "about two billion cubic meters" of additional gas to get through the winter, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told G7 nations.

During a video conference, he also urged the G7 to send more weapons to Ukraine, including "modern tanks" as well as "rocket artillery and more long-range missiles".

"Unfortunately, Russia still has the advantage in artillery and missiles. This is a fact. These capabilities of the occupying army are the ones to fuel the Kremlin's arrogance," Zelenskyy said.

Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal also appealed for Patriot missile batteries and other high-tech air defence systems as well as resupplies of artillery shells to counter Russian attacks.

G7 to focus on boosting Ukraine's air defence - leaders' statement

The Group of Seven (G7) economic powers has said they would continue to work together to bolster Ukraine's military capabilities, with an immediate focus on air defence systems, according to a leaders' statement released by Britain.

"We will continue to coordinate efforts to meet Ukraine's urgent requirements for military and defence equipment with an immediate focus on providing Ukraine with air defence systems and capabilities," the statement said.

Expect new wave of Ukraine refugees, Norwegian Refugee Council 

The head of the Norwegian Refugee Council said he anticipates another wave of hundreds of thousands of refugees from Ukraine in Europe over the winter, because of "unliveable" conditions.

"Nobody knows how many but there will be hundreds of thousands more as the horrific and unlawful bombing of civilian infrastructure makes life unliveable in too many places," Jan Egeland told Reuters by phone after returning from a trip to Ukraine earlier this month.

"So I fear that the crisis in Europe will deepen and that will overshadow equally crises in other places of the world," he said.

READ MORE: Russia says US is not taking a 'constructive approach' to Istanbul talks

NATO will not treat Russia like Moscow treats its neighbours: Poland

NATO countries can guarantee to Russia that they will not treat it in the same way Moscow is treating Ukraine, Poland's president said in response to a question about French President Emmanuel Macron's idea of security guarantees for Russia.

"What we, as honest people, politicians, NATO members, are able to guarantee to Russia is that no one is going to do to Russia what she is doing to her neighbours," Andrzej Duda told a news conference in Berlin.

Duda also called for his country and Germany to ask the European Union for more help in dealing with an expected increase in Ukrainian refugees during the winter.

Successor on McDonald's in Russia replacing Big Mac with 'Big Hit'

Starved of Big Macs since McDonald's Corp closed its Russian restaurants in March, Russians will from next year be treated to an alternative from the burger chain's successor - the "Big Hit".

Russian fast food chain Vkusno & tochka, or "Tasty & that's it", said the Big Hit, complete with a new signature sauce, will be available from February and a similar product to the McDonald’s Happy Meal will be making a comeback as "Kids' Combo".

McDonald's closed its Russian restaurants soon after Moscow sent its troops into Ukraine in February, eventually selling to a Russian business.

READ MORE: How drone strikes deep inside Russia can change Ukraine conflict

Bloodstained package with animal eyes sent to Ukrainian Embassy in Athens

A bloodstained package containing animal eyes was found in front of the Ukrainian Embassy in the Greek capital Athens, according to police.

Greek police gave no further details of the incident.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba last week said that so far a total of 31 suspicious packages have been sent to its diplomatic missions in 15 different countries, including the Vatican, Athens and Washington, DC.

All the envelopes gave the same sender's address, Kuleba said, namely a “car dealership in the German town of Sindelfingen."

UN aid chief to visit Kherson on Ukraine trip amid power outages

UN aid chief Martin Griffiths arrived in Ukraine on a four-day trip as officials raced to repair energy facilities hit by Russian air strikes that have caused winter power outages.

The under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator will visit the southern city of Mykolaiv as well as the frontline city of Kherson, which was liberated last month, the United Nations said.

"Griffiths will see the impact of the humanitarian response and new challenges that have arisen as infrastructure damage mounts amid freezing winter temperatures," it said.

Biden underscores support for Ukraine in call with Zelenskyy

US President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reiterating Washington's strong support for the war-torn country and welcoming his counterpart's "openness to a just peace," the White House said.

The call came as Russia, which started a war against Ukraine on February 24, has been targeting the pro-Western country's infrastructure, causing widespread energy cuts and leaving millions without power as temperatures drop. 

Speaking to Zelenskyy, Biden underscored "ongoing US support for Ukraine's defence as Russia continues its assaults on Ukraine's critical infrastructure," a White House statement said.

Body of Zambian student killed in Ukraine repatriated

The body of a Zambian student who died while fighting in Ukraine after he was recruited in a Russian jail arrived home in a makeshift coffin.

AFP news agency's journalists saw a white, glass-panelled hearse adorned with small curtains affording a partial view of the container holding the body arrive on the tarmac at Lusaka airport, where grieving relatives gathered.

Ukraine strike hits Wagner group headquarters - official

A senior official in eastern Ukraine said that Ukrainian forces had attacked a hotel where members of Russia's private Wagner military group were based, killing many of them.

The account in a television interview by Serhiy Gaidai, governor of the Russian-controlled Luhansk region, could not be verified by Reuters.

Gaidai, interviewed by Ukrainian television, said forces launched a strike on a hotel in the town of Kadiivka, west of the region's main centre of Luhansk. Photos posted on Telegram channels showed a building largely reduced to rubble.

"They had a little pop there, just where Wagner headquarters was located. "A huge number of those who were there died." Russia's defence ministry was not immediately available for comment. 

Ukraine orders punitive measures on clerics with Moscow links

Ukraine's top security officials have ordered punitive measures against seven senior clerics, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, part of a crackdown on a branch of the Orthodox Church with longstanding ties to Moscow.

The clerics are among Orthodox leaders known to have been sympathetic to Russia's portrayal of its 10-month-old offensive on Ukraine. The Kremlin says it is protecting Russian-speakers and has annexed four regions it says are historically Russian lands.

"We are doing everything to ensure that no strings are available to be pulled by the aggressor state that could make Ukrainian society suffer," Zelenskyy said in announcing the measure in his nightly video address.

EU to discuss Russia, Iran sanctions, top up of Ukraine arms fund

European Union foreign ministers will meet today to try to agree on further sanctions on Russia and Iran and an additional 2 billion euros ($2.11 billion) for arms deliveries to Ukraine.

However, it remained unclear whether Hungary will block some decisions, resorting to what diplomats have denounced as "blackmail diplomacy" due to a dispute over locked EU funds for Budapest.

"There is agreement, in principle, but there's also the big elephant in the room," a senior EU diplomat told reporters, referring to Budapest's use of its veto power.

For live updates from Sunday (December 11), click here