Live blog: Ukraine's Zelenskyy discusses 'peace formula' with Pope

Thursday, December 28, 2023

2100 GMT — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he discussed Ukraine's "peace formula" in a call with Pope Francis.

"We discussed our joint work to put Ukraine's Peace Formula into action," he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "Over 80 countries are already involved in this process at the level of their representatives. And there will be more of them," he added.

Zelenskyy said he thanked Francis for his Christmas greetings "as well as his wishes for a just peace for all of us." Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine's peace formula will next be discussed in Davos, Switzerland, but has not given a date.

As part of his peace efforts on Ukraine, the pope has sent a special envoy, Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, to Kiev, Moscow, Washington and Beijing.

In his Christmas Day message, the pope called for an end to multiple conflicts, including the one in Ukraine. In November, in a renewal of his persistent calls for an end to violence in Ukraine and the Middle East, he said "peace is possible" and that "we must not resign ourselves."

Zelenskyy said in October that he had invited Francis to Kiev.

More updates👇

2058 GMT — Ukraine gives more details of latest alleged killing of POWs

Ukraine's Airborne Assault Troops has said that three servicemen who Ukrainian prosecutors have said were captured and shot dead by Russian forces this month were members of the 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade.

Russia has yet to comment on the allegation, the second accusation that it has killed prisoners of war leveled against it this month by Ukrainian prosecutors.

Footage shared on social media of the alleged incident appears to show three unarmed figures collapsing from a stationary position after being fired upon. Reuters could not independently verify the video.

The Airborne Assault Troops said unidentified enemy personnel, "acting intentionally, in violation of the laws and customs of war," had deliberately killed the three men, whom it described as captured members of its 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade.

It said their bodies had been removed by Ukrainian authorities from the scene, previously identified as being near the village of Robotyne in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region.

The Airborne Assault Troops reshared the footage of the incident, marking three men with Ukrainian flags and placing Russian flags next to uniformed figures standing or crouching at two locations on a barren landscape some distance behind the three.

1630 GMT — More Ukrainian children from Russia-held areas arrive in Belarus

Belarus' president has attended a government-organised meeting with children brought from Russia-controlled areas of Ukraine, openly defying an international outrage over his country's involvement in Moscow's deportation of Ukrainian children.

Speaking at the event marking the arrival of a new group of Ukrainian children ahead of the New Year holiday, President Alexander Lukashenko vowed to “embrace these children, bring them to our home, keep them warm and make their childhood happier."

Belarusian officials did not say how many Ukrainian children were brought into the country.

A recent study by Yale University has found that more than 2,400 Ukrainian children aged 6-17 have been brought to Belarus from four Ukrainian regions that have been partially occupied by Russian forces.

1557 GMT — Shelling kills two fishermen in south Ukraine

Shelling has killed two civilians and wounded others in a village on the banks of the frontline Dnipro river in southern Ukraine, local authorities said.

"Russian armed forces carried out artillery shelling of the village of Bilenke of Zaporizhzhia Region," Ukraine's general prosecutor said.

"Two fishermen died" in the attack, the prosecutor said, also reporting five injured.

1537 GMT — Ukraine and Hungary prepare for Zelenskyy, Orban meeting amid tensions

Ukraine and Hungary are preparing a meeting of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the near future, the Ukrainian president's chief of staff has said.

Earlier this month, all European Union states except Hungary agreed to start accession talks with Ukraine. The bloc's leaders bypassed Orban's opposition by getting him to leave the room when the decision was made.

But leaders could not overcome Orban's resistance to revamping the EU budget to channel over $55 billion to Kiev and are expected to revisit the issue at an emergency summit on February 1.

Orban wants funding for Kiev to come from outside the EU budget.

1415 GMT — Zelenskyy thanks US for aid package

Zelenskyy has thanked the US for releasing the last remaining package of weapons available for Ukraine under existing authorisation, as uncertainty surrounds further aid to his war-torn country.

Zelenskyy had warned that any change in policy from the US — Kiev's main backer — could have a strong impact on the course of the war.

1406 GMT — Two Russians get prison term for poetry against Ukraine campaign

A Moscow court has sentenced a poet to seven years in prison for reciting verses against the Ukraine campaign during an anti-mobilisation protest last year.

Artyom Kamardin, 33, was sentenced alongside Yegor Shtovba, 23, who also took part in the protest and received a sentence of five years and six months.

The two were seen behind a glass partition in a heavily-guarded courtroom.

Just before his sentencing, a smiling Kamardin recited a poem that refers to poetry as "gut-wrenching" and often disliked by "people accustomed to order".

1355 GMT — Ukraine, without foreign aid, may postpone pension indexation: minister

Ukraine's minister for social policy believes the country will be able to pay pensions even if crucial Western financial aid is not approved soon, but the planned indexation of pensions, to keep them in line with rising prices, may be postponed.

Kiev has poured all its revenue into defence since Russia's February 2022 military campaign, relying on foreign support to cover everything from pensions to social payments.

But key funding packages, including $55.54 billion from the European Union, have been blocked in Brussels and Washington.

Minister Oksana Zholnovych stressed that pensions, in contrast to other social payments, were covered by internal financial means.

0909 GMT — West's strategy to defeat Russia has failed: Lavrov

Russia is resolved to achieve its goals in its "special military operation" in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, adding that what he called the West's strategy to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia had "completely failed".

The G7 countries intend to discuss a "peace formula" proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which they agreed on at a "secret summit" held about 10 days ago, Lavrov said in an interview with Russian state media.

0824 GMT — Panama-flagged bulk carrier hits mine in Black Sea

A Panama-flagged bulk carrier headed for grain loading to one of the Danube ports has hit a mine in the Black Sea, the Ukrainian military said.

"The vessel lost its course and control, and a fire broke out on the upper deck," Ukraine's southern military command said on Telegram messenger.

One person was hospitalised, and another received medical help on board. Tugs were sent to the site, the military added.

0616 GMT — Ukraine air force shoots down 7 out of 8 Russian drones

Ukraine's air defence systems have shot down seven out of eight Russia-launched Shahed drones overnight, the country's air force said.

Drones were downed in three central and southern regions, the air force said on the Telegram messenger. It was not clear whether the drone that was not shot down reached its target.

The Russian Defence Ministry also said it thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack over Moscow-occupied Crimea overnight.

0502 GMT — US proposes G7 explore ways to seize $300B in Russian assets

The United States has proposed that working groups from G7 countries explore ways to seize $ 300 billion in frozen Russian assets, the Financial Times has reported.

The United States, backed by the UK, Japan and Canada, has proposed moving forward with preparatory work so that options would be ready for G7 leaders to consider at a potential meeting around February 24, according to the report.

0130 GMT — Ukraine avoiding peace talks to end 22-month war: Russia

The intrigues of Western countries whose dominance is ebbing away are largely responsible for pitching the world into turmoil, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said in an interview published on Thursday.

Lavrov, in a year-end interview released by the official TASS news agency, warned that no one world-wide could be certain of escaping unscathed from Western machinations in 2024.

Lavrov also restated Russia's complaint that Ukraine was unwilling to hold peace talks to end the 22-month-old conflict in Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special military operation".

"I must note an absence of any will for peace on the part of the regime of (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy," Lavrov told TASS.

"His representatives think only in categories of war and resort to totally aggressive rhetoric. There is no consideration of holding peace talks ... Draw your own conclusions."

0030 GMT — In Germany, local politics holds up weapons for Ukraine

Europe's efforts to boost arms production and help Ukraine to fend off Russia's offensive are facing an unexpected obstacle in a German local government.

The city council in Troisdorf, which has a population close to 80,000, has for the time being blocked plans put forward by a major arms company to expand production locally.

Citing development needs, the "no" by the western municipality near Cologne is calling into question the European Union's ability to manufacture more weapons at a crucial time.

Earlier this year, the 27-member EU pledged to step up supplies of much -needed artillery shells to Ukraine as Kiev's forces faced shortfalls.

The mayor of Troisdorf rarely has a role to play in international politics, but the local official was called to account by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in parliament in early December for holding up the project.

Recognising the risks, the popular minister urged local and regional authorities to work to speed up the rate of arms production. "The pressure (...) is great because in Europe and in Germany there is a real bottleneck on ammunition," Pistorius told MPs.

For weeks, Troisdorf has been at loggerheads with arms giant Diehl Defence, whose local factory produces the ignition devices needed for large quantities of explosives, such as rockets and missile charges.

These parts are used in the manufacture of the Iris-T air defence system, three of which have been delivered by the German government to Ukraine.

For our live updates from Wednesday (December 27), click here.