Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 21.59 Russia "will not lose the war" to Ukraine, claims of its defeat are "a myth and a complete illusion." Therefore, Russian assets after the war "will have to be returned to the Kremlin." Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever stated this in an interview with the Belgian publication La Libre.
21.48 The Ukrainian delegation is preparing for a meeting in the United States with representatives of American President Donald Trump. This is stated in the address of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
20.47 Russian occupiers hit Sloviansk with aerial bombs on Wednesday, December 3. Eight people are known to have been injured, including two children. This was stated by the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Vadym Filashkin, on Telegram.
20.14 In Kryvyi Rih, the number of injured people as a result of a Russian missile strike has increased to four people, including a child. This was reported by the State Emergency Service.
According to preliminary data, the Russians hit the city with an Iskander-M ballistic missile. Earlier, one casualty was reported.
The attack set fire to garages and damaged the administration building. Rescuers are working at the scene.
19.55 Security guarantees should provide long-term protection for both Ukraine and the European Union. This was stated by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov on his Telegram channel.
According to him, on Wednesday, December 3, he held a meeting with the national security advisors of Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Finland, and Great Britain.
19.19 NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the alliance faces "real and long-term threats" from Russia, which "continues its inhuman war against Ukraine" and intensifies hybrid warfare in the West. This is reported by Reuters.
Two-thirds of the alliance's 32 countries have joined the PURL initiative, which provides for the allocation of funds for the purchase of weapons from the United States for Ukraine. Their total financial commitments have exceeded $4 billion.
According to him, for the first time, the contribution will not be made by members of the alliance, but by its partners - Australia and New Zealand.
18.59 An explosion was heard in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, on the evening of December 3. The Russians attacked the city with ballistic missiles. This was reported by the head of the city's military administration, Oleksandr Vilkul, on Telegram.
18.13 4,300 civilians remain in Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region. The evacuation from the city is currently underway. This was reported by Dmytro Petlin, head of the department of operational-duty service, communications, warning and informing the population of the Department for Civil Protection, Mobilization and Defense Work of the Donetsk OVA, Ukrinform reports.
17.43 Ukraine has been in contact with the US delegation after its talks in Moscow. This was reported by Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga. According to him, the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, had a conversation with the US President's special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
Representatives of the American delegation reported that, in their assessment, the talks in Moscow "had a positive significance" for the peace process, Sibiga noted.
He also added that the US has invited a Ukrainian delegation to America to continue negotiations in the near future.
17.07 In November, the intensity of hostilities increased sharply: 5,990 clashes were recorded during the month, which exceeds the average figures for the year. The hottest day was November 28 - 311 clashes. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense, citing data from the General Staff.
16.54 On the night of December 3, the Ukrainian Defense Forces hit an oil depot in the Tambov region of the Russian Federation. It is reported that several oil product tanks are on fire. The results of the hits are being clarified.
A technical observation post on the MSP-4 offshore stationary platform in the Black Sea was also hit. The occupants' UAV crew was destroyed and the surface radar on the Sivash self-elevating floating drilling rig was hit. Other results are being clarified.
It was also established that three Orion reconnaissance and strike drones were destroyed during the attack on the Saki airfield in Crimea on November 27. The attack on the Livny oil depot in the Oryol region of the Russian Federation on December 2 was confirmed, with the subsequent burning of two RV-5000 tanks.
15.27 The information from the Russian military command about the "breakthrough" in the Lyman of the Donetsk region is not true. This was stated by the press service of the Third Army Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"The corps units repel about 40 enemy assaults per day on the approaches to Lyman and do not allow the enemy to enter the city," said the corps commander, Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky.
According to him, in particular, over the past month, the Russians have made a dozen attempts at infiltration by small groups on the outskirts of the city. And the occupiers of each of them were eliminated or taken prisoner.
13.29 A court in Azerbaijan has sentenced citizen Ismail Hasanov to a real term of imprisonment for participating in the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia. The Hochu Zhit project reports this with reference to the publication oxi.azu.
12.58 As of the morning of December 3, the Defense Forces are providing additional logistical routes to support units in Pokrovsk and Myrnograd in Donbas, where fighting is ongoing.
"Search and assault operations and the elimination of the enemy in the city building are ongoing in Pokrovsk. In Myrnograd, Ukrainian units are holding defensive lines and eliminating the enemy on the approaches to the city," the statement from the East Troops Directorate says.
12.19 In Russia, on the night of December 1, an explosion occurred on a section of the Druzhba oil pipeline, through which Russian oil continues to be supplied to some European countries. This was reported by Ukrinform, citing an interlocutor in the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense. It is noted that the attack on the oil pipeline was carried out near the settlement of Kazinsky Vysilky, which is on the Taganrog-Lipetsk oil pipeline section.
12.18 Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andriy Hnatov will meet today in Brussels with national security advisors of European leaders.
Ukrainian representatives will inform their colleagues in Europe about what is known after yesterday's contacts of the American side in Moscow, and will also discuss the issue of the European component in the necessary security architecture.
After Brussels, Umerov and Gnatov will prepare a meeting with representatives of US President Donald Trump in the States.
12.17 The Russian army needs to fight in Ukraine for another year to reach the administrative borders of the Donetsk region, a senior NATO official said.
"Capturing the remaining part of the Donetsk region is not a realistic possibility for the Russians for at least another year," the source said.
This forecast is based on the current speed of Russia's advance. In particular, in Pokrovsk, which the Russian army controls by 95%, the military is advancing an average of 120 meters per day.
11.19 Counterintelligence of the Security Service detained in Kyiv an FSB agent who was coordinating the massive missile and drone attacks of the Russian Federation on the capital of Ukraine. The traitor turned out to be a 36-year-old employee of a local company that installs security and fire alarms at strategically important facilities in Ukraine.
Throughout the fall, the suspect collected coordinates for the Russians of potential "targets" for shelling the city. Also, during business trips, he monitored the consequences of enemy "arrivals" at the capital's energy facilities, which he immediately "reported" to the FSB to adjust for repeated strikes.
11.10 Russian troops shelled a trolleybus depot in Kherson with artillery at night. This was reported by the head of the Kherson MVA, Yaroslav Shanko, on December 3. It is noted that the shelling damaged the contact network, production facilities, and administrative building. 19 trolleybuses were damaged - windows were broken, and the bodies were mutilated.
10.38 Germany, Poland and Norway will jointly provide a new support package for Ukraine totaling $500 million, of which $200 million will be provided by Germany. This was stated by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful before the start of the meeting of the NATO Council of Foreign Ministers in Brussels, Ukrinform reports.
10.37 As a result of Russian attacks on energy facilities, more than 17.5 thousand consumers in the Kharkiv region, about 5 thousand in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions, as well as consumers in the Kherson region, were additionally without electricity on the morning of December 3.
In the Odessa region, all subscribers who lost power at night have already been restored. In the Odessa region, one worker was injured as a result of a night attack and was taken to the hospital.
9.58 The key issue in Russia's war against Ukraine is territorial. The parties are literally fighting for 20% of the Donetsk region, which has not yet been occupied by the Russian Federation. This was stated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
"Now they are literally fighting for a territory of 30-50 kilometers and the remaining 20% of Donetsk region. We have been trying to find out and, in my opinion, have made some progress in this," he said.
9.21 In the temporarily occupied Sevastopol, the position of the air defense means of the Russian invaders was discovered, the coordinates were transferred to the Defense Forces of Ukraine. This was reported by the partisan movement ATESH. It is noted that the discovered and recorded anti-aircraft missile and gun complex Pantsir-S1 is an important element of the cover of critically important objects. Next to Pantsir, the Russians placed a ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft installation. This old installation is used to protect Pantsir from attacks by attack UAVs.
09.20 Two people were killed and three injured as a result of a nighttime attack by Russian drones in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
At night, Russian troops struck Ternivka, Pavlohrad district, with drones. Men aged 43 and 50 were killed. Three more people were injured, all hospitalized. A 65-year-old man and woman are in "serious" condition. An 18-year-old boy is in moderate condition.
The attack caused a fire. A private house was partially destroyed, six more were damaged. Garages and cars were damaged. One passenger car was destroyed.
8.57 Air defense forces neutralized 83 of the 111 drones that the Russians used to attack Ukraine since the evening. The Ukrainian Air Force reported this on December 3. 27 strike UAVs were recorded hitting 13 locations, as well as the fall of downed targets (fragments) at one location.
8.45 Over the past 24 hours, 201 clashes took place at the front, 52 attacks by Russian invaders were stopped by the Defense Forces in the Pokrovsky direction, the invaders stormed the Lymansky direction more than 30 times and the Konstantinovsky direction 27 times. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on December 3.
8.19 A fire broke out at oil depots in the Tambov region of the Russian Federation, and fuel tanks in the Voronezh region of the Russian Federation were also damaged as a result of a drone attack on the night of December 3. This was reported by the governors of the Tambov region, Yevgeny Pervishov, and the Voronezh region, Alexander Gusev. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, air defense systems allegedly intercepted and destroyed 102 Ukrainian drones. In particular, 26 drones were allegedly shot down over the Belgorod region, 22 over the Bryansk region, 21 over the Kursk region, 16 over the Rostov region, 7 over the Astrakhan region, 6 over the Saratov region, and 4 over the Voronezh region of the Russian Federation.
7.50 The Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed 1,200 Russian military personnel, 12 artillery systems, and 47 units of automotive equipment and tanker trucks last day. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on December 3. The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02.22 to 03.12.25 were approximately 1,176,230 people.
7.23 In Donbas, occupation structures are turning educational institutions into military training centers for teenagers, disguising the classes as "youth development." The Center for National Resistance reports this.
05.30 Russian troops are approximately 30 kilometers from Zaporizhia, but it is extremely unlikely that the enemy can approach the city's borders by the end of the year without a significant breakthrough, a NATO representative said on December 3.
03.28 The European Commission has found a way to convince Belgium to agree to use frozen Russian assets to provide a 140 billion euro loan to Ukraine. The European Commission is proposing to invoke Article 122, which allows governments to take decisions "in a spirit of solidarity between member states" if the economic situation requires it. This was reported by Politico, citing information from five diplomats and EU officials.
01.27 After a meeting in Moscow between Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Russian dictator Putin, different approaches to ending the war were discussed. So far, no compromise plan has been found to resolve the situation in Ukraine, as stated by Vladimir Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov.
00.24 A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff has ended in Moscow. The talks were attended by Russian President's envoy Kirill Dmitriev, President's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. This is according to a CNN report. According to the media, the discussion lasted about five hours.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The enemy is actively storming the northern part of the city, but Ukrainian defenders are holding their ground, notes the 7th Corps of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Russian invaders cannot take control of Pokrovsk, so Russia has intensified propaganda and is spreading fake news about the situation in the city. The 7th Corps of the Airborne Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on its Telegram channel.
"The enemy is stuck in urban battles for Pokrovsk and cannot capture the city with the help of weapons. Therefore, the enemy is trying to intensify propaganda and disinformation, manipulating fictions about the alleged "capture of Pokrovsk," the report says.
The situation in the Pokrovska area is still difficult: the enemy is actively storming the northern part of the city. Ukrainian defenders are holding their ground and holding back the enemy's advance. In some areas, the occupiers are trying to operate around logistical routes.
"However, in these zones, the speed of eliminating the enemy is higher than the speed of its movement," the 7th Corps of the DShV added.
The logistics of Ukrainian soldiers remain complicated, but functional. An operation to expand logistics corridors is underway.
Ukrainian defenders, despite intense fighting, managed to conduct several personnel rotations over the past week.
The defense of the Pokrovskaya agglomeration involves the Airborne Assault Troops, assault units, Special Operations Forces, Unmanned Systems Forces, the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Guard, and the National Police.
As we have already written, the Defense Forces continue defensive operations in difficult sections of the front, in particular in Pokrovsk, Vovchansk, and Kupyansk, while the Kremlin's statements about the "capture" of settlements do not correspond to reality.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:01 Unmanned aerial vehicle troops are destroying Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment and fortifications, video. 20:17 From 09:00 Moscow time to 20:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed four Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the aircraft type:
Two UAVs over the territories of the Belgorod and Bryansk regions.
18:33 A 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS crew from the 58th Guards Combined Arms Army of the Dnepr Forces Group, covering and supporting the advance of assault groups in the area of the village of Malaya Tokmachka, destroyed an enemy artillery piece in the Zaporizhzhia region, video.
17:32 Assault units of the Russian Armed Forces continue to advance in Grishino northwest of Krasnoarmeysk, map.
16:16 Published footage of the Russian Armed Forces at work in Dimitrov (Mirnograd).
15:06 The training center, created on the basis of the engineering brigade of the North group of forces, is training specialists of the unmanned systems troops, video.
14:49 Posted footage of the precise work of FPV drone operators at the Rubicon Center.
13:10 A Strela-10 air defense missile system crew from the 35h Aleysk Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Center Forces Group destroyed a Darts kamikaze drone belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Krasnoarmeysk direction,video.
12:53 Assault units of the North group of forces are moving forward in the center of Vilcha, south of Vovchansk, in the Khar'kov border region.
12:23 Russian flags are all over Krasnoarmeysk, visual confirmation of confident control of the territory.
12:15 Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation as of December 3, 2025:
Units of the North group of forces defeated formations of a mechanized brigade and an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Andreevka, Khotyn, and Novaya Sich in the Sumy region.
In the Khar'kov direction, units of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a National Guard brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Vilcha, Staritsa, Varvarovka and Liman in the Khar'kov region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 170 servicemen, three combat armored vehicles, six cars and a warehouse of materiel.
Units of the West group of forces have improved their tactical position.
The manpower and equipment of two mechanized and assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and two National Guard brigades were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Kupyansk-Uzlovaya, Monachinovka, Novoosinovo, Blagodatovka in the Khar'kov region and Aleksandrovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy's losses amounted to 220 servicemen, a Cossack armored vehicle, 13 pickup trucks, two electronic warfare stations, and five ammunition depots.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces have improved their position along the front line.
They inflicted losses on the formations of the mechanized, airmobile, assault, mountain assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, and the territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Seversk, Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, Berestok, Druzhkovka, Stepanovka, Karpovka, and Konstantinovka of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 140 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, eight cars, two ammunition depots and materiel.
Units of the Center group of forces have improved their position along the forward edge.
The manpower and equipment of five mechanized, a Jaeger, an airmobile, an airborne, two airborne assault brigades, three assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, two naval infantry brigades, a territorial defense brigade, the Azov* special forces brigade, and three National Guard brigades were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Annovka, Dimitrov, Rodynskoye, Dobropolye, Svetloye, Vodyanskoye, Toretskoye, Belitskoye, and Belozerskoye of the Donetsk People's Republic and Novopavlovka of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 430 servicemen, a Cossack combat armored vehicle, four vehicles, and two artillery pieces.
Units of the "East" group of forces continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defenses and liberated the village of Chervone in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Formations of an assault, three mechanized brigades, two assault regiments, the Aidar** assault battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Vozdvizhevka, Kosovtsevo, Zaliznichnoe, Hulyaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region and Andreevka in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The enemy lost over 235 servicemen, a tank, three armored combat vehicles, 18 cars, a German-made 155mm self-propelled howitzer "Panzerhaubitze 2000", a Czech-made "Vampire" multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle, and an ammunition depot.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of the mountain assault brigade and the coastal defense brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Volnyansk, Novoyakovlevka, Stepnogorsk and Primorskoye in the Zaporizhzhia region.
More than 65 Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen, six vehicles, two electronic warfare stations, three ammunition depots, material supplies and fuel depots were destroyed.
Tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces, and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces struck transport and energy infrastructure facilities used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a workshop for assembling long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, and temporary deployment points for Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries in 145 districts.
251 unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type were shot down by air defense systems.
The Black Sea Fleet destroyed two unmanned boats of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the northwestern part of the Black Sea.
11:42 Assault units of the 38th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 35th Army of the Guards "East" released Chervone (Vysokoye) to the east of Gulyaipole.
11:35 From Grishino in the northwest of Krasnoarmeysk comes operational information that our troops have advanced to the Grishinka River pool.
10:25 Military personnel of the "East" group of forces told about the assault on the village of Dobropillya in the Zaporizhzhia region.
10:08 Ukrainian Armed Forces continue attacks on civilian infrastructure on the left bank of the Kherson region
Yesterday afternoon, the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired 20 shells from barrel artillery at populated areas of the Kherson region of the Russian Federation:
9:47 Ukrainian Armed Forces in 24 hours inflicted 10 artillery strikes on the territory of the Gornostaevsky District
"Gornostayevka, Kairy, and Zavodovka were shelled. Five enemy UAV attacks were also recorded," the District Administration reported.
9:15 Soldiers of the unmanned systems unit of the Ivanovo Airborne Forces destroyed two field artillery guns and a transport with Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters
8:30 A crew of the heavy flamethrower system "Solntsepek" of the "East" force group destroyed deployment sites and strongholds together with enemy manpower in the village of Gulyaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region.
8:14 During the past night, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 102 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
- 26 UAVs over the territory of the Belgorod region,
- 22 UAVs over the territory of the Bryansk region,
- 21 UAVs over the territory of the Kursk region,
- 16 UAVs over the territory of the Rostov region,
- Seven UAVs over the territory of the Astrakhan region,
- Six UAVs over the territory of the Saratov region,
- Four UAVs over the territory of the Voronezh region.
8:00 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS crews of the Yuzhnaya force group destroyed temporary deployment point of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Konstantinovsky direction.
Commentary by RUssian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] Following yesterday's talks in the Kremlin:
1. The parties agreed to continue negotiating.
2. The parties agreed not to tell anyone about the content of the talks.
3. The parties reached agreement on some unnamed points.
4. The parties did not reach agreement on some unnamed points.
5. The parties considered 4 more unnamed documents of unknown content in addition to the "28 points".
6. Russia stated following the talks that the US and Russia "have not become further from peace".
7. The US stated that the most problematic issue is the question of territory that Ukraine must give up.
8. Russia and the US are dismissive of Europe's attempts to play any role in resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
9. Russia and the US are generally unanimous in their assessment of Ukraine's prospects of losing even more territory if it delays surrendering what it demands.
10. The war continues.
Related from regnum.ru Stubb called for preparation for "unfair" peace terms in Ukraine
Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated on December 3 that the country should be prepared for an "unjust" peace settlement in Ukraine. The peace terms could include compromises that would be difficult for Europe, Stubb said in an interview with MTV Uutiset.
He stated that the conflict would sooner or later enter the negotiating phase, and it was important for Finnish society to understand that the final agreements could fall far short of European countries' expectations. Stubb noted that such scenarios are typical at the end of protracted armed conflicts and are often accompanied by painful concessions.
"To be honest, the terms of peace, when it comes, could be extremely unpleasant and even unfair. Finland must be prepared for such a scenario," Stubb said.
He emphasized that strengthening national security and developing cooperation within NATO remains a priority for Helsinki. Stubb also called on European states to remain united and provide long-term support to Kyiv, despite the potential political and economic costs.
The Finnish president previously noted that the coming days could be decisive for progress toward a peaceful settlement. On November 25, commenting on his phone conversation with Kyiv regime leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, he noted that the parties were working toward a ceasefire and the establishment of a sustainable peace.
by Vadim Kushakov
On December 2, Vladimir Putin met in the Kremlin with Donald Trump's special envoy, Stephen Witkoff, and American investor Jared Kushner. The discussion focused on options for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine and economic cooperation between Russia and the United States.
Following the meeting, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov noted that during the five-hour meeting, the parties developed fundamental approaches to a settlement.
Putin and Washington representatives did not discuss specific wording or specific American proposals, but rather the essence of what was contained in these American documents, Ushakov explained.
"We could agree on some things, and the president confirmed this to his interlocutors. Other things provoked criticism, and the president also made no secret of our critical, even negative, attitude toward a number of proposals. But the main thing is that we had a very useful discussion," the Russian presidential aide said.
Moscow's position can be summed up by the proverb, "Don't put the cart before the horse." This is evidenced by the comments of Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president's special representative.
First, the parties should define the framework for contacts: clarify which positions Russia and the United States consider unacceptable, and clarify what each side sees as a compromise option.
Judging by the fact that Dmitriev described the conversation as productive, our side has already identified these reference points.
So far, as Ushakov stated, a compromise solution has not been found.
"Some of the American proposals appear more or less acceptable. They need to be discussed," the presidential aide emphasized. " Some of the language proposed to us is unacceptable. So, the work will continue. This is truly one of the most important issues."
Moscow is open to discussing Washington's "prepared proposals," but only if they do not conflict with our interests and national security and do not run counter to the goals of the special military operation. Proposals that threaten new challenges for Russia and prolong the conflict are unacceptable to us.
The Russian side is clearly in no rush to formulate any final plans with the Americans. It's worth noting that, in a conversation with journalists on the eve of his meeting with Whitkoff and Kushner in the Kremlin, the Russian president emphasized the successes of the Russian Armed Forces in the North Atlantic Military District.
At the meeting itself, one of the main topics was the territorial issue, Ushakov said following the conversation.
Discussions of this aspect of potential agreements, crucial for Russia, took place against the backdrop of our troop advances along the entire front line—something our Western counterparts have been unable to ignore in recent months. Just as they cannot ignore the domestic political crisis in Kyiv, coupled with the defection of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers and the general decline in morale in the Ukrainian army.
The Russian side has been consistently communicating our assessment of the situation in Ukraine to the Americans. From this, the White House can (and already is) conclude that as our troops advance, Moscow's demands in potential negotiations will change.
The results of contacts with Washington (which, after the Putin-Trump meeting in Alaska, became known as the "Anchorage process") demonstrate that constructive dialogue with the US administration is possible. The same cannot be said of the Europeans. The current visit of Trump's emissaries to Moscow was a logical continuation of these contacts with the White House. Our leadership, demonstrating foresight, is elevating the dialogue to the level of substantive discussion of settlement plans.
"Our president asked his partners to convey his friendly greetings to Trump. Naturally, he conveyed not only friendly greetings, but also a number of important political signals that his interlocutors had noted and, naturally, would report back to Washington," Ushakov noted.
"Friendly greetings," however, also matter. As observers, including Western ones, note, Putin is building a good relationship with the US president. This understanding of Trump's political and human qualities helps both pave the way for a peaceful settlement and address the daunting task of restoring relations with the United States, including economic ones.
As Moscow and Washington establish closer ties, the Kyiv regime and its European sponsors, who are trying to derail this process, are the losers. In fact, if the process is complicated, Brussels and Kyiv will be the culprits (including in Trump's eyes).
Given these circumstances, it is quite understandable why Ushakov called the meeting with Whitkoff and Kushner “in general, a very useful, good conversation.”
[Breitbart] The Russian strongman is expected to visit India for a state visit on December 4 and 5. He will be leading a Russian delegation to the annual India-Russia summit with Peskov indicated would also include the head of Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation.
“[Alexey] Likhachev, head of Rosatom, will be part of the presidential delegation during his visit,” Peskov told reporters, according to the Russian news agency Tass. “He will bring with him a proposal on small modular reactors. This proposal will be discussed during the negotiations.”
“Russia has experience, real experience, in producing such small reactors,” he continued. “And I have no doubt that we will be ready to discuss this issue with India and provide these technologies to our Indian friends.”
Peskov noted that Russia has already aided India, a nuclear state both in civilian and military capacity, with training for power plant workers. Russia helped India build its largest plant, the Kudankulam nuclear power plant (NPP) in southern India, and is reportedly seeking a more “active part” in strengthening India’s reliance on nuclear energy.
The visit to India will follow an extremely active week for Putin on foreign policy, as he met with American special envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday to discuss a proposed peace agreement to end Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Peskov offered little commentary on the meeting regarding the Ukraine invasion, instead emphasizing that the “key priority” of the moment was preparing for Putin’s visit to India.
“This world is about to see something new and we will be part of this new world. We are united by our shared vision of the future of this multipolar world,” Peskov insisted. “We have always been supporting our friends. Russia supports India. We maintain bilateral relations with your neighbors and by developing these fruitful relations, we are ready to do our best and everything we can to contribute to the atmosphere of peace, predictability, and stability in your and our region.”
India and Russia have maintained longstanding friendly relations for decades, driven in large part by Russia’s willingness to sell defense technology to India and, more recently, by India’s large demand for discounted Russian oil. India and Russia are also allies through the anti-American security and economic alliance of BRICS, which also includes Brazil, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The government of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rejected pressure from Europe and the United States to stop buying Russian fossil fuels and, through these profits, funding the Ukraine invasion, insisting that New Delhi’s mandate is to act in the best interests of the Indian people. Indian leaders have bristled in particular at European demands to stop buying Russian oil while European countries continue to purchase large quantities of Russian natural gas.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Ivan Konyukov
[REGNUM] The West was closely watching Russian President Vladimir Putin's talks with US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and businessman and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The Russian leader's hours-long conversation with the American delegation left our continental neighbors nervous. Although no specific results were announced, their concerns remained undiminished.
It is unlikely that Brussels listened with enthusiasm to the commentary by Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who noted that “the progress and nature of the negotiations… were influenced by the successes of the Russian army on the battlefield in recent weeks.”
The political rift that can be observed among NATO member countries has long been obvious to everyone.
On the one hand, there is the American administration, with its attempts, albeit in its own way, to find some adequate solution to the “Ukrainian problem,” and on the other, there is the European Union, which is in a deep and multi-layered crisis, but is using its last strength to pour fuel on the fire of the conflict.
Therefore, the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on December 3, at which a discussion of the Ukrainian issue was announced, looks like yet another frantic attempt to develop a unified strategy to counter the approaching peace in Ukraine and the new Russian territories that the Europeans so fear.
Characteristically, no US representatives appropriate to the event attended—neither Secretary of State Marco Rubio nor Defense Secretary (or, more recently, Minister of War) Pete Hegseth. A BBC correspondent notes this with a note of obvious disappointment, directly interpreting it as evidence of a lack of credibility among European politicians.
The Washington Post's analysts also noted growing concern in this regard, noting the potential impact of the current high-profile corruption scandal in Ukraine, which resulted in the resignation of the head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, on the American position.
Meanwhile, European officials mustn't forget who's in charge in the alliance. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, upon arriving at the event, hastened to reassure that the organization considers the Moscow meeting "important," as well as "close coordination" with Washington. However, Rutte declined to comment on "every step" of the negotiations.
The assembled European ministers were more talkative.
For example, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who stated that while he wholeheartedly desires an end to hostilities, "he sees no serious desire on the Russian side to enter into negotiations." Meanwhile, representatives of Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and Canada have promised to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on purchasing American weapons for Kyiv.
Apparently, this is how they demonstrate their “serious desire” to contribute to the long-awaited peace.
The Balts distinguished themselves with their traditional radicalism.
Estonian Margus Tsahkna expressed the opinion that “ it is Europe (by which he obviously means only the EU – Ed.) that should decide what happens on the continent, and not Putin and the US.”
Latvia's Baiba Braže went even further, calling the Moscow meeting " so-called negotiations " and again blaming the Kremlin for the divergence in views between Brussels and Washington.
Meanwhile, Elina Valtonen, the head of the Foreign Ministry of newly-minted NATO member Finland, expressed dismay at Putin's words about his readiness (if not his desire) for war with Europe, spoken on the eve of his meeting with the Americans, and demanded an immediate ceasefire.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper deemed it unnecessary to comment on the matter and routinely called on Putin to "stop rattling his weapons and shedding blood."
Norwegian Espen Barth Eide wished Ukraine "to remain strong" and NATO to stay on its long-established path. Incidentally, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk recently bluntly reminded his allies of what that path is, stating bluntly that the bloc was created to counter Russia.
Meanwhile, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, not distracted by peace negotiations, continues to pore over her “noble” mission – the legal justification for the “seizure” (or, simply put, theft) of frozen Russian assets for their subsequent transfer to the needs of the Ukrainian army.
At the same time, some Western media outlets' summaries of the Moscow talks, which Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called a "waste of time" but which nevertheless aroused such intense interest among Kiev's allies, show a certain relief, tinged with feigned jubilation.
Here's the Euronews headline: "No breakthrough on Ukraine after Witkoff-Putin talks in Moscow." The headline includes comments from Russian officials about how much remains to be done to find a compromise.
In fact, hardly anyone seriously expected an immediate and definitive result from yesterday's meeting. However, interim results, as is evident from the statements of Ushakov and Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, were achieved. However, in the Western world, they are now looking for any positive reason, and even this is how they find it.
However, not everyone finds it.
In particular, the author of the German publication Die Welt fully understands that “the path to peace will be long,” and is concerned that everything, one way or another, “comes down to a question of territories.”
Spiegel points out that businessmen accustomed to real estate deals have come to negotiate with the Russian leadership regarding Ukraine. What could this be for?
Financial Times journalist Christopher Miller shared a rather interesting observation that stirred the internet : on December 1, at a meeting in Florida with a Ukrainian delegation led by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, Witkoff appeared " unshaven, disheveled, tired, avoiding eye contact, and unsmiling." Meanwhile, "in Moscow, sitting across from Putin, he looked quite different: clean-shaven, attentive, smiling, and cheerful." He also shared wonderful impressions of his walk around Moscow, calling it a "wonderful city."
Ukrainian media outlets, such as the Kyiv Post, are already sounding the alarm, believing that this is no coincidence, but rather a clear demonstration of Trump's special envoy's attitude toward the two opposing sides.
The British Spectator also wrote about this, discovering a cunning Kremlin plot behind the Americans' tour of the White Stone City. They claimed that by showcasing the capital's beauty, wealth, and security, the Russians were trying to charm their guests. And, most terrifyingly, they succeeded.
Moreover, according to the British media, despite the damage from sanctions, “Putin has sufficient grounds to believe that his opponents from Washington to Brussels and Kiev are in a worse position.”
The compassionate French newspaper Le Parisien is concerned about Zelenskyy, who is in a difficult situation not only due to the situation at the front but also due to domestic political chaos. Furthermore, the hope expressed in the article for his meeting with American politicians after their talks in Moscow has been dashed.
Despite Zelenskyy's strong demonstration of his desire and willingness to meet anywhere, including a short tour of Europe, his signals were ignored: Witkoff and Kushner promised to fly home on a direct flight, which they did.
With such an information background and the lack of details about the meeting that took place in the Kremlin, European mainstream journalists and politicians can only “hope that Trump will not sacrifice Ukraine,” which they openly and stubbornly consider their “stronghold of confrontation with Russia.”
[GatewayPundit] Strains within NATO appear to have intensified following the Pentagon’s sudden decision to sever routine communications with Germany’s Defense Ministry on matters related to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, according to German officials who described the move as unexplained and ‘disruptive.’ Kinda like the Afgan withdrawal
Lieutenant General Christian Freuding, head of Germany’s Ukraine coordination task force, told reporters on Tuesday that what had been round-the-clock exchanges with U.S. counterparts have now ceased entirely, leaving Berlin without direct insight into American strategic planning.
German defense sources said they have been forced to route inquiries through their embassy in Washington, with senior military figures acknowledging a lack of dependable channels to engage Pentagon officials amid the communications blackout.
The freeze coincides with the U.S. administration’s efforts to revise its proposed Ukraine peace framework, reducing it from 28 to 22 points after consultations with both Kyiv and Moscow, highlighting what critics call a faltering approach to a war that has dragged on without resolution.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is Moscow meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin for additional talks, a development that has caught European allies off guard after years of insistence from NATO leaders that direct negotiations with Moscow were untenable.
Berlin only learned of the Trump administration’s suspension of certain weapons shipments to Ukraine last summer when deliveries failed to materialize, despite Germany’s key involvement in coordinating NATO support, sources familiar with the matter said.
Freuding emphasized the shift, noting that “day and night” messaging with American officials has “broken off— completely,” underscoring a broader erosion of trust in between the traditionally close transatlantic partners.
In response, German policymakers are accelerating an overhaul of the country’s security posture, investing billions in domestic arms production and converting civilian industries to bolster military capabilities.
Officials in Berlin have stated that Germany must prepare for potential U.S. disengagement, with commitments to forge Europe’s most robust armed forces marking a stark departure from the nation’s post-World War II pacifist traditions.
Freuding has publicly cautioned that the once-solid U.S.-led security architecture is unraveling, with many in Germany perceiving Washington as increasingly unreliable in upholding alliances it previously championed.
The developments unfold as the U.S. ramps up pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration to pursue a negotiated end to the conflict, warning that continued arms and intelligence support could be withheld if Kyiv resists.
White House officials have acknowledged the unsustainable nature of indefinite weapons flows to Ukraine, even as NATO partners facilitate U.S.-sourced aid, amid mounting questions about the war’s viability.
Public sentiment across Europe is shifting toward greater doubt about the conflict, with citizens in several nations increasingly challenging the rationale for prolonged economic sacrifices in support of a stalemated war plagued by reports of mismanagement and corruption in Kyiv.
Analysts point to persistent allegations of graft within Zelensky’s government— including recent scandals involving aid diversion and high-level resignations—as factors eroding Western confidence and complicating efforts to sustain international backing.
Critics contend that NATO’s expansive involvement has ensnared Europe in a protracted crisis driven by interventionist policies, with each U.S. policy adjustment exposing the diminishing influence of Western European capitals over the war’s trajectory.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
