Ukraine-Russia warfare newest: Trump says ‘Putin is afraid of the US but not Europe’ in newest assault on allies | EUROtoday

The Oreshnik, whose identify means Hazel Tree, is an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile that Russia has fired solely as soon as earlier than towards Ukraine, in November 2024.

On that event it was geared up solely with dummy warheads and due to this fact precipitated restricted harm, Ukrainian sources stated, in what was successfully a check.

If the in a single day assault carried explosive warheads, it could mark the primary time that Russia has used the Oreshnik with full harmful intent. The strike focused what Russia referred to as important infrastructure in Ukraine, although the extent of the harm was not instantly clear.

Experts say the novel characteristic of the Oreshnik is that it could actually carry a number of warheads able to concurrently putting completely different targets – normally related to longer-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

The missile relies on the RS-26 Rubezh, which Russia had initially developed as an intercontinental missile.

Like many Russian weapons programs, it’s able to carrying nuclear in addition to typical warheads, however there was no suggestion of any nuclear part to the in a single day assault.

Shortly earlier than Christmas, the brand new chief of MI6, Blaise Metreweli, made her first public speech since taking cost. She selected as her topic the multifaceted menace posed by Russia, warning of the rising hazard from Vladimir Putin’s regime. “We are operating in a space between peace and war,” she stated.

The not too long ago appointed “C” stated “the front line is everywhere”, explaining that Putin is upsetting a brand new “age of uncertainty” by busily rewriting the unwritten guidelines of battle. “The export of chaos is a feature, not a bug, in the Russian approach to international engagement,” stated Metreweli.

This week has seen the cementing of the axis between the UK, France and Germany with the promise of troops on the bottom to observe peace in Ukraine, a transfer that’s sure to antagonise Putin. Concerns about Russian retaliation are rising nonetheless additional following the boarding of a tanker in Russia’s “shadow fleet” by US forces off the British coast. The involvement of the Royal Navy could have been observed and famous in Moscow. The hostility continues to ramp up in depth, writes Chris Blackhurst.

Donald Trump has stated the US must take management of Greenland to cease Russia or China from gaining affect there.

Speaking on the White House on Friday, Trump stated Washington may pursue the island “the easy way” or “the hard way” if vital.

“We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not. Because if we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we’re not going to have Russia or China as ​a neighbour,” he stated.

“We’re not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland. That’s what they’re going to do if we don’t.”

The US already has troops stationed in Greenland beneath an settlement with Denmark, however Trump stated such preparations fall quick.

“You defend ‌ownership. You don’t defend leases. And we’ll have to defend Greenland. If we ‍don’t do it, China or Russia will.”

“I love the people of China. I love the people of Russia,” Trump added. “But I don’t want them as a neighbour in Greenland.”

The United Nations Security Council will maintain a gathering on Monday to handle the current Russian missile and drone assault on Ukraine, the council’s schedule reveals.

The session is ready for 3pm native time in New York.

“The Russian Federation has reached an appalling new level of war crimes and crimes against humanity by its terror against civilians,” Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk stated in a letter to the Security Council seen by AFP on Friday.

The in a single day bombardment on Friday, which included drones, missiles, and a hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic weapon, left practically 6,000 residence buildings with out warmth in Kyiv and killed a minimum of 4 individuals, with greater than 20 others wounded, based on Ukrainian authorities.

Western members together with the United Kingdom and France formally backed Ukraine’s request for the emergency assembly.

Should the UK comply with by on its pledge to Ukraine, or are there limits to what its armed forces can realistically obtain?

The UK authorities has earmarked £200m to prepared its armed forces for a possible deployment to Ukraine if a peace settlement is reached.

Defence secretary John Healey introduced the funding throughout a go to to Ukraine on Friday and will probably be used to improve army tools, together with autos, communications programs, and counter-drone defences.

“As we approach the fifth year of Putin’s full-scale invasion, the Ukrainians continue to fight with huge courage, civilians and military alike,” he stated.

“We are surging investment into our preparations following the prime minister’s announcement this week, ensuring that Britain’s armed forces are ready to deploy, and lead, the Multinational Force Ukraine, because a secure Ukraine means a secure UK.

“As we look towards a potential peace deal, we continue to step up for Ukraine in the fight today – strengthening its air defences while backing British industry, jobs, and innovation at home.”

The authorities stated the funding would come from the core defence funds, with MPs to vote earlier than any deployment.

The UK’s defence secretary, John Healey, has stated Russian president Vladimir Putin needs to be held accountable for warfare crimes dedicated in the course of the invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking to the Kyiv Independent after Russia’s in a single day missile and drone strikes, Healey cited proof of civilian hurt, together with killings uncovered in Bucha and the “abduction of some of the Ukrainian kids that I met in Irpin”.

His feedback got here as contemporary Russian assaults killed a minimum of 4 individuals within the capital, together with a paramedic, and left practically half of Kyiv’s houses with out heating in freezing circumstances.

Healey stated the harm to residential buildings “tells you all you need to know about President Putin and his determination not just to wage a war on Ukraine, but to target civilians, cities, the infrastructure that people absolutely critically depend on in the middle of winter”.

“This is a man who must be stopped. This is a war that must be stopped. And our mission is to support Ukraine in its fight today and to help work to secure the peace for the moment.”

Russia carried out a large-scale in a single day assault on Ukraine, firing dozens of missiles and lots of of drones and killing a minimum of 4 individuals in Kyiv, officers stated on Friday.

For solely the second time within the warfare, Moscow used its nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile, which Ukrainian authorities say struck western Ukraine.

In Kyiv, residence blocks had been hit, leaving practically half town with out warmth in sub-zero temperatures. At least 25 individuals had been wounded, together with emergency responders, and an emergency medical employee was amongst these killed.

European leaders condemned the assault as “escalatory and unacceptable”, whereas Ukraine has referred to as for emergency conferences of the UN Security Council and the NATO-Ukraine Council.

Ukraine’s home safety service stated on Friday it was treating Russia’s overnght strike with an Oreshnik missile on the western Lviv area as a warfare crime.

In a press release, the SBU stated Russia had tried to destroy important infrastructure close to Ukraine’s border with the European Union amid a pointy deterioration within the climate circumstances.

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni stated on Friday it was “absolutely premature” to speak about the potential of Russia being allowed again into the G8 group of main nations.

Ms Meloni added, nonetheless, that she agreed with French President Emmanuel Macron on the necessity for Europe to reopen a dialogue with Russia.