Day 302 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Biden assured Zelensky that the US will Support Kyiv as long as Necessary (UPDATED)

World » UKRAINE | December 22, 2022, Thursday // 11:06
Bulgaria: Day 302 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Biden assured Zelensky that the US will Support Kyiv as long as Necessary (UPDATED) @ctvnews.ca

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

The only Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov caught fire in Murmansk - for the second time

A fire broke out on board the only Russian aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov", reported RIA Novosti. The accident happened at the docks of the Murmansk shipyard, where the cruiser has been located since 2017. Three years ago, the flagship of Russia's Northern Fleet also burned, then two people died in the fire.

The head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) Alexei Rakhmanov tried to downplay the fire, calling it a "small excess" and noting that no one was injured.

The aircraft carrier was in dry dock at the Zvezdochka plant in Murmansk. The source of the fire was located somewhere in the cabins. At the time of the fire, there were 20 people on board the vessel who were evacuated, and the fire was assigned an increased level of complexity.

The Ministry of Emergencies of Russia announced that the fire has been brought under control in the N18 burial ground. The open burning has been extinguished, the adjacent sections are being checked.

To TASS, Alexey Rakhmanov further reduced the seriousness of the incident, saying: "There was no fire, there was a local ignition, which was extinguished at 11:30 with the forces of the personnel and representatives of the fire services located on the territory of the plant." All fire protection systems had worked according to protocol. No damage was done.

The only Russian aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" is undergoing its first major overhaul since its launch in 2017.

The renovation was supposed to be completed in 2021. On the night of October 30, 2018, when the Admiral Kuznetsov was being taken out of the floating dock, one of the cranes fell onto its deck. The floating dock sank, and a hole measuring 4 by 5 meters appeared on the deck of the flagship of the Northern Fleet.

In December 2019, a second accident occurred - a fire, as a result of which two people died and more than 10 were injured. The fire then started from the lower deck when a spark from welding hit the spilled fuel hold. In the summer of 2022, Rakhmanov promised that the ship would return to the combat composition of the Russian fleet in the first quarter of 2024.

Bakhmut remains the "hottest" spot in Ukraine

Bakhmut remains the "hottest" spot in Ukraine, where Ukrainian defenders are fighting Russian forces. This was reported by Ukrainian media, citing the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army.

Fighting in the Bakhmut region has been going on for several months. Over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian forces have repelled 16 enemy attacks in the Luhansk and Donetsk region, some of them in the Bakhmut and Soledar regions.

According to the head of the administration of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Haidai, the armed forces of Ukraine are successfully conducting a counteroffensive in the direction of Svatovo and Kremennaya.

Russia seeks to improve its tactical position in Kupyansk and in the Lyman direction. These territories were liberated during the autumn counteroffensive of the Ukrainian forces.

The General Staff reports that over 100,000 Russian occupiers, over 3,000 tanks, almost 6,000 armored fighting vehicles, over 650 cruise missiles have already been eliminated.

Meanwhile, the Kyiv City Military Administration reports that the power situation in the capital remains difficult.

Due to destroyed networks and nodes, most consumers in the city cannot get electricity in their homes. There are still emergency power outages, the duration of which cannot be regulated.

Dmitry Rogozin was injured during shelling of Donetsk

The head of the group of military advisers "Tsar Wolves" and former director of "Roscosmos" Dmitry Rogozin was injured during shelling of Donetsk by the Ukrainian army. He has been hospitalized, his assistant reported.

"The hotel in the outer districts of Donetsk, in which the group of military advisers led by Dmitry Rogozin lived in recent months, was shelled. Dmitry Olegovich (Rogozin) was wounded in the back. He is hospitalized. There is no threat to his life," said the aide.

His companions were also injured.

"The blow was clearly targeted. Specialists believe that it was delivered by a 155 mm self-propelled artillery installation Caesar, developed and manufactured by the French company Nexter," added Rogozin's aide.

The Ukrainian army struck last night in the Leninsky district of Donetsk. As a result of the shelling, two people died and there were also some wounded.

"Doctors from the Donetsk People's Republic are providing the necessary assistance to Dmitry Rogozin and specialists from the group of military advisers who came under fire in Donetsk together with him. Rogozin's condition is assessed as satisfactory," said Rogozin's aide.

According to him, the former head of "Roscosmos" is currently undergoing another bandage treatment.

"According to the conclusion of the doctors, the fragment of the mine that stuck in the spine cannot be removed. Dmitry Rogozin refuses to be evacuated to medical facilities in other regions of Russia until the condition of the other wounded is stabilized," he added.

From November 2022, Rogozin leads an inspection group of military advisers - the "Tsari Wolves" - in the Special Military Operations Zone. The group provides military and technical assistance to the divisions of the separatist DPR and LPR. As the former head of Roscosmos reported, the inspection group operates as a voluntary unit.

According to Rogozin, the name of the group originates from the volunteer units created in Yugoslavia in 1992. The former head of "Roscosmos" participated as a fighter in such a unit during the conflicts in Transnistria and Bosnia.

Biden assured Zelensky that the US will be with Ukraine as long as necessary

"Strengthening the resilience and defense capabilities" of Ukraine and discussing cooperation with the United States, this is what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced as the reason for his visit to the United States, but it also aims to strengthen the support of the United States and its allies to Ukraine.

In the Oval Office, during Zelensky's meeting with Joe Biden, the US president said the US and Ukraine would continue with a "united defense" as Russia carries out a "brutal assault on Ukraine's right to exist as a nation", and Zelensky replied, that his visit shows that the situation is under control thanks to American support.

After the meeting at the White House, the 44-year-old Ukrainian president addressed a joint session of Congress, where he was greeted with a standing ovation

During his address, Zelensky said that Ukraine "will never surrender" and added that the stakes for the conflict are greater than the fate of his nation because democracy around the world is being tested. American lawmakers responded with a standing ovation to his speech, and he did not fail to note that he was in the United States to thank the country's leaders and "ordinary Americans" for their support.

American aid will help Ukraine achieve victory against Russia, which will make the world a safer place, Zelensky stressed. He again thanked for the help provided so far, but was adamant that it was not enough.

"I know that everything depends on us, on the Ukrainian Armed Forces. And at the same time, so much depends on the world and so many things in this world depend on you. We resist, we fight and we will win because we are united - Ukraine, America and the whole free world'.

As a response, Zelensky received from US President Joe Biden and Congress a promise of new help and support in the pursuit of a "just peace".

At the end of his speech, Volodymyr Zelensky presented Congress with a battle flag signed by defenders of Bakhmut, a front-line town in eastern Ukraine that he visited on the eve of his visit to Washington.

Asked how Ukraine would try to end the conflict, Zelensky rejected Biden's definition of a "just peace," saying that for him, "a just peace is not a compromise." He said the war would end once Ukraine's sovereignty, freedom and territorial integrity were restored, as well as "the recovery of all damage caused by Russian aggression."

Just before Zelensky's arrival, the US announced a .8 billion military aid package for Ukraine, including Patriot guided missile systems, and Congress plans to vote on a package that includes about billion in emergency aid for Ukraine.

During the meeting, US President Joe Biden said that ”Russia is trying to use winter as a weapon, but the Ukrainian people continue to inspire the world.” Later at the joint press conference, he also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has no intention of stopping this brutal war."

US President Joe Biden said he had never seen NATO or the EU more united than on Ukraine and called on Americans and the world to continue supporting the country in 2023.

"I want you and all Ukrainians to know that the American people are with you every step of the way, and we will continue to be with you as long as necessary. What you are doing, what you have achieved, matters not only to Ukraine, but also for the whole world," Biden said.

The Ukrainian president's visit to the United States is his first foreign visit since the beginning of the Russian invasion 10 months ago.

With his visit to the USA, Zelensky is following Churchill, but to a certain extent

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the US Congress on Wednesday in his capacity as a wartime leader, calling for US support. This is what British Prime Minister Winston Churchill did more than 80 years ago, according to AFP.

Zelensky's visit to Washington, like Churchill's in December 1941, comes at a time when his country is under relentless attack and needs international help to keep fighting.

"Ukraine is holding its ground and will never surrender," Zelensky told Congress, echoing one of Churchill's most famous lines and earning a standing ovation.

Earlier this year, Zelensky quoted Churchill in a video address to Britain's House of Commons, promising to "fight in the forests, in the fields, on the coast, in the streets."

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was among US politicians drawing parallels with the former British prime minister, saying Zelensky led his country with the "courage and determination of Churchill".

"Our message now must be the same, on all sides, as it was then: We are with you," she said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he told Zelensky "where Winston Churchill stood generations ago, he stands tonight, not just as president, but as an ambassador for freedom itself."

Limits on US support

However, the comparison between Churchill's and Zelensky's trips to the US has its limits, including the length of the Ukrainian leader's stay.

Churchill spent three weeks in Washington at the invitation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a lengthy visit that historians say strained the nerves of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who did not enjoy the two men's late-night cigar and brandy conversations.

Zelensky's trip lasted just a few hours and included a meeting in the Oval Office, a joint press conference with President Joe Biden and a speech to Congress.

Churchill dared to cross the Atlantic by ship despite the threat of submarines, while Zelensky made the journey by plane.

When Churchill arrived in the United States, he found a country shaken by the Japanese attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor and embroiled in an international conflict that he had tried to avoid.

While Biden wants to be compared to Roosevelt for his ambitious economic reforms, he does not want to be drawn into a third world war and has made it clear that he will not send troops to Ukraine or certain types of weapons in an effort to avoid escalation.

Zelensky: Ukraine will never surrender, I am coming back from the USA with great news

I am returning to Ukraine with great news to strengthen the country's defense capability. President Joe Biden has announced a new aid package for Ukraine of about billion, and the most powerful element of that package is the Patriot Missile Complex — something that will significantly strengthen our air defenses. This is an important step in creating an effective air shield for Ukraine.”

This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky after his meeting with US President Joe Biden.

He emphasized that a very important part of the conversation was the coordination of further strategic steps. According to him, the restoration of Ukraine's destroyed infrastructure, primarily energy, as well as further sanctions and legal pressure on Russia, were discussed.

During the 300 days of this war, we started a new stage in our relations between Ukraine and the USA, we reached the level of a real union, which is 100% filled with real content”, Zelensky emphasized.

He thanked the American people and Biden for their support and understanding towards Ukraine. Zelensky also expressed hope that the US Congress will pass a package of financial support for Ukraine in the amount of almost 45 billion dollars.

Every dollar of such an investment by the United States in defense of freedom will mean a real and tangible increase in global security,” the Ukrainian president said.

Contrary to all expectations and doom and gloom scenarios, Ukraine did not fall. Ukraine is alive and fighting. This war is not just for the life, liberty and security of Ukrainians or any other nation that Russia is trying to conquer. This struggle will determine what kind of world our children and grandchildren will live in. And then their children and grandchildren. It will determine whether it will be a democracy for Ukrainians and for Americans. For everyone”, said Zelensky.

The Ukrainian president also stated that his country will never surrender in its fight against Russia.

We know that Putin will not stop this brutal war. Ukrainians will continue to fight as long as necessary”, President Joe Biden said.

The US president said he was not worried about international support for Ukraine and that he had never seen NATO and the EU more united. "I don't see any signs of change. We all know what's at stake here," Biden said.

We will stay with you as long as necessary. Americans - both Democrats and Republicans - understand why it is necessary to stop Russia. The American people know that if we stand aside in the face of such obvious attacks on freedom and democracy, against sovereignty and territorial integrity, the world will certainly face worse consequences”, Biden also said, quoted by the BBC.

Peskov after Zelensky's visit to Washington: There were no real calls for peace

The Kremlin said Washington and Kyiv were turning a deaf ear to Russia's concerns after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's historic visit to the United States.

Zelensky received a hero's welcome during the lightning trip to Washington, and US President Joe Biden pledged nearly $1.8 billion in military supplies, including for the first time the Patriot missile defense system.

"We can say with regret that so far neither President Biden nor President Zelensky has said even a few words that could be perceived as a potential willingness to listen to Russia's concerns," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"Not a single word was heard to warn Zelensky against the continued shelling of residential buildings in cities and villages in Donbas, and there were no real calls for peace," Peskov said.

"This suggests that the United States is continuing its line of de facto waging indirect war with Russia," he added.

Hours before Zelensky's visit, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that next year Moscow will continue to develop its military potential and the combat readiness of its nuclear forces.

The Russian Minister of Defense visited army units in Ukraine

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has visited army units in Ukraine, the Russian state news agency RIA reported, citing the Ministry of Defense.

The ministry's announcement did not specify where exactly Shoigu visited Russian units.

This week, Sergei Shoigu said NATO's military expansion near Russia's borders, including Finland and Sweden's bid for NATO membership, necessitated an "appropriate" Russian response with the creation of a Russian force group in northwest Russia.

The defense minister has publicly presented a series of proposals for changes to Russian defense policy that would significantly increase the size of the Russian military.

Russia insists on participation in Nord Stream sabotage investigation

Russia will insist on its participation in a full and transparent investigation into the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines and will not allow the truth of what happened to be swept under the rug. This is stated in a written statement of the Russian Embassy in Washington, published on Wednesday, TASS reported

"We paid attention to the investigation of the publication of the ‘Washington Post’ about the terrorist attack on the international gas pipelines ‘Nord Stream’. Thus, the journalists, unlike the local authorities, who ‘suddenly’ abandoned megaphone diplomacy and speculation in their favorite style, with a high degree of are likely trying to get to the truth about the unprecedented attack on the pipeline infrastructure carried out in the Baltic Sea. We cannot help but welcome such a desire," noted Russian diplomats.

"We emphasize that our country will not allow the inconvenient truth about what happened to Nord Stream to be swept under the carpet. We will continue to insist on a full and transparent investigation with Russian participation," the embassy said.

Russian diplomats pointed out that "the result of the reporters' investigation is not very convenient for those who like to demonize Russia at every opportunity."

After three months of data collection, to the dismay of our detractors, no evidence of the infamous Russian meddling was found. Against this background, the complete silence of the US administration is very eloquent," the commentary noted.

Moscow adopted long prison terms for saboteurs

Russian lawmakers have approved a new proposal that provides for long prison terms for "saboteurs", pointing out that new terrorist threats, including from foreigners, are emerging amid the conflict in Ukraine.

Moscow has introduced a number of legislative measures this year to quell any perceived domestic threats against the Kremlin's nearly 10-month-old invasion of Ukraine.

A statement from the lower house of parliament said MPs had approved a third and final reading of a package of measures aimed at "protecting our country and citizens from terrorist and sabotage threats".

"The Russian Federation is conducting a special military operation and at the same time accepting refugees and remaining open to the entry and exit of foreign nationals," Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin was quoted as saying in the statement, explaining the need for the laws.

"The punishment for saboteurs will be as severe as possible," he said, according to the statement.

The law, which will have to be approved by the upper house of parliament and signed by President Vladimir Putin, provides life imprisonment for participating in sabotage activities, their financing or recruiting others to participate.

"Training in acts of sabotage and the creation of any type of criminal group for the purpose of carrying out sabotage will be severely punished," the statement added.

Anyone found to have joined a sabotage group can be imprisoned for up to 10 years, and people found to have participated in terrorist or sabotage incidents face a maximum term of two decades.

In recent months, Russia has suffered a number of incidents, including explosions, at important military and infrastructure sites, which Moscow blames mainly on Ukraine.

US further restricts technology exports to ”Wagner” PMC

US President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday announced new restrictions on technology exports to Russia's Wagner military group in an effort to further tighten the noose around supplies to the contractor over its role in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Wagner, which was added to the trade blacklist in 2017 after Russia annexed Crimea, will now be designated as a military end-user and face tough new restrictions on access to technology produced anywhere in the world with US equipment.

"The Wagner Group is one of the most notorious mercenary organizations in the world and has actively committed atrocities and human rights violations in Ukraine," said Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Alan Estevez. "Today we are sending a clear message to non-state actors seeking to take over the baton of brutality from Putin's wavering military that the Commerce Department will not hesitate to act against them."

The move, first reported by Reuters, is a show of support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who visited the White House on Wednesday and received fresh assurances of US support amid Russia's ongoing offensive against Ukraine.

The United States has supported Kyiv with billions of dollars worth of weapons and tough sanctions against Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February in what it describes as a special operation.

The Wagner Group, a private military contractor with close ties to the Kremlin, was founded in 2014 after Russia seized and annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and sparked a separatist insurgency in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Its forces are known to have fought in parts of Ukraine, including during a brutal, years-long battle for the small town of Bakhmut.

The US State Department also designated Wagner in November as operating in the defense sector of the Russian economy and accused the group of seeking to purchase Iranian drones, possibly to support operations in Ukraine.

Estonia sends mobile sauna to Ukrainian soldiers at the front

Estonians have strengthened their support for the Ukrainian army even more - as a Christmas gift, the soldiers who are cooling on the front line will receive a portable sauna, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.

The steam room, mounted on a military vehicle, was recently handed over to the Ukrainian army along with a shower and laundry room mounted on two other trucks, according to a report by the Estonian Public Radio and Television Company and the Malekht weekly.

"It's a three-part complex that allows the military to go to the sauna, then shower and rest, and at the same time they can wash and dry their clothes," said sauna creator Sim Nellis, adding, that it is very important for their mental and physical health.

Ukrainian volunteers who have been at the front since March will be the first to receive the gift. The facilities can be moved from place to place and covered with camouflage netting to avoid Russian attacks.

The sauna and laundry room will be sufficient for about 400 military personnel per week. The system was developed as a joint initiative of humanitarian organizations, the voluntary Estonian Defense Union and a sauna manufacturer.

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