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Morning Headlines
Reuters: The administration of Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden announced another package of weapons aid for Ukraine on Thursday, valued at $500 million, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
Reuters: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff said in an interview broadcast late on Thursday that Kyiv was not yet ready to start talks with Russia as it lacked the weapons, security guarantees and international status that it sought.
ISW: Russia has reportedly reached an agreement with select elements of the Syrian opposition about control over Russian military bases in Syria, but it remains unclear if the alleged agreement ensures the security of Russia's bases in Syria in the long-term.
Reuters: Moldova's parliament voted early on Friday to impose a national state of emergency for 60 days starting on Dec. 16 due to an expected cut-off of Russian gas supplies from Jan. 1.
More News
U.S. Helsinki Commission: In conjunction with its war in Ukraine, Russia is simultaneously executing a shadow war on NATO to destabilize, distress, and deter the transatlantic alliance from its staunch support of Ukrainian sovereignty.
The Kyiv Independent: Russian attacks against Ukraine with guided aerial bombs have fallen over 50% since Western partners allowed Kyiv to target Russia with long-range missiles, the independent Russian outlet Agentstvo reported on Dec. 12.
Meduza: The investigative outlet Agentstvo has identified a number of former Wagner Group commanders who signed up with the Russian Defense Ministry and are now involved in "Wagner Legion Istra" operations in Libya, Mali, and Ukraine.
AFP: Ukraine's path to eventual NATO membership is "irreversible," seven European foreign policy chiefs said at a meeting in Berlin on Thursday.
United24 Media: Ukraine identified 238 tankers it said belong to a shadow fleet of ships that Russia is using to keep its oil and fuels moving around the world — with a view to western authorities sanctioning the carriers.
Politico: Alliance countries need to return to Cold War-era defense budgets to fend off Russia, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Thursday.
Reuters: The U.N. nuclear watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution on Thursday condemning attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, but failing to mention Russia as the culprit.
The Kyiv Independent: Russia's United Aircraft Corporation managed to build only seven of the 108 passenger planes it planned to produce since 2022, the BBC reported on Dec. 12, underscoring the dire state of Russia's plane manufacturing sector.
Bloomberg: Russia is nearing an agreement with Syria’s new leadership to keep two vital military bases in the Middle East state, a key objective of the Kremlin after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad (archive).
Politico: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk shot down speculation that European countries were preparing to deploy thousands of troops to Ukraine as part of a potential cease-fire deal to end the war with Russia.
Reuters: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is launching a 110 million euro guarantee to jumpstart war risk reinsurance for inland transport in Ukraine.
The Kyiv Independent: Mikhail Shatsky, a Russian expert involved in modernizing missiles launched against Ukraine, was shot dead near Moscow, a Defense Forces source told KI on Dec. 12. His death was likely orchestrated by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR), the source claimed.
RFE/RL: Little-noticed video footage reviewed by RFE/RL's Russian Service sheds light on a secretive military research center that is notorious for its role in the Soviet Union's biological weapons program and has undergone a major expansion since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Reuters: Russia's state oil firm Rosneft has agreed to supply nearly 500,000 barrels per day of crude to Indian private refiner Reliance in the biggest ever energy deal between the two countries.
Politico: Dan Jørgensen, the EU’s new energy chief, is making it his “main priority” to craft a plan that will finally sever all European Union energy links with Russia.
The Kyiv Independent: The $895 billion U.S. defense budget passed by the House of Representatives did not include a provision to extend the lend-lease act for Ukraine despite the efforts of Ukrainian diplomats, Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, said on Dec. 12.
Reuters: Finland's ministry of defence said on Thursday it had blocked seven real estate transactions involving two Russian buyers on grounds that allowing the acquisitions to take place could threaten national security.
The Kyiv Independent: U.S. lawmakers requested a trio of intelligence agencies to assess the risks of ending support for Ukraine and Russia winning the war, The Hill reported on Dec. 11.
worth mentioning
Trump criticizes Ukraine's use of US missiles for attacks deep into Russia
Russian lawmakers expand criteria for ‘terrorists and extremists’ registry
Escalation feared as Georgia pro-EU protests enter third week
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