Ukraine-Russia latest: Trump vows to meet Putin ‘very quickly’ as Nato chief says Kyiv not ready for talks

A mock-up of a missile threatening an assault on the US has been displayed in a public sq. in St Petersburg.

The dummy projectile was positioned on the roof rack of a small automotive in entrance of Saint Isaac’s Cathedral within the Russian port metropolis on the Baltic Sea on Sunday.

Writing on the facet reads: “In the direction of Washington – threatening US territory is the trail to victory”. It’s not instantly clear who organised – or authorised – the show of the missile.

Tensions between Russia and Washington have picked up once more as a Kremlin spokesperson accused outgoing president Joe Biden of making “the chance of triggering a nuclear confrontation with Russia”.

North Korean troopers are getting used as bait by Russian troops to lure out Ukrainian drones on the battlefield, a diary has revealed.

The final written notes of a North Korean soldier described how Pyongyang’s troops are ordered to face inside seven metres of Kyiv’s drones as overlaying troopers attempt to shoot them down.

On one pocket book web page, a crude drawing reveals a stickman soldier breaking cowl to draw the eye of a drone, whereas his two comrades lie in wait to shoot it down.

“When the bait stands nonetheless, the drone will cease and it is going to be shot down,” the soldier wrote in scrawled handwriting, translated by The Wall Road Journal.

The issue was merely how one can get a warning to Putin, who hasn’t spoken to Biden for the reason that Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Nato’s latest member Sweden will check new drone swarm expertise developed by defence tools group Saab and the Nordic nation’s armed forces, defence minister Pal Jonson mentioned.

Mr Jonson mentioned the military would check the expertise, which was developed over the previous yr, through the upcoming Arctic Strike train.

“We might want to take some dangers to construct a stronger defence functionality quicker than we usually do,” Mr Jonson mentioned.

He added that the expertise permits swarms of drones of various sizes to kind after which resolve duties autonomously.

“With these drone swarms it’s attainable to conduct each reconnaissance, positioning and identification,” he mentioned.

Nato secretary normal Mark Rutte has known as on the alliance to solidify Ukraine’s place earlier than any potential peace talks with Russia.

“At this second, clearly, Ukraine will not be there,” Mr Rutte advised the European Parliament’s overseas affairs and defence committees yesterday.

“As a result of they can’t, at this second, negotiate from a place of power. And we now have to do extra to verify, by altering the trajectory of the battle, that they will get to the place of power.”

The peace talks, he mentioned, need to grapple with Ukraine’s future relationship with Nato. “Nevertheless it’s too early now to precisely sketch out what that precisely will imply, additionally one thing we now have to debate with the incoming US administration,” he mentioned. “However let’s hope that we’ll get to that time as quickly as attainable.”

His remarks come only a week earlier than US president-elect Donald Trump enters the White Home, with questions over continued American assist for Kyiv.

“All of us need this battle to finish, however above all, we would like peace to final. Peace is not going to final if Putin will get his manner in Ukraine, as a result of then he’ll press forward… I’m satisfied that peace can solely final if Ukraine involves the desk from a place of power,” he mentioned.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned he mentioned the battlefield scenario and deployment of overseas troops within the Ukraine battle with French president Emmanuel Macron over a telephone name final night time.

“We had an in depth dialogue concerning the scenario on the battlefield and the progress of Ukrainian forces within the Kursk operation,” he mentioned in a put up on X.

“We additionally agreed to work carefully with key allies on attaining peace and creating efficient safety ensures. As one such assure, we mentioned the French initiative to deploy navy contingents in Ukraine. We addressed sensible steps for its implementation, potential enlargement, and the involvement of different nations on this effort,” Mr Zelensky mentioned.

The French chief has floated the concept of sending Western troops to Ukraine earlier than, together with final month when he and Polish prime minister Donald Tusk mentioned the opportunity of stationing peacekeepers there within the occasion of a ceasefire.

The outgoing US president Joe Biden took a swipe at Russian president Vladimir Putin as he joked about his Moscow counterpart’s failed ambition to seize Kyiv.

“When Putin invaded Ukraine, he thought he would seize Kyiv in a matter of days. In truth, after the battle began, I used to be the one who visited the centre of Kyiv, not him. Putin didn’t,” the president joked.

“It was a protracted practice experience, however I’m the one (US) commander-in-chief to go to a battle zone not managed by US forces,” he added, touting the go to as historic.

In response, Russian overseas ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova mentioned Mr Biden’s handle confirmed Moscow’s suspicion that the “US assist for Kyiv created the chance of triggering a nuclear confrontation with Russia”.

“Right this moment’s assertion by Biden is an admission of a intentionally executed provocation,” Ms Zakharova wrote on her Telegram channel. “The Biden administration knew it was pushing the world towards the brink and nonetheless selected to escalate the battle.”

German police have launched an investigation into suspected instances of Russian espionage after drones had been noticed over a number of navy installations in Bavaria, in response to a press release on Monday.

In opposition to the backdrop of Russia’s battle on Ukraine, it couldn’t be dominated out that German navy installations and defence corporations had been being spied on by drones, Bavaria’s State Workplace of Legal Investigation mentioned.

The most recent incident occurred late on Sunday when a drone was noticed over a navy base close to Manching, police mentioned, referring to an unlimited facility the place the German forces check new manned and unmanned plane.

Donald Trump has mentioned he’s going to fulfill Russian president Vladimir Putin “in a short time” after he takes workplace subsequent week.

When requested about his technique to finish the battle, Mr Trump advised Newsmax: “Effectively, there’s just one technique and it’s as much as Putin and I can’t think about he’s too thrilled about the best way it’s gone as a result of it hasn’t gone precisely nicely for him both.”

“And I do know he desires to fulfill and I’m going to fulfill in a short time. I might’ve completed it sooner however… it’s important to get into the workplace. For a number of the issues, you do need to be there,” he mentioned.

The American president-elect, who vowed to finish the battle inside a day, didn’t present a timeline for the assembly.

If confirmed, this could be the primary assembly between leaders from the 2 international locations since Russia’s battle with Ukraine began in February 2022.