Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted on Friday that his country is not seeing sufficient willingness from Ukraine to negotiate a peace deal. He reiterated his stance that Ukraine is responsible for the ongoing conflict, which he refers to as a “special military operation.” Despite claiming to be open to negotiations, Putin emphasized that any agreement must include Ukraine’s acceptance of significant territorial forfeiture and some level of national demilitarization, terms that Ukraine categorically rejects.
During a comprehensive end-of-year news conference, Putin stated, “Our troops are advancing all across the line of contact,” claiming that Russian forces had “fully seized strategic initiative” in the conflict. He projected an aggressive outlook, suggesting that more ground could be captured along the approximately 600-mile front line in eastern Ukraine by the end of the year. His comments coincided with Ukraine’s announcement of a significant military operation targeting Russian assets.
Ukraine claims to have successfully struck an oil tanker linked to Russia’s sanctions-evading “shadow fleet” in the Mediterranean Sea. Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency announced on Friday that it executed a drone strike on the Oman-flagged tanker Qendil, which was reportedly empty at the time of the attack. The SBU described this operation as unprecedented, taking place over 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from Ukrainian territory. A video released by the SBU showcased explosions on the vessel’s deck, reinforcing their assertion that this action was a legitimate target.
According to an SBU official, the tanker was used by Russia to circumvent international sanctions, funneling money toward the ongoing war against Ukraine. “The enemy must understand that Ukraine will not stop and will strike it anywhere in the world,” the official stated. This strike marks a notable escalation in Ukraine’s efforts to disrupt Russia’s war funding, as it has previously targeted vessels within Russian territorial waters.
As the conflict escalates, divisions among European nations regarding support for Ukraine have come to light. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly pushing for a negotiated resolution to the conflict. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently described ongoing proposals with the U.S. as “very workable,” indicating that a resolution could be reached in the near future.
In a separate development, the European Union has stepped up support for Ukraine, approving a financial aid package exceeding $100 billion. However, EU leaders struggled to agree on using frozen Russian assets to fund this support, resulting in an interest-free loan against the EU’s own budget. Leaders expressed concerns over the potential consequences of utilizing Russian funds, with Putin warning that such actions would result in “daylight robbery.”
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever highlighted the importance of the agreement, stating, “If Europe had walked away today without an agreement, we would not only have failed Ukraine, we would have failed ourselves.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized that the zero-interest loan would sufficiently cover Ukraine’s military and budgetary needs for the next two years, with the potential to leverage frozen Russian assets for repayment should Russia fail to pay reparations.
Ukrainian officials welcomed the EU’s support while continuing to advocate for access to Russian frozen assets to bolster their defense efforts. Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister, remarked on the lengthy negotiations, stating, “It was a long night for European leaders, but they were able to come up with a workable result.”
As the situation evolves, both military actions and diplomatic discussions remain critical in shaping the future of the conflict and the stability of the region.
