Day 282 (2 December)
The G7, EU and Australia agreed a price cap on Russian oil at $60 per barrel. The current rate is about $80 a barrel. Needless to say, the Russians are not happy about this. The price cap comes into effect after 4 December 2022.
The Ukrainians claim that Russia has been using dummy nuclear-capable missiles to get Ukraine to use up their air defence systems.
The Biden/Macron meeting in D.C. has been left with mixed messages. First of all they both say they will support Ukraine for as long as it takes, then Biden says he is prepared to talk to Putin to negotiate. Putin replied that negotiations and talks can only take place if other countries recognise the four annexed regions in Ukraine. The West have also demanded Russia to leave Ukraine, but Putin has refused to even discuss that option, therefore, talks would be useless if Putin is not prepared to discuss the issues. Biden then said that while he was open to talks but they would not be fruitful right now. Macron said in an interview that he still believed negations could lead to an end to the war
What both Biden and Macron do is contradict themselves, on one hand they say it is up to Ukraine to decide when to negotiate, but then they state they wish to talk to Putin to find a peaceful solution to the war. Which is it? No one should negotiate on behalf of Ukraine, and we have seen that talks with Putin have left the other parties believing him, and resulting in Ukraine deaths.
Macron announced plans for an international conference on 13 December 2022 in Paris to discuss further support for Ukraine. He also declared that he would be speaking to Putin again soon, but what use is that?
Scholz made a call to Putin today, the first western leader to do so since the Kherson retreat. Details of the call have not been made public as yet.
Spain has delivered two HAWK air defence systems to Ukraine. Ukraine needs as many weapons as possible.
The EU Military Mission of Ukraine has begun its program to train Ukrainian soldiers. More than 20 member states are participating in the program which creates an EU military cooperative.
Police have detained people who attempted to steal a mural created by Banksy. They said they wanted to sell it and to give the funds to the Ukrainian Army. All of the murals are now being protected with security. The murals are in the Kyiv region, and the one in Hostomel was the first one to have been targeted. Other works can be seen in Horenka and Borodyanka.
Ukraine has banned religious organisations that are affiliated with Russia after a series of raids on churches that had pro-Kremlin ties. The SBU found subversive action and also collaborators hiding in the churches.
Latvia has fined an independent television channel (TV Rain) €10k for saying that Crimea is Russian. This is to deter and stop Russian propaganda
Day 283 (3 December)
Satellite images show that Russia has set up a new army command centre in Mariupol and are using it as a base in the south, the sign above says, ‘From the Russian army to the people of Mariupol’. They will hold on to Mariupol as it is the mainland link between Ukraine and Crimea. There is a long way to go to liberate Crimea and Mariupol.
Zelenskyy signs a decree banning Moscow backed churches. Vadym Novynsky has been sanctioned, and was a former law maker and a sponsor of a Moscow backed church.
Ukrainian embassies in Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Italy, Austria, and Croatia had received packages containing animal eyes. These are meant as a threat and Ukraine has installed additional security measures for all the embassies and consulates.
A lost and dazed Russian soldier was found in Kherson. A civilian watch group didn't know what to do, and returned him to Russia. Ukraine says it is treason, but this was a civilian and not a soldier. Technically they should have handed him over to the Ukrainian army if practical, but they can’t call it treason as civilians are not equipped to deal with military matters and procedures.
The Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu met with the Belarusian defence minister Viktar Khrenin in Belarus to discuss military cooperation. This is why tighter sanctions need to be imposed against Belarus, especially as Khrenin is pro-Kremlin and pro-war.
Satellite imagery has led to observers calculating that Russia has stolen $1 billion worth of grain, which is 6 million tonnes. How will Ukraine be reimbursed, and surely the countries that purchased stolen goods should also be held to account for enabling the Russians?
Russia has 18 warships in the Black Sea and has deployed 24 Kalibr cruise missiles there in preparation for another attack.
A group of 50 MEPs have written to Borrell urging sanctions and visa bans against 6,000 names on the Navalny list. Alexei Navalny is th opposition leader (currently incarcerated) and his group have compiled a list of people involved in corruption and bribery in Russia.
The G7/EU $60 Price Cap On Russian Oil
I agree; no other country or countries can negotiate with Putin on behalf of Ukraine.