Moscow, car bomb explodes: general killed. Zelensky: 'Plan ready, though still imperfect'

In the meantime, however, Russia has 'questions' to ask the US, including with respect to the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis. The success of the Russian-American dialogue "is not a foregone conclusion", stressed Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, as reported by Interfax. "It is crucial that the American side, at the highest level, agreed that one of the root causes of the conflict was NATO's assertive expansion towards Russia's borders. Moreover, the recently published U.S. National Security Strategy explicitly addresses the inappropriateness of endless expansion of the North Atlantic bloc," Ryabkov said, speaking at the Valdai Club meeting in Moscow.

According to Moscow, 'this does not mean that we have no more questions to ask the American side, including in the Ukrainian context'. "However, it would be unfair not to recognise the above as significant steps in the right direction," the deputy minister noted. According to Ryabkov, "the success of the ongoing Russian-American dialogue is not a foregone conclusion. Given the ruins in which the Biden administration has left our relations with the US, normalising them will take a long time, a concrete commitment on both sides and a huge effort'.

And again: 'We still need to be convinced that the US has really embarked on a sustainable path, moving away from extreme hostility towards our country,' Ryabkov further added, explaining that 'the key to progress on this path must be Washington'sreal readiness for equal cooperation to reduce the overall potential for conflict, taking into account Russia's fundamental interests, primarily in the area of security'.

Ryabkov went even further, assuring that "Russia has no intention of attacking NATO or EU countries" and that it is "ready to fix this concept". He added: "We certainly do not intend to attack EU or NATO countries. Russia does not pursue the aggressive goals attributed to our country', stressing that, as President Vladimir Putin stated earlier, Moscow 'is evenready to legally formalise this in the context of a potential resolution of the current crisis, on the basis of the principle of equal and indivisible security'.

EU Council gives green light for six-month renewal of economic sanctions against Russia. The new expiry date of the measures is 31 July 2026. The package includes a broad spectrum of sectoral economic restrictions. It also includes a ban on the import or transfer of seaborne oil and certain petroleum products from Russia to the EU, the exclusion of several Russian banks from the Swift system, and the suspension of the broadcasting activities and licences in the EU of several Kremlin-backed disinformation organs.

At the same time, the Ukrainian Finance Ministry, Serhiy Marchenko, announced green light from the EU to the disbursement of EUR 2.3 billion to Kiev under the Ukraine Facility. This is the sixth tranche under this programme, he said. The funds will be used to finance priority social and humanitarian expenditures, according to the ministry.

"The support provided through the Ukraine Facility is essential to strengthen the country's macro-financial stability and ensure the continuity of public administration during the war," Marchenko stressed in a note. Since its launch in 2024, the programme has disbursed EUR 26.7 billion, of which more than EUR 10.6 billion in 2025 alone, and it is expected that the total amount will reach around EUR 50 billion in four years.

The Ukrainian military, meanwhile, announced that it struck the Tamanneftegaz offshore oil terminal in Russia's Krasnodar Territory overnight using drones. "We know that the pipeline, two piers and two ships were damaged and that a fire broke out over an area of more than 1,000 square metres, destroying at least one ship. In addition, a fire broke out in the tank depot," the army wrote on Telegram.

A Ukrainian missile also targeted the temporary mooring of boats belonging to the 92nd River Transport Brigade in Olenivka, Crimea, where a fire was also reported, the army continued. Which finally announced that it had targeted a Russian ammunition depot near Pokrovsk, Donetsk oblast, and a drone storage site in the same region.

According to Rbc Ukraine, during a meeting with diplomats the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, claimed that Russia could resort to massive attacks against Ukraine during the Christmas period. "Therefore," he stressed, "the main issue is air defence, the protection of our cities, our armed forces and our communities, especially on 23, 24 and 25 December".

"Our negotiating team is returning from Miami. They will arrive at night and I will have the details in the morning. In my opinion, everything possible for the initial drafts had already been done. The plan includes 20 points. Not everything is perfect yet, but the plan is ready'. He writes on X Zelensky. 'There are security guarantees: between us, the Europeans and the US. A framework document," he explained. "There is a separate document between us and the US: bilateral security guarantees. They have to be examined by the US Congress, with some details and annexes remaining classified. To date, this appears quite solid and decent. For now, however, these are working drafts prepared by our military. Importantly, they were developed by us and the United States. This indicates that we are very close to a concrete result,' he continued.

"We are also developing the first draft of the agreement on the reconstruction of Ukraine. Economic strategy. The core of all documents is ready. The fundamental one. There are some things we are not prepared to accept. And there are things - of this I am certain - that the Russians are not willing to accept either. The Americans are currently continuing negotiations with the Russian representatives. They will hold talks and then we will receive feedback from them. For our part, they have received all the information,' the president concluded.