Kyiv: The EU’s new top diplomat Kaja Kallas and head of the European Council Antonio Costa arrived in Kyiv Sunday in a symbolic show of support for Ukraine on their first day in office.
“We came to give a clear message that we stand with Ukraine, and we continue to give our full support,” Costa told media outlets including AFP accompanying them on the trip.
The European Union’s new leadership team is keen to demonstrate it remains firm on backing Kyiv at a perilous moment for Ukraine nearly three years into its fight against Russia’s all-out invasion.
Questions are swirling around the future of US support once Donald Trump assumes office in January and there are fears he could force Kyiv to make painful concessions in pursuit of a quick peace deal.
Meanwhile, tensions have escalated as Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to strike government buildings in Kyiv with his new Oreshnik missile after firing it at Ukraine for the first time last month.
The Kremlin leader said the move is a response to Kyiv getting the green light to strike inside Russia with American and British missiles, and he has threatened to hit back against the countries supplying the weaponry.
As winter begins Russia has also unleashed devastating barrages against Ukraine’s power grid and on the frontline Kyiv’s fatigued forces are losing ground to Moscow’s grinding offensive.
“The situation in Ukraine is very, very grave,” Kallas, a former prime minister of Estonia, said. “But it’s clear that it comes at a very high cost for Russia as well.”
Ceasefire?
The new EU leaders — the bloc’s top officials along with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen — were set to hold talks with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky on Friday appeared to begin staking out his position ahead of any potential peace talks.
He called on NATO to offer guaranteed protections to parts of Ukraine controlled by Kyiv in order to “stop the hot stage of the war,” and implied he would then be willing to wait to regain other territory seized by Russia.
“If we speak ceasefire, (we need) guarantees that Putin will not come back,” Zelensky told Britain’s Sky News.
Kallas said that “the strongest security guarantee is NATO membership.”
“We need to definitely discuss this — if Ukraine decides to draw the line somewhere then how can we secure peace so that Putin doesn’t go any further,” she said.
Diplomats at NATO say there appears little prospect of the alliance granting Ukraine membership soon given opposition from a raft of members cautious of getting dragged into war with Russia.
Kallas said the EU “shouldn’t really rule out anything” in terms of the question of sending European troops to help enforce any ceasefire.
“We should have this strategic ambiguity around this,” she said.
’Transactional language’
Trump has cast doubt on continuing Washington’s vast aid for Ukraine and called on EU countries to do more.
Europe together has spent around $125 billion on supporting Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, while the United States alone has coughed up over $90 billion, according to a tracker from the Kiel Institute.
Kallas said the EU would use a “transactional language” to try to convince Trump that backing Kyiv was in the interest of the US.
“Aid for Ukraine is not charity,” she said. “A victory for Russia definitely emboldens China, Iran, North Korea.”
The new EU foreign policy chief said the bloc would continue seeking to put Ukraine in the “strongest” position — if and when Kyiv chose it was time to negotiate with Moscow.
But she conceded that it was becoming “increasingly difficult” for the 27-nation bloc to agree on new ways to ramp up support for Ukraine.
“This war has been going on for quite some time and it is harder and harder to explain it to our own people,” she said. “But I don’t see any option.”
New EU chiefs visit Kyiv on first day of mandate
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New EU chiefs visit Kyiv on first day of mandate
- The European Union’s new leadership team is keen to demonstrate it remains firm on backing Kyiv at a perilous moment for Ukraine
- Questions are swirling around the future of US support once Donald Trump assumes office in January
Canada PM Trudeau to announce resignation as early as Monday, Globe and Mail reports
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce as early as Monday that he will resign as Liberal Party Leader, The Globe and Mail reported on Sunday, citing three sources.
The sources told the Globe and Mail that they don’t know definitely when Trudeau will announce his plans to leave but said they expect it will happen before a key national caucus meeting on Wednesday.
The Canadian prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
It remains unclear whether Trudeau will leave immediately or stay on as prime minister until a new leader is selected, the report added.
Trudeau took over as Liberal leader in 2013 when the party was in deep trouble and had been reduced to third place in the House of Commons for the first time.
Trudeau’s departure would leave the party without a permanent head at a time when polls show the Liberals will badly lose to the Conservatives in an election that must be held by late October.
His resignation is likely to spur fresh calls for a quick election to put in place a government able to deal with the administration of President-elect Donald Trump for the next four years.
The prime minister has discussed with Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc whether he would be willing to step in as interim leader and prime minister, one source told the newspaper, adding that this would be unworkable if LeBlanc plans to run for the leadership.
Heaviest snowfall in a decade possible as wintry blast roils parts of US
- Studies show a fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency of the polar vortex extending its icy grip
A blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures stirred up dangerous travel conditions in parts of the central US on Sunday, as a disruptive winter storm brought the possibility of the “heaviest snowfall in a decade” to some areas.
Snow and ice blanketed major roadways in nearly all of Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where the state’s National Guard was activated to help any motorists who were stuck. At least 8 inches of snow were expected, particularly north of Interstate 70, as the National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for Kansas and Missouri, where blizzard conditions brought wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour (72.42 kilometers per hour). The warning extended to New Jersey for Monday and into early Tuesday.
“For locations in this region that receive the highest snow totals, it may be the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade,” the weather service said early Sunday.
About 63 million people in the US were under some kind of winter weather advisory, watch or warning on Sunday, according to Bob Oravec with the National Weather Service.
Gary Wright wore a parka as he chipped away at a thick coating of ice on his SUV Sunday in a slippery apartment parking lot in mid-Missouri. He said he will work remotely for the University of Missouri-Columbia on Monday, but wanted to scrape off his vehicle as an excuse to spend a little time in the snow. He’s also in the market for boots for his two older dogs, who “won’t budge at all” when their paws hit the cold ground.
The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually spins around the North Pole. People in the US, Europe and Asia experience its intense cold when the vortex escapes and stretches south.
Studies show a fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency of the polar vortex extending its icy grip.
Snow and ice in the forecast, and even possible tornadoes
In Indiana, snow fully covered portions of Interstate 64, Interstate 69 and US Route 41, prompting Indiana State Police to plead with motorists to stay off the roads as plows worked to keep up with the pace of the precipitation.
“It’s snowing so hard, the snow plows go through and then within a half hour the roadways are completely covered again,” Sgt. Todd Ringle said.
A section of I-70 was closed in central Kansas by Saturday afternoon. Roughly 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow had fallen in parts of the state, with snow and sleet totals predicted to top 14 inches for parts of Kansas and northern Missouri.
In Kentucky, Louisville recorded 7.7 inches (19.5 cm) of snow on Sunday, a new record for the date that shattered the previous mark of 3 inches (7.6 cm) set in 1910. Lexington, Kentucky, also set a snowfall record, with 5 inches (12.7 cm).
Parts of upstate New York saw 3 feet (0.9 meters) or more of snow from a lake effect event expected to last until late Sunday afternoon.
The storm was forecast to move into the Ohio Valley and reach the Mid-Atlantic states later Sunday and into Monday, with a hard freeze expected as far south as Florida.
Damaging winds brought down trees across the Deep South. The weather service issued tornado warnings Sunday in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Car wrecks proliferate as storm hits
The weather service warned that road travel could be “very difficult to impossible.”
By Sunday, hundreds of car accidents had been reported in Virginia, Indiana, Kansas and Kentucky, where a state trooper was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after his patrol car was hit on Interstate 65. At least 600 motorists were stranded in Missouri, that state’s highway patrol said.
Highways in northeastern Kansas were closed due to “impassable” conditions, according to the state’s Transportation Department. The closures included roughly 220 miles (354 kilometers) of the state’s main artery, Interstate 70, from the Missouri border into central Kansas.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who declared a state emergency ahead of the storm, said state buildings would be closed Monday.
“We see far too many wrecks out there for people that do not have to be on the roads, so I want to ask: Stay inside. Stay safe with your family,” the governor said.
Virginia State Police reported at least 135 crashes as the storm entered the state Sunday. A handful of injuries were reported, but no fatalities.
Air and rail travel also snarled
The storms also caused havoc for the nation’s railways, leading to numerous cancelations. More than 20 cancelations were planned on Sunday, 40 for Monday and at least two for Tuesday.
“If local authorities are telling people not to travel, it’s counterintuitive to try to run a full slate of services when people are being told to stay home,” Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari said.
The Midwest was hit especially hard. A train between Chicago and New York and several regional trains between Chicago and St. Louis were among those canceled Sunday.
Nearly 200 flights in and out of St. Louis Lambert International Airport were canceled, according to tracking platform FlightAware.
Temperatures dip, though no records break
Starting Monday, the eastern two-thirds of the country will experience dangerous, bone-chilling cold and wind chills, forecasters said. Temperatures could be 12 to 25 degrees (7 to 14 degrees Celsius) below normal.
In Chicago on Sunday, temperatures hovered in the teens (minus 7 to 10 Celsius) and around zero in Minneapolis, while dropping to 11 below in International Falls, Minnesota, on the Canadian border.
The Northeastern states are more likely to experience several days of cold following what has mostly been a mild start to winter, said Jon Palmer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine. A plume of cold air coming down from Canada is likely to result in a cold but dry week, he said.
The cold air will likely grip the eastern half of the country as far south as Georgia, Palmer said, with parts of the East Coast experiencing freezing temperatures and lows dipping into the single digits in some areas.
Wind might also pick up as the week gets going, making for potentially dangerous conditions for people exposed to the elements for long periods of time, Palmer said.
Disruptions extend southward
The National Weather Service predicted 8 to 12 inches (about 20 to 30 centimeters) of snow for the Annapolis, Maryland, area, with temperatures remaining below freezing throughout the weekend.
In a statement on X, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Friday ahead of the storm and encouraged residents to vote before the state’s special elections on Tuesday.
Similar declarations were issued in Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, West Virginia and in central Illinois cities.
Classes canceled
School closings were likely to be widespread Monday. Districts in Indiana, Maryland, Virginia and Kentucky were already announcing cancelations and delays on Sunday afternoon.
Kentucky’s Jefferson County Public Schools canceled classes, extracurricular activities and athletics Monday for its nearly 100,000 students. The day would have been students’ first one back after winter break.
“This is a traditional snow day with no online learning,” the district announced.
Russia says Ukraine launches ‘counterattack’ in Kursk region
- Moscow said the counter-attack was directed toward the village of Berdin, about 15 kilometers northeast of Sudzha
- Ukraine's army confirmed that fighting was under way in the Kursk region, without elaborating
MOSCOW: Russia said Sunday that Ukraine had launched a “counterattack” in the western border region of Kursk, where Kyiv’s forces began a shock ground offensive last August.
It was not immediately clear how much Ukraine had advanced in the region, but pro-Kremlin military bloggers reported earlier that a powerful new offensive was under way.
The assault comes at a critical juncture in the nearly three-year conflict, with both sides seeking to strengthen their negotiating hand ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House on January 20.
“At about 9 a.m. Moscow time (0600 GMT), in order to halt the advance of Russian troops in the Kursk direction, the enemy launched a counterattack,” the Russian defense ministry said.
The Ukrainian army did not comment on the operation, simply saying in its daily report that fighting was under way in the Kursk region without elaborating.
Ukraine used two tanks, a dozen armored vehicles and a demolition unit in the assault, which was directed toward the village of Berdin — about 15 kilometers (nine miles) northeast of Sudzha, Moscow said.
“The operation to destroy the Ukrainian army formations continues,” it added.
Pro-Kremlin military bloggers acknowledged the Russian army had come under pressure but said Moscow was fighting back.
“The main events of the next attempted offensive by the Ukrainian army are clearly still ahead of us,” influential pro-Russian Telegram channel Rybar said.
Images purportedly showing a column of Ukrainian armored vehicles driving through the snow were shared by pro-Russia military blogger Dva Mayora on Telegram.
Ukrainian officials gave little detail on the new offensive, with a prominent lawmaker urging silence.
“I can’t understand why it is necessary to officially report on the Kursk region. Maybe better to do it afterwards when the operation is over?” Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko said.
Other officials expressed their glee at the operation, which comes almost three years since Moscow launched its full-scale military assault on Ukraine.
“Russia is getting what it deserves,” Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said.
The head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko, said on Telegram that defense forces were “working” in the area, without elaborating.
“In the Kursk region, the Russians are very worried because they were attacked from several directions, and it was a surprise for them,” he said.
Kyiv seized dozens of villages in the Kursk region shortly after its incursion started on August 6, 2024, but its advances stalled after Moscow rushed reinforcements to the area, including thousands of troops from its ally North Korea.
A Ukrainian army source told AFP last November that Kyiv still controlled 800 square kilometers (around 300 square miles) of the Russian border region, down from previous claims it controlled almost 1,400 square kilometers.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last year the Kursk operation has boosted Kyiv’s “exchange fund” — its negotiating position on swapping prisoners of war — and diverted tens of thousands of Russian troops away from the eastern front.
He said Saturday evening that “up to a battalion of North Korean infantry soldiers and Russian airborne troops” had been lost in battles in the Kursk region on that day and the day before.
And in an interview with US podcaster Lex Fridman released Sunday, he underlined the key role Trump would play.
“Trump and I will come to an agreement and... offer strong security guarantees, together with Europe, and then we can talk to the Russians,” Zelensky said, according to the published translation of the interview held in Kyiv over the New Year.
“We and Trump come first, and Europe will support Ukraine’s position,” he added. Trump, he said, “has enough power to pressure him, to pressure Putin.”
But Kyiv has so far been unable to halt Moscow’s advances in Ukraine, which were seven times higher in 2024 than the year prior, according to an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War.
Both Russia and Ukraine have exchanged regular attacks since the year began.
Russia said Sunday it had downed dozens of Ukrainian drones overnight in a barrage that damaged homes and triggered air alerts, while Kyiv said Moscow fired 103 drones into its territory.
Four Russian airports briefly suspended traffic early Sunday for “safety” reasons, a spokesperson for Russia’s civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia said.
Elsewhere on the front line, Ukrainian authorities in the eastern Donetsk region reported Sunday that five people had been wounded in Russian shelling.
Zelensky says Kyiv security guarantees will only work if US provides them
- Zelensky emphasizes a ceasefire without security guarantees for Kyiv would merely give Russia time to rearm for a new attack
KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said security guarantees for Kyiv to end Russia’s war would only be effective if the United States provides them, and that he hoped to meet US President-elect Donald Trump soon after his inauguration.
In an interview with US podcaster Lex Fridman published on Sunday, Zelensky said Ukrainians were counting on Trump to force Moscow to end its war and that Russia would escalate in Europe if Washington were to quit the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military alliance.
Almost three years after Russia’s invasion, the election of Trump, who returns to the White House on Jan. 20, has sparked hope of a diplomatic resolution to stop the war, but also fears in Kyiv that a quick peace could come at a high price.
Zelensky used the three-hour interview published on YouTube to call for Ukraine’s NATO membership, emphasizing his belief that a ceasefire without security guarantees for Kyiv would merely give Russia time to rearm for a new attack.
The Ukrainian leader said the White House under Trump had a vital role to play in providing security guarantees and asserted that he and the US president-elect saw eye to eye on the need for a “peace through strength” approach to ending the conflict.
“Without the United States, security guarantees are not possible. I mean these security guarantees that can prevent Russian aggression,” he said, tacitly acknowledging that Kyiv’s European allies would be too weak militarily to manage on their own.
Zelensky made the case that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not interested in serious negotiations to end the war, and that the Kremlin leader would have to be compelled to stop and agree to a lasting peace.
The state of play on the battlefield is at its most challenging for Ukraine since the early months of Russia’s 2022 invasion and Kyiv’s largely outnumbered troops have been losing village after village in the eastern Donbas region for months.
Though he said it was up to the United States to determine its future, Zelensky cautioned that any decision by Washington under Trump to exit NATO would weaken the military alliance and embolden Putin in Europe.
“I’m simply saying that if it does (quit the alliance), Putin will destroy Europe,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader said he needed to sit down with Trump to determine a course of action to halt the Kremlin and that Europe’s governments also needed to have a voice in that process before Kyiv could sit down for talks with the Russian side.
UKRAINIAN VISIT
Trump, the Ukrainian leader added, had indicated when they spoke late last year that there would be an official Ukrainian visit to the United States soon after he takes office.
“He told me on the phone that my visit would be one of his first. This topic is important to him. I hope we will meet,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader also said he would attend Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration if he receives an official invitation.
The interview was published the evening after Ukrainian troops on Sunday launched a new offensive push in Russia’s Kursk region where they carved out an enclave in a surprise incursion last August.
Ukraine has for months said Russia had deployed thousands of North Korean troops in the Kursk region to help its forces there.
Zelensky estimated that 3,800 North Korean troops had been killed or wounded in the fighting so far, but that he believed Pyongyang had the capacity to send many thousands more troops if it chose to do so.
He also said that North Korea had provided 3.7 million artillery shells to Russia so far, a figure he contrasted with the 1 million provided by the European Union last year. Reuters could not independently verify those figures.
Egypt to receive $1.2 billion as part of IMF program in January, finance minister says
CAIRO: Egypt is expected to receive a $1.2 billion disbursement from the International Monetary Fund this month as part of an $8 billion program with the international lender, Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk said on Sunday.
Last month, the IMF said it reached a staff-level agreement with Egypt on the fourth review of the 46-month Extended Fund Facility arrangement, potentially unlocking the $1.2 billion disbursement.
“The (IMF’s executive) board will convene in January and, God willing, we will receive the amount in January,” Kouchouk told ON TV in an interview, adding Egypt had not requested an increase to the $8 billion loan.
Egypt, grappling with high inflation and shortages of foreign currency, agreed to the expanded IMF program in March. A sharp decline in Suez Canal revenue caused by regional tensions over the last year compounded its economic woes.
Kouchouk also said Egypt is targeting about $3 billion in the remainder of the current fiscal year, which runs until the end of June, through “diverse issuances” to investors, without elaborating further. His comments came in response to a question about whether Egypt plans to offer new bonds to foreign investors this year.
