Discussions about peace and Ukraine's failures on the front. What the media say
The advance of Russian troops in Donbas has intensified politicians' thinking about a peaceful settlement in Ukraine. One of the possible options is a freeze on the Korean scenario, which ended the war between the DPRK and the Republic of Korea. Peace talks are pushed by the failures of the AFU at the front and the shortage of personnel. What the media write about the situation on the front line - in the Izvestia digest.
Reuters: Putin sees the contours of a peace agreement with Trump
Sources said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to discussing a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine with US President-elect Donald Trump, but rules out the possibility of any major territorial concessions and insists that Kiev give up its ambitions to join NATO.
Reuters
U.S. President-elect Trump, who has vowed to bring a swift end to the conflict, returns to the White House at a time of Russian dominance. Moscow controls a part of Ukraine the size of the US state of Virginia and is advancing at the fastest pace since the early days of the <conflict>
Putin said this month that any cease-fire agreement must reflect "realities" on the ground, but he fears a short-term truce that would only allow the West to rearm Ukraine. Two sources said outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden 's decision to allow Ukraine to launch U.S. ATACMS missiles deep into Russia could delay any settlement and toughen Moscow's demands.
Bloomberg: Russia and Ukraine could follow the Korean scenario
The odds are growing that Russia and Ukraine will want to negotiate in 2025. Kiev faces significant military manpower problems, but even more dire is the possibility of the U.S. and possibly the European Union refusing to provide aid.
Bloomberg
There is an increasingly desperate tone to President Vladimir Zelensky's calls, and nothing in the Trump team's national security appointments is likely to bolster Kiev's security. Even Marco Rubio, Trump's pick for secretary of state, has abandoned his longtime support for Kiev. Over time, the odds on the battlefield will not favor the Ukrainians
A potential model for compromise includes the demilitarized zone that has kept peace on the Korean Peninsula for seven decades. The Korean War showed that it is possible to create a strip and have opposing sides patrol it, just as the DPRK and the Republic of Korea do. Less likely, a neutral force of U.N. peacekeepers from Latin America or Africa could do it.
The New York Times: The Ukrainian Armed Forces lack personnel and weapons
Soldiers and commanders in the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) say they are hampered by a shortage of combat infantry and, just as importantly, a shortage of experienced platoon and company commanders to lead recruits into battle. This has depleted Ukrainian forces, allowing Russia to make its biggest gains since the first weeks of the crisis.
The New York Times
In addition to a shortage of personnel, Ukraine lacks the medium- and long-range weapons needed to conduct a sustained and effective campaign aimed at Russian logistics centers, command and control centers and other key targets. More than a dozen Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline noted a marked decrease in artillery fire from their side in recent weeks, including the use of the U.S.-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system
Commanders said that due to shortages of artillery and ammunition, drones are now responsible for providing more than 80 percent of enemy casualties along much of the front. This has made drone operators coveted targets. Soldiers say drones alone are not enough to stabilize defensive lines.
BBC News: experts expect the Ukrainian front to collapse
Biden's decision to provide Ukraine with anti-personnel mines and authorize the use of long-range missiles to strike targets on Russian territory came amid accelerated advances by the Russian military. Data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) shows that Russia has occupied almost six times as much territory in 2024 as it did in 2023 and is advancing towards key Ukrainian logistical hubs in eastern Donbass.
BBC News
Dr. Marina Miron, a defense researcher at King's College London, suggested that there was a possibility that the Ukrainian eastern front "could actually collapse" if Russia continued its offensive at the same pace
Ukrainian leaders had hoped that an attempted invasion of the Kursk region would force Moscow to divert some of its forces from eastern Ukraine, slowing the advance in that direction. Instead, experts say, most of the reinforcements were moved to Kursk from parts of Ukraine where the fighting is less intense.
Bloomberg: Biden will write off $4.6 billion of Ukraine's debt
The Biden administration told Congress that it plans to cancel $4.65 billion of Ukraine's debt before Trump's inauguration. The White House will cancel half of a $9 billion loan the U.S. made to Ukraine as part of a $60 billion supplemental package approved in April.
Bloomberg
The State Department confirmed the letter and said the administration's actions were consistent with the authority granted by Congress and [spelled out] in the legislation
The plan has drawn objections from Republicans. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said he would seek a Senate vote to "prevent the Biden administration from making Ukraine's debt a liability to the American people." So far, however, the Senate is majority Democratic, so it is unlikely that Paul's resolution will pass.
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