New developments:
- “Severe mud is highly likely slowing operations,” the British Defense Ministry said Friday, for both sides in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In the ministry’s daily intelligence update about the conflict, the report said Russian online outlets are “likely exaggerating” the impact of the mud on Ukraine because Russia is seeking to raise Russian morale. Russia also wants to undermine Ukraine’s supporters, the report said, ahead of an anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to address Mexican lawmakers.
- Hungary bans imports of cereals, flour, honey, certain meats and other foods from Ukraine. Other European countries have done the same, saying the cheaper Ukrainian shipments undercut the financial well-being of their farmers and companies.
- Associated Press photographer Evgeniy Maloletka wins World Press Photo of the year award for capturing an image of an injured pregnant woman being carried on a stretcher away from a maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine. The hospital was hit by a Russian airstrike.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that Ukraine deserves to be in U.S.-led NATO, the West’s main military alliance, but his stance drew an immediate protest from Russia.
In his first visit to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion 14 months ago, Stoltenberg said at a news conference, "Let me be clear, Ukraine's rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family. Ukraine's rightful place is in NATO."
Stoltenberg said he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed a NATO support program to help Kyiv “transition from Soviet-era equipment and doctrines to NATO standards and ensure full interoperability with the alliance. NATO stands with you today, tomorrow and for as long as it takes."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said preventing neighboring Ukraine from joining the 31-nation NATO alliance remains one of the goals of Russia’s invasion. He said Ukrainian membership in NATO would pose a "serious, significant threat to our country, to our country's security.”
Earlier this month, Finland, with a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, set aside decades of neutrality and joined NATO, with neighboring Sweden also looking to join the alliance in the next few months.
Despite Stoltenberg’s comments on Ukraine joining NATO, it is not likely to occur anytime soon. Western nations individually have shipped billions of dollars in armaments to Ukraine to help it fend off Russia’s invasion and supplied intelligence information to Kyiv, but sent no troops. If Ukraine were a NATO member, however, other NATO members would be obligated to fight alongside Kyiv’s forces to defend its territory.
During his Ukraine visit, Stoltenberg went to a memorial for fallen soldiers and reviewed damaged Russian military equipment on display in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.
Stoltenberg has routinely voiced support for NATO members supplying arms to help Ukrainian forces, and he has seen the size of the alliance grow with Finland joining this month in response to the invasion. A similar application from Finland’s neighbor, Sweden, has been approved by all NATO members except Hungary and Turkey.
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NATO members Denmark and the Netherlands announced Thursday they are partnering to buy and refurbish 14 Leopard 2-A4 tanks to Ukraine.
The Dutch and Danish defense ministries said the tanks would be ready for delivery to Ukrainian forces early next year. Denmark and the Netherlands will share the $180 million cost.
Ukraine has asked allies to provide heavy equipment such as tanks in order to be able to match up against Russian forces.
The tank deal followed Wednesday’s announcement from Ukraine’s defense minister that Patriot air defense systems had arrived in the country. The missile systems were another wish list item for Ukraine to better defend against Russian aerial attacks.
Late Thursday, Russian authorities reported an explosion in the city of Belgorod, close to the border with Ukraine, saying the blast left a crater 20 meters wide in the city center. Neither the region’s governor nor the city’s mayor said what caused the explosion.
However, a report from the Russian state news outlet Tass cited Russia’s defense ministry as saying a Russian warplane was to blame.
“As a Sukhoi Su-34 air force plane was flying over the city of Belgorod, there was an accidental discharge of aviation ammunition,” Tass cited the Defense Ministry as saying.
The Belgorod region, including the city of the same name, has been frequently hit by shelling since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.
Earlier Thursday, Zelenskyy spoke via video to Mexico’s lower house of Congress and asked for support to organize a summit with Latin American countries to help end the Russian invasion.
“Ukraine has already proposed to the Latin American community to organize a special summit and show its unity and position on important global principles of territorial integrity, peace and respect between peoples,” Zelenskyy said through an interpreter.
The Mexican government has condemned the Russian invasion, but President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has refused to send military aid to Ukraine or impose sanctions on Russia, saying his government aims to achieve peace through dialogue.
Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
