Today, the Russian army carried out a missile strike on our Odesa region, and last night there was also a Russian attack on Odesa’s energy infrastructure. At one point we talked about the situation in this city and the people of Odesa with President Trump.
Today’s Russian strike, like many others before it, had no – and could have no – military purpose whatsoever. A civilian vessel in the port of Chornomorsk was damaged. This once again proves that the Russians not only refuse to take the current opportunity for diplomacy seriously enough, but are also continuing the war aimed precisely at destroying normal life in Ukraine.
It is crucial that, under such circumstances, the world maintains the proper moral compass: who is dragging out this war and who is working to end it with peace, who is using ballistic missiles against civilian life, and who is striking the targets that influence the functioning of Russia’s war machine. I am grateful to everyone around the world who is trying to spread accurate information and is preventing Russian propaganda from influencing political decisions.
Right now, in Odesa and Chornomorsk, every effort is being made to protect lives – just as in Kharkiv, Sumy, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and the cities of Donetsk region. And it is essential that the desire to wage war stops dominating in Moscow. This depends solely on how the world responds to Russia’s actions.
I thank everyone standing with Ukraine! I thank each person continuing to put pressure on Russia to achieve a true peace.
Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, presented details regarding the preparation of a special mission to free civilians held in Belarus. Thanks to the active role of the United States and the cooperation of our intelligence agencies, around one hundred people are regaining their freedom now, including five Ukrainians. We are helping our American partners so that the relevant support is provided to Ukraine. As needed, the special services of our European neighbors are also involved.
I have instructed the Defense Intelligence and all services represented in our Coordination Headquarters to maximize efforts on the Russian direction so that the release of Ukrainian POWs can take place before the New Year. We remember all our people who still remain in Russian captivity. I thank everyone who is helping to bring Ukrainians home!
Today, Ukraine’s sanctions against nearly 700 additional maritime vessels used by the Russians to finance the war have come into effect. This is a significant part of Russia’s fleet that transports oil and other energy resources and generates funds to prolong the war. It is the largest sanctions package specifically targeting tankers and other vessels that serve the aggression. The package includes vessels sailing not only under the Russian flag but also under the flags of other states, in particular spanning more than 50 jurisdictions.
And we will continue working to ensure that each of these vessels, every shipowning company, and the entire infrastructure of Russia’s exports of oil and other energy resources also get blocked by our partners. We support the concept of a complete ban on the provision of maritime services to vessels involved in exporting Russian energy resources. Pressure on Russia and diplomacy aimed at ending the war must go hand in hand to achieve the necessary result. Russia must end the war that it itself started and continues to drag out. I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine!
@Mishi_2210 Not enough info. All you are stating is Eatan got married at 25 and he has a 25 year old. Could have had the son in his 30s. Could have had him prior to marriage.
Together with our team, I held a productive discussion with the American side – @SecScottBessent, @jaredkushner, and Larry Fink. In fact, this could be considered the first meeting of the group that will work on a document concerning reconstruction and economic recovery of Ukraine.
We discussed key elements for recovery, various mechanisms, and visions for reconstruction. There are many ideas that, with the right approach, could succeed in Ukraine. We have also updated our reflections on the 20 points of the framework document for ending the war. It is overall security that will determine economic security and underpin safe business environment.
We have also agreed on the next contacts between our teams. As always, there will be no delays on our side. We are working to deliver results. I thank President Trump and his team for their substantive work and support.
The 20 points for ending the war form a fundamental document. We are actively working on the key steps – they must be doable. From this fundamental document, we are developing at least two additional ones. The first is on security – regarding security guarantees with the United States. The second is on the economy, covering reconstruction and joint investment.
Today, we focused specifically on the economic document. The principles of the economic document are absolutely clear, and we are fully aligned with the American side on this. Thank you. An economic action plan will follow. Europe will also be involved in reconstruction. In the near future, we plan to move forward on the other two documents as well. Rustem Umerov will continue the discussions.