Ukraine conflict reside: Putin calls battle a tragedy at G20 regardless of ordering invasion

Vladimir Putin has mentioned Russia has by no means deserted peace negotiations on Ukraine.

“The situation in Ukraine cannot but shock, but the coup in Ukraine and the extermination of the civilian population there and in Palestine is not shocking,” he mentioned, in response to state media.

Vladimir Putin has been pictured addressing the digital G20 summit.

It seems solely a handful of nations have tuned in to listen to him converse, inlcuding India, Spain Indonesia, and Korea.

Below are among the latest images from Ukraine as the primary snowfall of the winter covers elements of the nation.

Russia has despatched the primary vessels carrying grain to Africa freed from cost, President Vladimir Putin advised a web-based gathering of the Group of 20 main economies on Wednesday.

Russia pulled out of a United Nations-backed deal in July that had allowed protected passage for Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea, however Moscow has since pledged to assist growing international locations that depend on Russian and Ukrainian grain exports.

In his feedback to the G20 assembly, Putin additionally mentioned a big share of worldwide financial exercise was shifting to Asia and Africa, and he known as for a much bigger function for growing nations within the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Vladimir Putin mentioned Russia “stands for restoring the spirit of open and mutually beneficial cooperation in the world”.

Vladimir Putin has completed addressing the G20 digital summit.

We will proceed to put up essentially the most newsworthy bits of his speech as they’re translated.

The cloth of relations between Russia and the US is extraordinarily skinny and dangers being torn at any second, Russian international ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mentioned on Wednesday.

Zakharova advised reporters at her weekly briefing that Washington’s actions might result in “unpredictable consequences”.

Ukrainian troops face “tough” defensive operations on elements of the japanese entrance with bitter winter chilly setting in, however forces within the south are nonetheless conducting offensive actions, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mentioned on Wednesday.

Russian troops launched offensives on totally different sections of the entrance line in Ukraine’s east this autumn, attempting to advance on the devastated city of Avdiivka and within the northeast between the cities of Lyman and Kupiansk.

“Difficult climate, tough defence on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Donetsk and Avdiivka fronts. Offensive actions within the south,” Zelenskiy mentioned on Telegram messenger.

Snow and freezing temperatures that stood at about minus 5 levels Celsius throughout the day on Wednesday and have been anticipated to drop decrease might additional complicate operations on the battleground, the place combating is transferring to an attritional part.

Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, controls practically a fifth of Ukraine. Kyiv launched a counteroffensive to retake occupied territory this summer season, however has not pressured a significant breakthrough.

Since mid-October, Avdiivka, the place the entrance line has modified little because the first conflict erupted in 2014 between Kyiv and Russian-backed militants, confronted waves of assaults adopted by momentary lulls, in response to the Ukrainian army.

After one such lull the day earlier than, the pinnacle of the “Tavria” army command mentioned on Wednesday that Russian troops had “dramatically elevated” the variety of assaults and airstrikes.

“Our defenders are steadfastly holding the defence within the Avdiivka course,” Commander Oleksandr Tarnavskyi mentioned on Telegram. Ukrainian forces continued the offensive on the southeastern Melitopol entrance, he added.

In their morning readout on the battlefield, the General Staff mentioned troops have been additionally holding onto the bridgeheads secured on the japanese aspect of the River Dnipro that was occupied by Russian forces within the early days of their invasion.

Vladimir Putin has simply begun talking on the G20 digital summit, in response to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

The Kremlin declined on Wednesday to touch upon a suggestion by White House spokesman John Kirby that Iran could also be contemplating offering Russia with ballistic missiles to be used in Ukraine.

“We are growing relations with Iran, together with within the subject of military-technical cooperation, however we don’t touch upon this info,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov advised reporters in a daily information briefing.

Kirby mentioned the United States would monitor the scenario between Iran and Russia, and take applicable motion as wanted.

Iran has been a key army assist for Russia, supplying the Kremlin with hundreds of Shahed kamikaze drones which were used to focus on essential Ukrainian infrastructure.