As a reaction and response to Volodimir Zelenski’s visit to Washington, where Joe Biden awaits him with the help of nearly two billion dollars and Patriot missiles for war, Vladimir Putin met this Wednesday with the staff of the Minister of Defence make various announcements.

One: Russia will continue to develop its military potential, including nuclear power. two one new hypersonic missile it will be ready for use in January. Three: US weapons in Ukraine only make the situation worse.

Zelensky’s visit, the first trip the Ukrainian has made outside his country since the start of the Russian invasion in February, fell badly in the Kremlin.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu blamed Western countries to “extend to the maximum” military actions in Ukraine with the aim of weakening Russia.

“The West is trying to drag out military actions in Ukraine as long as possible to weaken Russia,” Shoigu said during his meeting with Putin.

The Russian minister also expressed concern about increased NATO presence near the borders of Russia and Belarus.

Putin said the same, NATO is synonymous with the United States.

Putin denounced that the military potential and possibilities of NATO countries are being actively used against Russia in Ukraine, opening the meeting with an extended meeting with the heads of the Russian Defense Ministry.

Putin thanked the servicemen involved in the military campaign in Ukraine and asked for a minute of silence for the fallen at the beginning of his speech, broadcast live on state television

American weapons

During his trip to Washington, Joe Biden will announce the delivery to Ukraine of Patriot missile batteries, complex long-range weapons that require a minimum of 90 men per system to operate.

Biden had refused to send these weapons because, on the one hand, they might hit Russian soil and, on the other hand, they would require US troops to operate (on Ukrainian soil). Both factors are a reason for Russia escalates the war.

But with Moscow destruction of civilian infrastructure and the Ukrainian energy sector in view of the winter that has just begun, Biden seems determined to double down on the bet with almost two billion dollars of additional aid to kyiv.

“It’s Not Good”

In response, the Kremlin warned on Wednesday of increasing US arms supplies to Kiev would aggravate the devastating war, launched 10 months ago by the illegal Russian invasion, and is “not good” for besieged Ukraine.

“Arms deliveries (from the United States) continue, the variety of weapons provided is expanded. All of this, of course, leads to an exacerbation of the conflict and, I did, it’s not good for Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Peskov’s comments were the first official Russian reaction to the news that the Ukrainian president would travel to Washington for a summit with the US president.

Zelensky should leave Washington not only with the promise of the massive $1.8 billion military assistance package that would help his country repel Russian aggression.

Material supplied from the United States should include for the first time a battery of Patriot missiles and precision-guided bombs for the fightersUS authorities said on Tuesday.

Peskov also confirmed media reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin He won’t be giving his annual state of the nation address this year. Peskov did not comment on the reasons for postponing the message until next year, saying only that he was related to the “working hours” of the agent.

Some Russian media associated the decision with a war in which Russia he lost the initiative a long time ago. The Kremlin also canceled the president’s annual press conference this year, which has been held every December since 2012.

meeting with China

While Zelensky was on his way to Washington, Moscow conducted in its high-level diplomacy. The number two of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, met with the president of China on Wednesday, Xi Jinping.

Medvedev, the former Russian president, said in a video statement that he had spoken with Xi on various issues, including “the conflict in Ukraine”. Medvedev did not provide further details.

China has refused to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has criticized the sanctions against Moscow. Beijing called the invasion only “the Ukrainian situation” in deference to Moscow, and accused the United States and NATO of provoking Putin by expanding into Eastern Europe.

The war, in the field

In Ukraine, Russian forces hit populated areas with more missiles and artillery on Wednesday.

During the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, they shelled areas around the city of Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk region of southeastern Ukraine, its governor, Valentyn Reznichenko, said on Telegram Wednesday morning.

Nikopol is located across the Dnieper River from the Zaporiya Nuclear Power Plant. The plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europeit is occupied by Russian forces.

Five civilians were killed and 17 others wounded by Russian attacks on Tuesday, the Ukrainian president’s office said on Wednesday. Occupied Russia five missiles and 16 airstrikes against Ukrainian territoryas well as multiple rocket launcher systems in 61 incidents, according to the Ukrainian General Staff.

Ukrainian forces have repelled attacks on more than 25 cities in the eastern provinces of Luhansk, Donetsk and Kharkiv, according to General Staff spokesman Oleksandr Shtupun, while the cities of Bakhmut and Adviivka remained important targets of the Russian offensive.

Zelensky embarked on the journey after a perilous visit Tuesday to the front line at Bakhmut in Ukraine’s disputed Donetsk province, which he described as the hardest-fought site on the conflict’s 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) front.

Agencies

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