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Ukraine’s Zelenskyy in Berlin for ‘victory plan’ talks

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues his whirlwind tour of European capitals, presenting his ‘victory plan’ to end the war. German Chancellor Scholz has promised continued support.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin for talks on securing support for Kyiv’s “victory plan” to end the war.

Scholz told a press conference alongside Zelenskyy that Germany would not allow “Russia to dictate terms of peace.”

However, both leaders said they wanted to achieve a “just peace” for Ukraine, and indicated a desire for talks with Russia, something neither country has often said since Russia invaded in early 2022.

Zelenskyy’s stop in Berlin comes after he met with European leaders in London, Paris and Rome on Thursday.

Here are the latest developments on Russia’s war in Ukraine from Friday, October 11:

Why Zelenskyy’s Germany visit no longer includes a Biden meeting

The Ukrianian president’s European whirlwind tour was originally supposed to culminate with talks with President Joe Biden, just a matter of weeks before elections in the US.

However, these plans changed when Biden said he would cancel his trip to the US’ Ramstein Air Base in Germany to chair a meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group.

Biden said he would stay behind to help deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton instead.

Two hurricanes in fairly short succession hitting the southeast of the US have turned into something of an election football in recent weeks, even though presidents typically never visit disaster areas until the immediate danger is passed — for fear that their presence and the resources this demands detracts from rescue efforts.

The election on November 5 could prove decisive for Ukraine and its European allies in 2025, particularly in the event that Republican candidate Donald Trump wins.

However, western leaders including new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte have been trying to play down this prospect this week. Rutte said in London on Thursday, also in Zelenskyy’s presence, that he had no concerns about a potential future Trump administration withdrawing support for Ukraine.

Scholz: Western support key to show Putin ‘playing for time won’t work’

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said continued support for Ukraine was crucial in order to make it clear to Russian President Vladimir Putin that “playing for time will not work” in the conflict.

Appearing alongside Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy in Berlin, Scholz said Germany’s support for Kyiv would not waver.

He also said that this conviction would also be the basis “on which we together explore all possibilities for routes towards a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.”

Scholz said that he and Zelenskyy were agreed that there should be another peace conference, and that Russia should participate this time.

“What’s clear is that a realization of peace can only come to pass in accordance with international law,” Scholz said, adding “we will not accept any peace dictated by Russia.”

Zelenskyy thanks Scholz for pledging new military aid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Germany and Scholz for their “strong support” for Ukraine, and also for fresh pledges for funding in 2025.

At a meeting with Zelenskyy in Berlin, Scholz announced a €1.4 billion ($1.53 billion) military aid package by the end of 2024.

“We need to think about next year, and to think about keeping up the level of support,” Zelenskyy said.

He said German assistance in areas like air defense “saves thousands of Ukrainian lives and gives our villages and cities a chance to protect ourselves.”

He noted more advanced weaponry Germany sent, often after some internal delays and discussions, including IRIS-T surface-to-air missile systems and “Gepard” or “Cheetah” armored vehicles.

Zelenskyy said his country wanted a “just peace” and “victory” against Russia, and, like Scholz, accused Russia of having no interest in talks.

“We see that Russia is not interested in honest diplomacy or in ending this war according to the UN statutes.

“We demand a just peace for Ukraine, a victory for us, and that is what we are working on every day,” he said.

He said that, to this end, he wanted to present Scholz with Kyiv’s plan “as to how we believe we can force Russia to agree to peace and end this war.”

“We would like this to happen next year, 2025,” he said but also said “we have to build a bridge to a peace summit that generates results that can draw a line under this war.”

He concluded by saying he believed that “together with our partners,” this plan could be realized, and “we are counting on German support.”

Germany’s 2024 budget earmarks €7.1 billion for Ukraine military assistance in 2024, and foresees €4 billion for 2025.

Scholz pledges help defending and mending electricity infrastructure

Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Germany would remain a major donor, the second largest in gross terms, for Ukraine this year and next.

“I can promise you that this will continue,” Scholz said alongside Zelenskyy in Berlin.

The chancellor also referred to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as “the third winter in this murderous war approaches.”

He said that Russia was intentionally targeting Ukraine’s power generation and supply facilities, in order to break the endurance of the civilian population, clearly that is Putin’s aim.”

Germany would “help Ukraine in very specific terms” in this area, Scholz said, noting fresh funds and other agreed measures seeking to assist.

Zelenskyy arrives in Berlin for Scholz talks

Volodymyr Zelenskyy touched down in Berlin on Friday, television footage showed, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz greeting him at his offices.

The Ukrainian president and German chancellor could be seen walking away from the helicopter Zelenskyy had arrived in.

German FM hails anti-nuclear weapon Nobel Peace Prize as ‘aggressive powers’ again threaten their use

Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock praised the decision to give the Nobel Peace Prize to the Japanese anti-nuclear weapons group Nihon Hidankyo on Friday.

Without mentioning Russia by name, she seemed to indicate it also served as a signal in Moscow’s direction.

“Particularly in times, when aggressive powers are again threatening the use of nuclear weapons, it is all the more important that the world makes clear what peace means,” Baerbock said. “Peace means that such weapons are never used.”

Baerbock was speaking alongside her Slovakian counterpart, Juraj Blanar, who visited Berlin for talks on Friday.

The German foreign minister also appealed for more support for Ukraine’s air defense, saying Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure with winter approaching were an attempt “to force people in Ukraine into a brutal and cold war.”

Baerbock said roughly two-thirds of Ukraine’s energy facilities had been damaged or destroyed.

She said that Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, expected soon after in Berlin, was “ready for a just peace,” but alleged that the same could not be said of Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Nobel laureate warns against use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine

The co-chair of the Japanese atomic bomb survivors’ group Nihon Hidankyo, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday morning, has made an emotional plea against the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine and other conflicts.

“It has been said that because of nuclear weapons, the world maintains peace. But nuclear weapons can be used by terrorists,” Toshiyuki Mimaki said.

“For example, if Russia uses them against Ukraine, Israel against Gaza, it won’t end there. Politicians should know these things.”

German FM says Putin unwilling to speak with Scholz

Russian President Vladimir Putin is not willing to discuss the war in Ukraine with German Chancellor Olaf Sholz, Germany’s foreign minister said on Friday.

“He refuses to accept peace and every day sends another signal in favor of war and destruction. These days, he is no longer even prepared to speak to the German chancellor on the phone,” Annalena Baerbock told reporters in Berlin.

The comments come hours after a national poll found that a majority of Germans want the two leaders to speak over the phone.

Zelenskyy and Pope Francis exchange gifts

Pope Francis held a private meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican City on Friday morning.

The two leaders exchanged gifts at the end of the 35-minute meeting.

Francis gifted the Ukrainian leader a bronze sculpture of a flower growing next to a bird, inscribed with the phrase “Peace is a fragile flower.”

Zelenskyy gave the pope an oil painting depicting a child amid ruins in Bucha, a town that Russian forces occupied for 33 days in 2022.

The pope has frequently called for peace in Ukraine and prays for its “martyred” people. However, he sparked outrage in Kyiv earlier this year after an interview where he called on Ukrainians to “raise the white flag and negotiate.”

Friday’s meeting was Zelenskyy’s second private audience at the Vatican since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Earlier, on Thursday, Francis also met with the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk.

Ukraine says it controls half of key Donetsk city

Ukraine controls around half of the strategically important city of Toretsk in the east, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.

The Ukrainian military has reported eight clashes around the hilltop city in the Donetsk region over the past day.

It comes as Russian forces have gradually pushed further into Ukraine in recent weeks.

“Approximately 40-50% of the city can be said to be under the control of the Ukrainian armed forces, while the rest of the territory is captured by the enemy,” said Vasyl Chynchyk, head of Toretsk city military administration.

Chynchyk said that around 1,150 people remain in the city, with evacuations continuing.

Russian strikes on Odesa kill 4

At least four people were killed by Russian strikes on Odesa overnight, Ukrainian authorities said on Friday morning.

Regional Governor Oleg Kiper said the Russian strikes destroyed a two-storey building in the Black Sea port city.

“The enemy attacked the Odesa region with ballistic missiles. Four people were killed, including a teenager,” Kiper said on social media.

Another 10 people were wounded, he added.

Most Germans want Scholz and Putin to talk — survey

A majority of Germans want Chancellor Olaf Scholz to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a survey released on Friday.

The poll was conducted by opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of Germany’s DPA news agency.

The results showed that 59% of respondents were in favor of the two leaders talking over the phone, while 26% opposed it and 15% did not provide an answer.

The figure increased in eastern Germany, where 68% of the respondents said they wanted the two leaders to talk, compared to 19% who said they opposed it.

Putin and Scholz have almost entirely not spoken since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Putin arrives in Turkmenistan for regional summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Turkmenistan on Friday ahead of a summit hosted by Ashgabat where he is due to speak, Russian state media reported.

Regional leaders including Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian are set to attend the event.

Putin is also due to hold talks with Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov.

Zelenskyy to meet with Olaf Scholz, Pope Francis

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will continue his two-day European tour on Friday.

He is set to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican City on Friday morning, before traveling to Germany.

In Berlin, Zelenskyy will hold talks with Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The leaders are expected to discuss arms deliveries as well as a potential peaceful solution to the conflict.

Zelenskyy’s planned meetings on Friday follow similar talks in London, Paris and Rome on Thursday.

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Zelensky dampens hopes Trump could strike peace deal with Putin

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Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that Ukraine will never recognise occupied Ukrainian territories as being part of Russia
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Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that Ukraine will never recognise occupied Ukrainian territories as being part of Russia, even if pressured to do so by allies, dampening hopes that Donald Trump may be able to strike a peace deal.

‘No matter what anyone wants, even if all the allies in the world unite, we will never recognise the occupied territories [as part of Russia]. This is impossible,’ the Ukrainian president emphasised.

‘We will not legally recognise them. For us, they will always remain occupied territories until we liberate them.’

Trump, who took office for a second term on Monday and was last in power before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has repeatedly said he could end the war swiftly, without specifying how.

His newly-appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that ending the war was a priority for the president, but would only be possible if both sides make significant concessions.

‘Anytime you bring an end to a conflict between two sides, neither of whom can achieve their maximum goals, each side is going to have to give up something,’ he told CNN, adding that ultimately the decision would be down to the Ukrainians and Russians.

It comes after Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said today that Moscow sees a small window of opportunity to forge agreements with the new US administration.

‘We cannot say anything today about the degree of the incoming administration’s capacity to negotiate, but still, compared to the hopelessness in every aspect of the previous White House chief (Joe Biden), there is a window of opportunity today, albeit a small one,’ Ryabkov said, according to Interfax.

Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that Ukraine will never recognise occupied Ukrainian territories as being part of Russia

 

Donald Trump, who took office for a second term on Monday, has said he could end the war swiftly, without specifying how

 

A Russian soldier fires a self-propelled gun

 

‘It’s therefore important to understand with what and whom we will have to deal, how best to build relations with Washington, how best to maximise opportunities and minimise risks,’ he said, speaking at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies, a think-tank in Moscow.

Trump warned on Tuesday that he would likely impose more sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir Putin refused to negotiate to end the nearly three-year-old conflict.

He gave no details on the possible additional sanctions on Russia, which is already under significant Western sanctions over the war.

The new president also issued a blow to the Kremlin on Tuesday, accusing Putin of ‘destroying Russia‘ with his failed war as he urged him to ‘make a deal’ to end the conflict.

‘He has to make a deal. I think he is destroying Russia by not making a deal,’ Trump said in a stark warning to the dictator.

‘I think Russia is going to be in big trouble,’ he added, saying that Putin ‘can’t be thrilled that he’s not doing so well.’

‘I mean, he works hard, but most people thought the war would be over in about a week, and now it’s been three years, right?’

The Russian economy was sinking, he went on, with inflation a major threat.

Putin, 72, earlier said he was ready to engage with Trump but still insisted on an outcome favouring Russia.

‘We are open to dialogue with the new US administration on the Ukrainian conflict. The most important thing here is to eliminate the root causes of the crisis,’ said the Russian ruler. An initial phone call is expected by Moscow to take place soon.

Trump said Zelensky was ready for a deal to halt the debilitating conflict, and the 78-year-old US leader said he planned to meet Putin with whom he had a ‘great relationship’ during his first term.

‘We’re going to try to do it as quickly as possible. You know, the war between Russia and Ukraine should never have started.’

Trump warned on Tuesday that he would likely impose more sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir Putin refused to negotiate to end the nearly three-year-old conflict

 

After months of Ukraine occupying parts of Russia’s Kursk region as it aims to improve its position in the event of talks, Zelensky stated that any dialogue could only go ahead with Kyiv in a position of strength.

Putin cannot be treated as legitimate in this situation. He has violated everything. He must understand his transgression,’ the Ukrainian president said today, adding that if Putin was ‘approached as an equal – that would be a loss for Ukraine.’

But, he said, his government’s top priority was to find a way to halt the war, which has claimed the lives of at least 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers, according to figures released by Ukraine in December.

‘We must find all possible ways to end the hot phase of the war. This is the number one issue,’ Zelensky said.

‘There can be many talks, but the main goal is to stop the active phase. This is the first guarantee of security.’

Russia has occupied Crimea since its 2014 invasion of the territory. Months later it took large parts of the Donbas region, launching a was under the guise of a separatist uprising.

Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russian forces have controlled large swathes of southern and eastern Ukraine.

Meanwhile, since a surprise attack in August, Kyiv’s forces occupy around 600 sq km of Russian territory.

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Trump orders ‘blackout’ at CDC, FDA, NIH as agencies prepare for MAGA

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The incoming Trump administration has ordered a pause on all external communications from the federal health agencies (Trump is pictured above at a news conference in the Roosevelt Room of the White House yesterday)
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Donald Trump has ordered a communications blackout at America’s federal health agencies, according to reports.

The CDC, FDA, HHS and NIH have all been told to pause external communications, including publishing scientific reports, updating websites or issuing health advisories.

The directive came without warning, sources told the Washington Post, and with little guidance as to how long it may last.

The health agencies play a vital role in gathering and sharing critical information with the public, including on outbreaks of infectious diseases, raising the alarm over foodborne disease outbreaks and food recalls.

However, DailyMail.com received its automated weekly FDA recall email at 8am ET this morning.

It is not entirely unusual for incoming administrations to pause external communications temporarily, which may be done to help newly appointed officials understand the scope of information that is being released.

But some said that if the pause lasts longer than a week or two then it could be seen as concerning.

The new president, 78, singled out public health agencies in his inaugural address — saying that they ‘do not deliver in times of disaster’, referring to what many have seen as a mishandling of Covid messaging.

Robert F. Kennedy Junior has been nominated to head up the HHS, which has oversight over all the federal health agencies.

As part of his ‘Make America Healthy Again’ pledge, he has promised to overhaul the three agencies.

The communications blackout was issued by Stefanie Spear, a deputy chief of staff at HHS who joined the agency this week. She was also RFK Jr.’s press secretary during his presidential campaign.

The pause on external communications includes blocks on publishing scientific reports issued by the CDC, known as Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR), advisories sent out to clinicians on the CDC’s health network, data updates to the CDC website, and public health data released from the National Center for Health Statistics, including on drug overdose deaths.

The CDC had been scheduled to publish several MMWR reports this week, sources familiar with the matter said, including three on the bird flu outbreak alarming scientists.

It was not clear whether the directive also blocked the agencies from sharing urgent communications, such as on drug approvals or novel disease outbreaks.

Dr Lucky Tran, a Democrat-leaning science communicator at Columbia University, blasted the order as the beginning of censorship.

Jeff Jarvis, a retired professor of journalism at City University New York, said: ‘This is terrible: Forced ignorance on health data.

‘Officials in sane and scientific states must band together to report data on their own. We need such shadow governments.’

The CDC publishes on average about 50 peer-reviewed articles per week, in addition to updating numerous datasets and other materials, while the FDA initiates more than 500 food recalls per year.

The CDC receives about $24.9billion in public funding every year, while the FDA costs $8.4billion and the NIH costs more than $47billion annually.

At the beginning of Trump’s first term, administration officials also asked public health agencies to cease communicating with the public it was reported at the time.

At that time, the limits appeared focused on agenices overseeing environmental and scientific policy, such as the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Putin Hails Trump On Inauguration As US President For Second Time, Says Russia Willing To End War

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Russia President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Donald Trump as he is being inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States.

Putin on Monday, 20th of January 2025 revealed he was open to dialogue with the new U.S. administration on Ukraine and nuclear arms. He also indicated that Moscow was ready to discuss nuclear arms control and wider security issues.

In a video broadcast, Putin noted that he was interested in a long-lasting peace in Ukraine rather than a short-term ceasefire with the country.

He made the comments during the Russia’s Security Council meeting that was shown on state TV. According to him, “We see the statements by the newly elected president of the United States and members of his team about the desire to restore direct contacts with Russia,” said Putin.

“We also hear his statement about the need to do everything possible to prevent World War Three. We of course welcome this attitude and congratulate the elected president of the United States of America on taking office. “As for the resolution of the situation (in Ukraine) itself, I would like to emphasise that the goal should not be a brief ceasefire, not some kind of period of respite that would allow a regrouping and rearmament of forces, but a long-term peace based on respect for the legitimate interests of all people and all peoples who live in the region.”

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