Ukraine-Russia War Latest: Zelensky Offers To ‘cede Territory’ For Nato Seat Amid North Korea Military Talks

NewsWorldEuropeNorth Korea’s Kim Jong-un says Pyongyang ‘will invariably support’ Russia to ‘defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity’

Related: Vladimir Putin hints at strikes on West

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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested he would temporarily cede Ukrainian territory to Russia in exchange for joining Nato to end the “hot phase” of the war.

“If we want to stop the hot phase of the war, we need to take under the Nato umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control,” Mr Zelensky told Sky News.

“We need to do it fast. And then on the occupied territory of Ukraine, Ukraine can get them back in a diplomatic way.”

The statement comes as North Korea pledged its “invariably support” to Russia’s war in Ukraine amid military talks with Moscow. Pyongyang has reportedly sent thousands of its troops to Russia to join the fight against Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military claimed that Vladimir Putin’s forces suffered more than 2,000 casualties in a single day.

With both Kyiv and Moscow anticipating that Donald Trump could seek to broker a rapid peace deal upon returning to the White House in January, freezing the front lines, Ukraine’s military said on Friday there had been more than 200 combat clashes over the past 24 hours.

Ukraine imposes first wartime tax hikes to fight Russian invasionPresident Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed into law Ukraine’s first wartime tax increases as the war against Russia reaches its 34th month.

Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenkko said that the bill was vital to ensure smooth funding for the Ukrainian defence sector next year. The changes will take effect from 1 December, he said.

The government is raising the war tax for residents to 5% from 1.5% paid currently on personal income and is introducing the war tax for tens of thousands of individual entrepreneurs and small businesses.

It also increases some rental payments, taxes commercial banks’ profits at 50%, and raises taxes on the profits of other financial institutions to 25%.

The tax increases would help raise about 140 billion hryvnias (£2.8 billion) in additional revenues next year to fund Ukraine’s defence efforts at a critical juncture of the war as Kyiv is battling with a much bigger and better-equipped enemy.

Andy Gregory30 November 2024 06:00

World at most dangerous point in 40 years, MI6 chief warnsThe world is at its most dangerous point for 40 years, the head of MI6 has warned, accusing Russia of waging a “staggeringly reckless campaign” of sabotage in Europe to undermine support for Ukraine.

Sir Richard Moore also said the West could face a “reckoning” as potential terrorists are radicalised over war in the Middle East.

“In 37 years in the intelligence profession I’ve never seen the world in a more dangerous state. And the impact on Europe, our shared European home, could hardly be more serious,” Sir Richard said, adding that if “Putin is allowed to succeed in reducing Ukraine to a vassal state he will not stop there”.

Andy Gregory reports.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar30 November 2024 05:30

Russia kills five Ukrainian prisoners of war, prosecutor general saysRussian forces have killed five Ukrainian prisoners of war in Zaporizhzhia region, according to the Ukrainian prosecutor general.

In a statement on Facebook, the prosecutor general said an investigation has been launched after Russian forces shot five out of six captured Ukrainian soldiers.

Investigators also received a video of the moment the shooting was recorded, the prosecutor said.

Andy Gregory30 November 2024 05:00

New NATO chief Rutte says alliance ‘needs to go further’ in support for UkraineAlisha Rahaman Sarkar30 November 2024 04:30

Ukraine asks Nato for membership invite next weekUkrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has urged his Nato counterparts to issue an invitation to Kyiv at a meeting in Brussels next week to join the Western military alliance.

In a letter sent to the members of Nato, Ukraine has renewed push to secure an invitation to join the alliance, which is part of a “victory plan” outlined last month by president Volodymyr Zelensky to end the war triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion.

Mr Zelensky told UK-based Sky News that offering Ukraine Nato membership while allowing Russia to keep for the moment territory it had captured could be a solution to end the “hot stage” of the 33-month-old war.

“The invitation should not be seen as an escalation,” Mr Sybiha wrote in the letter, Reuters reported.

“On the contrary, with a clear understanding that Ukraine’s membership in NATO is inevitable, Russia will lose one of its main arguments for continuing this unjustified war,” he wrote.

“I urge you to endorse the decision to invite Ukraine to join the Alliance as one of the outcomes of the Nato Foreign Ministerial Meeting on 3-4 December 2024.”

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar30 November 2024 04:00

Ukrainian author dies on the frontlineUkrainian poet and screen writer Myroslav Herasymovych was reportedly killed in the frontline in Donetsk Oblast, according to his brother.

“In the battle with Russia, my brother, Myroslav, gave away his life in the city of Avdiivka,” his brother Taras Kulyk wrote on Facebook.

Herasymovych was killed on 25 November just four days before his 57th birthday, the sibling added.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar30 November 2024 03:30

Ukraine urged to lower army conscription age in fight against RussiaAndy Gregory30 November 2024 03:00

Zelensky says Ukraine could temporarily cede territory to RussiaUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested he would temporarily cede Ukrainian territory to Russia in exchange for joining Nato.

Mr Zelensky said Nato membership would have to be offered to unoccupied parts of the country to end the “hot phase” of the war and appeared to accept eastern parts of the country would fall outside this deal.

It comes after reports claimed one of US president-elect Donald Trump’s plans to end the war might be for Kyiv to cede the land Moscow has taken in exchange for Ukraine joining the alliance.

Alexander Butler reports.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar30 November 2024 02:55

North Korea vows steadfast support for RussiaNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-Un vowed his country will “invariably support” Russia’s war in Ukraine as he met Russia’s defence chief.

A Russian military delegation led by defence minister Andrei Belousov arrived in North Korea on Friday, amid growing international concern about the two countries’ expanding cooperation after North Korea sent thousands of troops to Russia last month.

Mr Kim said that North Korea “will invariably support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity from the imperialists’ moves for hegemony”, according to state media KCNA.

North Korea has supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling it a defensive response to what both Moscow and Pyongyang call Nato’s “reckless” eastward advance and US-led moves to stamp out Russia’s position as a powerful state.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar30 November 2024 02:53

Putin says Ukrainian infrastructure attack was revenge for Kyiv’s strikes on RussiaPresident Vladimir Putin has said that a massive Russian overnight attack on Ukrainian infrastructure was a response to Kyiv’s attacks on Russian regions using longer-range Western missiles.

Russia had unleashed its second big attack on Ukraine‘s energy infrastructure this month on Thursday, Ukrainian officials said. This cut power to more than 1 million people in the west, south, and centre of the country.

Speaking in Astana, Kazakhstan, Putin told members of a security alliance made up of ex-Soviet states:

“Tonight we conducted a comprehensive strike using 90 missiles of similar classes and 100 drones. Seventeen targets were hit.

“These are military facilities, defence industry facilities and their support systems. Let me repeat once again: these strikes on our part also took place in response to the ongoing strikes (by Ukraine) on Russian territory with American ATACMS missiles. As I have already said many times, there will always be a response from our side.”

Andy Gregory30 November 2024 02:00