In a startling development, President-elect Donald Trump has openly criticized the outgoing Biden administration’s decision to green-light Ukrainian forces to launch long-range strikes deeper into Russian territory. Speaking at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Monday, Trump blasted the move as “stupid” and suggested he may reverse course once in office.
“I think it was a very stupid thing to do,” Trump declared bluntly when asked about Biden permitting the Ukrainian long-range weapons. Hinting at a potential policy shift, he added, “I might. I think it was a very stupid thing to do.” The forceful remarks signal that the incoming administration may take a markedly different approach to the nearly three-year-old conflict than its predecessor.
The White House pushed back against Trump’s criticism, emphasizing that the decision followed months of careful deliberation that began well before November’s election. “All I can assure you is that in the conversations we’ve had with them since the election, and we’ve had at various levels, we have articulated to them the logic behind it, the thinking behind it, why we were doing it,” said White House national security spokesperson John Kirby. However, the defense may fall on deaf ears as Trump looks to put his own stamp on U.S. foreign policy.
North Korean Troops Killed in Ukraine Combat
In another troubling development, both Ukraine’s military intelligence agency and the Pentagon have confirmed that North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces have been killed in combat in the Kursk border region – the first reported deaths since the U.S. and Ukraine announced Pyongyang had dispatched 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers to bolster Moscow’s war effort. The White House said it now believed these North Korean troops were actively engaged on the front lines against Ukrainian forces.
The involvement of North Korean troops, long speculated but only recently substantiated, marks a troubling escalation in a conflict that has already claimed countless lives and upended the geopolitical order. It remains to be seen how the international community will respond to this latest provocation and whether it will spur a stronger response against Russia and its allies.
Securing a Future Ceasefire
As the war grinds on, attention is turning to what a potential ceasefire and peacekeeping arrangement might look like. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Monday that while it was premature to speculate, Germany, as Europe’s largest economy, would likely play a role in securing any future deal between Russia and Ukraine.
“If there is a ceasefire, then of course the western community, NATO partners, potentially the United Nations and the European Union will have to discuss how such a peace, such a ceasefire can be secured,” Pistorius said. “And it is obvious that Germany, as Europe’s biggest economy, would play a role there.”
However, he cautioned that many questions remained unanswered and stressed that any mandate would need to be accepted by both Ukraine and Russia. With no end to the fighting in sight, though, such talk remains purely hypothetical for now.
Russian Military Court Sentences Treason and Sabotage
In a grim reminder of the stakes for those who oppose the Kremlin, a Russian military court on Monday sentenced 23-year-old Vasily Zharkov to 19 years in prison on charges of treason, attempted sabotage on strategic infrastructure, and joining a terrorist group. Prosecutors alleged Zharkov had communicated with a banned unit of Russian fighters battling for Ukraine, the Freedom of Russia Legion, and was arrested in November 2023 while attempting to start a fire on a military base outside Moscow.
Ukraine Calls for Action on Sanction-Busting Oil Fleet
Ukraine is urging the global community to crack down on Russia’s shadowy fleet of outdated oil tankers being used to circumvent international sanctions. The plea comes after one such vessel, the aging Volgoneft-212, broke apart during a storm off the coast of occupied Crimea, causing an environmental disaster in the Black Sea. A second tanker in the same area, the Volgoneft-239, also encountered difficulties before eventually running aground near the port of Taman.
Starmer Meets Baltic Leaders, Vows Ongoing Ukraine Support
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking at the Joint Expeditionary Force conference in Estonia where he met with leaders from fellow Baltic states, pledged that Ukraine would continue to receive the funding and capabilities it requires. “There is an ever-increasing demand for more capability. That is understandable, and Ukraine needs all the capability that it can get, so I think all of us have put in more capability into Ukraine by way of equipment,” Starmer said. He is set to visit British troops stationed along Russia’s border in a show of solidarity.
Russia Rattles Saber Over Ballistic Arsenal
A top Russian military commander has boasted that the country is bolstering its strategic missile systems and may ramp up testing in response to mounting external threats. “In terms of range, there is no place where our missiles cannot reach,” said Sergei Karakayev, as quoted by state media. He claimed Russia was developing a new intercontinental ballistic missile called the Osina.
The saber-rattling comes on the heels of President Vladimir Putin’s assertion that Russia will soon begin mass production of the Oreshnik ballistic missile, which struck Ukraine in November. Putin had previously indicated the weapon was already being manufactured and could be launched again whenever Russia chose.
FBI Informant Admits Bogus Biden Ukraine Bribery Tale
In an embarrassing blow to critics of President Biden, a former FBI informant on Monday admitted to fabricating a claim that the president and his son Hunter had accepted $5 million in bribes from a Ukrainian energy company. Alexander Smirnov, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen born in Russia, pleaded guilty to creating a false record in a federal investigation and three counts of tax evasion totaling $2.1 million. Under a plea deal, the 44-year-old faces up to six years in prison when he is sentenced in January.
The collapse of the bribery allegation, which had been seized upon by Biden’s political opponents, underscores the heated and often murky nature of the debate around Ukraine and the Biden family’s ties to the embattled country. As the war drags on and the 2024 election inches closer, the intersection of geopolitics and domestic politics is likely to grow only more fraught.
With Trump now preparing to retake the White House, the direction of U.S. policy toward Ukraine is once again an open question. Will the new president stay the course set by his predecessor or will he steer the country down a starkly different path? As the world watches and the bloodshed continues unabated, the answer cannot come soon enough for the long-suffering people of Ukraine.
