Just hours after the U.S. Senate blocked a White House request that would have earmarked around$ 60 billion for Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked Japan for the pledge of an additional$ 1 billion in aid, saying the funds will give” significant support” to the nation.
President Joe Biden, who had previously urged Congress to swiftly review more military aid to Ukraine, warned that Russian leader Vladimir Putin may be emboldened to seize more territory if he wins on the battlefield, suffered a major defeat in the vote on whether to let the bill with the White House request to advance.
Life Lecture: Ukraine’s Invasion by Russia
The Life Lecture from RFE/RL provides all the most recent information on the full-scale invasion of Russia, Kyiv’s counteroffensive, Western military assistance, international response, and the suffering of civilians. Click here to view all of RFE/RL’s protection of the conflict in Ukraine.
” If Putin seizes Ukraine, he wo n’t end there.” He’s pretty much made that clear, Biden said on December 6 in a televised statement, warning that if he took Ukraine, Putin might try to send his forces into one of the NATO nations.
Republicans, but, argued that the bill lacked immigration changes and blocked the whole$ 106 billion request, which also included money for Israel, Taiwan, and to strengthen the southern U.S. border.
With spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating on December 7 that” It is to be hoped that there are enough people with sober minds among American congressmen” and that Biden wanted to” continue burning taxpayers ‘ money in the furnace of war,” the Kremlin expressed hope that Congress will continue to block military aid for Ukraine.
Zelenskiy canceled a meeting with U.S. lawmakers earlier this year because it was becoming increasingly unlikely that the help request would be granted.
He received the pledge from Japan on December 7 that could potentially raise the total aid package to as much as$ 4.5 billion.
In the midst of intense fighting in the south, particularly in and around the industrial area of Avdiyivka near the Donetsk region, Ukraine has been preparing for a second protracted winter of war with Russia, which began its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
For some days, Russian forces have been attempting to surround the city, which has recently emerged as the most recent example of Ukrainian resistance.
Even after Russia took control of a sizable portion of the Donetsk region in 2014, including the town of Avdiyivka, which is only 10 meters to the south, Ukraine continues to control the place.
The General Staff of Ukraine’s military stated in its day conclusion that 34 Russian attacks in the Avdiyivka place were repulsed by Russian forces, making up more than one-third of the 91 assaults that Kyivos forces fought off on the whole front line over the previous 24 hours.
The reports from the field could not be independently verified.
On December 6, the United Nations issued a warning that Moscow was intensifying attacks on Ukraine’s power system due to the country being hit by heavy storms and freezing conditions.
According to Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca of the UN Security Council, Russia’s attacks on crucial Ukrainian civilian infrastructure have worsened civil conditions in addition to causing civilian casualties.
He commanded that all attacks on civilians and civilian facilities be stopped right away. They are just unethical and are against international humanitarian law.
After a power plant close to the front line was shelled, causing significant damage and crippling two strength products, Ukraine asked people to save energy for the first time during this chilly season.
According to the Energy Ministry, there is a momentary lack of light because the two units have been shut down and there has been an increase in need. Customers were urged by the government to support power employees by using energy “wisely and financially, especially during peak hours.”
Russian attacks that have repeatedly resulted in significant damage have put pressure on Ukraine’s energy grid.
Russia is still attacking crucial grain export equipment.
Oleh Kiper, the government of the Odesa area, stated in a message on his Telegram channel that it launched helicopter strikes on the Danube harbor of Izmayil on December 7 that resulted in the deaths of ten people and harm to port services.
The 18 Iranian-made robots that Russia launched at the Odesa and Khmelnytskiy parts on December 7 were shot down by Ukrainian air threats, according to earlier reports. The military claimed in a Telegram concept that the Shahed-136/131 drone attack originated from Cape Chauda in the Crimean place under Moscow’s occupation.
The Danube interface infrastructure was especially attacked. Cars, a grain elevator, and the inventory were all harmed. One of the truck drivers was killed, according to Kiper, who also mentioned that crisis personnel quickly put out a fire that had started.
Ukraine has been shipping foods to Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanta through its Danube ports of Reni and Izmayil since the collapse of a UN-broken agreement in July that allowed Russian grain shipments to pass safely from dark sea ports.
Since then, Russia has used drone strikes to attack both Odesa, Ukraine’s primary Black Sea port, and the two Danube slots, severely damaging them and interfering with their ability to export corn. On the place of Romania, a NATO member, debris from broken Russian drones has even crashed.
