Ten days before his arrival at the White House, Donald Trump has revealed that he is preparing a meeting with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to "end" the war in Ukraine. During the electoral campaign, the Republican had promised to end the conflict in 24 hours and has already proposed the start of negotiations.
"We are in the process of organizing it [...]. Putin wants us to meet, he has even said it publicly, and we have to end this war, which is a real disaster," Trump stated.
Ukraine and its European partners fear that to achieve this peace, the new president may force Kiev to make significant concessions and give the Kremlin a geopolitical victory. Under Joe Biden's presidency, the United States has been the main support for Ukraine, providing over $65 billion in military aid.
One dead and eight injured in Ukrainian attacks on two cities in Donetsk
One person died and eight others were injured in two Ukrainian bombings on the cities of Donetsk and Svetlodarsk, controlled by Russia, local authorities reported today.
According to Denis Pushilin, a Donetsk leader appointed by Moscow, the city of Svetlodarsk was hit by a missile attack that struck a residential building, causing one death and four injuries.
Four other people were injured in the capital of the region, Donetsk, in an attack on the 'Moloko' supermarket. The supermarket building suffered significant damage. The blast also damaged the windows and facades of adjacent buildings.
According to Pushilin, in the attack on Donetsk, the Ukrainian Armed Forces used HIMARS precision missiles.
Ukraine hits a supermarket in the city of Donetsk, controlled by Russia
A supermarket in the Russian city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine was hit by the Ukrainian army, injuring at least two people, the Russian state news agency TASS reported on Friday.
Unverified photos posted on social media show a burned car in front of a two-story circular building destroyed and surrounded by debris, Reuters reports. Unverified images posted by a nearby driver appear to show the moment the supermarket was hit by a large explosion.
Ukraine says Russia launched 72 drones
Ukrainian authorities have reported that Russia attacked their territory with 72 unmanned aerial vehicles overnight, adding that 33 were shot down and 34 disappeared from radars without reaching their targets.
The air force said that five drones hit various buildings in the northern Chernihiv region, injuring one person, while the remains of one fell on a building in Kiev.
Russia shoots down 40 Ukrainian drones over six of its regions
The Russian Ministry of Defense has reported that its anti-aircraft defenses shot down a total of 40 Ukrainian drones over six of its regions last night. According to the military report, 16 unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed over the Rostov region. Drones were also neutralized in Kursk, Voronezh, Bryansk, Krasnodar, and Belgorod.
Rostov Governor Yuri Slusar reported that the Ukrainian attack resulted in a fire at a local factory. The fire spread over 2,000 square meters before being extinguished. Several homes and cars were also damaged, Slusar added, stating that the attack did not result in any casualties.
Trump is preparing a meeting with Putin
U.S. President-elect, Donald Trump, stated on Thursday that he is preparing a meeting with Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to "end" the war in Ukraine. "He wants us to meet, and we are in the process of organizing it," said the Republican magnate before a meeting with governors from his party at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
"Putin wants us to meet, he has even said it publicly, and we have to end this war, which is a real disaster," added Trump, who promised during his electoral campaign to end the war in Ukraine "in 24 hours," and has already called for an "immediate ceasefire" and talks.