Summary of the day
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussed “efforts to maintain European unity” in a call with outgoing Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, after far right politician Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV) got the most votes in the Dutch election.
Kajsa Ollongren, the Dutch defence minister, said she hoped military support to Kyiv would continue but also that she was worried due to the PVV’s stance on Ukraine.
Robert Fico, Slovakia’s populist prime minister, has said he considers the war between Ukraine and Russia a ‘frozen conflict’.
The British Ministry of Defence said Russian forces in Ukraine continued to suffer mass casualties from Ukrainian long-range precision strikes well behind the frontline.
Ukraine’s truckers union said hopes of a rapid end to Polish trucker protests at the border were fading.
Finland temporarily closed all but one of its eight passenger crossings to Russia.
The Finnish prime minister, Petteri Orpo, said the high flow of migrants via Russia must stop.
The Ukrainian deputy prime minister, Olha Stefanishyna, said a veto of the country’s European aspirations at an EU summit next month “would be the irresponsibility of the others”.
Plans to expand the Grain from Ukraine programme further across Africa one year after its launch will be announced on Saturday by Zelenskiy, backed by the appointment of a new series of goodwill ambassadors including Charlotte Leslie, a former Conservative MP with deep contacts in the Middle East.
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Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office, says “strengthening Ukrainian military industry is an investment into European and global security, not just Ukraine’s”.
Strengthening Ukrainian military industry is an investment into European and global security, not just Ukraine's. Our state is a reliable partner in ensuring stability.
— Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) November 24, 2023
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Fico calls war a frozen conflict
Robert Fico, Slovakia’s populist prime minister, has said he considers the war between Ukraine and Russia a frozen conflict that cannot be solved by sending arms to Ukraine, the Associated Press reports.
The Slovak leader also said he would prefer the sides sit at a negotiation table.
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Ukraine’s foreign ministry said in a few days a vessel with be loaded with grain for Nigeria.
In cooperation with UN @WFP, in a few days, the loading of vessel with 25K tons of grain to #Nigeria will start, as part of the #GrainFromUkraine initiative.
— MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) November 24, 2023
Ukraine is focused on expanding the list of recipient states and is actively considering supplying 12,5K tons to Somalia. pic.twitter.com/25PVsomHM2
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The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said he discussed “efforts to maintain European unity” and the “importance” of continued assistance with the Netherlands’ outgoing prime minister.
During our call, @MinPres Mark Rutte and I discussed efforts to maintain European unity.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 24, 2023
We also discussed the importance of continuing military and financial assistance to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
In this regard, the Netherlands' recent decision to… pic.twitter.com/kjNPF4DD7M
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Finland to Russia: stop flow of migrants
The Finnish prime minister, Petteri Orpo, said today that the high flow of migrants via Russia must end, Reuters reported.
“We want to send a clear message to Russia: this must stop,” Orpo said. “This is a question of hybrid attacks, and of national security.”
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Meanwhile, outgoing Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte spoke with Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, underscoring that “the Netherlands stands with the people of Ukraine”.
📞: Just had one of my regular calls with @ZelenskyyUA on the current situation in Ukraine and the coming winter. The Netherlands stands with the people of Ukraine and supports Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
— Mark Rutte (@MinPres) November 24, 2023
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Dutch minister hopes Ukraine aid will continue but 'worried' about PVV stance
Kajsa Ollongren, who is serving as defence minister in the Netherlands’ outgoing government, said she hopes military support to Ukraine will continue, Reuters reports.
The far right Party for Freedom (PVV) under the leadership of Geert Wilders won the most votes in a general election earlier this week.
Ollongren said today that “in the Netherlands there is broad support for our help to Ukraine”.
She added:
I hope and expect this will not change in the new parliament. But the PVV is now the largest party and they have never been enthusiastic about support to Ukraine. They have even been pro-Russia at times. So that has me worried.
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Grain from Ukraine program to be expanded
Plans to expand the Grain from Ukraine program further across Africa one year after its launch will be unveiled on Saturday by Volodymyr Zelensky, backed by the appointment of a new range of goodwill ambassadors including Charlotte Leslie a former Conservative MP with deep contacts in the Middle East.
The scheme designed to export Ukrainian grain at subsidised prices is currently confined to Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, but Ukraine with greater financial backing would like to expand the scheme to countries such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Yemen and Somalia.
So far, only Qatar among the Middle East countries has backed the scheme financially and Leslie may be able to access countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to expand the funding base. Much of the £200m funding so far has come from G7 countries.
Russia has imposed a blockade on the export of Ukrainian grain that the Ukrainian navy is trying to circumvent.
She told the Guardian:
It is a complete no-brainer that if Ukraine is sitting on a large amount of surplus grain, and there is a huge continent that badly needs it, that the two need to be connected. The fact that Ukraine has kept food flowing from the Black Sea ports out to those in desperate need is testament to the courage and ingenuity of Ukraine in the darkest of times.
It is vital that those who believe in fundamental freedoms such as democracy and the rule of law do all we can to support Ukraine through these difficult times and show the world that authoritarianism, repression and terror will ultimately fail.
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Here are pictures from the Finnish border today
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Finland shuts nearly all crossings to Russia
Finland has temporarily closed all but one of its eight passenger crossings to Russia, Reuters reports.
More than 700 migrants from countries such as Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, and Somalia have entered Finland over the past weeks via Russia.
All border crossings and application for international protection at the eastern border is centralised at Raja-Jooseppi starting on 24 November 2023.
— Rajavartiolaitos (@rajavartijat) November 23, 2023
The decision will remain in force until 23 December 2023.
More information on our website: https://t.co/E1KJe6EV9q pic.twitter.com/jGFM4JdOen
Here’s an image of rescuers putting out a fire in a house following Russian shelling in Kherson.
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The American ambassador in Kyiv, Bridget A Brink, said that 153 ships have as of today gone through Ukraine’s Black Sea humanitarian corridor.
As of today, 153 ships carrying over 5.6 million metric tons of grain and other cargo have gone through Ukraine’s Black Sea humanitarian corridor, supporting farmers and other businesses in Ukraine and providing food and other products to the world. pic.twitter.com/KQvupHiXo7
— Ambassador Bridget A. Brink (@USAmbKyiv) November 24, 2023
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Ukrainian truckers say hope fading for end to Polish protests
Ukraine’s truckers union said hopes of a rapid end to Polish trucker protests at the border were fading, Reuters reported.
Polish truckers have been blocking roads to four border crossings with Ukraine.
“Frankly speaking, the more we talk to them the less hope we have,” said Leonid Kostiuchenko, president of the Ukrainian Association of International Carriers.
“I spoke to the leader of the protesters and his attitude is that we will block for such a long time that you will … celebrate new year in a queue. I don’t understand this humour.”
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“The only way to achieve lasting and just peace is by helping Ukraine win as soon as possible, regain its full territorial integrity, serve international justice, and rebuild stronger,” the Lithuanian prime minister, Ingrida Šimonytė, said during a visit to Kyiv today.
At my first stop in 🇺🇦 Kyiv today, I paid respects to men and women who sacrificed their lives defending the most fundamental rights of a nation: to exist and to live in freedom. They gave their lives to also defend all of us.
— Ingrida Šimonytė (@IngridaSimonyte) November 24, 2023
The only way to achieve lasting and just peace is… pic.twitter.com/BShxgKOBbl
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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the idea of creating a military equivalent of a Schengen zone in Europe would be a development of the alliance’s confrontation with Russia and that such intentions increase tension in Europe, Tass reported.
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Jonas Gahr Støre, the Norwegian prime minister, said “there are no irregularities at our border at present” after Finland closed its Russia border stations, Reuters reported.
Ukraine’s defence ministry has released night footage of a mobile fire group.
Night work of the mobile fire group.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) November 24, 2023
We are preparing. To defend Ukrainian cities and effectively shoot down the enemy's "Shaheds".
📸: 91st Separate Okhtyrka Operational Support Regiment pic.twitter.com/ssvAyRDCuZ
Germany’s ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Jaeger, has underscored Berlin’s support for Ukrainian EU membership.
“Ukraine is part of Europe, and its place is in the EU,” he said in an interview with Ukrinform, published today.
He added:
We see great opportunities for both parties in this membership. As for economic cooperation, we believe that Ukraine’s membership in the EU will have great advantages for both Germany and Ukraine.
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One country's veto of Ukraine's aspirations 'would be irresponsibility of the others', deputy PM says
The European Commission has recommended that the EU Council open accession negotiations with Kyiv, and all eyes are now on a key summit of EU leaders in December. But there are fears that Hungary will block the decision.
In her speech at the German Council on Foreign Relations, the Ukrainian deputy prime minister Olha Stefanishyna addressed the issue:
It’s about talking to each other, convincing each other and helping those who [are] still in doubt or who are trying to veto the future of Europe, speaking to them and taking the responsibility of this veto.
Because speaking of the veto of one country on 15 December, this will not be a veto of one country. This would be the irresponsibility of the others – those who are not building this consensus, who are not working on focusing on a bigger picture on the future of Europe. So I guess we all understand what I’m referring to and this is how we read it, this is how we treat it.
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Speaking at the German Council on Foreign Relations this morning, the Ukrainian deputy prime minister for European integration, Olha Stefanishyna, said Ukrainians understood that the longer the war lasted, the more questions were raised.
Nothing had changed in Ukraine, she said. Its people were still dying, its resolve was still the same, the deputy prime minister emphasised.
In Ukraine, things were not changing – what was changing, was that from Kyiv they watched how the narrative abroad was changing, the deputy prime minister said.
It’s really important to keep focused on things that needed our attention, she said, adding that for Ukraine the focus had not changed – and it needed to win.
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Summary
Hello, this is the Guardian’s live coverage of the Russian war against Ukraine. It is day 639 of the full-scale invasion. Here is a selection of the most recent developments.
On Thanksgiving, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has thanked the US for its support, saying that with “American support and global leadership, millions of Ukrainian lives have been saved”.
Russia has sentenced a Ukrainian man to 18 years in prison for trying to blow up buildings in the Moscow-controlled Ukrainian city of Melitopol. According to Russia’s Kommersant newspaper, Dmitri Golubev said: “I am Ukrainian, I was defending Ukraine.”
Ukraine’s national seed bank, one of the world’s largest, has been successfully moved from the frontline eastern city of Kharkiv to a safer location, said Crop Trust, a non-profit organisation.
Russia has claimed it is succeeding in selling almost all of its oil above a western-imposed price cap of $60 a barrel. The EU, G7 countries and Australia introduced the price cap on Russian oil in December 2022.
A leading Russian politician and supporter of Vladimir Putin has denied a report that he adopted an infant who had been forcibly taken from an orphanage in Ukraine.
The bulk of Ukrainian crops have entered the winter season in predominantly good condition, analysts APK-Inform quoted the state weather forecaster as saying. Ukraine is a grower of winter wheat, winter barley and winter rapeseed. Ukraine’s grain exports so far in the 2023-24 season that started in July are running 28% below the year-earlier volume, according to agriculture ministry data.
A Russian attack using cluster munitions killed three people in a suburb of Ukraine’s southern city of Kherson on Thursday, a Ukrainian official said, bringing to six the number of civilians to die in a single day. Russian shelling also killed two people in the Donetsk region, Ukraine’s presidential office said.
Ukraine has not reached a stalemate in its war with Russia because the west can help by “dropping five more queens on the board”, according to Timothy Snyder, a Yale professor and influential historian of eastern Europe.
Armenia did not take part in a summit held by a Russia-dominated security grouping, because the country has been irked by what it sees as a lack of Russian support over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Ukraine has said it cannot produce enough electricity to meet growing demand for heating and is turning to neighbouring EU countries for help, amid fears of Russian strikes on energy facilities.
Russia is throwing “waves” of soldiers towards the embattled Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, suffering massive losses in their attempt to capture strategically important territory on the eastern frontlines, Ukrainian soldiers say.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence reports that a group of former Wagner mercenary soldiers have been recognised officially as Russian military veterans, after speculation over how they would be treated following their mutiny against Russia and death of their leader.
Ukraine said that it wants its export routes via Poland unblocked before it holds talks with Warsaw and the European Commission aimed at ending protests by Polish truckers that are reducing Ukrainian exports.
Finland said it would close all but one crossing point on its border with Russia in an effort to halt a flow of asylum seekers, as Estonia accused Moscow of mounting “a hybrid attack operation” on Europe’s eastern border.
Gazprom said that it would send 42.4 million cubic metres of gas to Europe via Ukraine today, Reuters reports.
Russian forces suffer mass casualties from long-range strikes, UK says
“Russian forces in Ukraine continue to suffer mass casualties from Ukrainian long-range precision strikes well behind the front line,” the British ministry of defence said in an intelligence update published this morning.
The update also noted:
On 10 November 2023, likely over 70 Russian troops were killed in a strike on a convoy of trucks 23km behind the front line in the village of Hladkivka, Kherson Oblast.
Subsequently, on 19 November 2023, a strike on Russian troops attending an award ceremony or concert in Kumachove, 60km inside Russian-controlled territory, likely caused tens of casualties.
Ukraine has also suffered similar incidents: a Russian ballistic missile killed 19 members of Ukraine’s 128th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade at a medal ceremony on 3 November 2023.
