Volodymyr Zelenskyy

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin delivers a televised address to the nation at the Kremlin in Moscow on Nov. 21, 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the conflict in Ukraine had characteristics of a "global" war and did not rule out strikes on Western countries.

In an address, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke after launching a missile strike on Ukraine, with relations between Russia and the West at a historic low.

The Russian president, following the update of the nuclear doctrine and after warning the West that it would respond in case of escalation, admitted that Russia had struck Ukraine with a medium-range ballistic missile.

Hungary's Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky has authorized the deployment of air defence systems near the country's border with Ukraine, citing concerns over the potential escalation of the ongoing conflict.

The United States Department of Defense announced on November 20 a new USD 275 million security assistance package to support Ukraine's urgent defense requirements. This marks the 70th tranche of military aid provided to Ukraine from U.S.

Within 72 hours, Ukraine has received approval—formal or informal, though the distinction matters little on the battlefield—from the U.S. and the UK to use advanced weapon systems on Russian territory. Following these “approvals,” Kyiv launched attacks using U.S. ATACMS and British Storm Shadows on Russian targets, particularly in Kursk province.

Russia on Wednesday accused the U.S. of prolonging the "war in Ukraine" by stepping up weapons deliveries to Kiev ahead of Donald Trump entering the White House.

The war in Ukraine could have ended in 2022 following the Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kharkiv, but Western partners prevented such an outcome, according to Denis Yaroslavsky, commander of an intelligence division in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

US President Joe Biden has authorized the delivery of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine, marking a notable shift in US policy. According to an unnamed source cited by Reuters, these mines are intended to help Ukrainian forces slow Russian advances along the eastern front.

The West and Russia appear to be “sleepwalking” in the field of Ukraine, where, after 1,000 days of war, the escalation brings the nuclear threat to the forefront as openly as it has not been seen since the end of the Cold War.