I’m sure everyone’s seen the breaking news, so let’s get the “two more shopping days until the government shuts down” part of the update out of the way.
Now that that’s done, President Zelenskyy travelled to Brussels today where he met with Macron, Rutte, and then did an interview with La Parisien.
Zelensky to French news: “Trump knows about my desire not to rush to the detriment of Ukraine. The country has long been fighting for its sovereignty. No matter how many presidents or prime ministers want to declare an end to the war, we are not going to just give up and surrender our independence.”
— Christopher Miller (@christopherjm.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 2:18 AM
Zelensky commented on the partners’ demands to lower the mobilization age.
t.me/c/1377735387…— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 11:44 AM
Here’s the short video of President Zelenskyy and Mark Rutte addressing the press:
And here’s the video of President Zelenskyy’s interview with La Parisien:
Georgia:
“My son is the prisoner of the regime,” two mothers state tonight at the regime’s Christmas tree. #terrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 4:11 PM
Photo by @mariamnikuradze.bsky.social
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 4:12 PM
#GeorgiaProtests
Rustaveli ave, 22:10
Day 21
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 1:49 PM
The fact that the “feels like -4” weather 21st consecutive night protest after various day marches is as large as many peak protests in previous years… #terrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 12:53 PM
My taxi driver: It’s so cold, are you dressed well for the rally?
And then he said he attends late at night.
I said, “be careful.”
Him: “Me? Why should I be careful? They be careful! PFFF” 😁 #terrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 12:29 PM
Dec. 18 – #Batumi
Day 21, #GeorgiaProtests: Despite rain and cold, a small group of protesters has gathered again near the Adjara govt and Constitutional Court. Meanwhile, a significant presence of police and State Security Service vehicles lines the street.
“Abkhazia is Georgia” – students sing
— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) December 18, 2024 at 12:27 PM
December 18 – #Tbilisi
#GeorgiaProtests – 21st day.
The “Diversity March,” representing ethnic, religious, and other minorities, joined the main rally on Rustaveli Ave, demanding new free and fair elections and the release of all detained protesters.#StandWithGeorgianPeople
— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) December 18, 2024 at 11:20 AM
Apparently, President Zourabichvili dressed the same suit today for the European Parliament speech that she wore when she signed the final agreement withdrawing the Russian military bases from Georgia as the foreign minister back in 2005. 🔥
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 3:59 PM
🟥 On December 18, President of #Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, delivered a speech in the European Parliament.
“It is also about you, Europe,” she addressed the MEPs.
Watch the full speech at the link.
#StandWithGeorgianPeople
#GeorgiaProtestsyoutu.be/uAmkC7JMh10?…
— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) December 18, 2024 at 5:21 AM
President @Zourabichvili_S historic speech concluded with thunderous and prolonged applause from Members of the European Parliament, who held Georgian flags in their hands.
Thank you, Madam President, for so accurately voicing the message and plea of the Georgian people! 🇬🇪🇪🇺
— Anna Gvarishvili (@annagvarish.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 3:28 AM
🗣️”After 🇷🇺 lost in Syria, should it win in 🇬🇪?
After 🇷🇺 failed to impose itself in Ukraine, should it win in 🇬🇪?
After 🇷🇺 failed in Moldova, should it win in 🇬🇪?
After it failed, and I hope it will fail very soon again, in Romania, should it win in 🇬🇪?”President Salome Zourabichvili to the EU Parliament.— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) December 18, 2024 at 5:57 AM
🇬🇪🇪🇺”The question I came here to ask is simple, will you speed up the transition or will you let it prolong throughout the winter?” President of #Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili.
The key messages: youtube.com/shorts/lex8T…
Full speech: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAmk…#StandWithGeorgianPeople
— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) December 18, 2024 at 8:41 AM
Here’s the full video:
Givi Ginturi, brother of Tamaz Ginturi—killed by Russian occupiers—hands out apples from Gori to demonstrators at the protest rally on Rustaveli Avenue.
#GeorgiaProtests
#TerrorinGeorgiaDay 21
📷 Anna Vakhtangadze
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 11:38 AM
This is very emotional. The brother of Tamaz Ginturi, a Georgian patriot tortured by Russian occupiers last year, is giving out apples to protesters. The apples are likely from his garden in their village. #terrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 11:52 AM
December 18 – #Tbilisi
Givi Ginturi, brother of Tamaz Ginturi, joined the #GeorgiaProtests with apples from Gori.
Tamaz was killed on Nov. 6, 2023, by #RussianOccupation forces while attempting to enter a church they had nailed shut.
Read more:
x.com/Batumelebi_g…— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) December 18, 2024 at 1:57 PM
“Freedom to the regime’s hostages”, “Wealth lies in diversity, not in oligarchy”—with these and other slogans on their posters, the diversity march joined the rally on Rustaveli Avenue.
#GeorgiaProtests
#terrorinGeorgiaDay 21
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 11:19 AM
1/ Parents of disabled people held a protest march from Republic Square to the Parliament. They emphasized the urgent need for the continuation of the European integration process for persons with disabilities.
#GeorgiaProtests
#TerrorinGeorgia— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 7:05 AM
2/ The parents argue that all vital services for children with disabilities were created with the support of the EU and the US.
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 7:05 AM
3/ Their demands include the release of those arrested during the current protests, the holding of new elections, and the renewal of the European integration process.
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 7:05 AM
Lithuania:
If Ukraine does not receive strong security guarantees for the future, we will just get Minsk-3. Call it what you want, it could be Berlin-1 or Washington-1. It really doesn’t matter. It will be a continuation of the failed policy of 2015.
www.kyivpost.com/post/44029— Gabrielius Landsbergis (@glandsbergis.bsky.social) December 17, 2024 at 1:58 PM
From The Kyiv Post:
Kyiv Post’s Warsaw Insider spoke this week with Gabrielius Landsbergis, the former outspoken and pro-Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania from 2020 to October 2024, when his party lost in the legislative elections. He touched on the differences in the approach to Russia between Central-Eastern European countries and their Western European counterparts, his experiences over the past years, and where we stand now in the context of the war in Ukraine and whether further rotten compromises are looming.
This is the first conversation with Gabrielius Landsbergis since he stepped down as Lithuania’s top diplomat a few days ago.
Michał Kujawski: Lithuanian athlete Kornelija Dudaitė was disqualified from the World Fitness Championships for wearing a “Make Russia Small Again” shirt. At the same event, Russian athletes were supposed to compete as neutrals but still had “Russia” written on their clothing. The organizers did not raise any objections to their behavior. Are attitudes shifting, with Russia ceasing to be a pariah and solidarity with Ukraine diminishing?
Gabrielius Landsbergis: During all the years I spent serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, building a wall of condemnation against Russia within the world of diplomacy – and then holding that wall – was not an easy process. You are always facing those who want to dismantle it and argue that dialogue with Russia must continue. Some wanted this for pragmatic reasons, others out of sheer idiocy. They fail to understand the threat Russia poses to our societies and the future security architecture. We are now at a point where some are trying to tear down the wall we built. Voices are emerging saying that we will need to reconsider sanctions, reconsider Russia, and bring Russia back to the table to discuss the future of Europe. Of course, sports and culture are the first elements of the wall we built that may collapse. It’s the easiest place to start. As for the event you’re asking about, I would call it extreme hypocrisy.
MK: In 2022, you used the term “Westsplaining” in the context of international relations, but also in relations between Central-Eastern European countries and Western Europe. Lithuania, the other Baltic states, Ukraine, and Poland have a better understanding of the Russian threat and offer a different perspective. Where are we now? Have Western countries been listening, and do they continue to listen at the end of 2024?
GL: It usually came from the fact that every time I raised the topic of the Russian threat and how we should be dealing with Russia, I would hear comments from our Western friends, spoken in a condescending tone, that this was due to our history. They claimed that we had experienced such a traumatic history that we were not able to look at Russia objectively. They insisted that everything we said was rooted in history, in our very traumatic childhood. It’s even funny when it turns out that we were the only ones who were right about Russia and the current situation we are in.
The period in which we were acknowledged was a very short one. I remember Ursula von der Leyen, who, in her 2022 annual State of the Union Address, said: “We should have listened to the voices inside our Union – in Poland, in the Baltics, and all across Central and Eastern Europe. They have been telling us for years that Putin would not stop.”
Many people in Lithuania believed that something had changed, that this was the beginning of a new era. Now we see a different approach. What we saw back then, unfortunately, was only a short, temporary shift. From the very beginning, we have been saying that if Russia is not stopped in Ukraine, it will continue its policies. We see its activities in Moldova, we see its actions in Georgia. We see its shadow activities in Lithuania and Poland – this is essentially war, but in different forms.
And again, if I were to answer the question of whether they have been listening to us, I would respond – I don’t think so.
MK: Could you provide examples?GL: I can give an example of one narrative that wasn’t picked up. We tried very hard to push it forward, and it sounded like this: “We have to help Ukraine with whatever it takes” to achieve victory. I would like to emphasize that this was the narrative we proposed: “Whatever the victory takes.” The Western narrative, the counter-narrative, was “as long as it takes.”It may seem at first glance that the difference between them is minimal, and those who are far from politics might not even notice it. Both narratives support Ukraine, both are moving in the same direction. The one we proposed states that we don’t want this war to last forever. We want Ukraine’s victory, safe Baltics, and a safe region as quickly as possible. We also know that we have the tools to make this happen. The Western approach boils down to a drip-feed for Ukraine, which means limited support that allows only survival. We can keep drip-feeding Ukraine as long as it’s alive. If Ukraine manages to hold on for the next 10 years with minimal support, one could help in such a limited way and stand with Ukraine for a very, very long time.
MK: We both agree with the fact that Ukraine needs our support, especially now. How do you assess the current situation and the preparations for peace talks which may start in 2025?
GL: I’m sure that Ukraine is being pushed enormously to accept what some politicians are proposing. My position is very simple: peace talks at a time when Ukraine is not in a strong position mean, in one way or another, Ukrainian capitulation. If Ukraine does not receive the assistance now that will strengthen its position, if it does not receive strong security guarantees for the future, we will have Minsk-3. Call it what we want, it could be Berlin-1 or Washington-1. It really doesn’t matter. It will be a continuation of what we have seen so far, meaning the failed policy of 2015. Nothing will change, and it would be really bad.
However, there is a chance that European or American politicians will not endorse something that will cause the mistakes of the past to be repeated in the future.
MK: On this topic, the upcoming changes in the US administration cannot be overlooked. What are your expectations for Trump’s presidency in the context of Ukraine, Russia, and the region?
GL: The mandate President Trump received from the American people is very strong. It allows him, together with Congress and the Senate, to come up with measures that will not only put Ukraine in the strongest possible position but could also re-establish the United States as a global defender of freedom. The game is about the global position of the United States, as well as their reputation and the trust placed in them. This is what is at stake, and President Trump is aware of it. It is up to him to decide whether he sees value in this. For the USA, it is of tremendous value.
Much more at the link.
Here’s more on the assassination of Kirillov:
A suspect was arrested on suspicion of assassinating top Russian general Igor Kirillov. The FSB said it detained an Uzbek man who placed the bomb on the scooter and a camera in a rented car to film the bombing, then detonated it remotely. via @maxseddon.bsky.social
on.ft.com/3ZYsX4v— Christopher Miller (@christopherjm.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 3:19 AM
From The Financial Times:
A suspect has been arrested on suspicion of assassinating top Russian general Igor Kirillov, who died alongside his assistant when a bomb planted on a scooter exploded outside his house in Moscow on Tuesday.
The FSB, Russia’s main security agency, said on Wednesday it had arrested an Uzbek man who had placed the bomb on the scooter, then detonated it remotely.
It added that the suspect had placed a camera in a rented car to film the bombing.
The FSB published a video of the suspect, who said he had bought the scooter several months in advance.
The suspect said in the video that Ukrainian intelligence had offered him $100,000 and a “European passport” to carry out the attack.
Kirillov, the head of the military’s nuclear, chemical and biological defence forces, is the most senior Russian official to be assassinated since President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The bombing is the most brazen in a string of assassinations of senior Russian officers carried out deep behind enemy lines.
More at the link!
Somewhere in Ukraine:
Shahed kamikaze drone successfully intercepted by Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 1:05 PM
Yes I’m bein’ followed by a Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow, Storm Shadow
Leapin’ and hoppin’ on a Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow, Storm Shadow
/1. For the first time in the entire war, Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles targeted the Rostov region of Russia.
(Photo -1): Debris of one of the Storm Shadow/SCALP missile in Rostov region of Russia;
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 10:59 AM
/2. (Video -2): Impacts of the Storm Shadow/SCALP missile in Rostov region of Russia.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 11:00 AM
What?
Kharkiv:
Volunteer group Liutyi visited the Kharkiv region to give children a holiday and unforgettable emotions that are so needed in such a difficult time. They had a concert, lots of fun things to do and gave away more than 500 toys and sweets to the little ones❤️
— Sofia (@sofiaukraini.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 6:49 AM
Tonight, the silence near Kharkiv shatters under the roar of russian MLRS barrages.
— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 3:55 PM
Life in Kharkiv is just like that: one moment, you’re overjoyed by the sight of Christmas lights, proud of how your city endures and persists despite constant terror, and the next, russian drones, missiles, or artillery explode nearby.👇
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 4:51 PM
Maybe taking a life, maybe destroying a home.
And so it goes, day after day. We face attacks, we keep living, and the world keeps turning.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 4:51 PM
This morning, Russia struck Kharkiv with a Molniya drone, which is smaller than the Shaheds they typically use, so that’s why i didn’t hear it .
Kharkiv’s mayor reported that it damaged the roof of a shopping mall. The targets they chose are… consistent.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 8:10 AM
Kherson:
In Kherson, human safari continues. A resident:
“Recently, after drones attacked 2 meat and bread trucks, the distributor stopped delivery. The elderly can’t buy groceries in local stores. Buses are attacked. The constant threat to life, fear…”
📸 Tonight’s drone hit. Fire.
— Zarina Zabrisky (@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 5:08 PM
Kherson: Human Safari continues.
🚨The Russian military use drones to scatter metal traps on the roads to puncture tires. Volunteers evacuating civilians from the worst districts stop to change tires. A drone with explosives waits for this moment to drop the grenade.
— Zarina Zabrisky (@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 4:52 PM
Another day, another Russian refinery goes boom:
Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery was targeted by drones in the Rostov region of Russia.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 5:53 PM
Burning russian oil refinery in Rostov region 🔥
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 6:36 PM
And the metallurgy plant:
Missile attack on the Rostov region of the Russian Federation.
At least several arrivals at the Taganrog Metallurgical Plant are reported.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 11:35 AM
And the rocket fuel plant:
“In the Rostov region, one of Russia’s largest chemical enterprises, FKP “Kamyansky Plant.” – was attacked, according to CCD NSDC head Kovalenko.
It is noted that the plant produces rocket fuel, including for intercontinental missiles.
t.me/c/1305722586…— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 1:41 PM
That’s enough for tonight.
Your daily Patron!
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Open thread!
AlaskaReader
Thanks Adam
Adam L Silverman
@AlaskaReader: You’re most welcome.
Jay
Thank you, Adam.
Gin & Tonic
Thank you for devoting a good chunk of your valuable time to updates on the situation in Georgia.
Medicine Man
Thank you, Adam.
Gloria DryGarden
Thanks Adam. I love the guy giving out apples from his own tree, at the protest. The sweet human angle helps so much.
Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom
Thank you Adam.
Ramalama
Nice Cat Stevens earworm there. Also a helpful post.
mapanghimagsik
Really appreciate these rundowns, Adam. I don’t always post my gratitude, but its always there.