Ukraine-Russia war – live: Zelensky says army needs to mobilise 500,000 more troops

After Russia fired its first hypersonic missile in months last week, according to the British Ministry of Defence, The Independent explains what the Killjoy missiles are and why they could prove lethal over the next few months.

The U.S. Senate will not vote on a package to provide more aid to Ukraine and bolster US border security before early next year, chamber leaders said on Tuesday.

“Our negotiators are going to be working very, very diligently over the December and January break period, and our goal is to get something done as soon as we get back,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters.

The White House has warned that by the end of the year US aid will run out to help Ukraine retake territory occupied by Russia since the 2022 invasion.

The Biden administration’s request for another $61 billion in support has been bogged down in Congress, where Republicans say it must be paired with tougher immigration controls along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky faced a sceptical reception from Republicans when he visited Washington last week to drum up support.

The chamber’s No. 2 Republican, John Thune, also said a deal would not be reached before January. “Democrats have run out the clock to the point where getting a substantive border security deal passed before Christmas is impossible,” he said on the Senate floor.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hosted at an end-of-year press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Here are the key points from the conference:

– Ukraine’s military has asked for additional 450,000-500,000 people to be mobilised

The Ukrainian leader told a news conference in Kyiv that top military and government officials were due to discuss “this very sensitive issue of mobilisation” and that parliament would then consider it.

– Zelensky hopes for speedier prisoner exchanges with Russia

The two sides held a number of prisoner swaps from the early months of the war but their intensity slowed in 2023 and the last one took place in early August.

– Zelensky is working on his relationship with a Ukrainian army chief

His remarks come amid weeks of speculation about tensions between the Zelensky and top military commander Valery Zaluzhny.

– Ukraine to produce one million drones next year

Ukraine has been working to increase its domestic weapon production since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

– Zelensky confident foreign aid will continue

“We are working very hard on this, and I am certain the United States will not betray us,” Zelensky said during a televised press briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday.

At his end of year press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday, President Zelensky said that the army had asked for 500,000 more troops to be mobilised.

The Ukrainian leader told his end-of-year news conference it was a “highly sensitive” issue that the military and government were discussing before sending to parliament.

Ukraine, which initially saw tens of thousands of volunteer fighters queuing up to defend their country from Russia’s invasion, is now trying to conscript more men to replace those currently at the front.

There have been discussions behind closed doors for weeks on how to improve the draft process. Some Ukrainians have reacted angrily to social media videos showing draft officers handing out call-up papers at gyms and resorts.

Ukraine‘s troop numbers are not known, but it has said in the past it has around 1 million people under arms. Russia has been expanding its army during the war and said on Tuesday it planned to boost its ranks to 1.5 million service members.

“I said I would need more arguments to support this move. Because first of all, it’s a question of people, secondly, it’s a question of fairness, it’s a question of defence capability, and it’s a question of finances,” Zelensky said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a recent slowdown in prisoner swaps with Moscow was due to unspecified “reasons” on the Russian side, but expressed hope that the swaps could soon resume.

The two sides held a number of prisoner swaps from the early months of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and into this year. But their intensity slowed in 2023 and the last one took place in early August.

“It has indeed slowed down due to the Russian Federation’s own reasons, but these are very specific reasons. The track will open,” Zelensky told a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday, without citing Russia’s reasons.

He added that Ukraine was currently working on the exchange of “a good enough number of our boys” and expressed hope the swap would be successful.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Tuesday to congratulate him on his recent election win and discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

A No 10 spokesman, in a readout of the call, said on Tuesday: “The leaders discussed Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, noting that the UK and Poland are two of Ukraine‘s closest partners and defenders.

“They also welcomed the strong bilateral security, defence and industrial collaboration between the UK and Poland, agreeing to continue co-operation to safeguard our national and wider European security and prosperity.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that he maintains a working relationship with the country’s top military commander Valery Zaluzhny.

He made the remark during a televised press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.

His remarks come amid weeks of speculation about tensions between the two men after Kyiv’s vaunted counteroffensive failed to retake significant parts of Russian-occupied territory.

“Why should I help someone by developing this theme? I have a working relationship with Zaluzhny,” Zelensky said during a televised press conference in Kyiv.

He described the military operation as a “very complicated story” involving the collective input of Ukraine‘s military leadership.

Ukraine will produce one million drones next year, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.

He made his remarks during his highly anticipated end of year press conference in Kyiv

Ukraine has been working to increase its domestic weapon production since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he was certain that crucial US and European financial aid would continue.

Funding for Ukraine has been held up recently in both the US and European Union amid political tussles as Ukraine fends off a full-scale Russian invasion.

“We are working very hard on this, and I am certain the United States will not betray us,” Zelenskiy said during a televised press briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday

He also said he expected the European Union to approve a 50 billion euro aid package soon.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that parliamentary elections could not be conducted during the war with Russia.

He made his remarks during his end of year press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.

The idea of holding elections has been widely discussed in Ukraine despite them being prohibited under martial law. Zelensky has repeatedly said that holding elections could undermine unity and be easily exploited by Russia.

Meanwhile, Putin has announced he is running in Russia’s upcoming elections as an independent candidate in Spring next year.