President Zelensky likes to think big for Ukrainian diplomats. In the upcoming year, they're not just supposed to procure weapons for their home nations but also win hearts. Alongside the weapons, they need to find partners for expanding the Ukrainian arms industry in 2024. This directive came out of a meeting with his top diplomats. Zelensky believes that a key to further rapprochement with NATO is not seeking higher political offices. Instead, it's convincing societies, just like they managed to rally around Ukraine at the start of the war.
Now, let's turn our attention to Germany's military aid to Ukraine. They're adding additional gear, including tank ammunition, demining equipment, and anti-aircraft guns. Some of this equipment comes from Bundeswehr stocks and contracts with private companies, and the funds for it come from the government's armaments initiative. The latest delivery includes ammunition for Leopard tanks, three more Gepard air defense systems, and two more Wisent mine-clearing tanks. This package also includes extra reconnaissance drones, border protection vehicles, and medical supplies.
Oleksii Makeiev, the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, praised Olaf Scholz for his role at the last EU summit. Scholz managed to prevent potential vetoes by Hungary, essentially ensuring that the EU voted in favor of opening accession negotiations with Ukraine. To top it off, Makeiev thanked the German government for its support of Ukraine.
On the other hand, German ambassador Alex Graf Lambsdorff currently sees no change in Putin's stance on the war in Ukraine. The latest announcement from Putin only reaffirmed his war aims and showed no willingness to negotiate. Lambsdorff believes that, without fault lines in the Putin system, there's no indication that Putin will change his stance after the 2024 presidential election.
Meanwhile, Ukraine had another win as they claimed three Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers shot down on the southern front. Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuri Ihnat commented that they haven't had any Su-34s in their positive statistics for some time. Ukraine estimates that Russia has lost over 16,000 soldiers since the start of the invasion.
Recent developments in Ukraine include the discovery of a system for embezzling artillery shells, worth almost $40,000,000. This network was uncovered by the Ukrainian secret service and the Ministry of Defense. This revelation has sparked concerns over corruption in Ukraine, particularly in the face of the ongoing conflict with Russia. With that, Ukraine's parliament is working on a draft law to mobilize men residing abroad. Vadym Ivchenko, a representative of the Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, announced that this is a complex bill that will be put to a vote in January.
Sources: (Sources: Deutsche Welle, Reuters, AP)
