Russia rules out freeze in conflict, Kremlin says

The Kremlin says that "freezing the conflict will not work in any way", but spokesman Dmitry Peskov adds that President Vladimir Putin is open to negotiations, according to the Reuters news agency.

Peskov also says Joe Biden's outgoing US administration is doing "everything it can to continue the war in Ukraine".

It follows recent decisions by the US to allow Kyiv to use long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia and to use short-life anti-personnel landmines on Ukrainian territory.

"If you look at the trends of the outgoing US administration, they are fully committed to continuing the war in Ukraine and are doing everything they can to do so," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tells reporters.

He also declines to comment on the US decision to temporarily close its embassy in the Ukrainian capital and describes the US authorisation for Ukraine to use long-range missiles as "a very dangerous escalation on the part of the United States".

Biden's U-turn on long-range missiles - while eyeing end of presidency

The news that US President Joe Biden has - according to a US defence official - agreed to provide Ukraine with landmines comes after a recent US decision to give Kyiv a broader license to use American missiles.

In recent days, it was confirmed that US-made long-range missiles had been used by Ukraine to hit targets inside Russia. Previously the US insisted that the missiles should only be used in Ukrainian territory.

The steady ratcheting up of support comes with just two months left in office for Biden before his successor, Donald Trump, is inaugurated as the next US president on 20 January 2025.

Support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion has been one of the defining features of Biden's time in office, and he has signed off tens of billions of dollars in military assistance for Kyiv.

Trump has been more sceptical of aid for Ukraine. He has vowed to end the war "in a day" - without saying how - and reportedly spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin soon after his US election win on 5 November. Russia denied that happened - and Trump's team declined to comment.

US steps up military aid to slow Russian advances

As we've been reporting, it has been confirmed that the US-made long-range Army Tactical Missile System (Atacms) have been used by Ukraine to strike Russian territory - prior to Biden's approval of landmines.

Ukraine already had the US-supplied weaponry, but in recent days US President Joe Biden's administration gave Kyiv permission to use them against targets inside Russia.

After reports emerged of the US's decision, Russia warned of an "appropriate" and "tangible" response if the missiles were against is territory.

"Kyiv's use of long-range missiles to attack our territory would represent the direct involvement of the United States and its satellites in hostilities against Russia, as well as a radical change in the essence and nature of the conflict," Russia's foreign ministry said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has since approved changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine which now states that an attack from a non-nuclear state, if backed by a nuclear power, will be treated as a joint assault on Russia.

Source: BBC