A summit in London, attended by over 20 nations supporting Ukraine, concluded with pledges to remove Russian oil and gas from the global market. The UK and US have recently sanctioned Russia's major oil companies, while the EU has targeted Moscow's liquefied natural gas exports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also attended, stating that pressure on Russia is necessary to stop the conflict.
Energy Market Actions
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that these actions aim to "choke off funding for Russia's war machine." The summit, hosted in London, included participants from a "coalition of the willing." No announcements regarding long-range missile deliveries were made during the summit.
Military Aid Discussions
President Zelensky has previously advocated for the supply of US-made Tomahawk and European missiles, arguing they would increase the costs for Russia by enabling strikes on military targets within Russian territory, such as oil refineries and weapons depots. During recent discussions in Washington, US President Donald Trump indicated to Zelensky that the US was not ready to supply Tomahawks. Russian President Putin issued a warning on Thursday, stating that the response would be "overwhelming" if "such weapons are used to strike Russian Federation territory."
Russia initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently occupies approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.
Financial Support and Asset Management
Following the London summit, Sir Keir stated that a "clear plan for the rest of the year" was agreed upon for supporting Ukraine, asserting that Putin was "not serious about peace." This plan reportedly includes targeting Russia's sovereign assets to "unlock billions to help finance Ukraine's defence," though no specific details were provided.
On Thursday, EU leaders committed to supporting Ukraine's "financial needs" for the next two years. However, they did not agree on using frozen Russian assets, valued at €140 billion (£122 billion). Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed hope for a decision on a "reparations loan" for Ukraine, funded by Russian assets, by Christmas Eve.
Defense and Security Pledges
The "coalition of the willing" also pledged to enhance Ukraine's air defenses. This commitment comes amid Russian air assaults on Ukrainian civilian areas and energy infrastructure. President Zelensky warned that Russia intends to use winter conditions as a "tool of torment" to "break" Ukraine.
Sir Keir affirmed that the UK and its allies are prepared to increase pressure on Moscow. However, the summit did not provide concrete examples of how allies plan to alter the situation on the battlefield or facilitate negotiations.
Ukrainian officials reported a kindergarten was hit in a Russian air strike in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv earlier this week.