Putin claims Ukraine’s seeing ‘huge losses’ in troubled counteroffensive; Kyiv says it ‘cannot be conquered’

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the country can “absolutely” afford to financially support both Israel and Ukraine in their respective war efforts.

Asked in an interview with Britain’s Sky News on Monday whether the U.S. could afford to be providing military support to Israel and to Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia, Yellen said “the answer is absolutely.”

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— Elliot Smith

Russia is bringing a “really large delegation” to China for the Belt and Road summit this week, Russian presidential advisor Yuri Ushakov said Monday, according to a report from state news agency RIA.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the event, which begins on Tuesday in Beijing. Last week, Putin made his first overseas trip since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him in March.

The Russian delegation will include various ministers, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov; central bank chief Elvira Nabiullina; head of state oil firm Gazprom, Alexey Miller; and head of oil and gas giant Rosneft, Igor Sechin.

Moscow has endeavoured to maintain cordial relations with Beijing as it has faced condemnation and sanctions from the West amid the war in Ukraine. The Chinese position on the conflict is officially neutral, though it has increased its energy ties with Russia as many countries have severed them.

In an interview with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Monday, Putin praised China’s sweeping Belt and Road initiative, calling it a “desire for cooperation.”

— Jenni Reid

Russia hopes to break through Ukrainian defences in the Kupiansk-Lyman sector of the front line in northeastern Ukraine, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces said on Monday.

Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi was shown in video footage posted on the Telegram messaging app telling soldiers that the situation on the northeastern front line had “significantly escalated” in recent days, and the Russian military wanted “revenge” by retaking territory it once occupied in the area.

— Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold separate phone conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority.

“Today we have, one might say, such a ‘powerful shot’: five telephone conversations. The President has already spoken with the President of Syria [Bashar Assad] and the President of Iran [Ebrahim Raisi]. During the day, more telephone contacts will take place with the Presidents of Egypt — [Abdel Fattah] al-Sisi, Palestine — Abbas, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu,” presidential assistant Yuri Ushakov said in Google-translated comments reported by Russian state news agency Tass.

Earlier on Monday, Putin and Assad urged an end to the violence that has erupted between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. The conflict, sparked by the Oct. 7 terror attacks perpetuated by Hamas, has seen Israel declare a complete siege of the enclosed Gaza Strip and call on residents of the northern half of the region to evacuate south of the Wadi Gaza wetlands.

Russia — which is itself carrying out a full-scale invasion of Ukraine — has had to strike a fine balance to preserve its ties with both Israel and Iran, a historical supporter of Hamas. Moscow, heavily sanctioned by Western nations, has yet to fully condemn Hamas and instead characterized the group’s conflict with Israel as a failure of U.S. diplomacy.

— Ruxandra Iordache

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday said support for Ukraine remained a “top priority” for the United States and Europe, calling it crucial to underpin Ukraine’s military battle against Russia’s invasion.

She said the Biden administration was committed to supporting Ukraine “for as long as it takes” and would fight to ensure a bipartisan majority in the U.S. Congress enacted “robust” and uninterrupted assistance for the war-torn country.

“We cannot allow Ukraine to lose the war for economic reasons when it has shown an ability to succeed on the battlefield,” Yellen said in remarks prepared for her third meeting with the Eurogroup euro zone finance ministers.

Yellen’s meeting with the Eurogroup comes as the Biden administration prepares to push through a new military assistance package worth well over $2 billion for both Ukraine and Israel, which is preparing a ground invasion after a deadly Oct. 7 attack by the militant Hamas group that rules Gaza.

Yellen did not address the escalating crisis in the Middle East in her remarks, but told Sky News earlier that America “certainly” could afford to stand with both Israel and Ukraine.

Some Republicans in Congress have questioned funding for Kyiv, including Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, who has been nominated to be House speaker and leads a hardline Republican party caucus backed by former president and likely 2024 nominee Donald Trump. Some EU countries including Hungary have also challenged Brussels’s plans.

Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko told Reuters on Saturday that Ukraine is finding it harder to secure financial support.

— Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin remotely opened a bridge in the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol in Donetsk, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

Putin reportedly took part in a video conference centered on “the opening of road construction projects in the regions of the Russian Federation,” the news agency said, adding that the repaired bridge “is a key element of the road network of Mariupol.”

The bridge is located near in the area of ​​the Azovstal metallurgical plant which became a focal point for Ukrainian resistance before Russian troops finally seized the entire city.

Russia declared it had annexed four regions of Ukraine last September following “referendums” on joining Russia in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The votes were widely seen as coercive and the results not recognized by Ukraine or its Western allies.

Russian forces occupying Mariupol in southern Ukraine have since begun construction projects aimed at putting Russia’s stamp on the region and attempted to erase Ukraine’s identity in the city, and its civilians.

Putin visited Mariupol earlier this year, defying an arrest warrant for war crime charges issued by the International Criminal Court.

— Holly Ellyatt

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad have called for the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to the civilians of the besieged Gaza Strip, during a phone call.

Both Russian state news agency Tass and the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported the conversation.

Assad’s regime has historically been backed by Iran, which also supports Palestinian militant group Hamas. Tehran has praised the terrorist Oct. 7 attacks of Hamas against Israel, but denied involvement in the operation. In the week since then, Syria says its international airports at Damascus and Aleppo have been struck by Israeli missiles, raising fears over a possible spread of the Israeli-Hamas conflict into the wider Middle East.

Responding to a social media post posing the scenario of whether Iran is moving strategic weapons to Syria to open a northern front against Israel, Joshua Zarka, head of strategic affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, on Sunday said, “They are.”

Throughout the conflict, Moscow has urged an end to civilian suffering and violence, but has treaded a fine line to avoid alienating either its Israeli or Iranian allies. The Kremlin has instead blamed the conflict on a failure of Western — and particularly U.S. — diplomacy.

— Ruxandra Iordache

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Ukrainian citizens for their resilience as he marked the 600th day of the war against Russia.

“600. The will that does not give up, gains freedom. Freedom based on unity always prevails. The point is not to waste time. Not to lose unity. Not to let doubts corrode the will,” Zelenskyy said in a post on Facebook.

“Every day we must add to Ukraine’s strength. Every day we must destroy the occupier. Every day we must do everything possible to ensure that the future of Ukrainians belongs only to Ukrainians,” he added.

Six hundred days after Russia’s invasion, it’s estimated that both sides have several hundred thousand military casualties. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed too, and millions displaced by the war.

Zelenskyy’s comments come at a tricky time for Ukraine’s armed forces, with few weeks left for them to make progress in their counteroffensive before the seasons change, bringing rain and muddy conditions and complicating the battleground. War fatigue and some dismay over continued, large-scale funding for Ukraine is also started to concern some of Ukraine’s Western allies.

— Holly Ellyatt

It’s now understood that three Ukrainian children who were taken to Russia will be returned to Ukraine after Qatar’s intervention, a Qatari official briefed on the plans told Reuters Monday.

Last Friday, Qatar facilitated the return of another Ukrainian child, aged seven, who was reunited with his grandmother and is en route to Ukraine via Estonia, the official said. The other three children are a two-year-old boy, a 9-year-old boy, and a girl aged 17, Reuters reported.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry released a statement earlier Monday saying it reunited Ukrainian children with their families, having negotiated with Russia and Ukraine for their safe return, but did not say how many children are being repatriated.

China’s foreign minister on Monday called for a ceasefire to halt the bloodshed in Israel, suggesting at a meeting with his Russian counterpart that major world powers should work to avoid a humanitarian disaster.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed the conflict between Israel and Hamas with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing ahead of a visit by President Vladimir Putin to China.

“The United Nations Security Council must take action, and the major powers should play an active role,” Wang told Lavrov, according to a Chinese transcript of the meeting.

“It is imperative that a ceasefire be put in place, that the two sides be brought back to the negotiating table, and that an emergency humanitarian channel be established to prevent a further humanitarian disaster.”

Russia and China, both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, have said that the fundamental issue at the heart of the conflict is the lack of justice for the Palestinians.

The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital – all territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war.

Russia has condemned violence against both Jews and Palestinians, but Putin has repeatedly criticised the United States for what he said was its flawed approach which had ignored the need for an independent Palestinian state.

“A thorough exchange of views took place on a wide range of international and regional issues, including the sharply aggravated situation in the Middle East,” Russia’s foreign ministry said of the meeting with Wang.

During the bilateral talks, Lavrov and Wang Yi also discussed the military conflict in Ukraine and efforts to resolve it through “political and diplomatic methods”, the ministry said.

“China appreciates President Putin’s high regard for and support for the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, and welcomes the Russian side’s continued active participation,” Wang said.

— Reuters

The Qatari Foreign Ministry thanked the Ukrainian and Russian governments “for their cooperation and commitment to ensuring the safety, security and proper care of these children throughout this process.”

“Qatar stands firmly in support of the efforts made by both the Ukrainian and Russian sides to safeguard the rights and well-being of the children affected by the ongoing crisis,” it said. Like Turkey, Qatar has positioned itself as something of a mediator between Ukraine and Russia during the ongoing war.

In its statement Monday, the foreign ministry said that the the success of this latest operation “reaffirms Qatar’s unwavering commitment to serving as a reliable partner.”

“This mediation effort further underscores Qatar’s enduring commitment to promoting peace, stability, and security both regionally and internationally,” it said, adding that Qatar “remains fully prepared to play a constructive role in addressing crises and conflicts around the world today.”

— Holly Ellyatt

Vladimir Putin aims to strike a “fragile equilibrium” in Russia’s response to the unfolding turmoil in the Middle East, wanting to appear supportive of Israel without being critical of Iran-backed militant group Hamas.

Russia has tried to tread a fine diplomatic line in the Israeli-Hamas conflict, being one of the few countries to have good relations with Israel and Hamas-backer Iran, as well as other surrounding Middle Eastern countries. One analyst said that the position that Putin is taking in the war is essentially an anti-U.S. one.

“Despite the aggressive stance adopted by state controlled TV in Russia (which boosts anti-American narratives over anti-Israeli ones), Putin is more nuanced,” Russia analyst Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of analysis firm R.Politik, said Sunday.

“His own rhetoric suggests that he is willing to condemn Hamas’ attack but not to the extent that it jeopardises bilateral relations, maintaining Moscow’s bilateral diplomatic channels — a prerequisite for Russia to take a mediating role,” she noted.

“However, preserving this equilibrium — in part, to keep open communication with Israel — is becoming increasingly difficult for Moscow,” Stanovaya said, adding that, ultimately, the essence of Putin’s position is an anti-Western one, rather than simply being pro-Palestinian or “not pro-Israeli.”

“Ultimately, the essence of Putin’s decision is anti-American … This sentiment shapes his opinions towards Hamas, Israel’s actions and the broader conflict,” she noted.

— Holly Ellyatt

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit North Korea later this week, the ministry said Monday.

Lavrov will visit the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea from Oct. 18-19 at the invitation of Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry, a statement said.

The visit comes as Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin are in China this week for talks, and as the Belt and Road Forum takes place in Beijing.

Lavrov’s visit to North Korea after the trip to China comes amid deepening ties with Pyongyang. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Russia in early September in a rare trip abroad.

Kim and Putin hailed closer military, economic and geopolitical cooperation, while Western officials feared talks were actually focusing on possible North Korean weapons deliveries for Russia. Both countries denied the accusations. Following the trip, North Korea invited Lavrov and Putin to visit.

— Holly Ellyatt

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the country cannot be conquered after his rival counterpart in Russia claimed Kyiv is suffering “huge losses” in its counteroffensive.

“Ukraine cannot be conquered because our people cannot be conquered,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

“Every day, our cities and villages in the border regions with Russia and along the front line are subjected to terrorist attacks by the occupier … No matter what happens, Ukrainians take care of each other, and the state remains functional,” he said.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said on Facebook Monday that “the Ukrainian defense forces continue to defend in the east and the south of Ukraine, conduct the offensive on Melitopol axis, and offensive operations on Bakhmut axis. As they destroy the enemy, they liberate the temporarily occupied territories and consolidate new positions.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in an interview published Monday that Ukraine was suffering “huge losses” and making little progress in its counteroffensive.

Meanwhile, Russian forces were, he said, conducting an “active defense” and improving their position along almost the whole front line, he claimed, including in the Kupiansk, Zaporizhzhia and Avdiivka areas, the latter being a war hot spot with Russian forces trying to seize the city.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War noted that “Putin may be trying to temper expectations of significant Russian advances around Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast [region] … Putin’s characterization of Russian offensive operations near Avdiivka as an “active defense,” instead of “active combat operations” … may be an attempt to temper expectations of significant Russian advances.”

The ISW noted that “Russian forces are unlikely to make significant breakthroughs or cut off Ukrainian forces in the settlement in the near term, and potential advances at scale would likely require a significant and protracted commitment of personnel and material.”

— Holly Ellyatt

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Ukraine’s losses are eight times higher than those of Russia during an interview with Chinese media, stating that Kyiv’s counteroffensive has been unsuccessful.

“Since June 4, it [Ukraine’s counteroffensive began] has been continuing. So far there are no results, there are only huge losses,” for Ukraine, Putin said in an interview with the China Media Group, according to comments published by Russian news agency Tass on Monday.

“The losses are simply huge – approximately one to eight as a ratio,” Putin said.

Putin said Russian troops are conducting an “active defense” and improving their position along almost the whole of the front line, including in the Kupiansk, Zaporizhzhia and Avdiivka areas, the latter being a hot spot in fighting in recent weeks.

CNBC was unable to verify the claims and Ukraine has not commented. Analysts agree, and Ukraine concedes, that its counteroffensive has not made as much progress as expected or hoped, but Ukrainian forces have managed to break through deep layers of Russian defenses in places and have retaken some territory. The war remains, in many places, an attritional conflict with high losses on both sides, however.

Putin is visiting Beijing this week to participate in the Belt and Road Forum that begins Tuesday, and Sino-Russian talks. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is also attending.

The trip comes just days after Putin visited Kyrgyzstan in his first trip abroad this year, and first since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin, alleging responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation and transfer of children during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

— Holly Ellyatt