Aerial Bombardment Intensifies; Putin Claims War Can End 'On Our Terms'

Russia's aerial bombardment of Ukrainian cities with hypersonic and ballistic missiles and drones has intensified in recent days, with President Vladimir Putin claiming that the attacks come in response to the Ukrainian shelling of the Russian region of Belgorod on 30 Dec, stating that Kyiv's actions would “not go unpunished”. The attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv on 2 Jan come after the largest aerial attack of the war so far launched by Russia on 29 Dec, in which at least 39 civilians were killed.

• On 1 Jan, Putin stated in televised comments that Russia does not want to fight “endlessly”, claiming that “We also want to end the conflict, and as soon as possible” but that this could be achieved “only on our terms,”
• Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called for its western allies to increase provision of air defence systems, paid for using frozen Russian assets. However, both the US and EU continue to experience difficulty in reaching agreements on military provision to Ukraine.
• The US Congress continues to block the White House's attempts to pass a significant package of foreign policy-focused spending due to Republican demands regarding the southern border. Meanwhile, Hungary's veto over increased Ukraine spending at December's EUCO summit means further delays, with a special EUCO summit scheduled for 1 Feb to seek a compromise that will see tens of billions of euros in long-term funding unlocked for Ukraine.