The leaders of Poland and NATO said the missile that killed two people in Polish territory Tuesday was likely fired by Ukrainian forces defending their country against a barrage of Russian strikes, and that the incident appeared to be an accident.
This is the first time a NATO country has been directly hit during the conflict. NATO head Jens Stoltenberg said Russia bears “ultimate responsibility” for the incident, “as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine.”
The top US military general, Mark Milley, said that the Ukrainian aim of kicking Russia out of all its territory was a “very difficult task” and one that is not likely to be accomplished anytime soon.
Ukrainian ambassador to UN says Kyiv is ready to cooperate with Poland on missile investigation
From CNN's Lauren Kent
Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that the country is “ready to cooperate with the Polish side” on the investigation into the missile that killed two people in Poland on Tuesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country wants to establish all the facts surrounding the missile that landed in Poland and noted in his daily video address that “clarification of all the circumstances of how Russian aggression crossed the Polish border” was now an issue before the UN Security Council.
The ambassador also told the Security Council that Russia’s attacks were creating a humanitarian disaster that could spill beyond Ukraine.
Some context: The leaders of Poland and NATO said the missile that killed two people in Polish territory on Tuesday was likely fired by Ukrainian forces defending their country against a barrage of Russian strikes and that the incident appeared to be an accident.
The blast occurred outside the rural eastern Polish town of Przewodow, about four miles (about 6.4 kilometers) west of the Ukrainian border on Tuesday afternoon, roughly the same time as Russia launched its biggest wave of missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in more than a month.
CNN’s Tim Lister contributed to this report
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Polish ambassador to NATO says missile incident was ultimately the responsibility of Russia
From CNN's Chris Liakos and Lauren Kent
Tomasz Szatkowski, Polish ambassador to NATO
(CNN)
The Polish ambassador to NATO said that the “ultimate responsibility lies with Russia,” following the deadly missile that landed on Polish territory on Tuesday that left two people dead.
Speaking to CNN, ambassador Tomasz Szatkowski said that the incident would not have happened if Russia did not attack Ukraine and engaged in war crimes by attacking civilian infrastructure.
When asked about how Polish people are feeling following the incident, Szatkowski said that “a certain level of apprehension is understandable,” adding that authorities are doing a lot in order to reassure the population.
Later Wednesday, Russia’s Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya rejected those claims.
“We have long ago stop being surprised by your attempts, in any circumstances in spite of fact or common sense, to blame Russia for everything,” Nebenzya said during the UN Security Council meeting in New York.
“Today, in spite of clear evidence of Ukrainian-Polish provocation, many representatives of western countries have stated to the effect that even if the missiles were launched by Ukraine, it’s still Russia that is to blame for destroying critical infrastructure,” Nebenzya added.
Some more context: The leaders of Poland and NATO said the missile was likely fired by Ukrainian forces defending their country against a barrage of Russian strikes, and that the incident appeared to be an accident.
Poland’s investigation into the incident continues.
This is the first time a NATO country has been directly hit during the conflict. NATO head Jens Stoltenberg also said Russia bears “ultimate responsibility” for the incident, “as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine.”
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President Zelensky says Ukraine wants all data connected to missile that landed in Poland
From CNN's Denis Lapin in Kyiv
President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine wants to establish all the facts surrounding the missile that landed in Poland on Tuesday, killing two people.
Polish officials have indicated that it is likely a Ukrainian missile, deployed by its air defenses amid waves of Russian missile attacks Tuesday, landed inside its border.
Zelensky said in his daily video address that “clarification of all the circumstances of how Russian aggression crossed the Polish border” was now an issue before the UN Security Council.
Zelensky said he had spoken with Polish President Andrzej Duda and expressed his condolences but insisted that it was “Russian aggression” that had claimed the lives of two Polish citizens.
Zelensky said Wednesday had been “a long and hard day,” following the onslaught of Russian missile strikes on infrastructure targets on Tuesday.
“Emergency and stabilization blackouts continue in 18 regions and in Kyiv. These are millions of consumers. We are doing everything to restore electricity – both generation and supply,” he said.
As for the recently liberated city of Kherson, Zelensky said his administration was doing its best to restore key services.
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US State Department aware of Brittney Griner's whereabouts at Russian penal colony, spokesperson says
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler and Michael Conte
Brittney Griner waits during a hearing in Khimki, Russia, in August.
(Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool/AFP/Getty Images/File)
The US State Department is aware of detained WNBA star Brittney Griner’s whereabouts, principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Wednesday.
Patel said they know the location of Griner – who was transferred from Moscow to a penal colony — through lawyers, and “formally the Russian Federation has still failed to provide any official notification for such a move of a US citizen, which we strongly protest.”
Patel did not provide details on where she has been moved, saying at a briefing, “our embassy and our mission in Moscow has continued to press for more information about her transfer and her current location and those requests continue to be ongoing.”
He said he was not aware that anyone from the embassy had been able to speak with Griner since her transfer.
Remember: Griner was convicted of deliberately smuggling drugs into Russia and sentenced to nine years of jail time in August in a case that has raised concerns she is being used as a political pawn in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Judge Anna Sotnikova of the Khimki city court delivered the sentence and fined Griner 1 million rubles, or about $16,400. She said the court took into account Griner’s partial admission of guilt, remorse for the deed, state of health and charitable activities. Prosecutors had asked that she be sentenced to 9.5 years in jail.
Top US general: Ukraine "kicking the Russians physically out" of country not likely to happen soon
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon on November 16 in Arlington, Virginia.
(Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said that the Ukrainians’ aim of “militarily kicking the Russians physically out of Ukraine is a very difficult task” and one that is not likely to be accomplished “anytime soon.”
Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, Milley said Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine, and he noted that Kherson and Kharkiv, which the Ukrainians have reclaimed “are relatively small compared to the whole.”
Milley caveated by saying that “politically, there may be a political solution where politically the Russians withdraw.”
CNN has reported on the divisions in the Biden administration as Milley has seemed to push for a more urgent diplomatic outcome, and the Biden administration has had to work to reassure the Ukrainian government, outside experts, and former US officials that it will not push Ukraine to imminently seek negotiations with Russia after comments Milley made last week.
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Poland reiterates investigation into missile incident will be joint operation with US
From CNN's Tim Lister, Denis Lapin and Antonia Mortensen
Poland has said that investigations at the site where a missile landed will continue to be a joint operation with the United States.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded that Ukrainian experts be allowed access.
American investigators are now working at the site, Polish President Andrzej Duda said Wednesday.
“Since President Biden declared support in a conversation with me yesterday, I accepted this support, so this investigation can be said to be conducted jointly by us and the American side or by the North Atlantic Alliance and us,” he said.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also confirmed that US experts are on the ground in Poland assisting with the Polish investigation.
Zelensky said Wednesday in a meeting with Ukrainian media that a group of Ukrainian experts must be allowed access to the site.
He also said he wanted to see “the number on the missile, because all missiles have numbers on them.” And he said that Ukrainian representatives should be invited to a virtual NATO meeting regarding the incident.
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Polish President Duda meets with US CIA director in Warsaw, Polish security official says
From CNN's Chris Liakos and Katie Bo Lillis
Polish President Andrzej Duda met with CIA Director Bill Burns in Warsaw Wednesday after an incident in eastern Poland that left two people dead, according to Poland’s National Security Bureau chief, Jacek Siewiera.
“In the evening, the President @AndrzejDuda spoke with the head of the CIA, William Burns, who is in Warsaw after his visits to Ankara and Kiev,” Siewera wrote in a post on Twitter sharing a picture of the meeting.
He added that the general security situation as well as the context of the recent events were discussed. “Lots of work on the PL-US line today.”
A US official told CNN that Burns had previously scheduled meetings with Polish officials including Duda. They discussed the current situation and the director reaffirmed the US commitment to providing support to Ukraine and thanked Poland for its continued partnerships including in intelligence channels, according to the official.
Poland has said that it will continue to jointly investigate with the US the site where a missile landed on Tuesday.
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Top US general tried to speak with Russian counterpart on Tuesday but attempts were "unsuccessful"
From CNN's Ellie Kaufman
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley attempted to speak with his Russian counterpart Gen. Valery Gerasimov on Tuesday following the missile that fell in Poland, but the attempts were not successful, Milley said during a press conference at the Pentagon on Wednesday.
Milley spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, his Polish counterpart and other chiefs of defense in Europe after the explosion in Poland yesterday, he said.
“My staff was unsuccessful in getting me linked up with General Gerasimov,” Milley said.
“I did talk to my Ukrainian counterpart, Gen. [Valerii] Zaluzhny — talked to him several times in fact — also Polish counterpart and several other (chiefs of defense) in Europe,” he added.
#Poland##
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Top US general: Russia has lost strategically, operationally and tactically
From CNN's Michael Conte
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley speaks at a press conference at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on November 16.
(Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Image)
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley says Russia has failed “every single” objective in its war against Ukraine.
“Russians have failed every single time. They’ve lost strategically, they’ve lost operationally and, I repeat, they lost tactically. What they’ve tried to do, they failed at,” Milley said Wednesday at a press conference with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. “The strategic reframing of their objectives, of their illegal invasion, have all failed, every single one of them.”
Milley listed Russia’s failure to “overrun all of Ukraine” at the start of the war as well as after their refocus on the Donbas region and the capture of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
“Across the entire frontline trace of some 900 or so kilometers, the Ukrainians have achieved success after success after success, and the Russians have failed every single time,” said Milley.
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US defense head: No contradiction of assessment that Ukrainian defense missile caused Polish explosion
From CNN's Ellie Kaufman
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley speak to members of the press at the Pentagon on November 16 in Arlington, Virginia.
(Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The US has seen no information so far that contradicts Polish President Andrzej Duda’s “preliminary assessment” that the explosion in Poland yesterday that left two dead “was most likely the result of a Ukrainian defense missile,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said at a press conference at the Pentagon on Wednesday.
“Whatever the final conclusions may be, the world knows that Russia bears ultimately responsibility for this incident,” Austin added.
The US has “full confidence” in the Polish government’s investigation into it, Austin said.
“They’ve been conducting that investigation in a professional and deliberate manner, and so we won’t get ahead of their work. We’re going to stay in close touch with our Polish counterparts as well as with our NATO allies and other valued partners,” Austin said.
The explosion in Poland and Russia’s continued attacks against civilian infrastructure are “another reminder of the recklessness of Russia’s war of choice,” Austin said.
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US says it is confident in Polish investigation into deadly missile incident
From CNN's Sam Fossum
Polish police officers search for missile wreckage in a field in Przewodow, Poland, on November 16.
(Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)
The United States said it has “full confidence” in the Polish investigation into the missile that killed two people near the country’s border with Ukraine.
The “party ultimately responsible” for the incident is Russia for its ongoing invasion, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a written statement Wednesday.
“We have full confidence in the Polish government’s investigation of the explosion near their border with Ukraine, and we commend them for the professional and deliberate manner in which they are conducting it,” Watson wrote.
Earlier Wednesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that the missile that hit his country Tuesday was “probably an accident” from Ukraine’s air defenses and that “there is no indication that this was an intentional attack on Poland.”
“That said, whatever the final conclusions may be, it is clear that the party ultimately responsible for this tragic incident is Russia, which launched a barrage of missiles on Ukraine specifically intended to target civilian infrastructure. Ukraine had — and has — every right to defend itself,” Watson said.
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Ukrainian security Service says Russian "torture chamber" in Kherson discovered
From CNN's Julia Kesaieva
A Ukrainian police officer stands at a preliminary detention centre which Ukrainians say was used by Russian service members to jail and torture people in Kherson, Ukraine, on November 16.
The Russians had “kept local patriots who refused to cooperate with the enemy in inhuman conditions,” the SBU said.
“Kherson residents were interrogated and brutally tortured. During the inspection of the torture chamber, law enforcement officers found items that directly indicate signs of torture.”
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NATO should "keep a cool head" following missile incident in Poland, Estonia's prime minister tells CNN
From CNN’s Emmet Lyons and Arnaud Siad
Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas arrives for the second day of a EU leaders Summit at The European Council Building in Brussels, Belgium, on October 21.
(Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images)
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told CNN that NATO allies must “keep a cool head” in light of Tuesday’s missile incident in Poland that left two people dead.
“I think we really have to keep a cool head, knowing there might be a spillover effect, especially to those countries that are very close [to Ukraine],” Kallas told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an interview Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that “materials collected by our services and provided by our allies most probably indicate that the explosion in Przewodów, in eastern Poland, was caused by the shooting down and destruction of a Russian missile.” Polish President Andrzej Duda said that the missile was “probably an accident” from Ukraine’s air defenses.
Russia blamed Ukraine’s air defense system for the missile explosion and said there was “a deliberate provocation in order to escalate the situation.”
Estonian leader Kallas told Amanpour that NATO allies should see the bigger picture when it comes to the incident.
“Of course, Russia wants to concentrate on this one incident, but the problem is Russia is waging a full-scale war in Ukraine,” the Estonian prime minister told CNN.
“Yesterday, they did [their] biggest rocket attacks so far, hitting civilian infrastructure, hitting civilians everywhere, trying to make Ukraine really run out of electricity, bombing the electricity grid so it will be dark and very cold. This is the reason we’re talking about this,” Kallas said about Russian missiles striking across the country on Tuesday.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that one of NATO’s top priorities at the moment is to provide more air defense systems to Ukraine.
Kallas told Amanpour that “air defense, all the equipment that we have, must be given to Ukraine so they can defend themselves.”
“I can’t look into their warehouses, and see what they [NATO members] actually have, but I can call on the leaders of NATO allies who have more, and say ‘please look to your storage, look to your warehouses, find things that you have, do agreements with [the] private sector who is developing equipment,’ so that we can send top equipment to Ukraine and end this war once and for all,” Kallas said.
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Russian says delegation was denied visas to participate in session of security organization in Warsaw
From CNN's Katharina Krebs and Radina Gigova
Russia’s delegation won’t attend the fall session of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which is set to take place next week in Warsaw, because Poland has rejected the delegation members’ visas, a senior Russian official said Wednesday.
Admission of the Russian delegation to the OSCE session “would violate the principle of solidarity with Ukraine,” the head of Poland’s delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Barbara Bartus, said in response to the request for visas, according to Vladimir Dzhabarov, first deputy chair of the Russian Federation Council Committee on International Affairs.
“Unfortunately, we received an outrageous response from the head of the Polish delegation to the OSCE parliamentary assembly, Ms. Bartus, who literally said that she does not see any possibility of Russian and Belarusian representatives participating in the autumn session of the OSCE PA in Warsaw,” Dzhabarov said during a parliament session.
“We expect that a similar problem with restricting the access of the members of our delegation to the assembly’s events may be repeated in February when the winter session is planned in Vienna and also next July with regards to the annual session in Canada,” Dzhabarov said.
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Pro-Russian authorities in Kherson urge evacuation as shelling continues
From CNN's Denis Lapin and Katharina Krebs
A woman walks past a damaged building in the town of Nova Kakhovka, Ukraine, on October 30.
(Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)
Residents and officials in the part of Kherson region still occupied by Russian forces are being urged to leave for Russia.
The Military and Civil Administration in Russian-occupied Oleshky, which lies on the east side of the Dnipro river, said on Telegram that it “strongly recommends that the residents of the district leave for safe regions of the Russian Federation.”
Employees of the Russian-installed administration of Nova Kakhovka, a city in Kherson, have already relocated to safe places, according to the city administration Tuesday.
As a result of damage to fiber-optic lines in the city, there is no internet or mobile network.
According to the statement, “this does not mean that Nova Kakhovka, Tavriysk and all other settlements were abandoned.” Crews of communal enterprises and services work in standby mode and ensure the functioning of energy and water supply systems in the city.
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British foreign secretary says UK will not rush to judgment on Poland missile incident
From CNN’s Allegra Goodwin and Alex Hardie in London
James Cleverly leaves Downing Street on September 6, in London, England.
(Rob Pinney/Getty Images)
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the UK would not rush to a judgment about the origin of a missile which landed in a Polish village Tuesday, killing two people.
“We are not going to rush to judgment. Our response will always be led by the facts,” Cleverly said Wednesday in a speech to the British Parliament, adding the investigation into the incident would be led by Poland.
Cleverly’s warning comes after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a Brussels news conference that “preliminary analysis suggests that the incident was likely caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile fired to defend Ukrainian territory against Russian cruise missile attacks.”
“But let me be clear, this is not Ukraine’s fault,” Stoltenberg said, adding, “Russia bears ultimate responsibility, as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine.”
The foreign secretary condemned Putin’s “brutal air campaign” on Ukraine on Tuesday, when waves of missiles hit cities across the country.
Cleverly added the strikes were “Putin’s revenge for Ukraine’s successes on the battlefield, where Russian forces have been expelled from thousands of square miles of territory and now he is trying to terrorize the people of Ukraine and break their will by leaving them shivering in cold and darkness.”
UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace also said Wednesday that he cannot speculate on the missile incident.
Asked what conversations he has had with NATO counterparts, Wallace said that he was in touch with his Polish counterpart on Tuesday, “offering my support.”
His Polish counterpart “replied that they were obviously waiting for intelligence and indeed details to emerge,” Wallace said.
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US official: Ukrainian military tells US, allies it attempted missile interception near Poland strike location
From CNN's Jim Sciutto
The Ukrainian military told US and allies that it attempted to intercept a Russian missile during the timeframe and near that location of the Poland missile strike, a US official told CNN.
It’s not clear this air defense missile is the same missile that struck Poland, but this information has informed an ongoing US assessment of the strike.
A Pentagon spokesperson referred CNN to comments by US President Joe Biden last night: “It’s unlikely, in the minds of the trajectory, that it was fired from Russia. But we’ll see. We’ll see.”
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Polish PM says explosion Tuesday probably caused by shooting down of a Russian missile
From CNN's Tim Lister
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that the explosion in Poland yesterday near the border with Ukraine was likely caused by a Russian missile being shot down “without any intention on either side.”
“Materials collected by our services and provided by our allies most probably indicate that the explosion in Przewodów, in eastern Poland, was caused by the shooting down and destruction of a Russian missile,” he said.
Morawiecki tweeted that “there are many indications that one of these missiles fell on Polish territory without any intention on either side.”
Earlier Wednesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda said his government doesn’t have any evidence to suggest that the missile that landed in Poland on Tuesday was fired by Russia.
“Probably it was shot by the Ukrainian Air Defense, and unfortunately, it fell onto Polish territory,” he said.
He reiterated that nothing shows that it was an “intentional attack” against Poland.
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It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know
Poland’s president and the head of NATO have today both said that it’s likely that the missile strike that killed two people in a Polish border village Tuesday was accidentally caused by Ukrainian air defenses, with no sign that it was a intentional attack on Poland.
Yet this is the first time a NATO country has been directly hit since the conflict began in February. Alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said that: “Russia bears ultimate responsibility, as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, residents across Ukraine face emergency power cuts following Russia’s barrage of strikes targeting energy infrastructure on Tuesday.
Here are the latest developments:
“Not Ukraine’s fault”: The origins of the missile that struck eastern Poland with deadly consequences are still under detailed investigation, though Stoltenberg said early analysis suggests it was “likely” fired by Ukraine’s defenses.
Emergency blackouts hit Ukraine: Residents in multiple Ukrainian regions will face further scheduled and unscheduled power cuts Wednesday, a day after Russia fired scores of missiles at the country.
Missile threatens diplomacy: Global leaders scrambled to alleviate the fallout from Tuesday’s incident. French President Emmanuel Macron echoed his G20 counterparts and said the group should send a “very clear message to avoid escalation.”
What the Kremlin says: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov praised the United States’ reaction to the missile incident in Poland, saying it was “restrained” and “professional,” contrasting statements from Poland and other countries. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said the missile that fell in Poland was Russian-made. On Wednesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that the strike was “probably an accident” from Ukraine’s air defenses. US President Joe Biden called for an emergency meeting of the leaders of the G7 and NATO countries on Wednesday. Biden said the preliminary information refutes reports that the missile was fired from Russia.
War dominates G20: The paragraph on the war in Ukraine was the most intensely discussed section of the G20 joint leaders’ declaration, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said Wednesday, as the summit wrapped.
Grain deal concerns: Leaders at the G20 summit called for the “full implementation” of the Black Sea Grain Initiative after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov cast doubt on the future of the agreement, which was negotiated to ease a global food crisis inflamed by the war.
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US will "work closely" with Poland and others to gather more information on Tuesday's strike, official says
From CNN's Ellie Kaufman
The US will “continue to work closely” with Poland and other allies to “gather more information” about the deadly explosion that occurred in Poland yesterday, killing two people, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said during opening remarks ahead of the seventh meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group Wednesday.
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group is designed to coordinate support for Ukraine from foreign allies around the world. This is the group’s seventh meeting. Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley are hosting this meeting virtually from the Pentagon.
Austin highlighted Russia’s strikes across Ukraine earlier on Tuesday before reports of a strike in Poland emerged.
Russia is putting “civilians and civilian infrastructure in its gun sights,” Austin said. He reaffirmed that Russia’s targeting of civilians and their continued missile strikes “only deepen the resolve of the contact group,” and “only intensify Ukraine’s determination,” in his opening remarks.
“The Kremlin may hope that more bombardment will break the resolve of the Ukrainian people, but ordinary Ukrainian citizens have responded with the magnificent defiance that the world now knows so well,” Austin added.
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MI5 chief says Russian spying in Europe has been dealt "significant strategic blow" since war in Ukraine
From CNN's Nick Paton Walsh
MI5 Director General Ken McCallum gives a speech at Thames House in central London, England, on November 16.
(Yui Mok/PA Images/Getty Images)
Russia’s ability to spy in Europe has been dealt the “most significant strategic blow” in recent history after coordinated expulsions of diplomats since the invasion of Ukraine, with 100 diplomatic visa requests refused in the UK alone in recent years, according to the head of the UK’s security services, MI5.
Ken McCallum, the director general of MI5, said in an annual speech outlining threats to the United Kingdom that this year 600 Russians officials had been expelled from Europe, 400 of whom his agency judged to be spies.
In comments after the speech, McCallum called the expulsions “a very, very large dent in the Russians call about positioning across Europe,” adding data about agents was shared between European allies so that “it’s not easy for the Russians to cross post” one spy “expelled from country A to Country D.”
He added: “I hope what will continue to be true is that a very large volume of trained, experienced Russian intelligence talent, if I can use that term, will be of far less utility and most other parts of the world for many years to come.”
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After Russia's missile barrage, NATO's top priority is more air defense systems for Ukraine
From CNN's Radina Gigova and Allegra Goodwin
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addresses the media after an emergency meeting over Poland in Brussels, Belgium, on November 16.
(Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed one of the alliance’s top priorities is to provide more air defense systems to Kyiv, after Russia launched its biggest wave of missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in more than a month on Tuesday.
“Our main priority now or one of the top priorities now is to provide more air defense systems for Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said.
Stoltenberg added he has spoken with Polish President Andrzej Duda and US President Joe Biden, after a missile landed in eastern Poland on Tuesday and killed two people near the border with Ukraine.
The NATO chief said in the same news conference that preliminary analysis suggests the Poland missile incident was “likely” caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile, adding: “This is not Ukraine’s fault. Russia bears ultimate responsibility, as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine.”
The explosion marked the first time a NATO country has been directly hit during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with global leaders working to allay fears of a potential escalation in the conflict as a result of the strike.
“We agreed that we need to stay vigilant, calm and closely coordinated. We will continue to consult and monitor the situation very closely,” Stoltenberg said.
“NATO stands united, and we will always do what is necessary to protect and defend all allies.”
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Germany offers to help Poland patrol airspace after missile incident
From CNN’s Chris Stern in Berlin and Eve Brennan in London
A Eurofighter of the German Air Force Tactical Air Wing 74 flies above Konztanza, Romania, on March 2.
/Getty Images)
Germany on Wednesday said it will offer support to Poland to help patrol Polish airspace in light of the missile explosion on Tuesday.
“As an immediate reaction to the incident in Poland, we will offer to strengthen air policing with combat air patrols over its airspace with German Eurofighters,” German Defence Ministry spokesperson Christian Thiels said at a press conference.
“The mission could begin as early as tomorrow, if Poland desired,” he added.
German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht is planning to speak to her Polish counterpart on the matter on Wednesday, he added.
Deputy spokesperson for the German government, Wolfgang Buechner, said at the same news conference that Chancellor Olaf Scholz has spoken to Polish President Andrzej Duda on the phone and offered Berlin’s support.
“There is no question that we are standing very closely by Poland’s side and will of course not leave Poland alone in this situation,” said Buechner.
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NATO head says missile that hit Poland was likely fired by Ukraine's defenses, but Russia bears "ultimate responsibility"
From CNN's Radina Gigova and Allegra Goodwin
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg holds a news conference at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on November 16.
(Yves Herman/Reuters)
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that early investigations suggest a deadly strike in Poland on Tuesday was “likely” caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile.
“Our preliminary analysis suggests that the incident was likely caused by the Ukrainian air defense missile fired to defend Ukrainian territory against Russian cruise missile attacks,” Stoltenberg said during a Wednesday news conference in Brussels.
“We have no indication that Russia is preparing offensive military actions against NATO,” the alliance chief said.
The landing of a deadly missile in eastern Poland near the border with Ukraine on Tuesday marked the first time a NATO country had been directly hit during the conflict. Leaders at the G20 summit in Bali have since scrambled to diffuse the fallout from the incident.
Stoltenberg also said the missile incident demonstrates the war “continues to create dangerous situations” and that the conflict is “President [Vladimir] Putin’s responsibility.”
Stoltenberg said the investigation into the missile incident in Poland is ongoing and NATO will continue to monitor the situation “very closely.”
“We need to stay vigilant, calm and closely coordinated,” he said.
The Ukrainian Air Force said it will “do everything” to facilitate an investigation into a missile strike in Poland on Tuesday that killed two people near the border with Ukraine.
“What happened was the Air Defense Force repelling the air attack,” Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for Air Force Command Ukraine, said on Wednesday.
“What happened next – whether it was a Russian missile, or this was the wreckage of both rockets falling – this has to be inspected at the site. And that is what is happening right now.”
“It is necessary to provide a legal assessment,” Ihnat added. “The process is ongoing, the experts are working. It is necessary to establish which missile wreckage these were, I don’t think it would be too difficult.”
“We advocate for a joint examination of the incident with the missile’s landing in Poland,” Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said on Twitter.
“We are ready to hand over evidence of the Russian trace that we have. We are expecting information from our partners, based on which a conclusion was made that it’s a Ukrainian air defense missile.”
The comments came as the Russian defense ministry said Ukraine’s air defense system is responsible for the strike, calling assertions blaming “Russian missiles” for being behind the explosion “a deliberate provocation with the aim of escalating the situation.”
Ihnat also made reference to an incident at the end of October, when a Russian missile intercepted by the Ukrainian military fell on a village in Moldova.
“This is a really resonant situation, but this is not the first time,” he said. In that case, he explained a Russian missile was downed by Kyiv “after crossing the Ukrainian border with Moldova. The wreckage of a missile fell on the territory of Moldova.”
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Paragraph on Ukraine war was the "most debated" section of G20 leaders’ declaration
From CNN's Nectar Gan and Niamh Kennedy
Indonesian President Joko Widodo makes a statement as he holds a press conference within the last day of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Bali, Indonesia on November 16.
(Emin Sansar/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
The paragraph on the war in Ukraine was the most intensely discussed section of the G20 joint leaders’ declaration, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said Wednesday.
“The most debated paragraph is only one paragraph, which is our stance on the war in Ukraine. Until late midnight yesterday we discussed this, and in the end the Bali leaders’ declaration was agreed unanimously in consensus,” Joko told journalists during a news conference on wrapping up the G20 summit in Indonesia.
“Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine” and emphasized the “immense human suffering” it is inflicting on the country, according to the declaration also published Wednesday.
The 17-page document is not signed by individual attending leaders and acknowledged a difference of opinion at the summit, where scrutiny had fallen on China and India as Western countries pushed for a strong denunciation of the war in the closing statement.
“There were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions,” the document said.
“Recognizing that the G20 is not the forum to resolve security issues, we acknowledge that security issues can have significant consequences for the global economy.”
“We agreed that the war has negative impact to the global economy, and the global economic recovery will also not be achieved without any peace,” Joko added.
G20 leaders scrambled to alleviate a potential escalation in the conflict after a missile struck Poland on Tuesday and killed two people near the border with Ukraine, marking the first time a NATO member has been directly hit during the war.
Polish President Andrzej Duda later said there is “no indication” that the missile was an “intentional attack” on the country and was probably an accident from Ukrainian air defenses.
CNN’s Sandi Sidhu and Ivan Watson in Bali contributed reporting.
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Poland's president says missile that hit the country is "probably an accident" from Ukrainian defenses
From CNN's Anna Odzeniak, Sugam Pokharel and Eve Brennan
Polish President Andrzej Duda speaks during a news conference at the National Security Bureau headquarters in Warsaw, Poland, on November. 16
(Pawel Supern/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Polish President Andrzej Duda has said that the missile that hit his country on Tuesday was “probably an accident” from Ukraine’s air defenses.
“There is no indication that this was an intentional attack on Poland. Most likely, it was a Russian-made S-300 rocket. We have no proof at the moment that it was a missile fired by the Russian side,” he tweeted Wednesday.
“There is a high chance” that one of the Ukrainian air defense missiles fell on Poland’s territory, he said. Two people were killed in the incident.
“Probably it was shot by the Ukrainian Air Defense, and unfortunately, it fell onto Polish territory,” he said.
“It wasn’t a big explosion, but still it was an explosion,” the president added. He reiterated that nothing shows that it was an “intentional attack” against Poland.
Duda also said that Poland has increased combat readiness of its forces. He also said that he spoke to US President Joe Biden about increasing combat readiness of the US Air Force Base in Poland.
The missile hitting eastern Poland marked the first time a NATO country had been directly hit during the conflict.
Kyiv power supply is "complicated" after Tuesday's missile strikes
From CNN's Julia Kesaieva
The power supply in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv has been left in a “complicated” situation, according to officials, following Russia’s missile strikes targeting critical infrastructure on Tuesday.
“The power supply network of Kyiv is united with the national power supply system,” the city’s mayor, Vitalii Klitschko, said on Telegram.
The attacks hampered residents’ access to electricity in multiple Ukrainian regions, leading to both scheduled and unscheduled and emergency power outages on Wednesday.
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Polish foreign minister meeting with Russian ambassador lasted "only four minutes"
From CNN's Antonia Mortensen and Radina Gigova
Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau looks on during a press conference on May 24, in Berlin, Germany.
(Filip Singer/Getty Images)
A meeting between Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau and the summoned Russian ambassador to Poland, Sergey Andreyev, following the landing of a deadly missile on Polish territory lasted “only four minutes,” according to a government spokesperson.
“He (Andreyev) was received, but without any exchange of courtesy, without shaking hands, by Minister Zbigniew Rau and the delegation accompanying him. Our diplomatic note was read to the ambassador, which is similar to the communiqué we published. The ambassador accepted the position and left,” Lukasz Jasina, a spokesman for Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said.
Jasna told Polish national radio that the Russian ambassador, who was summoned by Poland on Tuesday after the missile struck eastern Poland, appeared around midnight for the meeting.
Poland said a “Russian-made” missile hit the country on Tuesday, killing two people. The incident marks the first time a NATO country has been directly hit during the conflict. It is not known who fired the missile, or precisely where it was fired from.
In another interview, Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński said on RMF FM Radio that Foreign Minister Rau demanded Andreyev to explain the situation during the meeting.
“There is a very high probability that we are dealing with a consequence of Russia’s actions,” Jabłoński said.
“These consequences for the first time since the outbreak of the war – this is something that we assumed could happen, but it happened yesterday – affected Poland, Polish territory, Polish citizens died.”
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Poland missile incident likely caused by Ukraine air defense, Belgian minister says
From CNN’s Saskya Vandoorne and Eve Brennan
The explosion that occurred outside the Polish village of Przewodow on Tuesday was likely a result of Ukraine’s air defense system intercepting an incoming Russian missile, according to Belgium’s Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder.
“Based on current information, the strikes in #Poland seem to be a result of Ukrainian air defense,” Dedonder tweeted Wednesday.
“Pieces of Russian missiles and a Ukrainian interception missile are said to have landed in Poland. To be confirmed by ongoing investigations,” she added.
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Macron says G20 has responsibility to "avoid escalation" over Poland missile incident
From CNN’s Joseph Ataman in Paris
French President Emmanuel Macron holds a press conference following the conclusion of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on November 16.
(Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images)
French President Emmanuel Macron said the G20 summit has a responsibility to send a “very clear message to avoid escalation” over the deadly missile incident in Poland.
Global leaders have the role to “send a very clear message to avoid escalation … to defend peace and to avoid the division, a partition of the world,” Macron told reporters from the summit in Bali Wednesday.
He added that there was a “space of convergence” among the gathered G20 leaders, including China and India, to push Russia towards de-escalation in Ukraine.
The landing of a missile in eastern Poland on its border with Ukraine on Tuesday killed two people, marking the first time a NATO country has been directly struck during the conflict.
Macron said that he had also spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart President Volodymyr Zelensky and that between 80 and 100 Russian missiles had targeted civilian structures in Ukraine Tuesday during Moscow’s latest barrage of deadly strikes.
He added that he hoped China would “play a more significant mediation role in the coming months” in the war in Ukraine, as he announced his intention to visit Beijing “at the start of 2023.”
Chinese leader Xi Jinping “very clearly expressed” his wish for de-escalation in Ukraine, according to the French president.
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Most of the 13 missiles fired on Ukraine's Lviv region on Tuesday were shot down, official says
From CNN's Julia Kesaieva
Smoke rises on the horizon after Russian strikes in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on November 15.
(Yuriy Dyachyshyn/AFP/Getty Images)
A local official said Ukrainian forces shot down “most” of the 13 missiles Russia fired into the western region of Lviv on Tuesday, as Moscow launched its largest barrage of nationwide strikes in over a month.
“It was a missile attack from long-range aircraft flying from the east. Most of them were shot down by the soldiers of the Air Defense ‘West.’”
Three energy infrastructure facilities were “critically damaged” by the attack, Kozytskyi said, and 700,000 people were left without electricity. An official in the Ukrainian president’s office said Wednesday that energy supply had been 95% restored.
Kozytskyi said that one person was in the hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Russia’s shelling earlier this week sapped much of Ukraine’s electricity supply, resulting in scheduled and unscheduled emergency power cuts across multiple regions of the country Wednesday.
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Initial US assessments indicate missile that hit Poland originated in Ukraine
From CNN's Phil Mattingly and Kevin Liptak
Two officials briefed on initial US assessments said it appears the missile that killed two people in eastern Poland Wednesday originated in Ukraine, even though it was Russian made.
The official said that assessment is what President Joe Biden appeared to be alluding to in his remarks earlier when he said it was “unlikely” the missile originated in Russia,
The officials said intelligence assessments had been discussed at the emergency meeting called by Biden on the margins of the G20 summit in Bali and would also be a topic of conversation at a meeting of NATO ambassadors in Brussels.
The joint statement after the G7 meeting was also deliberately ambiguous when it came to the incident, putting far more focus on the dozens of strikes that happened in the hours before the missives crossed into Poland.
A spokesperson with the US National Security Council declined to comment on reports that the Russian-made missile that landed in eastern Poland killing two people was fired by Ukrainian forces trying to intercept a Russian attack.
“We have no comment and will not be confirming this report. As the President said today, we support Poland’s ongoing investigation to figure out exactly what happened,” the spokesman said.
Earlier, President Biden said preliminary information suggests it is unlikely the missile that landed in Poland was fired from Russia after consulting with allies at the G20 Summit in Indonesia.
“I don’t want to say that [it was fired from Russia] until we completely investigate,” Biden went on. “It’s unlikely in the minds of the trajectory that it was fired from Russia. But we’ll see.”
Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have used Russian-made munitions during the nine-month conflict. CNN has previously reported that Ukraine has used Russian-made missiles as part of their air defense system. These older-generation weapons systems date back to the period when both Russia and Ukraine were part of the Soviet Union.
In a statement to CNN on Wednesday, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not explicitly deny reports the missile originated in Ukraine but emphasized Russia’s responsibility for starting the war.
“There is only one logic to be followed,” Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Office of the Ukrainian President, said. “The war was started and is being waged by Russia. Russia is massively attacking Ukraine with cruise missiles. Russia has turned the eastern part of the European continent into an unpredictable battlefield. Intent, means of execution, risks, escalation – it is all coming from Russia alone.”
“And there can be no other explanation for any missile incident here. So when an aggressor country launches a deliberate, massive missile strike against a large country on the European continent with its obsolete Soviet-era weapons (Kh -class missiles), tragedy sooner or later occurs on the territories of other states as well.”
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Indonesian leader calls for "calm" in aftermath of missile hitting Poland
From CNN’s Nectar Gan and Niamh Kennedy
Indonesian President Joko Widodo speaks during a news press conference after the G20 Leaders’ summit in Bali, Indonesia, November 16, 2022 REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/Pool
(Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/Reuters)
Indonesian President Joko Widodo asked for “calm” at the G20 summit in Bali, after a missile struck Poland near its border with Ukraine on Tuesday.
“I regret the incident in Poland. I call all parties to remain calm and refrain from escalating tension,” Joko told journalists during a news conference on wrapping up the G20 summit in Indonesia on Wednesday.
“I always say that war will only bring devastation. Therefore, we must stop the war. And President Biden has already said that the missile is unlikely coming from Russia,” Widodo added.
US President Joe Biden said earlier Wednesday that there was preliminary information that “contests” claims the missile was fired from Russia.
“I don’t want to say that until we completely investigate,” Biden went on. “It’s unlikely in the minds of the trajectory that it was fired from Russia. But we’ll see.”
Global leaders gathered at the conference attempted to alleviate a potential escalation in the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine after Poland said a “Russian-made” missile struck an area outside the rural village of Przewodow and killed two people.
The incident marked the first time a NATO-member has been directly hit during the conflict. It is not known who fired the missile, or exactly where it was launched from.
CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed reporting.
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G20 leaders urge "full implementation" of Black Sea grain deal, following uncertainty from Moscow
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy
US President Joe Biden, left, talks with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their bilateral meeting during the G20 summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, on November 15.
(Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP/Getty Images)
World leaders, gathered at the G20 summit in Bali, have called for the “full implementation” of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, stressing its importance for maintaining global food security.
Members said they “welcomed” the UN-brokered grain deal and its efforts to “ease tension and prevent global food insecurity and hunger in developing countries,” in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We emphasize the importance of their full, timely and continued implementation by all relevant stakeholders, as well as the UN Secretary-General’s calls for continuation of these efforts by the Parties,” the leaders stressed in the declaration, published as the summit in Bali, Indonesia, wrapped Wednesday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday cast doubt on the future of the agreement, which was negotiated to allow the safe passage of ships carrying Ukrainian grain and ease a global food crisis inflamed by the war.
The G20 said that it has also taken note of other initiatives to tackle the issue of food insecurity, name-checking the Arab Coordination Group’s $10 billion package to address the issue.
US President Joe Biden and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan both agreed that the grain deal has been “critical to improving global food security amid Russia’s war,” and emphasized the need for its continued implementation at a bilateral meeting on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin told Russia state media RIA Novosti that Moscow’s decision on the extension of the grain deal will be made taking into account the implementation of the Russia-UN memorandum on the export of Russian fertilizers and agricultural products.
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Ukrainians face further power cuts following Russian strikes on energy facilities
From CNN's Julia Kesaieva in Kyiv
Dark street during a blackout after a massive Russian missile attack on Ukrainian power infrastructure in Lviv, Ukraine, on November 15.
(Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
Ukrainians will face further scheduled and unscheduled power cuts Wednesday, a day after Russia fired 85 missiles at the country mostly targeting critical infrastructure.
“Massive missile strikes on November 15 on the energy infrastructure and cold weather further complicated the situation with the power system,” the state energy company NPC Ukrenergo said in a statement Wednesday.
The company said that repair crews were working “around the clock” to restore electricity.
Tuesday’s strikes targeted power infrastructure in several regions of the country, leaving more than seven million people without power and sapping electricity supply nationwide, according to authorities.
The deputy head of the Office of the Ukrainian President, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, gave an update on Wednesday of the power situation around the country.
Seven Ukrainian regions still have areas without power, including the northeastern Kharkiv region, the western Lviv region and the northeastern Sumy region, while power has been restored in seven regions including central Kyiv and Odesa in the south.
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Kherson shortens curfew to assist demining efforts
From CNN's Julia Kesaieva and Victoria Butenko in Kyiv
People get in line to receive humanitarian aid at Independence Square in Kherson, Ukraine, on November 15.
(Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Authorities in the recently liberated Ukrainian city of Kherson have shortened its nightly curfew in order to help with demining following the withdrawal of Russian forces.
Ukrainian forces swept into Kherson on Friday as Russian troops retreated to the east, delivering a major victory to Kyiv and marking one of the biggest setbacks for President Vladimir Putin since his invasion began.
Over the weekend, the city introduced a curfew from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. local time to ensure the safety of residents. People were prohibited from being on the streets and other public places in Kherson during those hours.
This has now been reduced to 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m in order to assist with new safety measures, particularly the removal of mines.
The Kherson city administration said on Telegram: “The curfew has been changed in order to carry out stabilization measures on the de-occupied territory of the settlements of the Kherson city territorial community, in particular, demining of this territory and taking measures for the safety of the civilian population of the community.”
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UK PM says allies held "urgent meeting" to underscore solidarity with Ukraine and Poland
From CNN's Radina Gigova in London
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a press conference after meeting with US President Joe Biden and a phone call to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on November 16, in Nusa Dua, Indonesia.
(Leon Neal/Getty Images)
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that allies held an “urgent meeting” at the G20 summit in Bali to “underscore our solidarity with Ukraine and Poland,” after a deadly missile landed in eastern Poland on Tuesday.
“While other world leaders were working together to tackle the greatest challenges our people face, Putin was launching indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Ukraine,” Sunak said on Wednesday during a press conference at the conclusion of the summit.
“None of this would be happening if it weren’t for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
Some context: The missile hit an area outside the rural Polish village of Przewodow, about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) west of the Ukrainian border.
It marks the first time a NATO country has been directly hit during the almost nine-month conflict. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear and it is not known who fired the missile or where it was launched from.
Sunak and his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, have spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and highlighted the “importance of a full investigation” into the shelling, according to Downing Street.
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Sunak and Trudeau stress to Zelensky importance of investigation into missile landing in Poland
From CNN's Schams Elwazer and Sugam Pokharel
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada hold a press conference at the G20 summit on November 16, in Nusa Dua, Indonesia.
(Leon Neal/Getty Images)
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and emphasized the “importance of a full investigation” into a missile that landed in Poland on Tuesday, according to Downing Street.
“The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Trudeau emphasised the importance of a full investigation into the circumstances behind missiles falling in Poland yesterday,” Downing Street said in a statement on Wednesday.
Poland said a “Russian-made” missile hit the country on Tuesday, killing two people. The incident marks the first time a NATO country has been directly hit during the conflict. It is not known who fired the missile, or precisely where it was fired from.
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West moving closer to "world war" after missile lands in Poland, former Russian president says
From CNN’s Martin Goillandeau
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the fall of a missile within Poland’s border shows the West is moving closer to a world war.
Russia has denied it had anything to do with the missile that landed in eastern Poland on Tuesday and killed two people, roughly at the same time as Moscow launched its biggest wave of missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in more than a month.
The strike marks the first time a NATO country has been directly hit during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is not known who fired the missile, or exactly where it was launched from, although the Polish Foreign Ministry has described it as “Russian-made.”
Medvedev is the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council. He served as Russia’s president between 2008 and 2012 and prime minister between 2012 and 2020.
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China calls for restraint following deadly Poland missile explosion
From CNN's Wayne Chang
Police block a road near the site where a missile strike killed two people on November 17, in the eastern Poland village of Przewodow, near the border with Ukraine.
(Wojtek Radwansk/AFP/Getty Images)
China’s Foreign Ministry called for calm on Wednesday after Poland said a “Russian-made missile” had landed in a village near its border with Ukraine, killing two people.
Asked about the incident in a regular briefing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said all parties should “remain calm, exercise restraint and prevent the situation from escalating.”
Some context: Although China has consistently called for an end to hostilities in Ukraine, it has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion. Instead, Beijing has called for the “legitimate security concerns of all parties” to be recognized, while blaming the US and NATO for the conflict.
Beijing and Moscow have become close partners in recent years as both face tensions with the West, with Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin declaring the two countries had a “no-limits” partnership weeks before Russia’s invasion began
So far, Beijing has not provided direct military or financial aid to Moscow that could spark sanctions from Washington. Meanwhile, Chinese state media has previously reported on leader Xi Jinping’s support for international peace talks as a mechanism for ending the war.
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US declines to comment on reports "Russian-made" missile that struck Poland was fired by Ukrainian forces
From CNN's Kevin Liptak, Pierre Bairin and Alex Stambaugh
US President Joe Biden speaks about the situation in Poland at the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on November 16.
(Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
A spokesperson with the US National Security Council has declined to comment on reports the “Russian-made missile” that stuck eastern Poland killing two people was fired by Ukrainian forces, trying to intercept a Russian attack.
What did the report say? On Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that three US officials said preliminary assessments suggested the missile was fired by Ukrainian forces in an attempt to intercept an incoming Russian strike. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, according to the AP.
In a statement to CNN on Wednesday, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not explicitly deny the AP report. CNN has reached out to NATO about the AP report, but has not yet heard back.
The explosion: The missile landed outside the rural Polish village of Przewodow, about four miles (6.4 kilometers) west from the Ukrainian border on Tuesday afternoon, roughly the same time as Russia launched its biggest wave of missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in more than a month.
The exact circumstances surrounding the incident, which marks the first time a NATO country has been directly struck during the almost nine-month conflict, remain unclear, though the Polish Foreign Ministry has described it as “Russian-made.”
Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have used Russian-made munitions during the conflict, with Ukraine deploying Russian-made missiles as part of its air defense system. These older-generation weapons systems date back to the period when both Russia and Ukraine were part of the Soviet Union.
G20 ends with "most" members condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine
From CNN’s Sandi Sidhu and Ivan Watson in Bali, Indonesia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov walks during the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, on November 15.
(Achmad Ibrahim/AP)
“Most” G20 members states have “strongly condemned” Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to the end of summit joint leaders’ declaration issued in Bali, Indonesia on Wednesday.
The document, which runs to more than 1,100 pages, is not signed by individual attending leaders and acknowledged a difference of opinion at the summit, where scrutiny had fallen on China and India as Western countries pushed for a strong denunciation of the war in the closing statement.
China has repeatedly refused to call Russia’s attack on Ukraine an “invasion” or even a “war,” nor has it condemned Moscow for its military action.
“There were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions,” the document said. “Recognizing that the G20 is not the forum to resolve security issues, we acknowledge that security issues can have significant consequences for the global economy.”
G20 nations, including China, also stated their opposition to the prospect of nuclear weapons being used in conflict.
The G20 leader’s document stated: “The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible. The peaceful resolution of conflicts, efforts to address crises, as well as diplomacy and dialogue, are vital. Today’s era must not be of war.”
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EU and Australia reiterate support for Ukraine at G20 summit
From CNN's Yong Xiong
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. left, meets with President of the European Council Michel Charles, right, and president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen during the 2022 G20 summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, on November 16.
(Mick Tsikas/AAP Image/Reuters)
European Union leaders and Australia stand “resolutely with Ukraine” and remain “unwavering” in their support for the country amid its war with Russia, according to a joint statement issued Wednesday at the G20 summit in Bali.
The joint statement from Australian, European Council and European Commission leaders came after a meeting between Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The statement also acknowledged the war in Ukraine has caused “disruption and volatility” of global energy and food markets, and noted the role Australia can play in contributing to the stability of global gas markets through its steady supply to the Indo-Pacific.
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Russia's isolation at G20 summit over Ukraine puts China and India under spotlight
From CNN's Nectar Gan in Bali, Indonesia and Rhea Mogul
Xi Jinping walks at the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Wednesday.
Willy Kurniawan/Pool/Reuters
Russia’s international isolation grew Wednesday, as world leaders sought to gain unanimous support in condemning its war in Ukraine that has killed thousands of people and roiled the global economy.
At the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, scrutiny fell on China and India as Western countries pushed for a strong denunciation of the war in a closing statement that was due just hours after Poland said a “Russian-made missile” had landed in a village near its border with Ukraine, killing two people.
It remains unclear who fired that missile. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have used Russian-made munitions during the conflict, with Ukraine deploying Russian-made missiles as part of their air defense system. But whatever the outcome of the investigation into the deadly strike, the incident underscored the dangers of miscalculation in a brutal war that has stretched on for nearly nine months, and which risks escalating further and dragging major powers into it.
Waking up to the news, US President Joe Biden and leaders from the G7 and NATO convened an emergency meeting in Bali to discuss the explosion. The incident now raises the stakes in an effort by the US and its allies to end the G20 summit with a joint communique denouncing Russia’s war.
The passing of the communique would require the buy-in from leaders that share close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and have until now seemed reluctant to outwardly criticize his invasion — most notably Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who declared a “no-limits” friendship between their countries weeks before the invasion, and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
With the summit set to draw to a close on Wednesday afternoon, all eyes are on what the final declaration will look like, and which countries will sign it.
Turkish President says he "respects" Russia’s denials over Poland missile incident
From CNN’s Mayumi Maruyama and Josh Pennington
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he respects Russia’s denial of involvement in a deadly explosion in Poland, but added that the incident should be investigated.
Two people were killed Tuesday when what Polish authorities said was a “Russian-made missile” landed near the village of Przewodow, about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) west of the Ukrainian border.
Speaking Wednesday at a news conference at the G20 summit in Bali, Erdogan said he “has to respect the declaration made by Russia” that it was not responsible.
“This morning when I met with the German chancellor Mr. [Olaf] Scholz, we have also agreed that further investigation is needed.”
The circumstances surrounding the incident, including who fired the missile and where it was fired from, remain unclear. Both Ukraine and Russia have used Russian-made munitions during the almost nine-month conflict.
Russian denials: Russia’s Defense Ministry said reports of Russian missiles landing in Poland were a “deliberate provocation.” The Russian mission at the United Nations on Wednesday reiterated that stance and claimed — without offering evidence or specifically naming any parties — that the incident was an attempt to bring NATO directly into the war in Ukraine.
Some background: Erdogan has played a delicate balancing act since the start of Russia’s invasion. He has refused to sign up to Western sanctions against Russia and sought to play something of a peacemaker role between Kyiv and Moscow. The Turkish leader also helped broker a deal between Russia and Ukraine to allow the resumption of grain shipments from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.
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President Biden has left the G20 summit in Bali
From CNN's Kevin Liptak
US President Joe Biden has left Bali on Air Force One after attending the G20 summit and holding a high-stakes first meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the Indonesian island.
Prior to his departure, Biden held an emergency meeting with G7 and NATO allies on the sidelines of the summit on Tuesday after Poland said a “Russian-made missile” landed on a village near the Ukraine border on Tuesday, killing two people.
Biden said earlier that preliminary information suggested it is unlikely the missile was fired from within Russia.
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Moscow's UN envoy claims Poland blast an "attempt to provoke a direct military clash between NATO and Russia"
From CNN's Jonny Hallam and Josh Pennington
Police officers stand at a blockade near the explosion site in Przewodow on Wednesday.
(Kacper Pempel/Reuters)
The Russian mission at the United Nations on Wednesday reiterated Moscow’s earlier denials of involvement in a deadly explosion in Poland and claimed — without offering evidence or specifically naming any parties — that the incident was an attempt to bring NATO directly into the war in Ukraine.
Two people were killed Tuesday when what Polish authorities said was a “Russian-made missile” landed near the village of Przewodow, about four miles (6.4 kilometers) west from the Ukrainian border, roughly the same time as Moscow’s forces launched their biggest wave of missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in more than a month.
Polyansky said the incident would be the focus of attention at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine later on Wednesday.
Some context: The circumstances surrounding the incident, including who fired the missile and where it was fired from, remain unclear. Both Ukraine and Russia have used Russian-made munitions during the almost nine-month conflict.
Following an emergency meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit, NATO and G7 leaderssaid they offered “full support” for Poland and would “remain in close touch” to determine the appropriate next steps. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will chair an emergency meeting of alliance ambassadors Wednesday morning in Brussels to discuss the incident.
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Poland blast "would not have happened" without Russian missile attacks on Ukraine, Dutch PM says
From CNN's Mick Krever and Martin Goillandeau
The deadly explosion of a missile within Poland’s borders on Tuesday “would not have happened without Russia’s horrific missile attacks against Ukraine,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in a tweet on Wednesday.
Rutte tweeted a photo of the G7 heads of state alongside NATO members present at the G20 summit in Bali after an emergency meeting held by the group to discuss the incident.
He wrote that the leaders were “united in our message that we first need to establish the facts and therefore support Poland’s investigation.”
Some context: The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear — including who fired the missile and where it was fired from. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have used Russian-made munitions during the conflict, with Ukraine deploying Russian-made missiles as part of their air defense system.
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Russia's foreign minister has left the G20 summit in Bali, state media reports
From CNN’s Wayne Chang
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov left Bali for Russia on Tuesday, a day before the G20 summit is due to conclude on the Indonesian island, according to Russian state media.
State-run news agency TASS reported Tuesday that Lavrov’s program at the G20 summit had ended “as expected,” without reporting the exact time he departed.
During his time in Bali, Lavrov addressed the G20 and met with several leaders, including Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Remember: Russia’s war against Ukraine has resulted in isolation for Moscow at this year’s G20 summit. Multiple Western leaders vowed not to have any contact with Lavrov, who attended on behalf of the Kremlin as Russian President Vladimir Putin stayed away.
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CIA director visits Kyiv amid Russian missile strikes across Ukraine
From CNN's Katie Bo Lillis
CIA Director Bill Burns testifies during his Senate Intelligence Committee hearing in Washington DC, on February 24, 2021.
(Tom Williams/Pool/Reuters)
CIA Director Bill Burns traveled to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his intelligence counterparts on Tuesday, according to a US official.
Burns, the official said, was safely in the US Embassy during Russian missile strikes across the country, including blasts that rocked the capital.
Burns’ trip to Kyiv came on the heels of a Monday meeting in Ankara, Turkey with his Russian intelligence counterpart, Sergey Naryshkin — and it is the second known time in less than a month that the CIA director has visited Kyiv.
Some context: The flurry of back-channel communications comes less than a week after Russia announced a withdrawal from the key Ukrainian city of Kherson and as a quiet debate has begun in Washington over whether or not to encourage Kyiv to pursue a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. It also comes as the US has grown increasingly concerned that Russia could turn to a nuclear weapon in its struggling war.
Burns and other US officials have said publicly they see no evidence that Moscow is actively preparing to take such a step, but officials familiar with the intelligence warn the risk is perhaps the highest it has been since Russia’s invasion began in February.
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G7 and NATO condemn "barbaric" attacks in Ukraine and offer support following Poland blast
From CNN's Allie Malloy, Angus Watson and Eric Cheung
NATO and G7 leaders released a joint statement following their emergency meeting on the margins of the G20, condemning the “barbaric missile attacks that Russia perpetrated on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure on Tuesday.”
Russia fired “around 100 missiles” at cities across Ukraine on Tuesday, Yurii Ihnat, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force command, said earlier.
At least a dozen cities and districts were targeted, according to a CNN analysis of the missile strikes. The wave of strikes appears to be the largest since Oct. 10, when Russia stepped up its campaign to destroy electricity, water and gas infrastructure across Ukraine.
The leaders also offered “full support” for Poland following an explosion in the country’s east and said they would “remain in close touch” to determine the appropriate next steps.
“We all express our condolences to the families of the victims in Poland and Ukraine,” the joint statement said.
World reacts: Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the international community should consider what is an “appropriate response” to the explosion in Poland. “Russia’s reckless and dangerous use of force” had brought “danger for the entire region,” he said. In a tweet, New Zealand’s foreign minister condemned “Russia’s abhorrent targeting of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine” as a “grave breach of international law.” Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry did not call out Russia specifically, but condemed “acts of war against other countries that violate the United Nations Charter and undermine peace.”
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A deadly explosion in Poland is raising fears of an escalation in the war. Here's what we know
US President Joe Biden held an emergency meeting with G7 and NATO allies on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Tuesday after Poland said a “Russian-made missile” landed on a village near the Ukraine border on Tuesday, killing two people.
The deadly explosion in eastern Poland — a NATO member country — has raised fears of a further escalation in the months-long Russia-Ukraine war.
Here’s what we know:
What Poland says: Poland’s Foreign Ministry said late Tuesday thata “Russian-made missile” landed on the Polish village of Przewodów, near the border with Ukraine, killing two people. The ministry did not specify the type of missile or where it was fired from, but the country’s President said it was “most likely produced in Russia.” The incident was a “single act” and there is no evidence of further missiles, Poland’s prime minister said.
Unanswered questions: The circumstances surrounding the incident, which marks the first time a NATO country has been directly struck during the almost nine-month conflict, remain unclear — including who fired the missile and where it was fired from. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have used Russian-made munitions during the conflict, with Ukraine deploying Russian-made missiles as part of their air defense system.
Why it’s raising tensions: Poland, a NATO member, said Warsaw is considering invoking the defense alliance’s Article 4 to discuss its concerns and will also increase the combat readiness of some Polish troops. Article 4 is a consultation method that allows members of the 30-country alliance to bring an issue — usually about security — affecting them for discussion at the North Atlantic Council, its decision-making body.
Reports from the ground: A local resident told CNN they heard a terrifying “whoosh” as a projectile flew over the town. CNN’s Matthew Chance spoke to a caretaker of a local school who said the force of the blast shook classroom windows, though students were not inside the school when the explosion occurred. Polish media reported that a projectile had landed on a farm in the country — roughly the same time as Russia launched its biggest wave of missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in more than a month.
World leaders’ reaction: Speaking after an emergency meeting with G7 and NATO allies at the G20 summit in Bali, President Biden said preliminary information suggests it is unlikely the missile was fired from within Russia. Biden said the allies would support Poland’s investigation, which would “collectively determine our next step as we investigate and proceed,” adding there was “total unanimity” among the leaders.
What Russia says: In a statement late Tuesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said reports of the explosion were “a deliberate provocation in order to escalate the situation.” “There were no strikes made on targets near the Ukrainian-Polish state border,” it said, adding photos of wreckage published by Polish media “from the scene in the village of Przewodow have nothing to do with Russian weapons.”
What happens next: In a joint statement following their G20 summit meeting, NATO and G7 leaderssaid they offered “full support” for Poland and would “remain in close touch” to determine the appropriate next steps. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will chair an emergency meeting of alliance ambassadors Wednesday morning in Brussels to discuss the incident.
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Top US general spoke with Ukrainian and Polish counterparts
From CNN's Jamie Crawford
Gen. Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart on Tuesday, according to a readout provided by the Pentagon.
Milley discussed the Russian invasion and “exchanged perspectives and assessments” with Ukrainian Armed Forces Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, it said.
The chairman also reaffirmed US support for Ukraine, the readout added.
It comes after a missile exploded in Poland, near the Ukrainian border, killing two people Tuesday.
Milley also spoke with his Polish counterpart, Chief of the General Staff Gen. Rajmund Andrzejczak, according to a readout:
Some background: US President Joe Biden, speaking in Indonesia at the G20 Summit, said world leaders supported the Polish investigation into the incident. He also said it was “unlikely” the missile was fired from inside Russia.
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NATO tracked missile that landed in Poland, military official says
From CNN's Vasco Cotovio
A NATO aircraft flying above Polish airspace on Tuesday tracked the missile that landed in the country, an alliance military official told CNN on Tuesday.
NATO aircraft have been conducting regular surveillance around Ukraine since the Russian invasion began. The aircraft flying above Poland on Tuesday was monitoring events in Ukraine.
The NATO official did not say who launched the missile that was tracked landing in Poland, nor where it was fired from.
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Biden says it's "unlikely" missile that fell in Poland was fired from Russia
From CNN's Maegan Vazquez and Kevin Liptak
US President Joe Biden said preliminary information suggests it is unlikely the missile that caused an explosion in Poland on Tuesday and killed two civilians was fired from within Russia.
Speaking to reporters after meeting with other world leaders in Bali, Indonesia, the president was asked if it was too early to say whether the projectile was fired from Russia.
He added that “it’s unlikely in the minds of the trajectory that it was fired from Russia. But we’ll see.”
Earlier, Russia’s Defense Ministry said reports of Russian missiles landing in Poland were a “deliberate provocation.”
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World leaders hold emergency meeting as "Russian-made missile" kills 2 in Poland
From CNN's Tim Lister, Tara John, Antonia Mortensen, Anna Chernova, Emmet Lyons and Rhea Mogul
President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attend an emergency meeting of global leaders, in Bali, Indonesia, to discuss the explosion in Poland that killed two people, on Wednesday.
(Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
World leaders gathering at the G20 summit in Bali are attempting to diffuse a potential escalation in the months-long Ukraine war after a “Russian-made missile” landed inside NATO-member Poland killing two people.
The missile landed outside the rural Polish village of Przewodow, about four miles (6.4 kilometers) west from the Ukrainian border on Tuesday, roughly the same time as Russia launched its biggest wave of missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in more than a month.
The circumstances surrounding the incident, which marks the first time a NATO country has been directly struck during the almost nine-month conflict, remain unclear. It is not known who fired the missile, or where it was fired from, though the Polish Foreign Ministry has described it as “Russian-made.”
Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have used Russian-made munitions during the conflict, with Ukraine deploying Russian-made missiles as part of their air defense system.
Speaking to reporters after holding an emergency meeting with G7 and NATO leaders on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, US President Joe Biden said preliminary information suggests it was “unlikely” the missile was fired from within Russia, but he couldn’t say conclusively until the investigation was complete.
Biden: We agreed to support Poland's investigation into the explosion
US President Joe Biden said he met with G7 and NATO leaders in Bali Wednesday and they agreed to support Poland’s investigation into the explosion that happened at a village near the Ukraine border.
The leaders held an emergency meeting following the incident. Biden said he briefed the leaders on his earlier discussion with Polish President Andrzej Duda and with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
The meeting attendees included Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel.
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Polish prime minister: Evidence suggests missile that landed in Przewodów was a "single act"
From CNN's Antonia Mortensen
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said evidence suggests the missile that landed in Przewodów in eastern Poland was a “single act” and there is no evidence of further missiles.
However, Poland is increasing its military readiness, Morawiecki said Tuesday during his address in Warsaw following the Council of Ministers meeting.
Morawiecki added that Poland is conducting thorough analysis and consultations with its allies regarding the potential use of Article 4 of the NATO Treaty — with his address echoing the caution and calm urged by other Polish officials.
Earlier, the Polish Foreign Ministry said a “Russian-made missile” had landed in the town near the Ukrainian border and killed two people.
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Polish president: "We don't know who fired" the missile
From CNN's Antonia Mortensen
Polish President Andrzej Duda said in a Tuesday address that Poland does not know who fired the missile that caused an explosion in Przewodów, a small town close to the border of Ukraine.
The president noted that the missile was “most likely produced in Russia.”
Duda said the US is sending experts to investigate the site as part of a joint operation.
He reiterated that Poland has raised the alert status for its military.
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US sanctions firms involved in production and transfer of Iranian drones to Russia
From CNN's Paul LeBlanc
A drone flies over Kyiv during an attack on October 17, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The sanctions target several aviation related companies and two individuals — Abbas Djuma and Tigran Khristoforovich Srabionov — who facilitated the Russian mercenary Wagner Group’s “acquisition of UAVs from Iran,” according to the department.
Last month, the US sanctioned an air transportation provider for its involvement in the shipment of the Iranian drones to Russia. Such drones have played a significant role in the conflict in Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion in late February. They are capable of circling for some time in an area identified as a potential target and striking only once an enemy asset is identified.
Russia has launched a series of drone attacks across Ukraine in recent weeks, striking vital civilian infrastructure and sowing terror in Ukrainian cities far from the front lines of the war.
Wave of Russian missiles hit Ukraine after Zelensky outlines conditions for peace at G20 summit
From CNN's Julia Kesaieva, Vasco Cotovio, Tim Lister and Sana Noor Haq
Firefighters work to put out a fire in a residential building in Kyiv on Tuesday.
(Oleksandr Gusev/Reuters)
Russia launched its biggest wave of missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in more than a month on Tuesday — hours after Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky proposed a peace plan in front of world leaders at the G20 summit in Indonesia.
Air raid sirens sounded out across Ukraine shortly after its leader outlined a 10-point plan including the withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
The strikes targeted power infrastructure in several regions of the country, leaving more than 7 million Ukrainians without power and the supply of electricity in a critical condition, according to senior Ukrainian officials.
The deputy head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, said 15 facilities of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure had been damaged during the Russian missile strikes, but Ukrainian air defenses had shot down 70 of more than 90 missiles fired at Ukraine.
Biden administration working to clean up Milley remarks on Ukraine diplomacy
From CNN's Kylie Atwood
The Biden administration is working to reassure the Ukrainian government, outside experts, and former US officials that it will not push Ukraine to imminently seek a diplomatic outcome to the war with Russia after the most senior US general publicly pushed for a more urgent diplomatic effort this winter.
The administration is organizing a phone call later this week with outside experts and former US officials to discuss their approach to the war, after Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley’s comments prompted frantic outreach to the administration from those concerned about rewarding Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and undermining Ukraine’s military gains, three sources familiar with the matter said.
Some of those invited to the call — which will take place on Wednesday — said that they believe it’s part of the administration’s continued cleanup efforts after Milley’s remarks, the sources said.
Milley’s push for peace has spilled into the public last week in comments at the Economic Club of New York, Milley praised the Ukrainian army for fighting Russia to a stalemate, but said that an outright military victory is out of reach.
Milley’s comments also rattled some Ukrainians and US officials, two US officials told CNN. They prompted the Ukrainians to worry about a possible change in US policy and administration officials grew concerned about who was being associated with Milley’s comments, with one official calling his view that Ukrainians should seek negotiations now “absurd.”
