Zelenskiy Says Victory Assured — With Support

(Bloomberg) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on the one-year mark of the Russian invasion that his country will secure victory if allies maintain their support, possibly this year.

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“I am sure that there will be victory,” Zelenskiy told reporters in Kyiv. “I would like it this year — we have everything for this.”

At the United Nations, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the international community shouldn’t fall prey to cynical calls for peace that would force Ukraine to concede territory to Russia. Any plan must ensure the Kremlin can’t “simply rest, rearm, and relaunch the war,” he told the Security Council.

Russia’s War in Ukraine: Key Events and How It’s Unfolding

You can follow all our special coverage today of the one year mark for Russia’s invasion via our website, on Twitter and on Bloomberg Television, including live broadcasts from Kyiv. You can also read our biggest pieces from the past week on Flipboard.

(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)

Listen to our special conversations from this week, including our Twitter Space on the military strategies of the war, the impact on energy and the environment, the effect of sanctions including on the wealth of Russia’s oligarchs and our conversation about what the future holds for Ukrainian refugees.

Big Take Podcast: How Does Ukraine Continue to Beat Back Russia?

Key Developments

• The UN Couldn’t Even Agree to Hold Minute of Silence for Ukraine

• Russia’s Richest Lose $67 Billion of Wealth After a Year of War

• China Cease-Fire Proposal for Ukraine Falls Flat With US, Allies

• Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: A Political Year in Photos

• US Sets Tariffs on Russian Metals Including Aluminum

• Russians’ Support for Putin’s War Hardens as His Crackdown Grows

Story continues

(All times CET)

Zelenskiy Casts Doubt on Chinese Weapon Supplies to Russia (6:27 p.m.)

Ukraine’s president said he hopes China will stand with Ukraine, on the side of “just peace” – and lauded Beijing for beginning to address Ukraine. He expressed optimism that China embraces the principle of territorial integrity.

“I strongly believe that China will not supply weapons to the Russian Federation – for me it is important, for me it is the No. 1 point,” Zelenskiy said. “I’ll do everything to prevent this.”

The US has begun to issue warnings that China is weighing deliveries of lethal weapons to Russia. Beijing denies any such considerations even as its top diplomat this week called relations with Moscow “solid as a mountain.” Zelenskiy said the task is to “gather all to isolate one,” adding that “we should work with China.”

Iran-Russia Cooperation Is Expanding, Kirby Says (6:06 p.m.)

The US believes that defense cooperation between Iran and Russia is intensifying, and that Moscow may offer Tehran fighter jets in addition to the existing flows of missiles, electronics and air-defense systems, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Iran is also seeking to purchase billions of dollars in military equipment — including attack helicopters, combat trainer aircraft, and radar — from Russia, Kirby said. The US didn’t provide evidence for that finding or information about how that intelligence determination was reached.

“This defense cooperation is not only of course not good for the people of Ukraine — as Russia continues to get drones and other capabilities, potentially other key capabilities — but certainly it’s not good for the Middle East, as Iran will seek to benefit from their cooperation,” Kirby said.

Zelenskiy Rules Out Talks With Putin (5:51 p.m.)

President Zelenskiy reiterated that talks with his Russian counterpart are unacceptable.

“There is nobody there to speak with now,” he told reporters when asked if he would accept a hypothetical offer to meet with Putin in Turkey.

Witnessing Bucha Atrocities Was Worst Moment of War for Zelenskiy (5:23 p.m.)

Asked what the worst moment of the war has been for him, Zelenskiy cited the discovery by Ukrainian troops of atrocities committed in the town of Bucha near Kyiv after Russia’s withdrawal. The images shocked the world and triggered accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“We saw that the devil exists,” he said in a press conference on Friday.

Ukraine May Resume Power, Gas Exports as Energy Risks Ease: DTEK (5:12 p.m.)

Ukraine is now more confident of its energy supply for next winter, while its grid has become more resilient against Russian attacks, according to Maxim Timchenko, CEO of Ukrainian power producer DTEK.

Despite losses of many generation assets, the nation’s nuclear, hydro and solar plants are working at full capacity, and coal and gas production are at pre-war levels. Ukraine may even restart power exports to Europe at off-peak hours, as well as shipping gas from its storage sites, he added.

Germany to Send More Leopard-2 Tanks to Ukraine Than Planned (5:08 p.m.)

Germany will send 18 Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, four more than initially planned, the country’s defense ministry said. The decision means Germany, together with Portugal and Sweden, can assemble one battalion for Ukraine, it added.

Blinken Warns UN to Be Wary of Cynical Calls for Peace (4:53 p.m.)

“For peace to be durable it must ensure that Russia can’t simply rest, rearm, and relaunch the war in a few months or a few years,” Blinken told the UN Security Council. A peace that legitimizes Russia’s seizure of land would “send a message to would-be aggressors everywhere that they can invade countries and get away with it.”

Ukraine Vows a Humiliating Defeat for Russia (4:36 p.m.)

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, also speaking at the Security Council, vowed Russia would face a humiliating defeat in its invasion of Ukraine and called for a tribunal to investigate war crimes committed by President Vladimir Putin’s forces.

The UN meeting devolved into bitter squabbling from the very start, with Russia’s Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya objecting to Kuleba speaking before members of the council. He accused the US and its allies of “turning the council into your own instrument.”

“You think that Ukraine will eventually tire of defending itself,” Kuleba said. “The more and longer you will keep attacking Ukraine, the more resolve we will have and the more humiliating your defeat will be.”

Sweden Supplies Launchers for German IRIS-T Missiles (4:29 p.m.)

Sweden will provide a launcher for IRIS-T air defense missiles to Ukraine, the government said in a statement. Defense Minister Pal Jonson said on Twitter Sweden will supply “much needed components” to the anti-missile system.

McConnell Urges Speedier Ukraine Aid, More Defense Spending (3:50 p.m.)

The senator argued in a statement that a Ukrainian military failure would cost far more, and that China and Tehran are watching. He also added that most of what the US is sending is older equipment anyway to be replaced by more modern weapons for the US military.

“If Putin were given a green light to destabilize Europe, invading and killing at will, the long-term cost to the United States in both dollars and security risks would be astronomically higher than the minuscule fraction of our GDP that we have invested in Ukraine’s defense thus far,” he said. “The Biden Administration and our allies must act more decisively to ensure that both our collective assistance to Ukraine and the investments we each make in our own militaries take place at the speed of relevance.”

Sweden to Provide Leopard 2 Tanks (3:18 p.m.)

Sweden has decided to provide Ukraine with about 10 Leopard 2 tanks that will slot in to a battalion assembled by Germany, Defense Minister Pal Jonson said.

Country Music Star Paisley Dedicates Song to Ukraine (2:50 p.m.)

US country musician Brad Paisley released a song titled “Same Here,” featuring a voice-over of a video chat he had with President Zelenskiy to mark one year of war in Ukraine.

Paisley, an honorary ambassador for the Ukrainian leader’s global fundraising platform United 24, will donate royalties to the platform to help rebuild homes destroyed in the Russian invasion, he told the Associated Press.

Poland Sends Four Leopard Tanks to Ukraine (1:36 p.m.)

Poland delivered four of 14 Leopard 2 battle tanks it pledged to Ukraine, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters in Kyiv.

The country is also going to send “in the coming days” 60 modernized Soviet-era PT-91 tanks and other Leopards, he said. Poland is also ready to train Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighter jets, he added.

Global Financial Crime Watchdog Suspends Russia (1:32 p.m.)

The Financial Action Task Force, a global financial watchdog, suspended Russia’s membership over its “illegal, unprovoked and unjustified full-scale military invasion of Ukraine.”

Iran Says Russia Military Ties Aren’t Against Ukraine (1:24 p.m.)

Iran’s military and defense relationship with Russia is “not against any third country,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said in an interview with Sputnik.

The Islamic Republic’s ties with Ukraine have deteriorated over the past year due to “the Ukrainian government’s susceptibility” to Western countries, he said.

German President Urges China to Speak With Kyiv (12 p.m.)

China should consult Ukraine and not just Russia if it’s serious about a proposal to bring an end to Moscow’s invasion, said German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Weak Peace Settlement Unacceptable, Latvia’s President Says (11:30 a.m.)

China’s cease-fire proposal won’t be acceptable to Ukraine and is unlikely to lead to an end to Russia’s invasion, Latvian President Egils Levits said on Bloomberg TV.

“There is now no possibility for a weak peace negotiation because Russia is ready to continue the war,” Levits said. China’s peace plan contains “nothing that Ukraine could accept,” he added.

Black Sea Corridor Called Essential for Global Food Security (11:25 a.m.)

Keeping the Black Sea grain corridor open for Ukrainian grain shipments and expanding its capacity is the only way to preserve global food security, Yevhen Osypov, CEO of the grain exporter Kernel, said on Bloomberg TV.

Kyiv is seeking an extension of the safe-transit deal with UN, Turkey and Russia reached over the summer and needs to export the double amount of grain it’s been shipping so far to clear stocks from storage ahead of the next harvest, he said.

Japan PM Kishida Mulls Ukraine Visit (11:17 a.m.)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering a visit to Ukraine, he told reporters in Tokyo, but nothing’s been finalized. Japan is the only Group of Seven country that hasn’t sent its leader to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion.

Kishida earlier this week pledged $5.5 billion in additional financial assistance for Ukraine. This will take the form of loan guarantees, the Asahi newspaper reported, with Japan only required to provide funds if Ukraine is late with repayments.

DTEK, Naftogas Each Lost More Than $1 Billion From Attacks (10:45 a.m.)

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private power producer, has invested more than $200 million to repair damaged facilities after losing over $1 billion because of the war, its CEO Maxim Timchenko told Bloomberg TV. Kremlin forces have focused on attacking Ukraine’s key infrastructure since early October.

“We are now in equilibrium in terms of generation and consumption”, Timchenko said, adding that Ukraine’s energy future will pivot to renewables, decentralization and implementing of new technologies.

Missile attacks have caused more than $1 billion in damage to the national energy company Maxim Timchenko, CEO Oleksiy Chernyshov said, adding that the company’s resilience in keeping the heat on in the face of the damage has been “extraordinary.”

China Lacks Credibility on Cease-Fire Proposal, NATO Chief Says (10:19 a.m.)

China has a responsibility to uphold the UN charter as it concerns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Beijing “doesn’t have much credibility” because of its failure to condemn the war, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Tallinn, Estonia.

Speaking alongside Stoltenberg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU would study China’s principles in the context of Beijing’s pledge to an unlimited partnership with Moscow before the start of the war. She added that the EU’s sanctions against Russia were sharply eroding its economic base.

China was one of 32 nations that abstained from a UN nonbinding resolution on Thursday calling on Russia to end its war. India, South Africa and Iran were among the abstentions.

UK PM Will Push for Longer-Range Weapons (9:11 a.m.)

Rishi Sunak will use Friday’s G-7 leaders call to make the case for longer-range weapons to be sent to Ukraine, rejecting the “incremental approach” taken over the past year.

“For Ukraine to win this war – and to accelerate that day – they must gain a decisive advantage on the battlefield. That is what it will take to shift Putin’s mindset. This must be our priority now,” Sunak said in remarks emailed by Downing Street. “We need to move faster on artillery, armor, and air defense.”

UK Offers to Backfill Jet Stocks: Wallace (9 a.m.)

The UK has offered to give its fighter jets to eastern European allies to help backfill their stocks if they choose to give Soviet-era jets to Ukraine, said Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. Britain won’t send its own typhoon jets to Ukraine in the short-term though, he said.

“If a country wants to give a Russian or a Soviet model like a MiG-29, and there are some countries in NATO that have them, then Britain will do its very best to either backfill with our own jets or provide some form of air policing to cover their loss of capability,” he told Sky News.

Biden’s $300 Billion Sanctions Shock Is Failing to Stop Russia

China’s Cease-Fire Proposal for Ukraine Gets Quick Dismissal (8:40 a.m.)

Beijing’s 12-point proposal for ending the war that appears to offer some reprieve to Moscow has little chance of winning broad support. Several of the measures outlined in a position paper issued Friday would, if carried out, offer clear benefits to Russian President Vladimir Putin, including a proposal to immediately end all sanctions not endorsed by the UN Security Council, where Russia holds veto power.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said China’s proposal should have ended after the first bullet point, which calls for “respecting the sovereignty of all countries.”

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