Latest Ukraine War News as Witkoff Visits Moscow and Russia Claims New Settlements
RUSSIA – Welcome to The State Signal‘s latest Ukraine war news today, Dec. 2. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that its forces captured Zeleny Hai and Dobropillia settlements in Zaporizhzhia Region.
A day before, Russian chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov also said Pokrovsk city in the Donetsk region and Vovchansk city in the Kharkiv region were also taken.
Speaking at a news conference in Paris following a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied Russia’s claims about capturing some major cities.
“We still have Kupiansk in our possession, under our control,” he said.
Zelenskyy admitted that Moscow was progressing in some areas, noting that it is meeting “violent resistance.”
Putin Visits Battlefield in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday visited the battle zone in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
Putin received briefings from Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, as well as military commanders of the Center group Valery Solodchuk and the Vostok Group Andrey Ivanaev, according to a Kremlin statement.
Putin was informed about the situation on the frontline. According to Russian military chiefs, the cities of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region and Volchansk in the Kharkiv region have come under Russian control.
Putin thanked the commanders and soldiers and noted the importance of the success achieved in the Pokrovsk area.
“This will ensure that we consistently solve all the main tasks that we face and were initially set at the beginning of the special military operation,” he said.
Gerasimov also reported that Ukraine’s forces are trying to unblock its encircled groups in the Kupiansk and Pokrovsk directions, and have launched counteroffensives in other directions.
Ivanaev, the commander of the Vostok group, spoke about the progress in the Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
What Zelenskyy is Saying
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier confirmed that the situation in the regions, mentioned by the Russian military chiefs, remains the most tense.
Commenting on Pokrovsk, he said, “No one is forcing them (soldiers) to die for the ruins. I will support the soldiers there, especially the commanders, in how they can control the situation.”
According to the Ukrainian president, by establishing control over Pokrovsk, Russia will “try to convince” US President Donald Trump that Ukraine should abandon Donbass in order to end the military conflict.
However, Zelenskyy said Kyiv cannot give up its claim of the region saying: “No one will understand it, people will not understand it.”
France is Seeking Ways to Join Ukraine Conflict; SVR
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) on Tuesday accused France of seeking a path to enter the Ukraine conflict on Kyiv’s side.
The SVR press service stated that on Oct. 31, the French government adopted new legislation permitting the use of private military companies (PMCs) to assist “a third country in a situation of armed conflict.”
The press bureau noted that “even an inexperienced European layman has no doubt which country is meant.”
“The mobile air defense groups and the few F-16s at Ukraine’s disposal are unable to intercept Russian air targets. Mastering the ‘Mirages’ and other equipment requires time and high qualifications. That’s why Kyiv will need foreign PMCs equipped with modern Western, primarily French, weapons,” the SVR said.
The intelligence service warned Paris not to believe this move absolves it of responsibility.
“The presence of French PMCs in Ukraine, modestly named in the aforementioned decree as ‘reference operators’ of the ministry of the armed forces, will be considered by Moscow as France’s direct participation in hostilities against Russia. As a result, the French PMCs will become the primary legitimate target of the Russian Armed Forces,” it stated.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner Arrive in Moscow
The US negotiating team headed by special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for talks to end the Ukraine war, Russian state media reported.
Witkoff and Kushner landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport, where they were welcomed by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriyev.
Earlier in the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a press briefing that Witkoff and Kushner will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin after 5 pm Moscow time (GMT1400), and the session will last “as long as necessary.”
Trump’s Plan on Ukraine Peace Could Serve as Solid Foundation; Russia
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that preliminary settlement proposals for Ukraine prepared by the administration of US President Donald Trump constitute “a solid foundation” for a final agreement.
Addressing a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov said Europe’s current stance poses the primary obstacle to a settlement.
“We do not communicate with Europeans. We have no dialogue, not a single word. How can you determine the position of your colleagues on such a complex issue if you do not communicate with each other? This is our biggest problem,” he said.
Comparing US and EU positions, Peskov said European countries talk of waging war until “the last Ukrainian,” while the Trump administration is “making tremendous efforts” to settle the situation.
“Russia wants peace, but its concerns must be taken into account. We must achieve our goals, and we must eliminate the underlying causes of the military operation that we initiated,” he stressed. “The Trump plan is a very good basis for this (settlement), and we hope that we will be able to stick to this basis.”
On Frozen Russian Assets
On the topic of seizing Russia’s frozen assets, Peskov accused Europeans of wanting to steal Russian funds to support Kyiv’s “war machine.”
“They (Europeans) are discussing the possibility of stealing Russian assets, which remain blocked in Europe. This is more than $200 billion,” he emphasized.
Peskov dismissed remarks by European politicians about a Russian threat as “nonsense,” saying: “They say they are afraid of Russia, that Russia is dangerous for Europe. But this is nonsense.”
He pointed out that the weaponization of international payment systems has steadily increased the use of national currencies in global trade, a trend he expects to persist. He added that Russia is exploring alternative payment systems with other countries to avoid their use as political tools.
Russia-India Relations
On Putin’s Dec. 4-5 visit to India, Peskov said Moscow remains “the largest supplier of energy resources to India” at competitive prices and hopes to continue nuclear energy cooperation, focusing on developing bilateral ties free from external interference.
“What worries us is how we are going to continue and increase the volume of our bilateral business with India without letting anyone interfere. And this will definitely be discussed,” he said.
Peskov argued that Russia’s aim is to increase imports from India to address a trade imbalance, with trade conducted almost entirely in national currencies.
“We know that our Indian friends are concerned about this. By the way, we are jointly looking for opportunities to increase imports from India to Russia. We want to buy more goods from India,” he said.
