Abandoning Ukraine would be bigger US failure than Afghanistan, says Hague

Abandoning Ukraine would be a bigger humiliation for the US than the withdrawal from Afghanistan, William Hague told The Telegraph's Daily T podcast.

The Biden administration pulled US troops out of Afghanistan in 2021, marking the end of a 20-year war.

The operation was widely seen as chaotic as it allowed Taliban insurgents to seize power in Kabul and bring the country back under their rule.

But Lord Hague , who served as foreign secretary between 2010 and 2014, said allowing the "collapse" of Ukraine would be a "far bigger humiliation" for Donald Trump's administration.

Fears of the US abandoning Ukraine were stoked following comments from Mr Trump and senior Republicans during the 2024 election campaign.

"It's in Trump's best interests, his own best interests, to maintain the strength of the West of these things," the former Tory leader told the Daily T podcast.

Officials in Kyiv are concerned Mr Trump's campaign promise to end the war within 24 hours of taking office could force them into allowing Russia to retain control of occupied territories.

The president-elect has reportedly nominated Marco Rubio to be his next secretary of state, who has expressed support for both Ukraine but said the war must be brought to an end.

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That's all for today Thank you for following our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. We are now ending it for the day.

We'll be back soon with more updates and analysis.

In the meantime, here are the headlines from today:

Russia launches first missile attack on Kyiv in months

US opens new air defence base in Poland

Starmer urged to do more to support Ukraine

Russia launches '20 failed attacks in Kursk'

Ukrainian car bomb kills Russian navy captain in Crimea

Biden to lobby Trump to keep supporting Ukraine Donald Trump is on his way to the White House for a meeting with Joe Biden, who is expected to lobby the president-elect to continue supporting Ukraine.

During the presidential election campaign, Mr Trump said he would end the war "in a day". JD Vance, his running mate, suggested that peace talks would involve territorial concessions by Ukraine.

Jake Sullivan, Mr Biden's national security adviser, said on Sunday he would use the meeting to urge his successor to continue American support for Kyiv.

'Nato would have sent troops to Ukraine if not for nukes' Nato members would have sent troops to fight in Ukraine if Russia did not possess nuclear weapons, the chairman of the Nato military committee has said.

Rob Bauer, asked if it was time to expand aid to Ukraine, said Nato was taking "[taking] a risk as an alliance" by continuing to provide support to Ukraine.

He also said there was initially hesitation amongst Nato members over fears about Moscow's "red lines".

"It is always simple to look back and say that [fear] was stupid, but if you have to take responsibility for that risk, then it is a different discussion...I am absolutely sure if Russia did not have nuclear weapons, we would have been in Ukraine kicking them out. But they have nuclear weapons. It's not the same as in Afghanistan," Mr Bauer said.

Ukrainian car bomb kills Russian navy captain in Crimea Ukraine orchestrated a car bomb attack which killed a high-ranking Russian military official in occupied Crimea, according to security sources.

The bomb exploded during morning rush hour in the city of Sevastopol, killing Captain Valery Trankovsky, a first-rank captain in Russia's Black Sea fleet.

"As a result of the explosion, the Russian captain's legs were blown off and he died of blood loss," a Ukrainian security source said.

The source described Trankovsky as a "war criminal" responsible for the launch of cruise missiles from the Black Sea at civilian targets in Ukraine.

The killing, labelled a "terrorist attack" by Moscow, is the latest in a string of targeted attacks on Russian military officers and pro-Kremlin figures in occupied Ukraine and Russia.

US opens new air defence base in Poland The United States opened a new air defence base in northern Poland on Wednesday, a move described by the country's president as a sign that Washington remains a key member of Nato.

Situated in the town of Redzikowo near the Baltic coast, the base has been in the works since the 2000s.

Warsaw said the continued work on the base by successive US presidents shows Poland's military alliance with Washington remains solid whoever is in the White House.

"The United States... is the guarantor of Poland's security," Andrzej Duda, Poland's president, said.

Berlin: Money spent on Ukraine shouldn't lead to domestic cuts Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, said Europe had a responsibility to support Ukraine but that aid money should not lead to cuts in pensions or care at home.

Mr Scholz addressed the German parliament on Wednesday to urged MPs to pass measures in time before the election at the end of February.

"Let us work together for the good of the country until the new election," he said.

Russian soldiers have been filmed training North Korean soldiers to lay landmines and teaching them Russian swear words.

The candid video shots were taken on Nov. 5 and show a group of North Korean soldiers listening to a Russian army trainer and then repeating his phrases.

US intelligence has said that 10,000 North Korean soldiers have now been sent into battle in Russia's Kursk region against Ukrainian forces.

credit: Telegram / 12:30 PM GMT 'Future of global security being decided in Ukraine' The future of global security is being decided in Ukraine now, the country's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, said on Wednesday.

Mr Sybiha told Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, in Brussels that the war in Ukraine is at its critical moment.

"Ukraine's defence cannot be put on hold and wait... We need to speed up all critical decisions," he said.

Starmer urged to do more to support Ukraine Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, has called on Sir Keir Starmer to do more to support Ukraine after Donald Trump's son shared a video mockingly stating that Volodymyr Zelensky would soon lose his "allowance".

Sir Ed asked the Prime Minister at PMQs: "If the Trump administration does withdraw support from our brave Ukrainian allies, will the UK and Europe step up to fill the gap?"

He also asked if the UK Government would seize frozen Russian assets.

The Prime Minister replied: "We've been strong and resolute in our support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression and I have been speaking...with other leaders about how we put Ukraine in the best and strongest possible position at this time. I'll continue those discussions."

A video taken in the aftermath of Wednesday's Crimea car bomb attack shows emergency services moving a body into the back of an ambulance.

The bomb, which was detonated remotely, below the doors off the car, with debris scattered across road.

Credit: Telegram / Mash

Russian navy captain 'followed for a week' Valery Trankovsky, the Russian navy captain who was killed in Crimea, was followed for around a week before his death, according to reports in Ukrainian media.

The car bomb, which exploded on Wednesday morning in occupied Sevastopol was detonated remotely.

Ukraine: Naval captain killed in Crimea a 'war criminal' Ukraine's SBU intelligence agency said the senior Russian naval office who was killed in the car bomb attack was chief of staff of the 41st Missile Boat Brigade and a "war criminal who ordered cruise missile launches from the Black Sea against civilian sites in Ukraine".

Captain Valery Trankovsky Trankovsky ordered Kalibr missile strikes on the city of Vinnytsia, west Ukraine, in July 2022 that killed 29 people and injured more than 200, an SBU source told Ukrainian media.

Ukrainian assassins have tracked down and killed several Russian naval commanders responsible for missile strikes against Ukrainian cities.

Russia launches first missile attack on Kyiv in months Explosions could be heard ringing out in Kyiv as Russia launched its first missile attack on the Ukrainian capital since August.

Residents were urged to take cover as blasts rang out over the city on Wednesday morning as drones and ballistic missiles were launched by strategic bombers.

Kyiv has faced Russian drone attacks almost nightly for several weeks, though Russia has not struck the city with missiles since Aug 26, killing seven people and damaging energy facilities.

Ukrainians have been waiting nervously anticipating a missile attack, worried that it could further damage its energy system ahead of what is expected to be a harsh winter beset by blackouts.

The attack comes amid a fresh counteroffensive by Russia in Kursk, which was invaded by Ukraine in August. Moscow's troops failed to launch 20 assaults on Kyiv's positions in the region on Tuesday, according to the Ukrainian army.

Credit: State Emergency Service Of Ukraine In Kyiv Region

Seoul: North Koreans are fighting Ukrainian troops North Korean soldiers have engaged in combat operations against Ukraine alongside their Russian allies, South Korea's spy agency said on Wednesday.

Seoul's confirmation comes amid growing global criticism as the two countries strengthen military ties, after Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Russia's Kursk region to aid its war with Ukraine.

"The National Intelligence Service estimates that North Korean troops dispatched to Russia have moved to the Kursk region over the past two weeks," the agency said in a statement.

They had completed deployment to the battlefield, and were already participating in combat operations, it added.

Car bomb kills Russian naval commander in Crimea A car bomb has killed a senior Russian naval commander in Sevastopol in occupied Crimea, Russian Telegram channels have reported.

The bomb exploded during the morning rush hour and reportedly killed Captain Valery Trankovsky, an officer in Russia's Black Sea Fleet. His 1st rank Captain status corresponds to colonel.

Telegram channels said that 47-year-old Trankovsky was either chief-of-staff or the overall commander of the Black Sea Fleet's 41st Missile Boat Brigade.

Ukraine has assassinated several Russian military commanders and has particularly targeted the Kremlin's Black Sea Fleet. It has not claimed responsibility for the car bomb.

Mikhail Razvozhaev, the Russia-installed mayor of Sevastopol, only confirmed that a "serviceman" had been killed.

Officials fear more attacks on Kyiv Ukrainian officials fear today's attack on the capital city could be the start of a new wave of attacks ahead of what is expected to be a harsh winter beset with energy blackouts.

Andrii Kovalenko, a senior official at the National Security and Defence Council, warned that Russia was ready to conduct another "massive" attack and had accumulated a large number of cruise missiles.

After Wednesday's strike, power grid operator Ukrenergo said it would limit electricity supply for businesses due to "significantly" lower power imports and lower generation.

The last time restrictions on power supplies were imposed on both businesses and households was after a big Russian missile and drone attack in late August.

That attack saw Kyiv attacked with 200 missiles and drones, killing seven people and striking energy facilities nationwide in what was described at the time as the "most massive" attack of the war.

Mapped: Russian advances in Ukraine Russia has been waging a major campaign in Donetsk Oblast for several months.

Its troops have launched a series of relentless assaults against Ukrainian defences as they move towards the key towns of Kurakhove and Pokrovsk.

Russian forces recently carried out two company-sized assaults near and south of Kurakhove, according to the Institute for the Study of War. For reference, a military company is a tactical unit that usually has between 100 and 250 soldiers.

Russia claims capture of village in Donetsk Oblast Russian forces have taken control of the settlement of Rivnopil in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, according to state media reports.

It follows a report by the Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think tank, that Russian forces had advanced during two assaults within and south of Kurakhove in western Donetsk Olast.

Russian troops have been waging a major offensive in the Donetsk region for several months.

Zelensky pleads for help after missile attack Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated his pleas for more help from Ukraine's allies after Kyiv was targeted by missiles and drones on Wednesday morning.

"It is crucial that out forces have the necessary means to defend the country from Russian terror," the Ukrainian president said.

"Timely delivery of interceptor missiles for our air defence, fulfilling agreements on defence systems, and electronic warfare production and supply are, without exaggeration, lifesaving efforts."

In pictures: Fire rages at warehouse after Russian missile attack A warehouse caught fire and one person was injured after Russia launched a combined missile and drone attack on Kyiv on Wednesday.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said ballistic and cruise missiles targeted the city, in addition to 90 drones.

Footage released on Telegram appears to show a drone flying over Kyiv on Wednesday morning as Russia launched fresh attacks on Ukraine.

Plumes of smoke can be seen billowing through the sky after Russia's first missile attack on the city in months.

Credit: victoriaslog/X/Telegram

Washington: North Korea joining war will get firm response North Korea's involvement in Ukraine "demands and will get a firm response", the US secretary of state said on Wednesday.

Antony Blinken is in Brussels for talks with European allies to discuss how Ukraine can be supported during Donald Trump's presidency.

The troops have been "injected into the battle, and now, quite literally, in combat which demands and will get a firm response," Mr Blinken said in talks with Nato chief Mark Rutte.

A large contingent of the 10,000 North Korean troops sent Russia have joined the battle in Kursk, according to US intelligence.

Brovary, a city just outside of Kyiv, hit in Russian attack Brovary, a city in the Kyiv Oblast, was hit in Wednesday's mornings attack by Russia.

Moscow launched its first missile attack on the Ukrainian capital since August.

Russia launches '20 failed attacks in Kursk' Russia launched 20 unsuccessful attacks on Kursk on Tuesday, according to the Ukrainian army.

Moscow's troops dropped guided aerial bombs on its own territory in southern Russia, which was invaded by Ukraine in August.

It comes as part of Russia's wider counteroffensive in the region.

Vladimir Putin is hoping to capture the border region - with the help of North Korean troops - before Donald Trump takes office in January.

That is likely because Kyiv views its capture of Kursk as useful leverage in any future negotiation to end the war.

'Cautious relief' in Kyiv over Trump's Cabinet picks Kyiv officials are "calm and comfortable" with Donald Trump's picks for national security positions amid uncertainty about how the president-elect plans to bring the war in Ukraine to an end.

Michael Waltz and Marco Rubio have been tapped up to be Mr Trump's national security adviser and secretary of state respectively, both of which have previously expressed support for Ukraine.

"Kyiv is quite calm and quite comfortable with the national security officials announced so far," said Daniel Vajdich, a Republican foreign policy expert, told Politico.

Meanwhile, a former Trump administration official told the publication that he won't "sell Ukraine down the river".

" I think his main priority is going to try and find some kind of equitable peace," the official said.

In pictures: Residents take shelter in Kyiv Around 100 residents rushed to a shelter in the central metro station Universitet on Wednesday morning, including small, fully-dressed children sleeping on yoga mats and elderly women sitting on fold-out chairs.

"The mornings are totally ruined. I started college in September and every morning has been ruined by the bloody Russians. I cannot sleep, cannot think and drink energy drinks all the time," said Mykyta, a teenager hugging his little dog in the metro.

Welcome to our live coverage Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine.

We'll be bringing you the latest updates and analysis throughout the day.