9:16am: Russian rouble slides to over 6-month low vs euro

The Russian rouble dropped to its weakest against the euro since late May on Tuesday, hurt by relatively low oil prices and the prospect of lower export revenue due to the price cap on Russian oil which came into force this month.

“The rouble has weakened against all major competitors,” said Otkritie Research in a note. “The sanctions theme continues to put pressure on the Russian currency.”

Russia’s economy and government finances are set to struggle under the weight of the European Union’s embargo of Russian oil exports and a $60-a-barrel price cap imposed by the G7, the European Union and Australia.

8:36am: Belarus carries out inspection of troop combat readiness

Belarus has launched an unannounced inspection of its troops’ combat readiness, its defence ministry said on Tuesday.

“The activities will be comprehensive in nature; troops will have to move to the designated areas as soon as possible, carry out their engineering equipment, organise protection and defence, and set up bridge crossings over the rivers Neman and Berezina,” the defence ministry said.

It added that military equipment and personnel will be moved and movement along certain public roads would be restricted.

8:27am: Russian town of Klintsy shelled ‘by Ukraine’, governor says

The town of Klintsy in Russia’s southern Bryansk region was shelled overnight by Ukraine, the regional governor claimed Tuesday, adding that there were no casualties or damage.

“As a result of the work of the air defence systems of the Russian Armed Forces, the missile was destroyed, some parts hit the territory of an industrial zone,” Governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram.

Klintsy is a town of around 60,000 people, about 45 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.

The report has not been confirmed.

7:21am: Putin, Xi ‘to hold talks by year-end’

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will hold talks to discuss the events of 2022 in late December, Russian business daily Vedomosti reports.

Citing an unnamed source close to the Russian presidential administration, the newspaper said it is unlikely the meeting will be held face-to-face. “Details are being worked out,” the source told Vedomosti.

Russia has moved closer to China since sending its armed forces into Ukraine in February.

5:06am: France’s Macron engineers new diplomatic push for Ukraine

Tuesday’s international donors conference in Paris is intended to provide Kyiv with some immediate aid, both in financing and equipment. It comes in response to Russian war operations in recent weeks that have focused on civilian infrastructure and are aimed at “making the civilian population lose hope,” according to Macron.

The French president has been championing tougher sanctions against Moscow Since the war began and has stayed in regular touch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Macron has been criticised in recent months by Ukraine and some other European countries who feel he has not kept sufficient distance from the Kremlin. He is one of the few Western leaders to have maintained contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as part of a long-term geopolitical strategy. He has repeatedly said he would talk to Putin whenever it was required to avoid an escalation of the conflict.

11:45pm: EU reaches deal on Ukraine aid

The European Union reached a deal in principle to send an 18 billion euro ($18.93 billion) financial aid package to Ukraine and approve a minimum tax on major corporations in a big move that narrowed a rift between the bloc and recalcitrant member Hungary.

“Megadeal!,” the EU’s Czech presidency said on Twitter. The deal is still tentative because it needs to be signed off on but no major obstacles are expected.

The EU as a whole will be able to present a united front backing Ukraine after unseemly scenes of political brinkmanship had delayed the process for long and left a needy ally in the lurch and facing a major struggle to make financial commitments next year.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)

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