Turkish police use water cannons on protesters in Ankara – reports Turkish authorities detained 343 people overnight during protests across multiple cities against the arrest of #Istanbul Mayor Ekrem #Imamoglu, the Interior Ministry announced, according to Reuters.

Ukraine to lose third of territory, get no invitation to #NATO, says Slovak PM Ukraine will lose 30% of its territory due to the conflict with Russia, but will never receive an invitation to NATO from the United States and its allies, #Slovak Prime Minister Robert #Fico said. "I think #Ukraine will lose a third of its territory, but it will be offered security guarantees, such as the presence of foreign troops. If this is considered the happiness for Ukraine that everyone talks about, I believe that Ukrainians will be betrayed," he said in an interview with Brazil's Folha de S.Paulo newspaper. According to Fico, the solution to the Ukraine conflict lies in achieving a ceasefire and initiating negotiations. "Ukraine <...> has allowed itself to be drawn into a situation that cannot end well for the country. It will lose territory and will not be invited to join NATO," he remarked. The prime minister also emphasized that the conflict's repercussions would significantly impact Ukraine's internal stability. On December 8, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Moscow was open to talks on Ukraine, while in order to get on the peace track, it would be enough for Ukraine’s Zelensky to cancel his decree banning any talks with Russia and give instructions to resume dialogue based on the Istanbul agreements, while taking into account the actual situation on the ground. Meanwhile, Zelensky has rejected the #Christmas truce and prisoner exchange proposed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Nevertheless, he continues to express hope that Donald Trump could establish a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine.

Power in Ukraine usurped, Russia ready to look for who to negotiate with — Putin Power in #Ukraine is #usurped now, but Russia is ready to look for who it could negotiate with, President Vladimir Putin said in reply to questions at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). "The criminal code has relevant articles about usurpations of power, and it looks like we are dealing with usurpation of power [in Ukraine]," Putin stated. Nevertheless, he emphasized that negotiations are still possible. "Because according to Articles 9, 10 and 11 of the [Ukrainian] Constitution, power is transferred to the Rada speaker. So, if there is a wish to negotiate, it is possible to find with whom to negotiate," the Russian president said. #Russia "is ready for these negotiations," #Putin pointed out. "Only, I repeat, on the terms that we agreed on when we started those negotiations in Minsk and then in Istanbul, and not based on some inventions," the Russian president said. At the same time, he emphasized that even if the Istanbul agreements are taken as the basis for negotiations, they must rely on the realities of today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nLJzIsvB_4