{"id":173916,"date":"2025-12-02T00:34:20","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T00:34:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/ukraine-war-latest-nato-could-consider-pre-emptive-strike-says-officer-and-russia-responds-sky-news\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T00:34:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T00:34:20","slug":"ukraine-war-latest-nato-could-consider-pre-emptive-strike-says-officer-and-russia-responds-sky-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/ukraine-war-latest-nato-could-consider-pre-emptive-strike-says-officer-and-russia-responds-sky-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine war latest: NATO could consider 'pre-emptive strike', says officer – and Russia responds – Sky News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Russia continues to warn against NATO involvement in the war, but a senior officer at the alliance suggests they could go a step further as a form of “defensive action”. Russia has responded – while a new study suggests it made big gains on the battlefield last month. Follow the latest.
Monday 1 December 2025 22:13, UK
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Our military analyst Michael Clarke<\/a><\/b> returns tomorrow at 1pm for another instalment of his Ukraine war Q&A.
Send us your questions for Michael in the form at the top of the page.
That’s all for today, but if you’re just checking in, here is a recap of the key developments over the past 24 hours.
More now on Pokrovsk, which we just reported on in the post below this one.
As a Telegram channel linked to the Russian Ministry of Defence shares footage claiming to be from the key eastern city, Vladimir Putin has now commented on the battle there.
Quoted by news agencies, he said the capture of the city will enable the military to proceed with “offensive tasks”.
Ukraine is incapable of reacting to Russia’s military, he’s quoted as saying, with losses on the Ukrainian side a “tragedy”.
His battlefield claims have not been independently verified.
The battle for the key city of Pokrovsk has been a focal point of the war in recent months, with many observers viewing the eastern city as a strategically vital location on the battlefield.
Now, Zvezda TV, which is the official channel of the Russian Ministry of Defence, has shared videos on Telegram<\/b><\/a> allegedly showing Russian troops in the city.
This comes after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier that Vladimir Putin was told of “liberation” in Pokrovsk and Vovchansk, during his visit to a command post (see our 20:20 post).
“The tricolour flag flies in the very centre of Krasnoarmeysk [Pokrovsk] – the Russian Ministry of Defence has released footage of the liberated city and the battles for it,” the channel said.
These battlefield claims have not been independently verified. As we reported earlier when Peskov made his comments, Pokrovsk is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, not Russia.
The Kremlin and Washington have both confirmed that Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is due in Moscow tomorrow. 
Below, our US correspondent David Blevins<\/b><\/a> explains why this could prove to be a critical week for Ukraine.
We’ve just had an update coming out of the Kremlin on Vladimir Putin’s recent movements.
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said the president spent part of yesterday evening at a “command post”.
He said Putin was given reports on the “liberation” of Pokrovsk, a key city in eastern Ukraine that’s the focus of fierce fighting.
Peskov described Russian gains there as “liberation”, but it’s important to remember that is a Ukrainian city and recognised internationally as part of Ukraine – not Russia.
He was also updated on fighting in Vovchansk, in Kharkiv, Peskov added.
He did not say where exactly the command centre is.
Focus will shift back onto the Russian capital tomorrow as Donald Trump’s point man for Ukraine talks heads for the Kremlin.
The US president says there is a good chance of reaching a peace deal – but is he right?
Central to all of this is understanding what Vladimir Putin is thinking and what his strategy actually is.
Our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett<\/b><\/a> drills down into the thinking that drives the Russian president…
Donald Trump’s press secretary has wrapped up her briefing at the White House now. 
Before leaving the podium, she was asked about the president’s view on accusations of corruption in Ukraine.
This was specifically in reference to the resignation of Andrii Yermak – Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s top aide until Friday – who stepped down after anti-corruption police raided his home.
He has not been named as a suspect.
“The president made it quite clear corruption is never helpful,” Leavitt said.
She added he “doesn’t want to see American taxpayers taken advantage of”, pointing out the US is now selling weapons to NATO, which then hands over weapons to Ukraine.
She said this is better than “blank cheques”.
Having said that, she said no developments have “degraded” their determination to end the war.
US press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the administration feels “very optimistic” about an agreement being reached on Ukraine.
The US negotiating team and the president have “been working so hard on this effort”, she says.
They had “very good talks” with the Ukrainians on the weekend and special envoy Steve Witkoff is now on his way to Russia.
“We’re hopeful that this war can finally come to an end.”
Downing Street has shared some details of the call between Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and French President Emmanuel Macron this afternoon.
“The leaders began by reflecting on the intensive diplomacy that had been done in recent days,” a spokesperson said.
They discussed using frozen Russian assets to support the regeneration of Ukraine and its armed forces.
The trio also agreed on the importance of working towards a deal that delivered a “just peace” for Ukraine.
“The leaders agreed to stay in close touch as intensive diplomatic discussions continued in the coming days.”<\/p>\n

With Donald Trump a key figure in the Ukraine war, it’s worth listening to updates as and when they come from Washington.
To that end, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt is holding a news conference at the White House, where she is likely to be asked about peace talks and efforts to end the war.
We’ll bring you any relevant lines right here, but you can also watch along yourself in the video below…
Be the first to get Breaking News<\/span>
Install the Sky News app for free<\/p>\n

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