Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky conceded in an interview on Tuesday that Ukraine does not have “enough forces” to restore sovereignty over Russian-occupied Crimea and “must seek diplomatic means” to end the Russian invasion and regain its land. Adding to the perception of inclination towards more diplomacy, Zelensky’s former foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said in a series of interviews last week that he does not believe Ukraine is in a good position to win the war against Russia and “things look bad on the battlefield.” Kuleba, who resigned in bizarre fashion from his longstanding position as Ukraine’s top diplomat in September, also suggested that Zelensky is limited on how many issues he can compromise on by the popular will of the Ukrainian people, who would end his political career if he offers too many concessions. Ukraine was a nuclear power in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. It gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees from the West as part of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, intended to prevent situations such as the current Russian invasion of the country. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry marked the 30th anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum on Tuesday by demanding the West respect the guarantees it provided. “This mistake must be corrected. Ukraine must be provided with clear, legally binding security guarantees that align with its significant contribution to global nuclear disarmament and the maintenance of international peace and security,” the Foreign Ministry proclaimed. “We call on the United States and the United Kingdom, signatories to the Budapest Memorandum, France and China, which have acceded to it, and all states-parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, to support the provision of effective security guarantees to Ukraine.” Regarding current diplomatic discussions, the Foreign Ministry added that Ukraine “will not accept any alternatives, surrogates or substitutes for Ukraine’s full membership in NATO.” South Korean Yoon Suk-yeol stunned the world on Tuesday morning by declaring a state of “emergency martial law” because “subversive, anti-state elements” among the opposition are blocking his agenda. Martial law has not been declared in South Korea since it emerged from military dictatorship in the 1980s. “I declare martial law to protect the Republic of Korea from the threats of North Korean communist forces, to immediately eradicate the unscrupulous pro-Pyongyang anti-state forces that pillage the freedom and happiness of our people and to protect free constitutional order,” Yoon said in an emergency press conference from his office in Seoul. Yoon accused the opposition of “paralyzing the courts in the country by threatening the judges and impeaching prosecutors, and by attempting to remove the Interior Minister, top broadcasting regulator, chief of the Board of Audit and Inspection, and the Defense Minister.” Yoon also said the opposition’s move to cut $2.8 billion from the $483 billion 2025 national budget was a scheme to paralyze his government. The opposition wants to deny extra spending for the presidential office, prosecutors, and police requested in Yoon’s budget. “There is no reason to declare martial law. We cannot let the military rule this country,” opposition leader Lee said. South Korean media showed protesters attempting to storm the parliament building, which has been locked down under orders from the military. Yoon himself has been fending off calls for independent investigations into several scandals involving his wife Kim Keon-hee and top officials from his party. Yoon and Kim are accused of interfering in the party’s choice of candidate for a legislative seat in 2022 at the behest of a powerful supporter named Myung Tae-kyun. Yoon is down to 25% approval in the polls, slipping again last week after a modest recovery in early November. His People Power Party is polling at 32%, while the opposition Democratic Party (DP) sits at 45%. Police and military forces have been deployed around the South Korean parliament building, where they are clashing with a large group of angry protesters. Trial run? Who's next?
Zelensky Admits Ukraine Can’t Retake All Its Land: ‘We Must Seek Diplomatic Means’:
South Korea Declares Martial Law to Foil ‘Subversive Anti-State Elements’:
