US releases two Russian crew members of seized oil tanker
We are also getting a line from Russia that the US has released two Russian members of the crew of a Russian-flagged oil tanker seized near Iceland earlier this week.
AFP quoted Russian foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, as confirming the release by the US in response to a Russian request.
“We welcome this decision and express our gratitude to the US leadership,” she said, quoted by AFP.
Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev said on Telegram that Trump decided to release “all Russians” on board the Marinera tanker.
Key events
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EU-Mercosur deal provisionally approved despite farmers’ opposition
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Meloni reiterates her support for Ukraine
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Italy’s Meloni says she doesn’t believe US could launch military action on Greenland, calls for Nato to step up its operations in Arctic
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US releases two Russian crew members of seized oil tanker
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Half of Kyiv’s apartments without heat supply after Russian strikes, mayor Klitschko says
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Respect will of Venezuelan people, Pope Leo says
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Pope Leo calls for ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Ukraine and dialogue to end war
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Pope Leo says ‘deplorable’ public resources are used to ‘suppress life’, criticises ‘safe abortion’ movement
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Pope Leo warns about ‘Orwellian’ language of inclusion, and backs right to ‘conscientious objection’
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Pope Leo criticises military attacks on civilians
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‘War is back in vogue,’ Pope Leo warns at meeting with diplomats
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Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight – in pictures
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Ukrainian PM accusses Russia of ‘energy terror’ as 500,000 left without power in Kyiv
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Russian strikes kill four, damage Qatari embassy, Zelenskyy says, as he calls for ‘clear reaction’ against Russia
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Morning opening: So much for Putin’s intentions to end the war
EU-Mercosur deal provisionally approved despite farmers’ opposition
Elsewhere, we are getting a line from Brussels that EU ambassadors have given their provisional backing to the controversial EU-Mercosur trade agreement, despite growing farmers’ protests against the deal.
Ireland, France and Poland are reportedly among the countries that opposed the deal, but found themselves in minority.
Meloni reiterates her support for Ukraine
Meloni also reiterated her support for Ukraine, while acknowledging that there are contrasting views on what’s the best way to stave off the prospect of war with Russia.
But she insisted that the best way to do that is to stand with Ukraine, as she talked about the need to put forward strong security guarantees for Kyiv in case of a ceasefire or a peace deal with Russia.
She also made it very clear that it was “absolutely premature” to talk about readmitting Russia to G8.
Italy’s Meloni says she doesn’t believe US could launch military action on Greenland, calls for Nato to step up its operations in Arctic
Meanwhile, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said she still didn’t believe that the US would launch a military action to take control of Greenland.
Asked about it during her annual major press conference, Meloni also stressed she made it clear that she would not support any such move and she believed it would “not be in anyone’s interests, not even the US”.
She argued that the Trump administration wanted to use its “highly assertive methods” to “draw attention” to the issue of strategic importance and security of the high north.
“I continue to believe that the message the US wants to send is that it will not accept excessive interference from other foreign actors,” she said.
She added that Greenland should be classified as a priority area for Nato, with “a serious debate” on how to protect it, and “to ease the pressure” on the issue.
Pressed on that a bit further, she added that “the implications” of any potential US military movement on Greenland were “clear to everyone”, which is why she didn’t consider them “realistic.”
But she stressed that Europeans should show they treat US warnings about the region’s importance seriously and do more to secure the Arctic, including a “serious and significant presence” of Nato forces there.
US releases two Russian crew members of seized oil tanker
We are also getting a line from Russia that the US has released two Russian members of the crew of a Russian-flagged oil tanker seized near Iceland earlier this week.
AFP quoted Russian foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, as confirming the release by the US in response to a Russian request.
“We welcome this decision and express our gratitude to the US leadership,” she said, quoted by AFP.
Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev said on Telegram that Trump decided to release “all Russians” on board the Marinera tanker.
Half of Kyiv’s apartments without heat supply after Russian strikes, mayor Klitschko says
Back to Ukraine, Kyiv’s mayor Vitaly Klitschko said that half of the city’s apartments are without heat supply due to the damage sustained in overnight Russian attacks on the capital.
“We are doing everything to [restore supply] as soon as possible. But the combined attack on Kyiv last night was the most painful for the capital’s critical infrastructure facilities,” he said.
He added that “city services are working in emergency mode,” but acknowledged that “the weather conditions, unfortunately, are forecast to be difficult in the coming days.”
Respect will of Venezuelan people, Pope Leo says
Pope Leo also chooses to express a view on the recent events in Venezuela, calling for world governments – I think he means US president Donald Trump in particular – to “respect the will” of the Venezuelan people.
Goes without saying that it’s particularly important coming from the first US pope.
“I wish to repeat my urgent appeal that peaceful political solutions to the current situation should be sought, keeping in mind the common good of the peoples and not the defence of partisan interests.”
He goes on to say:
“This pertains, in particular to Venezuela. In light of recent developments in this regard, I renew my appeal to respect the will of the Venezuelan people and to safeguard the human and civil rights of all ensuring a future of stability and concord.”
He then also mentions Haiti, Sudan, Bosnia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, before ending the speech to applause from the audience.
Pope Leo calls for ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Ukraine and dialogue to end war
Pope Leo directly addresses the issue of Ukraine, stressing “the suffering inflicted on the civilian population”.
He says:
“The Holy See strongly reiterates the pressing need for an immediate ceasefire and for dialogue motivated by a sincere search for ways leading to peace.
I make an urgent appeal to the international community, not to waver in its commitment to pursuing just and lasting solutions that will protect the most vulnerable and restore hope to the afflicted peoples.”
He says the Vatican is ready to support “any initiative that promotes peace and harmony.”
He then moves on to the Holy Land, calling for guarantees for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as he backed the two state solution there.
Pope Leo says ‘deplorable’ public resources are used to ‘suppress life’, criticises ‘safe abortion’ movement
Pope Leo also talks about the importance of family and caring for life, “especially in those countries that are experience a dramatic decline in birthrates”.
He also pointedly criticises proposals to “finance cross-border mobility for the purpose of accessing the so-called right to safe abortion”.
He says the Vatican “considers it deplorable that public resources are allocated to suppress life rather than being invested to support mothers and families”.
“The primary objective must remain the protection of every unborn child and the effective and concrete support of every woman so that she is able to welcome life,” he says.
He also urges civil society and states to “respond concretely to situation of vulnerability” through better care “rather than encouraging deceptive forms of compassion, such as euthanasia”.
Pope Leo warns about ‘Orwellian’ language of inclusion, and backs right to ‘conscientious objection’
Pope Leo also warns that “language is becoming more and more a weapon with which to deceive or to strike and offend opponents”.
“We need words once again to express distinct and clear realities unequivocally. Only in this way can authentic dialogue resume without misunderstandings.”
He continues with a warning about “the space for genuine freedom of expression” rapidly shrinking, particularly in the west, and criticises “a new Orwellian-style language … which in an attempt to be increasingly inclusive ends up excluding those who do not conform to the ideologies that are fuelling it.”
He also backs the people’s right to “conscientious objections” to refuse to engage in practices they don’t morally agree with.
He says:
“We should also note the paradox that this weakening of language is often invoked in the name of freedom of expression itself.
However, on closer inspection, the opposite is true for freedom of speech and expression is guaranteed precisely by the certainty of language, and the fact that every term is anchored in the truth.
It is painful to see how, especially in the west, the space for genuine freedom of expression is rapidly shrinking.
At the same time, a new Orwellian-style language is developing, which, in an attempt to be increasingly inclusive, ends up excluding those who do not conform to the ideologies that are fuelling it. Unfortunately, this leads to other consequences that end up restricting fundamental human rights, starting with the freedom of conscience.
In this regard, conscientious objection allows individuals to refuse legal or professional obligations that conflict with moral, ethical or religious principles, deeply rooted in their personal lives. This may be the refusal of military service in the name of non violence, or the refuse on the part of doctors and healthcare professionals to engage in practices, such as abortion or euthanasia. Conscientious objection is not rebellion, but an act of fidelity to oneself.”
He goes on to warn about “the persecution of Christians” as “one of the most widespread human rights crises today,” including “a subtle force of religious discrimination against Christians”, which he says “is spreading even in countries where they are in the majority,” including in Europe and the Americas.
Pope Leo criticises military attacks on civilians
In a passage passionately defending international law, Pope Leo says:
“We cannot ignore that the destruction of hospitals, energy, infrastructure, homes and places essential to daily life constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”
He adds by saying “the Holy See firmly reiterates its condemnation of any form of involvement of civilians in military operations.”
Who could he possibly be thinking about?
‘War is back in vogue,’ Pope Leo warns at meeting with diplomats
Pope Leo XIV is now speaking in the Vatican City, addressing the Vatican’s diplomatic corps, and he warns that “weakness of multilateralism is a particular cause of concern” as force replaces diplomacy and “war is back in vogue”.
He says:
“A diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies.
War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading.
The principle established after the second world war, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined.
Peace is no longer sought as a gift and a desirable good in itself, or in the pursuit of the establishment of the ordered universe willed, by God, with a more perfect form of justice among men and women. Instead, peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominion.
This gravely threatens the rule of law, which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence.”
Extensively quoting from the writing of St Augustine, he also warns that “those who make war” who “desire nothing but victory … to attain peace with glory.”
“[They] have no hatred of peace, but only wish it changed into a peace that suits them better.
They do not, therefore wish to have no peace, but only the peace that they desire. It was precisely this attitude that led humanity into the tragedy of the second world war.”
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight – in pictures
Ukrainian PM accusses Russia of ‘energy terror’ as 500,000 left without power in Kyiv
Meanwhile, the country’s prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, offered a bit more detail on the power and water supply outages in the aftermath of the Russian attacks overnight.
In a short update on Telegram, she said that work was under way to restore power to “more than 500,000 consumers” in Kyiv, after damage to substations, lines and generation facilities.
She said “the enemy purposefully attacked district boiler houses – this is energy terror and an attempt to turn winter into a weapon.”
Russian strikes kill four, damage Qatari embassy, Zelenskyy says, as he calls for ‘clear reaction’ against Russia
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has now also commented on the overnight Russian strikes on Ukraine, saying that at least four people were killed after 20 residential buildings were damaged.
A building of the Embassy of Qatar was also damaged in the strikes, he said, stressing that Qatar “does so much to mediate with Russia in order to secure the release of prisoners of war and civilians held in Russian prisons”.
He also accused Russia of conducting a “double tap” attack, with the second strike coming “precisely at the moment when first responders were providing assistance after the first strike”.
Zelenskyy said that the work was under way to “restore heating and electricity supply for the people”, with further meetings on this expected during the day.
He added:
“A clear reaction from the world is needed. Above all from the United States, whose signals Russia truly pays attention to.
Russia must receive signals that it is its obligation to focus on diplomacy, and must feel consequences every time it again focuses on killings and the destruction of infrastructure.
Today’s strike also serves as a very loud reminder to all our partners that supporting Ukraine’s air defence is a permanent priority. Not a single day can be lost in deliveries, in production, or in agreements.”
Morning opening: So much for Putin’s intentions to end the war
Jakub Krupa
Russia said it had fired a hypersonic Oreshnik missile at a critical infrastructure target in western Ukraine on another night of heavy strikes which Kyiv said demonstrated a “grave threat to the security on the European continent.”
36 missiles and 242 drones were reportedly launched at Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force statement this morning.
The attacks came just hours after a specific warning from the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said last night that “another massive Russian attack may happen tonight,” and warned that “the Russians haven’t changed one bit” as “they are trying to exploit the harsh winter weather” to disrupt the lives of Ukrainians.
Reuters noted that it is the second time that Russia has used the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile, which president Vladimir Putin has boasted is impossible to intercept because of its reported velocity of more than 10 times the speed of sound.
Moscow said the strike was in retaliation for what it claimed was an attempted Ukrainian strike at Putin’s residence, despite serious doubts about whether it actually took place. US president Donald Trump said recently that he didn’t believe the strike happened.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said this morning that Ukraine was in the process of informing the US, European partners and others “about the details of this dangerous strike”.
He added:
“It is absurd that Russia attempts to justify this strike with the fake ‘Putin residence attack’ that never happened. Another proof that Moscow does not need any real reasons for its terror and war.”
Sybiha also noted that Russia used the missile to strike targets near Lviv, about 50 miles (80km) from Ukraine’s border with Poland, an EU and Nato member.
“There needs to be more strong steps against Russian tanker fleet – and the US is right to take action here – as well as Russia’s oil revenues, schemes, and its assets. Not only in the EU but across the world,” he said.
The attack comes just days after the latest summit on the thorny issue of security guarantees for Ukraine in case of a peace deal, prompting further questions over Russia’s genuine willingness to strike any agreement.
Expect some strong reactions from across Europe and updates on the aftermath of the attack.
I will bring you all the key developments here.
It’s Friday, 9 January 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
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