European leaders convince Zelenskyi not to agree to the withdrawal of troops from Donbas

European leaders are urgently pressing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to resist any U.S.-brokered peace deal that would force a withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbas region without ironclad American security guarantees, according to a Bloomberg report on December 6, 2025.

Citing anonymous European officials, the outlet revealed fears that Washington, under President Donald Trump, might push Kyiv into concessions amid mounting domestic corruption scandals and battlefield fatigue, potentially leaving Europe as Russia's next target in a "broader future war." As Brussels scrambles to assemble a delegation for talks in Washington, the continent is publicly backing U.S. efforts while privately dreading a scenario where Trump declares the conflict a "European matter," forcing the EU to shoulder Ukraine's defense alone—without the NATO cohesion and U.S. arms flows that have sustained Kyiv for nearly four years.

In a stark illustration of Russia's deepening military-industrial ties amid its Ukraine invasion, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that Moscow is actively negotiating with India to localize production of Russian drones, including the lethal Lancet strike UAVs, on Indian soil as a workaround for crippling Western sanctions and domestic labor shortages.mezha.net +1Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov confirmed on December 5, 2025, that talks are underway to manufacture these low-cost, precision-guided weapons at Indian facilities, potentially allowing Russia to ramp up output for battlefield use while exporting technology and combat lessons in return—exploiting New Delhi's growing interest in Russian arms despite U.S. pressure.news-pravda.com +1Meanwhile, a delegation from Russia's Smolensk FPV Drone Piloting Center has arrived in India to train operators under the bilateral strategic partnership, signaling a broader push to integrate Indian labor and expertise into Russia's war machine.mezha.net +1ISW analysts warn this collaboration could accelerate Moscow's drone swarms in Donetsk, compensating for troop deficits and complicating Ukraine's defenses, while raising alarms about indirect Indian complicity in the conflict.

Russia is negotiating with India on the joint production of drones

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that Moscow is actively negotiating with India to localize production of Russian drones, including the lethal Lancet strike UAVs, on Indian soil as a workaround for crippling Western sanctions and domestic labor shortages. Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov confirmed on December 5, 2025, that talks are underway to manufacture these low-cost, precision-guided weapons at Indian facilities, potentially allowing Russia to ramp up output for battlefield use while exporting technology and combat lessons in return—exploiting New Delhi's growing interest in Russian arms despite U.S. pressure. Meanwhile, a delegation from Russia's Smolensk FPV Drone Piloting Center has arrived in India to train operators under the bilateral strategic partnership, signaling a broader push to integrate Indian labor and expertise into Russia's war machine.

ISW analysts warn this collaboration could accelerate Moscow's drone swarms in Donetsk, compensating for troop deficits and complicating Ukraine's defenses, while raising alarms about indirect Indian complicity in the conflict.

Putin is not isolated and does not need to sign a peace agreement regarding Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin is far from isolated on the global stage and has no pressing incentive to sign a peace agreement over Ukraine, according to an analysis in The Sunday Times on December 7, 2025, as Moscow's battlefield gains and diplomatic maneuvering with the West leave him in a position of strength. Citing Kremlin insiders and recent U.S.-Russia talks, the report highlights how Putin's recent marathon sessions with Trump's envoys—Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—yielded no breakthroughs, with Moscow rejecting key elements of a proposed 20-point plan while demanding "radical changes" like full Ukrainian withdrawal from Donbas and permanent NATO vetoes, terms Kyiv has branded as capitulation.

Despite Trump's public optimism that Putin "wants a deal," the Russian leader's predatory rhetoric—warning Europe of readiness for "immediate war" if provoked—signals confidence in Russia's economic resilience and incremental advances, such as the contested capture of Pokrovsk, allowing him to prolong the conflict without concessions amid waning Western unity.