The Biden administration is encouraging Ukraine to support peace talks with Russia nearly 9 months after invasion began, WaPo reports
Business InsiderDec 23, 2022
Day 257 Roundup: Kyiv Mayor Urges Residents to Consider Evacuations; Zelenskyy Accuses Iran of Prolonging War
Image copyright: AP Photos [via AP News]
The Facts
Amid rolling blackouts in Kyiv and at least six other regions of Ukraine on Sunday, the city's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, urged residents to consider the prospect of evacuating the capital if the power situation deteriorates. Klitschko said authorities were preparing to deploy an estimated 1K "warming centers" across Kyiv but warned they'd be insufficient for a population of 3M if the city faced a total blackout.
He said: "So I’m also asking people, in a bad scenario, if we don’t have electricity or water, and if you have relatives or friends in the suburbs of Kyiv who have a separate water supply, a stove and heating, plan to stay there temporarily. Please make arrangements so that in the event of a bad scenario, you can stay with your friends or acquaintances for a while."
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
As Russia continues to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure, many parts of the country, including Kyiv, will be forced to prepare for a winter with no heat, water, or power. The only good news is that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was reconnected to Ukraine’s power grid, as local media reported Sunday. Energy security is a concerning dimension of Ukraine's deepening humanitarian crisis.
Pro-Russia narrative
According to reports, US and NATO officials have approved Kyiv's counteroffensive push in Kherson — instilling in Ukrainian leadership that peace talks from a position of strength would be possible if it retakes the strategically important area. Any news of possible negotiations must take this context into account.
Metaculus Prediction
Establishment split
CRITICAL
PRO
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