December 21, 2022 Russia-Ukraine and Zelensky news

An American military aircraft was involved in bringing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington for his meetings Wednesday, according to US officials.

The US was heavily involved in the security arrangements to bring Zelensky from and back to Ukraine for the first time since the Russian invasion began.

After Zelensky accepted Biden's invitation to visit a week ago, the two sides immediately began making the security arrangements for the visit.

Zelensky plans to leave Washington immediately after his address to Congress on Capitol Hill, making his visit only a matter of a few hours.

Zelensky traveled to Poland by train as part of his journey to the United States on Wednesday.

Video by CNN affiliate TVN in Poland captured the moment Zelensky arrived by train in Przemysl, near the Polish-Ukrainian border. The shot date is Dec. 21, but does not give an indication of time.

Zelensky is then seen in a white 4x4 vehicle waiting to depart in a convoy.

According to TVN, Zelensky then flew to from Rzeszow airport on his way to Washington. Zelensky was seen with US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Ann Brink.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday that "partial mobilization" has been a "serious trial" for Russia and its army. 

"It has become a criterion for the maturity of Russian society and a serious trial for the country and the armed forces,” he told a meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry board in Moscow. 

Some background: Moscow announced in October that its “partial mobilization” of hundreds of thousands of citizens to fight in the country’s war on Ukraine had been completed. The announcement in late September sparked protests and an exodus of men from the country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia needs to “continue to support and improve readiness” of its nuclear weapons.  

“We need to continue to support, and to improve the readiness of our nuclear units. This is the main guarantee of our sovereignty and territorial integrity.  A strategic priority is the overall balance of power in the world,” he told a meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry board in Moscow. 

Putin also accused key NATO countries of using their military potential against Russia. 

Putin claimed that Moscow’s “strategic adversaries” have been planning to “disintegrate, weaken and divide” Russia.

“Our strategic adversaries have the goal of disintegrating and weakening, dividing our country. This has been going on for centuries. [Russia is] too big, as they think, a country that poses a threat to someone. Therefore, it needs to be broken down, cut down a little,” he said. 

His speech started right after those in attendance observed a moment of silence for those who "gave their lives for the motherland.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Poland by train as part of his journey to the United States on Wednesday. 

Video by CNN affiliate TVN in Poland captured the moment Zelensky arrived by train in Przemysl, near the Polish/Ukrainian border. The shot date is Dec. 21, but does not give an indication of time.

Zelensky is then seen in a white 4x4 vehicle waiting to depart in a convoy. 

According to TVN, Zelensky then flew to the US from Rzeszow (RZE) airport to Washington. Zelensky was seen with US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Ann Brink.

Zelensky is set to pay a dramatic surprise visit to Washington on Wednesday, using his first trip outside his homeland since it was invaded 300 days ago to rally his top international partner behind sustained military and economic assistance.

The UN nuclear watchdog IAEA has confirmed that its chief Rafael Grossi will be traveling to Moscow on Thursday to discuss nuclear safety at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.

"We can confirm that Director General Grossi will be in Moscow tomorrow as part of his ongoing high-level consultations aimed at agreeing and implementing a nuclear safety and security zone around the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) as soon as possible," the IAEA said in a statement on Wednesday. 

The plant, in Russian-occupied territory, has come under repeated shelling attacks prompting concerns about a nuclear disaster. Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for the attacks. 

There are no plans for Grossi to meet Russia’s President Vladimir Putin during the visit, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.  

Missile strikes in the Zaporizhzhia region have increased in recent weeks. Earlier in the week, the head of the Zaporizhzhia Region Military Administration, Oleksandr Starukh, told a briefing that the energy situation is currently difficult.

All six units at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant are out of operation. Starukh said that "they are in partially cold and partially hot shutdown mode." 

Iconic sites around the world will turn off their lights on Wednesday in solidarity with Ukraine. 

London’s famous Wembley Stadium arch, the Colosseum in Rome, Sydney Opera House, and Toronto’s CN Tower are going to turn the lights out tonight at 8pm (local time) as part of the #LightUpUkraine campaign, according to organizers. 

Many Ukrainians face a winter of blackouts as the country rebuffs attacks on its civilian infrastructure by invading Russian forces. 

The landmark locations join a host of other sites across Europe in pledging their support. 

The campaign aims to raise $10 million via the UNITED24, Ukraine’s national fundraising platform, for 1000 generators to power hospitals this winter.

According to the organizers, Ukrainian doctors have to save lives and perform complex surgeries by flashlight, posing an additional threat to people’s lives.

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi will travel to Russia on Thursday to discuss nuclear safety at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, Russian state media RIA Novosti reported. 

Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), intends to discuss the creation of a security zone around Europe’s largest power plant, according to the news agency. 

The plant, in Russian-occupied territory, has come under repeated shelling attacks prompting concerns about a nuclear disaster. Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for the attacks. 

There are no plans for Grossi to meet Russia’s President Vladimir Putin during the visit, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.  

CNN has reached out to the IAEA for comment.  

Missile strikes in the Zaporizhzhia region have increased in recent weeks. Earlier in the week, the head of the Zaporizhzhia Region Military Administration, Oleksandr Starukh, told a briefing that the energy situation is currently difficult.

All six units at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant are out of operation. Starukh said that "they are in partially cold and partially hot shutdown mode." 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed Wednesday that it appeared no European countries were going to properly investigate the series of explosions that ruptured the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September. 

“After the explosions on the Nord Stream -- which, it appears, nobody in the European Union is going to investigate objectively -- Russia stopped gas transportation through the northern routes," Lavrov told the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) virtual summit.

Swedish and Danish authorities have been investigating the damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines linking Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea.

In November, Swedish prosecutors claimed the blasts at the pipeline were caused by an act of sabotage after evidence of explosives was discovered at the sites, though did not name possible culprits. 

Created to funnel gas from Russia into the European Union, the pipelines have been flashpoints in an escalating energy war between European capitals and Moscow that has pummeled major Western economies, sent gas prices soaring and sparked a hunt for alternative energy supplies since the February invasion of Ukraine.

They were controversial long before Russia waged war on Ukraine for the significant leverage they gave Moscow over Europe. But until this year, European countries have been reluctant to wean themselves off Russian energy given the potential for rising prices.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Moscow doesn't see a chance of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and that Western countries making new weapon deliveries to Kyiv “leads to an aggravation of the conflict.” 

When asked by reporters about Russian reaction to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visiting Washington, Peskov said: “Arms deliveries continue, the range of supplied weapons is expanding. All this leads to an aggravation of the conflict and does not bode well for Ukraine.” 

Zelensky will visit the Oval Office on Wednesday for extended talks with US President Joe Biden, who will announce he is sending nearly $2 billion in additional security assistance to Ukraine, including a sophisticated new air defense system. 

When asked if Kyiv’s position on the negotiation process will change after Zelensky’s trip to the US, Peskov said: “I don't think so.”

Zelensky's surprise visit to Washington is his first trip outside his homeland since it was invaded 300 days ago.

He and Biden will hold a White House news conference before Zelensky addresses members of Congress on Capitol Hill in prime time.