俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京入侵邻国乌克兰六个多月后，两国正在争夺对乌克兰东部和南部地区的控制权。
乌克兰总统弗拉基米尔·泽伦斯基(Volodymyr Zelenskyy)的部队于8月开始进攻，他发誓要夺回所有被俄罗斯占领的领土。但普京在9月宣布动员预备役人员，预计将征召多达30万额外的部队。
如果拜登希望结束战争，他“准备与普京对话”
美国总统乔·拜登在与法国埃马纽埃尔·马克龙举行的联合新闻发布会上表示，如果弗拉基米尔·普京领导人对和平谈判有正当的兴趣，他愿意与他会谈。然而，拜登说，他“没有立即联系普京先生的计划。”
拜登还指出，在这场战争中，普京“错误地估计了每一件事”。
“所以问题是他的——他如何摆脱他所处的环境?我准备好了，如果他愿意谈，以了解他愿意做什么，但我只会在咨询我的北约。我不会单枪匹马去做，”拜登说。
与此同时，继续与普京通话的马克龙总统表示，这取决于乌克兰是否来到谈判桌前。
“因此，泽伦斯基总统设置一些谈判条件是完全合法的。我们需要努力达成和平协议。但应该由他来告诉我们，时候到了，乌克兰人的选择是什么，”马克龙说。
当能源公司努力完成维修时，赫尔松的炮击损坏了电线
乌克兰地区能源公司负责人表示，乌克兰赫尔松市60%的客户已经恢复供电，但夜间的炮击破坏了电线。
工人们希望在周四结束前完成修复。
据谢里·科瓦伦科亚斯诺能源公司(YASNO energy company)负责人说，在基辅，65.2万居民周四全天断电。基辅的主电网运行能力不足70 %, 20%的居民仍然没有电力和暖气。
俄罗斯指责美国和北约直接卷入战争
俄罗斯外交部长谢尔盖·拉夫罗夫(Sergey Lavrov)指责西方直接参与乌克兰战争，向该国提供武器并训练其士兵。
拉夫罗夫在周四的新闻发布会上说:“你们正在你们的领土上，在英国、德国、意大利和其他国家的领土上训练他们的军队。”
拉夫罗夫还声称，俄罗斯对乌克兰能源设施和其他关键基础设施的导弹袭击旨在削弱乌克兰的军事潜力，并阻止来自西方的武器运输。
拉夫罗夫还表示，莫斯科对结束冲突的和平谈判持开放态度。
美国将提供5300万美元能源援助帮助乌克兰过冬
美国国务院周二宣布，美国将向乌克兰提供5300多万美元，用于购买关键的电网设备，以帮助其公民度过冬季。
该声明是在俄罗斯持续攻击乌克兰能源基础设施的背景下发布的。
美国国务院在一份新闻稿中表示，“除了这一新的援助，美国还向紧急能源部门提供了5500万美元的发电机和其他设备支持，以帮助受俄罗斯袭击乌克兰电力系统影响的当地城市恢复紧急供电和供暖。”。
Russia-Ukraine live updates: No regrets starting war, Putin tells soldiers' mothers
More than six months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout eastern and southern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose forces began an offensive in August, has vowed to take back all Russian-occupied territory. But Putin in September announced a mobilization of reservists, which is expected to call up as many as 300,000 additional troops.
Biden 'prepared to speak with Putin' if he wants to end war
Speaking at a joint press conference with France's Emmanuel Macron, President Joe Biden said he would be open to speaking with Vladimir Putin if the Russian leader has legitimate interest in peace negotiations. Biden, however, said he has "no immediate plans to contact Mr. Putin."
Biden also noted that Putin has "miscalculated every single thing" when it comes to this war.
"So the question is what is his -- how does he get himself out of the circumstance he's in? I'm prepared if he's willing to talk to find out what he's willing to do, but I'll only do it in consultation with my NATO. I'm not going to do it on my own," Biden said.
Meanwhile, President Macron, who has continued speaking with Putin, said it's up to Ukraine to come to the negotiating table.
"So it's only legitimate that President Zelenskyy sets some conditions to talk. We need to work on what could lead to a peace agreement. But it's for him to tell us when the time comes and what the choices of the Ukrainians are," Macron said.
Shelling in Kherson damages power lines as energy company works to finish repairs
Electricity was back for 60% of customers in the Ukrainian city of Kherson, but shelling overnight damaged power lines, according to the head of Ukraine's regional energy company.
Workers are hoping to finish the repairs by the end of Thursday.
In Kyiv, 652,000 residents were subject to power outages throughout Thursday, according to the director of YASNO energy company, Serhiy Kovalenko. Kyiv's main power grid is operating at less than 70% capacity and 20% of residents are still without power or heat.
Russia accuses US, NATO of direct involvement in war
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the West of being directly involved in the war in Ukraine by supplying the country with weapons and training its soldiers.
"You are training their military on your territory, on the territories of Britain, Germany, Italy and other countries," Lavrov said at a press conference Thursday.
Lavrov also claimed that Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities and other key infrastructure were intended to weaken Ukraine’s military potential and derail the shipments of weapons from the West.
Lavrov also said Moscow is open to peace talks to end the conflict.
US to send $53M in energy aid to help Ukraine through winter
The U.S. will provide Ukraine with more than $53 million to acquire critical electric grid equipment to help its citizens get through the winter, the State Department announced Tuesday.
The announcement comes amid Russia's continued attacks against Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
"This new assistance is in addition to $55 million in emergency energy sector support for generators and other equipment to help restore emergency power and heat to local municipalities impacted by Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s power system," the State Department said in a release.
