Here are the key developments from December 9:
1. **Zelensky “may consider” deployment of foreign peacekeepers**: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he might consider deploying international peacekeeping forces to ensure a ceasefire, following his meeting with US President Joe Biden.
2. **Russia claims to have handed over Il-76 crash victims’ bodies**: Russia’s Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova said that the country has transferred the bodies of Ukrainian prisoners of war allegedly killed in a plane crash in January, but Ukraine says examinations are still ongoing.
3. **Russian defense spending reaches record levels**: Moscow Times reported that Russia spent $43 billion on “national defense” in the third quarter of 2024, with publicly disclosed spending up 71% from the previous quarter and classified spending surging 131%.
4. **Russian military suppliers exploit loophole to source US microchips**: Bloomberg found that Russian distributors exploited a loophole to order microchips from Texas Instruments (TI) despite international sanctions, with orders being fulfilled through intermediaries outside Russia.
These developments highlight the ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia, as well as Russia’s continued military spending and efforts to circumvent international sanctions.