1 week ago Ukraine strikes key Russian pipeline while Russia bombs city as fighting shows no signs of slowing with Putin accused of setting a 'trap' with peace talk demands

The strike late on Thursday hit the Unecha oil pumping station in Russia's Bryansk region, setting off a huge fire at one of the most critical links in the pipeline.

Events

1 week ago Double blow for Ukraine as US 'won't offer security to Kyiv' as Putin holds firm on peace demands

Firstly it emerged UK and European officials visiting the US capital have been told they must provide all the security in Ukraine if a settlement is reached.

Politics

1 week ago Russia rules out European troops in Ukraine as Trump makes veiled threats

Moscow backs away from accepting western security guarantees for Ukraine as US president appears to vent frustration in Truth Social postMoscow threw Donald Trump’s Ukraine peace initiative into disarray on Thursday, insisting it must have a veto over any postwar support for the country as its forces carried out a large-scale overnight missile barrage.In a series of hardline remarks, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said European proposals to deploy troops in Ukraine after a settlement would amount to “foreign intervention”, which he called absolutely unacceptable for Russia. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Russia upends Trump peace efforts with ‘foreign intervention’ veto demand

Moscow appears to back away from accepting postwar western security guarantees for UkraineRussia-Ukraine war – live updatesMoscow threw Donald Trump’s Ukraine peace initiative into disarray on Thursday, insisting it must have a veto over any postwar support for the country as its forces carried out a large-scale overnight missile barrage.In a series of hardline remarks, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said European proposals to deploy troops in Ukraine after a settlement would amount to “foreign intervention”, which he called absolutely unacceptable for Russia. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Moscow demands veto over support for Ukraine under any peace deal and questions Zelenskyy’s legitimacy – Ukraine war live

Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, says European proposals to deploy troops in Ukraine after a settlement would amount to ‘foreign intervention’We have just heard from the European Commission, confirming that the EU and the US have now agreed on the much-awaited “joint statement” advancing the political commitments on trade agreed by Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump in Scotland last month.The commission’s press release says the statement “lays out in detail the new US tariff regime towards the EU, with a clear maximum, all-inclusive, tariff rate of 15% for the vast majority of EU exports, including strategic sectors such as cars, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and lumber.” Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago Ukraine peace talks are in disarray as Russia and China demand a say on security guarantees

Ukraine peace talks were in disarray on Wednesday after Russia effectively demanded Moscow and Beijing get a veto on any security guarantees.

Events

2 w. ago European leaders from ‘coalition of the willing’ to hold conference call over Trump

Leaders set to meet to try to protect peace deal after Putin demands Ukraine withdraws from Donetsk and LuhanskUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russia is complicating efforts to end the war.In a post on X, he wrote:We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation. If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater – peaceful coexistence with its neighbors for decades. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Zelensky makes key demand to Trump and Putin ahead of crunch peace talks

Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that any peace deal discussed between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at their upcoming Alaska summit on Friday (15 August) must include Ukraine.

Politics

3 w. ago Zelenskyy welcomes European leaders’ demand peace talks must include Kyiv

Europe promises to ‘stand firmly’ with Ukraine as Trump and Putin prepare to meet for summit on FridayThe Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has welcomed a statement from European allies that insists the “path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine”, before a planned summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.In a joint statement issued on Saturday night, leaders from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland and Finland, along with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed Kyiv must be included in any peace talks with Russia. Continue reading...

Politics