1 hour ago ‘Toddler management’ of Trump may be behind Ukraine’s hints at rare earth minerals deal

There is a rapidly evolving pan-European effort to gently massage Donald Trump’s ego as talks between Europe, US, Ukraine and Russia reach a crucial stage

Politics

3 h. ago Downing Street slaps down suggestions Russia rejoining G7 is up for discussion

Security minister Dan Jarvis appeared to suggest there could be a path back into the forum for Russia as part of Ukraine peace talks.

Politics

3 h. ago Starmer pledges sanctions to push Putin to ‘make concessions’ in Ukraine talks

He repeated calls for Ukraine to have a seat at the table for any peace talks and for a US ‘backstop’ to any peace agreement

Politics

5 h. ago Ukraine latest: Macron to present Trump with peace proposal as EU leaders meet Zelensky in Kyiv to mark third year of Russia's invasion

MAILONLINE BLOG: Follow live updates of the Ukraine peace talks as French President Emmanuel Macron meets Donald Trump in Washington.

Politics

9 h. ago ‘I’d never loved it so much’: Ukrainian woman who felt compelled to return home

On the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Yuliya Danilina talks about her decision to return to Ukraine despite the risks – and the legacy of occupation she found‘I felt paralysed by fear’: Danilina’s escape from Ukraine (2022)Before Russia invaded in 2022, a red dog collar arrived in the post. I’d bought it for my rough collie, Pippa, but it was too large. So I drove to Bucha, a 20-minute drive from my village of Klavdievo-Tarasovo, to get it resized by a leatherworker there. He was very kind and said he could fix it and to come back later that week.The next day, the war started. I managed to escape the bombs and food shortages of the early weeks of the war, I left Ukraine and came to England to be with my then 27-year-old daughter, Sasha. Arriving in March 2022, it took me about a month to come to my senses – I didn’t realise how deeply in shock I was. Continue reading...

Politics

12 h. ago ‘No more excuses’: Europe under pressure on defence spending three years after Russian invasion

Continent is being told to take more responsibility for its own defence in light of US president’s overtures to PutinA few days after Vladimir Putin sent Russia’s invading forces into Ukraine in February 2022, the EU’s then foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, asked his staff for an urgent military aid plan. They came up with €50m (£41.4m) to help Ukraine.“And I said: ‘Are you crazy? We are talking about a war,’” Borrell recounted in late 2024, shortly before standing down. “Do you know what does it mean, a war? Put three zeros behind! And then we started taking things seriously.” Continue reading...

Events

23 h. ago Ukrainians gather in Dublin for third anniversary of Russian invasion

‘It’s very important to keep talking about the war and keep talking about Ukraine,’ one demonstrator said.

Events

26 h. ago Starmer warns against Ukraine peace talks without Kyiv ahead of Trump meeting

The Prime Minister said first-hand experience of visiting Ukraine had made him ‘more determined’ to ‘stand up’ for the country.

Events

28 h. ago Russians hoping for peace talks and ‘universal joy’ – but will western brands return?

Following last week’s US-Russia talks, the mood in Moscow suggests many are beginning to think about what a post-war reality might look likeAfter three years of war and western isolation, Russians are starting to hope that the recent flurry of US-Russia diplomacy could offer a path to peace in Ukraine – and restore the sense of normality lost when their leader sent tanks across the Ukrainian border.Last Tuesday’s US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia have sent the country’s propagandists and political establishment into euphoria, celebrating what they see as a real chance of achieving Russia’s goals in the war at the expense of Ukraine and its European allies, which have been sidelined from discussing the future of the invaded country. Continue reading...

Politics

42 h. ago Donald Trump wants 'to throw Ukraine to the wolves' and Starmer must charm 'angry old man'

President Donald Trump looks hellbent on turning his back on Ukraine and Europe, but is still keeping the UK and France on side - with Sir Keir Starmer set to touch down in Washington on Thursday for talks on Ukraine

Politics

44 h. ago Keir Starmer says Ukraine must be at heart of peace negotiations ahead of Trump talks

The Prime Minister insisted Kyiv’s voice must be at the heart of any peace negotiations in a call on Saturday

Politics

44 h. ago Starmer calls for Zelensky to be part of Ukraine peace talks ahead of Trump meeting

With a rift opening between Europe and the White House over Ukraine, the prime minister and president Zelensky held talks on Saturday to plan for a ‘very active’ week ahead for the conflict

Politics

44 h. ago Keir Starmer lays down Ukraine peace demand ahead of Trump talks

Kyiv ‘must be at the heart of negotiations’ says PM as US threat to block Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites fuels wave of alarmKeir Starmer has raised the stakes before a crucial meeting in Washington with the US president, Donald Trump this week, by insisting that Ukraine must be “at the heart of any negotiations” on a peace deal with Russia.The prime minister made the remarks – which run directly contrary to comments by the US president last week – in a phone call on Saturdaywith Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in which he also said that “safeguarding Ukraine’s sovereignty was essential to deter future aggression from Russia”. Continue reading...

Politics

46 h. ago Steve Witkoff: from property developer to global spotlight as Trump’s tough

His friendship with the president dates back to a late-night encounter in a deli. Now he is a loyal envoy brokering the Gaza ceasefire and peace talks on UkraineWith the first phase of the ceasefire nearing its end, an American property developer has emerged as a key figure in determining whether Gaza attains a more enduring peace or slips back into war.Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s typically idiosyncratic pick as special Middle East envoy, has also found his way into the midst of talks with Russia over Ukraine’s future, sitting opposite Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, instead of the official special envoy for the region, Keith Kellogg. Continue reading...

Politics

48 h. ago Starmer vows to push for Ukraine’s sovereignty in Trump talks next week

The Prime Minister insisted Kyiv’s voice must be at the heart of any peace negotiations in a call on Saturday.

Politics

49 h. ago Preparations under way for meeting between Trump and Putin, Russia says

Russian and US leaders will meet face to face in move towards normalising relations, deputy foreign minister saysPreparations for a face-to-face meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are under way, Russia’s deputy foreign minister has said.The event would mark a dramatic shift away from western isolation of Moscow, which has been in place since Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Speaking to Russian state media, Sergei Ryabkov said a possible Putin-Trump summit could involve broad talks on global issues, not just Ukraine. “The question is about starting to move towards normalising relations between our countries, finding ways to resolve the most acute and potentially very, very dangerous situations, of which there are many, Ukraine among them,” he said. But he said efforts to organise such a meeting were at an early stage, and that making it happen would require “the most intensive preparatory work”. Ryabkov added that US and Russian envoys could meet “within the next two...

Politics

50 h. ago Thousands descend on London in protest against Trump’s Ukraine peace talks

The demonstration comes amid fears Ukraine is being frozen out of peace talks between Moscow and US President Donald Trump.

Politics

50 h. ago Protesters say ‘don’t betray Ukraine’ as thousands march on Russian embassy

The demonstration comes amid fears Ukraine is being frozen out of peace talks between Moscow and US President Donald Trump.

Events

54 h. ago Russia and US could meet again within weeks to discuss Ukraine, Moscow says – Europe live

Moscow and Washington held their first talks on ending the nearly three-year war in Ukraine on TuesdayUkrainians who once lived in parts of the country now occupied by Russia hope they can claim some kind of compensation from the Russians in charge for the damage to their homes, Reuters reports.Maria Seryogova is one of those who have returned to snap photos of the rubble to back up their claims. Continue reading...

Politics

65 h. ago US envoy to Ukraine hails Zelenskyy as ‘embattled and courageous leader’

Keith Kellogg takes different tone from Trump, who contrasted ‘very good talks’ with Putin with cooler relationship with Ukraine’s leaderThe US envoy to Ukraine, Gen Keith Kellogg, has praised Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war”, striking a dramatically different tone from Donald Trump, who has called Ukraine’s president a “dictator”.Kellogg left Kyiv on Friday after a three-day visit. Posting on social media, he said he had engaged in “extensive and positive discussions” with Zelenskyy and his “talented national security team”. “A long and intense day with the senior leadership of Ukraine,” he said. Continue reading...

Politics