17 h. ago The Guardian view on Ukraine peace talks: Putin is taking Trump for another ride on the Kremlin carousel | Editorial

Russia’s president is only interested in a deal on Moscow’s terms. Equipping Kyiv with the resources to fight on is the quickest route to a just settlementAs Donald Trump’s Thanksgiving Day deadline for a Ukraine peace agreement came and went this week, the Russia expert Mark Galeotti pointed to a telling indicator of how the Kremlin is treating the latest flurry of White House diplomacy. In the government paper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, a foreign policy scholar close to Vladimir Putin’s regime bluntly observed: “As long as hostilities continue, leverage remains. As soon as they cease, Russia finds itself alone (we harbour no illusions) in the face of coordinated political and diplomatic pressure.”Mr Putin has no interest in a ceasefire followed by talks where Ukraine’s rights as a sovereign nation would be defended and reasserted. He seeks the capitulation and reabsorption of Russia’s neighbour into Moscow’s orbit. Whether that is achieved through battlefield attrition, or through a Trum...

Politics

19 h. ago Zelenskyy chief of staff resigns after property raid by Ukraine’s anti

‘I want there to be no rumours and speculation,’ Zelenskyy says as Andriy Yermak resignsThe Commission also totally rejected dismissed Russia’s criticism of Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “illegitimate” leader of Ukraine, after Vladimir Putin suggested yesterday that was a technical reason he couldn’t agree a peace deal with Zelenskyy.“President Zelensky is the democratically elected president, by the Ukrainian people, of Ukraine,” a commission spokesperson said in response, somewhat mockingly adding that Putin seems to have “some difficulties in recognising the democratically elected president of his neighbour country, Ukraine.”“Let me stress the fight against corruption is a key element for a country to join the EU, it requires continuous efforts and a strong capacity to fight corruption. This is a key element that we also address in our enlargement report that was published a couple of weeks ago, so we will continue to follow the situation very closely.” Continue reading...

Politics

21 h. ago Trump ‘will recognise occupied Ukraine as RUSSIA’ in bombshell gift to Putin to help secure peace deal after talks stall

DONALD Trump is reportedly set to hand occupied Ukrainian territories over to Vladimir Putin to secure a deal to end the war. The US president has sent Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to make the offer to the Russian tyrant in Moscow, according to reports. A source told The Telegraph: "It’s increasingly clear...

Politics

3 d. ago Zelenskyy says Ukraine ready to move forward with US plan and discuss ‘sensitive points’ with Trump

Ukrainian leader says that talks should also include European allies; Trump says deal is closeUS optimistic over Ukraine peace deal talks but ‘a few delicate details’ remainIn other EU related news, a top European court on Tuesday ruled that an EU nation had to recognise a gay marriage recorded in another member state, after a complaint by two Poles married in Germany.The couple, one of whom also has German nationality, were living there and married in Berlin in 2018, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).The spouses in question, as EU citizens, enjoy the freedom to move and reside within the territory of the member states and the right to lead a normal family life when exercising that freedom and upon returning to their member state of origin.“Sweden’s defence needs to be strengthened against threats such as robots, drones and helicopters. The best way to guarantee peace and freedom is to invest in defence. The orders also contribute to growth, jobs and security of supply. It also imp...

Politics

3 d. ago Ukraine ‘supports essence of peace deal’ following Geneva talks, Ukrainian official reportedly says

Official tells Reuters news agency sensitive issues still to be discussed between Zelenskyy and TrumpIn other EU related news, a top European court on Tuesday ruled that an EU nation had to recognise a gay marriage recorded in another member state, after a complaint by two Poles married in Germany.The couple, one of whom also has German nationality, were living there and married in Berlin in 2018, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).The spouses in question, as EU citizens, enjoy the freedom to move and reside within the territory of the member states and the right to lead a normal family life when exercising that freedom and upon returning to their member state of origin.“Sweden’s defence needs to be strengthened against threats such as robots, drones and helicopters. The best way to guarantee peace and freedom is to invest in defence. The orders also contribute to growth, jobs and security of supply. It also improves the possibilities of increasing production capacity in the defence...

Politics

4 d. ago US & Russia meet for ‘secret talks’ over Trump’s peace plan as Putin unleashes brutal strikes on Ukraine killing 6

WASHINGTON has held secret, high-stakes talks with Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi as Donald Trump’s team races to lock down a reworked peace plan. It comes as Vladimir Putin unleashed one of his most brutal overnight strikes in weeks, killing at least six people. Donald Trump stoked expectations on Monday, hinting that the breakthrough...

Events

4 d. ago The Guardian view on a viable peace framework for Ukraine: with Europe’s help, Zelenskyy can have better cards | Editorial

The 28-point plan outlined last week by the US would have delivered peace on Putin’s terms. EU leaders must help Kyiv resist the bullyingThere was a grim familiarity to the unveiling of Donald Trump’s latest peace proposals for Ukraine last week. As in August, when the US president invited Vladimir Putin to a summit in Alaska, Kyiv and its European allies were excluded from discussions that ended up echoing Kremlin talking points. Yet again, Mr Trump publicly scolded Volodymyr Zelenskyy for not being more grateful for his ongoing mediation efforts. And as in the summer, Mr Zelenskyy and blindsided European leaders strove to stay polite while scrambling to limit the damage.The salvage operation appears to have been relatively successful, following Sunday’s meeting in Geneva between the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and a Ukrainian delegation. The 28-point plan reportedly drafted by Mr Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and the Kremlin adviser, Kirill Dmitrie...

Politics

5 d. ago Trump peace plan would have left Ukraine a 'tethered goat' so weak that Putin would restart war, ex

Russia launched new air attacks on Ukraine as Kyiv and the US said they had drafted a ‘refined peace framework’ following talks in Geneva

Politics

5 d. ago Russia hits Ukraine with 'massive' deadly airstrike as US and Kyiv work on 'refined' peace plan

Russia’s latest attacks come after the UK and Ukraine said they had drafted a ‘refined peace framework’ following talks in Geneva

Events

5 d. ago Russia launches deadly airstrikes on Ukraine as US and Kyiv work on 'refined' peace plan

Russia’s latest attacks come after the UK and Ukraine said they had drafted a ‘refined peace framework’ following talks in Geneva

Events

9 d. ago The Guardian view on funding Ukraine’s resistance: a looming financial crisis in Kyiv must be averted | Editorial

Whether by leveraging Russia’s frozen assets, or other means, the EU must deliver the cash necessary to withstand Putin’s war of attritionIn the early part of this year, as the US vice-president, JD Vance, berated European leaders in Munich, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy was subjected to a televised mauling in the White House, it became starkly apparent that the bonds of solidarity between the European Union and Ukraine would need to be strengthened to cope with a new geopolitical reality. As 2025 draws to a close, a moment of reckoning has arrived.According to EU estimates, Ukraine will need more than €70bn in extra financial assistance next year to keep defending itself against Vladimir Putin. That money won’t be coming from Washington, where Donald Trump has refused to seek new funding for military aid from Congress. Yet Kyiv’s ability to negotiate an acceptable peace depends on its capacity to withstand Mr Putin’s relentless war of attrition, which is designed to drain Ukraine of...

Economics