68 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Pope opens Vatican door to peace talks, says Meloni

Zelenskyy says Putin ‘trying to buy time’ after phone call with Trump; EU lays on further sanctions and more coming up. What we know on day 1,183Pope Leo confirmed to Giorgia Meloni his willingness to host in the Vatican the next round of negotiations to try to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, the Italian prime minister said on Tuesday. “Finding in the Holy Father confirmation of the readiness to host the next talks between the parties in the Vatican, the prime minister expressed deep gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for his unceasing commitment to peace,” said a statement from Meloni. Leo, elected two weeks ago, said on 14 May that the Vatican could act as a mediator in global conflicts, without specifically mentioning Russia’s war against Ukraine.Separately the Italian prime minister said she had talks with other European leaders and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, over next steps. “It was agreed to maintain close coordination between the partners with a view to a ne...

Events

4 d. ago Donald Trump 'has got to get on the phone' with Putin as Ukraine ceasefire in doubt

Donald Trump is set to hold separate phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday in a bid to secure a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine

Politics

5 d. ago ‘We will pay a huge price’: Ukraine fears war could drag on for years

Kyiv officials believe Moscow is not interested in peace despite talks in Istanbul and Trump’s interventionUkrainian officials believe a largely stalemated war of attrition with Russia is likely to continue for several more years, despite international efforts pushed by Donald Trump to end the fighting.After the inconclusive breakup of the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul on Friday, and despite the US president’s planned calls with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, they see no evidence that Moscow is serious about peace. Continue reading...

Economics

6 d. ago Trump to talk to Putin on Monday about Ukraine ceasefire proposal and trade

In social media posts, president also slammed Walmart for price increases and spread anti-Clinton conspiracy theoriesDonald Trump has said that he will speak to both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an effort to stop what he called the “bloodbath” war in Ukraine, in a barrage of new social media posts that included baseless conspiracy theories and a demand that Walmart not raise prices for customers because of tariffs he has imposed.Trump, posting on his Truth Social account on Saturday, wrote that he will speak to Putin on Monday morning. “THE SUBJECTS OF THE CALL WILL BE, STOPPING THE ‘BLOODBATH’ THAT IS KILLING, ON AVERAGE, MORE THAN 5000 RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS A WEEK, AND TRADE,” Trump wrote, in his customary all-capitalized prose. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Trump confirms phone calls with Putin and Zelensky to take place on Monday

The phone calls come after Putin no-showed peace talks over Ukraine in Turkey

Politics

1 week ago Ukraine war live: Zelenskyy welcomes Putin calls for talks but says Russia must agree to ‘full, lasting, reliable’ ceasefire

In late-night address in Moscow, Russian president dismissed calls by European leaders for 30-day ceasefire to start on MondayVladimir Putin’s proposal for “direct talks” with Kyiv came hours after leaders from the UK, France, Germany and Poland travelled to Kyiv to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy.As my colleague Shaun Walker notes in this story, the European leaders told the Russian president to sign up to an unconditional ceasefire by Monday or face increased sanctions and weapons transfers to Ukraine.It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war.The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire. There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Period of Putin’s ‘ceasefire’ for Victory Day begins

Kremlin jams internet as it seeks to protect visiting foreign leaders; Ukraine’s SBU says drones hit Russian arms factories. What we know on day 1,170 The period of an unagreed ceasefire called for by Vladimir Putin began on Thursday morning as the Russian president seeks cover for Victory Day events. Ukraine has dismissed it as a “game” designed to protect Putin’s parade rather than a genuine step towards peace. Foreign leaders including China’s Xi Jinping are visiting the Russian capital for Victory Day celebrations. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president, has offered a 30-day ceasefire as suggested in US-brokered talks, but the Kremlin has refused.The Kremlin was forced on Wednesday to say it was taking “all necessary measures” to ensure the safety of foreign leaders due to attend its flagship 9 May parade after days of Ukrainian drone attacks closed airports across Russia, disrupting about 350 flights due to carry about 60,000 people. The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov sai...

Events

2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Hegseth’s sudden arms halt ‘cost US up to $2.2m’ – report

Missile attack against Kyiv after deadly strike on Sumy; Zelenskyy seeks ramp-up of drone interceptor development. What we know on day 1,169 The Pentagon under Pete Hegseth stopped arms shipments to Ukraine in February without being ordered to do so by Donald Trump, the newly inaugurated president, Reuters reports. The order – which the news agency said blindsided top US national security officials, and the Ukrainians – was reversed within a week, but it cost up to $US2.2m to cancel the 11 flights involved, according to records. Reuters said records showed Hegseth gave a verbal order for the stoppage after a 30 January Oval Office meeting where only the idea of stopping military assistance was discussed.Ukraine’s air defence units were trying repel a missile attack on Kyiv, the mayor said, after explosions shook the city just after 1am local time on Wednesday. A Russian ballistic missile attack killed three people including a child at Sumy in Ukraine and wounded 10 other people – mo...

Economics

2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Second night of Moscow drone raids, Kursk substation hit

Ukrainian forces reportedly smash back across border into Kursk, where Syrski says offensive has achieved most of its goals. What we know on day 1,168Ukraine has launched drones at Moscow for the second night in a row, forcing closure of the capital’s three major airports, Russian officials said early on Wednesday. The mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said six Ukrainian drones approached Moscow and what he claimed was debris from an intercepted drone fell over one of the key highways leading into the city. Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said it halted flights at airports serving Moscow including Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky.Ukrainian forces attacked a power substation at the town of Rylsk in Russia’s western Kursk region, the regional governor said early on Tuesday, after Russian war bloggers reported Ukrainian forces firing missiles had smashed through the border in Kursk, crossing minefields with armoured vehicles. The Kursk governor, Alexander Khinshtein, said two people w...

Events

2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Three million shells coming from our allies, says Zelenskyy

Ukrainian attack over border largely destroys Russian electrical equipment plant; mayor reports drones headed for Moscow. What we know on day 1,167See all our Ukraine war coverageUkraine hopes to receive 3m artillery shells from allies and partners in 2025 including 1.8m under a Czech-led programme, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Prague on Sunday. “The Czech artillery initiative is working brilliantly,” the Ukrainian president said. Prague steers a European drive to supply artillery ammunition to Ukraine, financed largely by Nato allies. “Not only North Korea is capable of helping [Russia] in the war – we have allies who are helping Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in comments reported by the Kyiv Independent.Zelenskyy added there would be a meeting on Monday with “Czech defence companies”, with details to be announced later. Discussions were under way for a Ukrainian-Czech pilot training school for F16 fighter jets, which could not be established in Ukraine “due to current security concerns”....

Events

2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Maritime drone shoots down Russian fighter jet for first time, says Kyiv

Ukrainian military intelligence claims Su-30 destroyed over waters near Russian port city of Novorossiisk, drawing no comment from Moscow. What we know on day 1,166See all our Ukraine war coverageUkraine has destroyed a Russian Su-30 fighter jet using a missile fired from a seaborne drone, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, in what it said was the world’s first downing of a combat plane by a maritime drone. The GUR’s statement on social media on Saturday said the fighter had been shot down by a military intelligence unit called Group 13 on Friday over waters near Novorossiisk, a major Russian port city on the Black Sea. The Russian defence ministry did not comment on the Ukrainian claim, but an authoritative Russian blogger believed to be close to the ministry said the jet had been shot down. “The pilots ejected and were picked up by civilian sailors,” the blogger, who goes by the name Rybar, said on Telegram. Meanwhile, the mayor of Novorossiisk declared a state o...

Events

2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia attacks Kharkiv with drone barrage, injuring 46

Nighttime strikes in four districts prompt fresh appeal from Volodymyr Zelenskyy to boost air defences. What we know on day 1,165See all our Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy hails ‘historic’ minerals deal as an equal partnership with US

Ukrainian president says the deal was the result of Vatican meeting with Donald Trump. What we know on day 1,164See all our Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago US and Ukraine sign deal to set up reconstruction investment fund – Europe live

US treasury department announces deal after reports of last-minute obstacles apparently overcome Ukraine war briefing: US and Kyiv ‘ready to sign’ minerals deal amid uncertainty over last-minute hurdlesIn Spain, harrowing stories have continued to emerge after much of the Iberian Peninsula was plunged into an hours-long blackout earlier this week.Jonathan Bernal, a window washer in Madrid, has detailed how he and a co-worker were cleaning the outside windows of a skyscraper when the power went out. For four hours they ended up stranded on hanging scaffolding, some 240 metres above the city. Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: US and Kyiv ‘ready to sign’ minerals deal amid uncertainty over last

Ukraine’s first deputy PM travels to Washington to sign deal as later reports claim US pushing Ukraine to sign extra documents Kyiv felt were not ready Ukraine and the US said they were ready to sign a minerals deal, amid reports that a last-minute obstacle injected uncertainty into the timing. “Our side is ready to sign. The Ukrainians decided last night to make some last-minute changes,” US treasury secretary Scott Bessent told reporters. “We’re sure that they will reconsider that and we are ready, if they are.”Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, is on her way to the US to sign the minerals deal, according to a senior source in the Ukrainian presidency. Ukraine’s prime minister, Denis Shmyhal, said on Wednesday that the reworked deal would be signed within the next 24 hours and would have to be ratified by the Ukrainian parliament.But later reports claimed the US was pushing Ukraine to sign additional documents, but that Kyiv felt they were not ready yet. The ...

Economics

3 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: UN slashes humanitarian aid after ‘sharp’ fall in funding

Official says UN and its partners have ‘reprioritised’ operations in Ukraine, amid wider drop in aid funding from the US. What we know on day 1,162Faced with a drastic drop in funding, the United Nations will scale back its humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine, an official from its humanitarian affairs office said on Tuesday. In January, the UN appealed for $2.63bn in funding to assist 6 million people who need aid in Ukraine. But due to a “sharp contraction” in humanitarian funding, “the UN and its partners have further reprioritised” operations in Ukraine to reach 4.8 million people with $1.75bn, Joyce Msuya of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told the UN security council.“The objective is to reach those most at risk and most in need, centring on four core response priorities: people near the frontline, evacuations, emergency response after strikes, and aid to the most vulnerable among the internally displaced people,” she said. “Without increased supp...

Events

3 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy calls Putin’s offer of brief ceasefire ‘manipulation’

Ukraine president urges month-long truce after Russia suggests three-day one to mark a world war two victory. What we know on day 1,161Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for an immediate month-long ceasefire after Vladimir Putin unilaterally announced a three-day truce for next month during a second world war anniversary. The Ukrainian president said: “Now there’s a new attempt at manipulation. For some reason, everyone is supposed to wait for May 8 and only then have a ceasefire to ensure calm for Putin during the parade.” He added: “We value people’s lives and not parades. We believe that the world believes that there is no reason to wait for May 8. And the ceasefire should be not for a few days only to resume the killing afterward.” Ukrainian officials also pointed out that Russia announced a similar truce over the Easter period only to violate it. The Russian president suggested the ceasefire in May to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union in the second world ...

Events

3 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Suspect held in Moscow car bombing of general, Russia claims

Russian security service alleges Ukrainian agent Ignat Kuzin rigged car with homemade explosives; Trump meets Zelenskyy and expresses doubt that Putin wants a ceasefire. What we know on day 1,159Russia’s FSB secret service said on Saturday that it had detained a man it suspects of killing a senior general with a car bomb outside Moscow. Russia has accused Kyiv of being behind the blast on Friday, which killed Gen Yaroslav Moskalik. The FSB alleged a Ukrainian agent it named as Ignat Kuzin rigged a Volkswagen Golf in the city of Balashikha with a homemade explosive device from a Ukrainian secret service stash in the Moscow area and that the bomb was then detonated remotely from Ukraine. A video released by the FSB showed a man identified as Kuzin, and what was said to be his arrest taking place on a forest road. Kyiv has not commented on the blast, which bore the hallmarks of previous attacks on military figures and high-profile backers of the Kremlin’s offensive.Donald Trump has sai...

Events

4 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy reposts US missive from first Trump term that Crimea is Ukrainian

Casualities as Russian missiles hit Kyiv and Kharkiv; strike damages Shahed factory in Tatarstan, says Ukrainian military. What we know on day 1,156Europe live: latest news updates on Ukraine and moreVolodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that peace talks in London had been marked by “emotions” and pledged that Ukraine would abide by its constitution, which he has previously pointed out forbids surrendering territory such as Crimea. “Emotions have run high today. But it is good that five countries met to bring peace closer,” the Ukrainian president posted. “The American side shared its vision. Ukraine and other Europeans presented their inputs. And we hope that it is exactly such joint work that will lead to lasting peace.”Zelenskyy posted a 2018 Crimea Declaration from Mike Pompeo, secretary of state during Donald Trump’s his first term, which said: “The United States rejects Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea and pledges to maintain this policy until Ukraine’s territorial inte...

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