20 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy entices Trump with $100bn arms deal in return for security

Ukrainian president ready for bilateral meeting with Putin; Russian attacks continue with Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia among targets. What we know on day 1,273 Continue reading...

Economics

20 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy entices Trump with $90bn arms buy in return for security

Ukrainian president ready for bilateral meeting with Putin; Russian attacks continue with Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia among targets. What we know on day 1,273 Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: US ambassador to Nato says Zelenskyy could attend Alaska summit but decision is Trump’s

Matthew Whitaker spoke as Europeans put pressure on US to include Ukrainian president in meeting with PutinThe US ambassador to Nato said on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could attend this week’s US-Russia summit in Alaska, as European leaders push for Kyiv to be part of the negotiations. Ambassador Matthew Whitaker was asked on CNN whether Zelenskyy might join US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday. “Yes, I certainly think it’s possible,” he said. “Certainly, there can’t be a deal that everybody that’s involved in it doesn’t agree to. And, I mean, obviously, it’s a high priority to get this war to end.” Whitaker said the decision would ultimately be Trump’s to make. “If he thinks that that is the best scenario to invite Zelenskyy, then he will do that,” he said, adding that “no decision has been made to this point.”Germany warned the White House on Sunday against any deal hatched “over the heads of Europeans and Ukrainia...

Politics

1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy – don’t let Russia ‘deceive us in the details’

Clock ticking to secondary sanctions on Friday; majority still trust Zelenskyy but rating down after anti-corruption debacle. What we know on day 1,261Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia seemed “more inclined to a ceasefire” after a visit to Moscow on Wednesday by a US envoy. “The pressure on them works. But the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details – neither us nor the US,” Ukraine’s president said in his nightly address.Despite the engagement, sanctions targeting Russian oil “are still expected to be implemented on Friday”, a senior Trump administration official said on Wednesday, according to Reuters. Separately, Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said he did not want to exaggerate the progress made during Steve Witkoff’s talks with Putin. Many “impediments” remained, especially Russia’s territorial claims, and there was no concrete proposal for a ceasefire. There have been unconfirmed reports that the Kremlin could propose a halt to long-range strikes by both...

Events

1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Call for Nato action after Russian drone intrudes on Lithuania

Russia talking down Medvedev’s influence after nuclear threats; oligarch’s superyacht goes on sale with proceeds to Ukraine. What we know on day 1,260Lithuania has called for Nato help to boost its air defences after Russian military drones repeatedly violated its airspace. “Last Monday, a Russian military drone violated Lithuanian airspace,” said Kęstutis Budrys, the foreign minister in Vilnius. “This marks the second such incident in less than a month. Similar airspace violations have also been reported recently by other allies.”Budrys added that he and the defence minister, Dovilė Šakalienė, had asked the Nato secretary general for “immediate measures to enhance air defence capabilities in Lithuania and accelerate the full implementation of the rotational air defence model. Air defence is vital to allied security. Securing Nato’s eastern flank must remain a top priority for the alliance.”Amid the nuclear row between Donald Trump and Dmitry Medvedev, the Kremlin has moved to play ...

Events

2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Netherlands to buy €500m of US arms for Kyiv in first for new Nato supply line

Government says Patriot parts and missiles included while Nato chief expects announcements from other alliance countries soon. What we know on day 1,259See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Top Trump aide accuses India of financing Russian war by buying oil

Stephen Miller says it’s astonishing that ‘India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil’; 120 firefighters needed to put out blaze at Sochi oil depot. What we know on day 1,258See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageA top aide to President Donald Trump has accused India of financing Russia’s war in Ukraine by buying oil from Moscow, after the US leader escalated pressure on Delhi to stop buying Russian oil. “What he [Trump] said very clearly is that it is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing the oil from Russia,” said Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House and one of the US president’s most influential aides. Miller’s criticism on Sunday was some of the strongest yet by the Trump administration about one of the US’s major partners in the Indo-Pacific. “People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil. That’s an astonishing fact,” Miller said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning ...

Politics

4 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia insists on sticking to its war demands amid Trump sanctions threat

Kremlin says ‘our goals are clear’ over conditions Kyiv and its allies have rejected as Russian drone attacks injure several around Ukraine. What we know on day 1,244See all our Russia-Ukraine coverageRussia has said it is open to peace with Ukraine but insists achieving its goals remains a priority, days after Donald Trump gave Moscow a 50-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face tougher sanctions. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated Russia’s demands on Sunday, including Ukraine withdrawing from Russia-annexed regions and abandoning its Nato aspirations – terms that Kyiv and its allies have rejected. “The main thing for us is to achieve our goals,” Peskov told state TV. “Our goals are clear.”Ukrainian officials proposed a new round of peace talks this week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, while Russian state media said on Sunday that no date had yet been set for the negotiations but Istanbul would probably remain the host city. A week ago Trump, the US...

Events