7 h. ago Nato chief in surprise Ukraine visit as US fails to condemn Sumy attack – Europe live

Mark Rutte makes unannounced visit to Odesa and tells Zelenskyy that ‘Nato support is unwavering’The EU has said that “significant joint efforts will be needed” for a successful outcome to trade talks at the end of Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on tariffs.The European Commission, which handles trade policy for the 27 EU member states, was reporting back on a meeting between its lead trade official Maroš Šefčovič and US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and US trade representative Jamieson Greer in Washington on Monday.The EU will continue to approach these talks in a constructive manner, with a view to identify areas of common interest. It is clear that significant joint efforts will be needed to achieve a successful outcome within the 90-day window.The EU is doing its part. Now it is necessary for the US to define its position. As with every negotiation this must be a two-way street... With both sides bringing something to the table.” Continue reading...

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13 h. ago Trump lashes out at Zelenskyy as Witkoff signals Putin’s wider security demands – Europe live

US president questions Ukraine counterpart’s competency as his envoy outlines ‘detail attached’ to any peace dealDavid Shimer, the former director for eastern Europe and Ukraine on Joe Biden’s national security council, writes for the Guardian today, asking “two key questions for Ukraine’s European allies” as he worries about the US military aid ceasing soon.The war between Russia and Ukraine is approaching a historic turning point: unless the Trump administration adjusts course, US military aid for Ukraine is about to cease.Since taking office, Trump has not approved a single military aid package for Ukraine. Even if Trump were to reverse course and utilize this remaining drawdown authority, the amount available is insufficient to sustain US support for Ukraine over time. To do that, Congress would need to approve additional Ukraine funding, which will not happen while the Republican party controls both chambers and the White House. As a result, the era of US military aid to Ukrain...

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20 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Captive Chinese soldiers appear before the press in Kyiv

Republicans increase pressure on Trump after 35 killed in Sumy, with US president calling for ‘death and destruction to stop’. What we know on day 1,147Ukraine held a press conference with Chinese soldiers captured on the frontline after Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of recruiting fighters from China using social media. The men were led into a press centre handcuffed and flanked by armed Ukrainian guards and it was unclear if they were speaking of their own volition. The pair told journalists they hoped to be part of a prisoner swap.Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, has accused Moscow of dragging Beijing into its invasion, saying that several hundred Chinese nationals were fighting at the frontline. The Kremlin has denied it claim while Beijing has warned parties to the conflict against making “irresponsible remarks”.Zelenskyy accused Vladimir Putin of remaining focused on continuing the war, saying Russia had openly refused to engage in ceasefire talks. “There is only one re...

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30 h. ago Protests in Hungary over government’s plan for constitutional amendment – Europe live

Rights campaigners say amendment, which will ban LGBTQ+ gatherings, is ‘significant escalation’ in efforts to chip away at human rightsThe Russian defence ministry also responded to the criticism for its attack on Sumy, claiming it had targeted a meeting of Ukrainian commanding officers, Russian news agencies reported on Monday.We are now hearing from the Kremlin, with Russia insisting that it “strikes only military or military-related targets,” despite the widespread condemnation for the attack on civilians in Sumy (9:18). Continue reading...

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37 h. ago EU foreign ministers meet in wake of deadly Russian attack on Sumy as Zelenskyy issues plea for Trump to visit Ukraine – Europe live

EU foreign ministers meet in Luxembourg after Russian attack kills at least 34 in SumyThe Ukrainian air force said on Monday that Russia launched 62 drones to attack the country overnight, Reuters reported.Separately, regional officials said overnight attacks by Russia sparked a fire at a petrol station in Zaporizhzhia, injured at least eight people and damaged houses across the southeastern part of Ukraine. Continue reading...

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45 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy to Trump – come and see Putin’s war for yourself

Impose ceasefire on Russia, says France’s Macron, as leaders condemn deadly Palm Sunday strike on Sumy. What we know on day 1,146Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, has urged Donald Trump to visit Ukraine to “understand what Putin did”. In a CBS interview broadcast on Sunday, Zelenskyy said: “Please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead.”Russia’s missile strike on Sunday on the Ukrainian city of Sumy showed the urgent need to impose a ceasefire on Russia, declared the French president, Emmanuel Macron. “Everyone knows it is Russia alone that wants this war. Today it is clear that Russia alone wants to continue with it, showing its scorn for human life, international law and diplomatic efforts made by President [Donald] Trump,” said Macron. “Strong measures are needed to impose a ceasefire on Russia. France is working tirelessly toward this goal, alongside it...

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3 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Ukraine could be partitioned like Berlin after second world war, says US envoy

Gen Keith Kellogg appears to suggest Ukraine could be split into zones of control after a peace deal; Trump warns Putin to ‘get moving’ ahead of US-Russia talks. What we know on day 1,144See all our Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

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4 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Europe unveils new military support for Kyiv ahead of defence summit

The UK has pressed nearly 30 countries to forge ahead with plans to deploy peacekeeper troops to Ukraine. What we know on day 1,143See all our Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

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5 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy says US ‘very surprised’ after Chinese fighters captured on frontline

Ukraine president says more than 150 Chinese involved in fighting for Russia; US lawmakers criticise reports of planned troop pullbacks in Europe. What we know on day 1,142See all our Ukraine war coverageVolodymyr Zelenskyy accused Beijing of turning a blind eye to the recruitment of Chinese nationals to fight for Russia, adding he believed the US was “very surprised” by the revelation. The Ukrainian leader said Kyiv has obtained passport details of at least 155 fighters from China in the war. While Zelenskyy said Beijing knew its citizens were there, he didn’t believe the country had given “some kind of command” they join the fight.Zelenskyy added he believes Russia is using social media, including TikTok, to recruit. He said he was prepared to exchange captured Chinese soldiers with Ukrainian servicemen in detention.China called those claims “groundless”, saying they are contrary to an effort to find a political solution to the ongoing war. “The Chinese government always asks Chin...

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6 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy demands answers over Chinese nationals fighting for Russia

The Ukrainian president says the Chinese nationals were just two of many fighting with Russian forces. What we know on day 1,141Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his government is seeking clarification from Beijing after Ukrainian forces captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk region.Zelenskyy said the captured fighters were two of many more Chinese members of the Russian armed forces, and he accused the Kremlin of trying to involve Beijing in the conflict “directly or indirectly”. A few hundred Chinese nationals are thought to have travelled to fight as mercenaries with the Russian army alongside others from Nepal and central Asian countries.US state department spokesperson Tammy Bruce called the development “disturbing”, adding: “China is a major enabler of Russia in the war in Ukraine.”Russian forces staged massive drone attacks on the Ukrainian cities of Dnipro and Kharkiv late on Tuesday, triggering fires and injuring at least 17 people, region...

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7 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy speaks of military presence in Russia’s Belgorod region for first time

Ukraine president makes first explicit mention of ‘active operations’ on ground in Russian border region close to Kursk. What we know on day 1,140See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageVolodymyr Zelenskyy said for the first time Monday that Ukrainian forces were operating in Russia’s Belgorod region, where Moscow reported attacks in March. Belgorod is regularly the target of Ukrainian air attacks and is close to Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have been desperately trying to hang on to territory since launching a surprise incursion last year. Zelenskyy said in his daily address that General Oleksandr Syrsky had reported on “our presence in Kursk region and our presence in Belgorod region”. He added: “We continue to conduct active operations in the border areas on the enemy’s territory, and this is absolutely right – the war must return to where it came from.” It is the first time since the full-scale invasion began that Zelenskyy has explicitly mentioned a Ukrainian pr...

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8 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Macron urges strong action against Russia if it continues to ‘refuse peace’

French president speaks after missile attack on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s home town that killed 20, including nine children. What we know on day 1,139See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageFrench president Emmanuel Macron on Sunday called for “strong action” if Russia continued “to refuse peace”, days after a Russian ballistic missile killed 20 people, including nine children, in Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s home town. Despite US and European efforts to secure peace in Ukraine, Russia continued “to murder children and civilians”, Macron said. “My thoughts are with the children and all civilian victims of the bloody attacks carried out by Russia, including on 4 April in Kryvyi Rih,” Macron said on X. “A ceasefire is needed as soon as possible. And strong action if Russia continues to try to buy time and refuse peace.” Macron said that even though Ukraine accepted US president Donald Trump’s proposal for a complete ceasefire and European countries were also working to secure peace, “Russia is co...

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9 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy criticises ‘weak’ US reaction to deadly Russian strike on his hometown

Ukrainian president says US embassy response ‘disappointing’ as he welcomes ‘tangible progress’ in talks with France and Britain. What we know on day 1,138See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

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9 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russian missile attack on Kyiv injures three and triggers air alert

Kyiv mayor warned residents not to leave their shelters, as all of Ukraine was placed under an air alert. What we know on day 1,138See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

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1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Russian missile attack in Zelenskyy’s home town kills 18

Nine children among the dead in strike on Kryvyi Rih residential area as Kyiv says Moscow’s claim it targeted military gathering is false. What we know on day 1,137See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageA Russian missile strike killed at least 18 people, including nine children, in a residential area of Ukraine’s central city of Kryvyi Rih on Friday, local officials said – one of Moscow’s deadliest attacks this year in the war. The strike in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s home town damaged residential blocks and sparked fires, the regional governor said on Telegram. More than 30 people, including a three-month-old baby, were in hospital, Serhiy Lysak said. At least 50 people were wounded, the emergency services said, adding that the figure was growing. Zelenskyy said rescue efforts were still under way and called on the west to exert greater pressure on Moscow. “All Russian promises end with missiles, drones, bombs or artillery,” he said in his nightly video address. “Diplomacy mea...

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1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv solving its troop shortages, says top US general in Europe

Gen Christopher Cavoli says Russia has lost 4,000 tanks, comparable to whole US fleet; Kremlin goes to war against Elton John. What we know on day 1,136See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

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1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: No Trump tariff on Russia as his officials host Putin investment tsar

Kryvyi Rig hit while Kharkiv endures barrage of Shahed drones; Nato foreign ministers including Marc Rubio to meet in Brussels. What we know on day 1,135 Continue reading...

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1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Deadly ballistic missile strike on Zelenskyy hometown

Kryvyi Rig hit while Kharkiv endures barrage of Shahed drones; Nato foreign ministers including Marc Rubio to meet in Brussels. What we know on day 1,135 Continue reading...

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1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: US anger builds on Russia over refusal to accept ceasefire

Senators propose ‘hard-hitting’ secondary sanctions and say ‘Russia is the aggressor’; ‘coalition of the willing’ moves forward. What we know on day 1,134 Continue reading...

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1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: US pressure builds on Russia over refusal to accept ceasefire

Senators propose ‘hard-hitting’ secondary sanctions and say ‘Russia is the aggressor’; ‘coalition of the willing’ moves forward. What we know on day 1,134 Continue reading...

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