12 h. ago Ukraine peace deal proposals could be finalised within days, Zelensky says in biggest sign yet of possible breakthrough

Volodymyr Zelensky says peace deal proposals that may end the nearly-four-year invasion of Ukraine could be finalised in the coming days. 

Economics

15 h. ago Europe awaits Russia response to Ukraine peace proposal as US positive after talks – Europe live

Moscow expecting debrief from US negotiators as minister rules out any territorial concessions by RussiaAfter positive comments from European, Ukrainian and US leaders taking part in Berlin talks, the focus now shifts to Russia as we wait for Moscow’s first reaction to some of the proposals for ending the war in Ukraine discussed last night.Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said this morning that Moscow had no understanding of the discussions just yet, as it awaits a debrief from the US negotiators. He also ruled out any territorial concessions by Russia. Continue reading...

Politics

27 h. ago Europe ready to lead ‘multinational force’ in Ukraine as part of US peace plan

Proposal is part of new package of security guarantees, backed by the White House, that could mark breakthrough in reaching agreementEurope is ready to lead a “multinational force” in Ukraine as part of a US proposal for a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, European leaders have said.In a statement, the leaders of the UK, France, Germany and eight other European countries said that troops from a “coalition of the willing” with US support could “assist in the regeneration of Ukraine’s forces, in securing Ukraine’s skies, and in supporting safer seas, including through operating inside Ukraine”. Continue reading...

Politics

28 h. ago European leaders propose ‘multinational force’ and hail ‘significant progress’ on Ukraine talks – Europe live

Statement suggests force to ‘provide robust support’ and enforce a potential peace deal in UkraineSeparately, the commission’s deputy chief spokesperson Olof Gill has just confirmed that commission president Ursula von der Leyen will attend the Berlin talks this evening.Not a surprise at all, but good to have it formally confirmed. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Trump pushes for ‘free economic zone’ in Donbas, says Zelenskyy

US proposes ‘compromise’ option of demilitarised buffer that excludes both Ukrainian and Russian forces, says Kyiv

Politics

5 d. ago Zelensky says the people of Ukraine will have to vote on handing land over to Russia in any US peace proposal

Zelenksy said at a briefing today: 'Whether through elections or a referendum, there must be a position from the people of Ukraine'.

Politics

7 d. ago The Guardian view on Trump and Europe: more an abusive relationship than an alliance | Editorial

The White House is aggressively seeking to weaken and dominate the United States’ traditional allies. European leaders must learn to fight back.Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz have become adept at scrambling to deal with the latest bad news from Washington. Their meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Downing Street on Monday was so hastily arranged that Mr Macron needed to be back in Paris by late afternoon to meet Croatia’s prime minister, while Mr Merz was due on television for an end-of-year Q&A with the German public.But diplomatic improvisation alone cannot fully answer Donald Trump’s structural threat to European security. The US president and his emissaries are trying to bully Mr Zelenskyy into an unjust peace deal that suits American and Russian interests. In response, the summit helped ramp up support for the use of up to £100bn in frozen Russian assets as collateral for a “reparations loan” to Ukraine. European counter-proposals for a ceasefire will ...

Politics

8 d. ago Zelenskyy meets European leaders in London for talks on ending Ukraine war

Ukraine’s president says latest discussions on peace proposals with US were ‘constructive, although not easy’See all our Ukraine war coverageVolodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting the leaders of the UK, France and Germany in London on Monday amid heavy pressure on Ukraine from the Trump administration to cede territory it currently holds in efforts to reach a quick conclusion to the war.The talks in London follow several days of negotiations between US and Ukrainian officials, which ended on Saturday without an apparent breakthrough and were characterised by the Ukrainian president as “constructive, although not easy”. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Zelensky heads to London to discuss peace plan with Keir Starmer after Trump lashed out at the Ukrainian president for 'not reading' the latest US proposal to end the war

The Ukrainian President is under unprecedented duress to signal he approves the latest U.S. text, after accusations from Trump that he is dragging his feet.

Politics

8 d. ago Zelenskyy to meet European leaders in London for talks on ending Ukraine war

Ukraine’s president says latest discussions on peace proposals with US were ‘constructive, although not easy’See all our Ukraine war coverageVolodymyr Zelenskyy will meet the leaders of the UK, France and Germany in London on Monday to discuss the latest US-authored peace proposal aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.Days of negotiations between US and Ukrainian officials ended on Saturday without an apparent breakthrough. The Ukrainian president called the discussions “constructive, although not easy”. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Trump says Zelenskyy ‘isn’t ready’ to accept US peace deal ahead of UK meeting with European leaders

Ukraine’s president set to meet the leaders of the UK, France and Germany in London on MondaySee all our Ukraine war coverageDonald Trump has said Volodymyr Zelenskyy “isn’t ready” to sign off on a US-authored peace proposal aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, at the end of three days of talks between Washington and Kyiv in Florida.“I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn’t yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago. His people love it, but he hasn’t,” Trump claimed as he spoke with reporters on Sunday night. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago If a peace deal includes two key elements, Ukraine should accept | Christopher S Chivvis

Kyiv may be approaching its last chance to end the war with its sovereignty intact. If a peace deal includes two key elements, it should acceptThe negotiations over the war in Ukraine are frustrating and tragic. On the one side, a victim of aggression whose plight is more and more desperate. On the other, a brutal aggressor, willing to go to extraordinary lengths to win the war. In the middle, a transactional American president eager for a deal.It’s no surprise that so many observers have railed against the proposals recently put forward by President Donald Trump and his emissary Steve Witkoff. These proposals appear to offer much to Russia and little to Ukraine – other than an end to the violence. If the negotiations produce a plan that offers Ukraine no hope of security after the war, no Ukrainian leader will accept it. Security is the core of sovereignty, and it would be political suicide to trade Ukraine’s sovereignty for peace.Christopher S Chivvis is a senior fellow and direct...

Economics

1 week ago Putin insists certain elements of Trump’s peace plan to end Ukraine war are unacceptable

Vladimir Putin says some proposals in a U.S. plan to end the war in Ukraine are unacceptable to the Kremlin

Politics

1 week ago European Commission plans ‘reparations loan’ to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets

Leaders focus on bolstering Ukraine’s finances as US-Russia talks to end war make little progressThe European Commission will move ahead with controversial plans to fund Ukraine with a loan based on Russia’s frozen assets, but in a concession to concerns raised by Belgium, which hosts most of the assets, the EU executive has also proposed another option: an EU loan based on common borrowing.The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Wednesday the two proposals would ensure “Ukraine has the means to defend [itself] and take forward peace negotiations from a position of strength”. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Brussels floats ‘emergency’ powers to raise €210bn from Russian assets

Contentious proposal to fund Ukraine would mark watershed moment for EU

Politics

1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Peace push fizzles as Witkoff leaves Moscow with no sign of deal

Zelenskyy says ready to meet Trump and that Russia is hoping US loses interest; Briton held in Ukraine on Russian spy allegations. What we know on day 1,379See all our Ukraine war coverageSteve Witkoff was reported to have flown out of Moscow on Tuesday night after Kremlin aides said no progress was made towards ending the Ukraine war. It came after two weeks of diplomatic chaos and haggling beginning with the Russian leaking of a 28-point wishlist that Moscow had discussed with the US, followed by frenzied efforts involving Ukraine and Europe to produce a counter-proposal more acceptable to Kyiv.Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said that after their five-hour meeting the two sides were “neither further nor closer to resolving the crisis in Ukraine. There is a lot of work to be done.” On Tuesday, a video feed showed Vladimir Putin asking Witkoff, Donald Trump’s envoy, about a short tour of Moscow he had taken before the meeting, with Witkoff calling it a “magnificent city”. The feed then c...

Economics

2 w. ago Putin sparks WW3 fears as he warns Europe 'we are ready to fight' ahead of US meeting

Putin has issued strong words for Europe ahead of meeting with the US special envoy today as discussions over Trump's proposed Ukraine peace plan are on the agenda

Events

2 w. ago BREAKING: Putin sends chilling 'we are ready to fight' warning to Europe

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has accused European leaders of “hindering” US proposals for an agreement of Ukraine and insisted they “do not have a peaceful agenda”

Events

2 w. ago Putin sends chilling 'we are ready to fight' warning to Europe

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has accused European leaders of “hindering” US proposals for an agreement over Ukraine and insisted they “do not have a peaceful agenda”

Events

2 w. ago Ukrainian troops near the front doubt the proposed pact with Russia will bring lasting peace

Ukrainian troops fighting in eastern Ukraine are expressing doubts that a peace proposal currently being negotiated will prevent Russia from attacking their country again

Politics