82 m. ago Witkoff and Trump cannot be trusted – it’s time for Europe to muscle into Putin talks

All hopes are on Donald Trump and Steve Witkoff, who have repeatedly accepted Putin’s demand that, ahead of any talks Ukraine must agree to withdraw from the front lines – Europe must take over negotiations, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley

Politics

2 h. ago Witkoff in Moscow for talks as Putin claims to have taken key Ukrainian city

Trump’s special envoy lands in Russia as Putin hails ‘important’ capture of Pokrovsk, although this is disputed by KyivRussia-Ukraine war – latest news updatesVladimir Putin has claimed Russian forces have taken control of the strategic city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine, as he sought to project confidence before a key meeting on Tuesday with a US delegation to discuss a possible peace deal to end the war.Dressed in military fatigues during a visit to a command centre on Monday evening, the Russian president hailed what he called the “important” capture of Pokrovsk – once a major logistical hub for the Ukrainian army – though Ukrainian officials later disputed the claim. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Watch live: Putin meets Trump envoy for crunch Ukraine talks

Watch live as Vladimir Putin meets Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff for talks in Moscow on Tuesday, 2 December.

Politics

7 h. ago Ukraine war live: Trump envoy Steve Witkoff set to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow amid US push for peace deal

Talks come after Witkoff led US discussions with Ukraine at weekend amid European concerns that Kyiv will be pressured to make concessions to MoscowUS-Russia talks may pile pressure on Kyiv to make concessions, says EU foreign policy chief See all our Ukraine war coverageThe Kremlin has said Vladimir Putin will meet Steve Witkoff for their talks on Tuesday afternoon. It’s now approaching 9.10am local time in Moscow.Their meeting would take “in the second half of the day”, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, while refusing to be drawn on Russia’s red lines, saying megaphone diplomacy was not helpful.Russian military commanders told Putin in comments reported on Monday that Russian forces had captured the frontline Ukrainian towns of Pokrovsk – a key logistics hub – and Vovchansk and were advancing elsewhere, which the Russian president hailed as successes to enable further gains. Ukrainian officials have made no acknowledgement that either place has fallen into Russian hands. Co...

Politics

46 h. ago Ukrainian and US officials meet in Florida to discuss proposals to end Russia’s war

Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner meet Kyiv delegation, after another weekend of deadly Russian attacks in UkraineUkrainian negotiators are meeting with US officials in Florida to thrash out details of Washington’s proposed framework to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, as Kyiv faces pressure on military and political fronts.The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, the special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, are sitting down with a Ukrainian delegation on Sunday before planned US talks this week in Moscow with Vladimir Putin.Agence France-Presse, Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report Continue reading...

Politics

49 h. ago Ukrainian and US officials to meet in Florida to discuss proposals to end Russia’s war

Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner expected to meet Kyiv delegation, after another weekend of deadly Russian attacks in UkraineUkrainian negotiators are preparing to meet US officials in Florida to thrash out details of Washington’s proposed framework to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, as Kyiv faces pressure on military and political fronts.The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, the special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, are expected to sit down with a Ukrainian delegation on Sunday before planned US talks this week in Moscow with Vladimir Putin. Continue reading...

Politics

51 h. ago World holds its breath: Ukraine flies to the US for Russia peace talks as Turkey condemns drone attacks on two Putin tankers amid fears of war spreading

Ukrainian negotiators are flying to the US for peace talks as the Turkish government has condemned Ukrainian drone attacks on two Russian 'shadow fleet' oil tankers in the Black Sea. 

Events

3 d. 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

3 d. 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

3 d. 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

4 d. ago Hungary's Viktor Orbán to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin in Moscow for energy talks

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is visiting Moscow for energy talks with Vladimir Putin

Politics

4 d. ago Putin refuses to budge on demand for Ukrainian territory ahead of talks with US in Moscow

Russian president says peace plan proposed by US could form the ‘basis’ of an agreement to end conflict but will not give up maximalist demands

Politics

6 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

6 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

7 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

8 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

8 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

8 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

1 week ago Trump’s Ukraine peace plan is a gift to Putin | Kenneth Roth

The plan would leave Ukraine’s democracy in jeopardy and its sovereignty compromisedFor a moment, Donald Trump seemed to have seen the light on Ukraine. After promising “severe consequences” in August if Vladimir Putin continued to obstruct ceasefire talks – but then doing nothing as Putin did just that – Trump finally on 22 October imposed significant sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, seriously compromising Putin’s ability to finance his invasion. But now, with his 28-point peace plan for Ukraine, drafted by US and Russian officials without Ukrainian or European participation, Trump has reverted to his pro-Putin norm.Trump’s plan would reward Putin for invading Ukraine while leaving Ukraine’s democracy in jeopardy. The plan’s ringing proclamation that “Ukraine’s sovereignty will be confirmed” rings hollow when so much of the plan compromises that sovereignty. A Kremlin dream, the plan would be a Ukrainian nightmare.Kenneth Roth, former executive d...

Politics

2 w. ago Former MI6 chief Richard Moore: Britain must regain the ‘power of example’

The outgoing head of the Secret Intelligence Service on the rise of China, why Putin is not interested in talks — and how screen spies aren’t always far from the truth

Politics