Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to negotiate the end of the Ukraine war with Russian president Vladimir Putin if it is the only method to bring peace to Ukraine.
"If that is the only set-up in which we can bring peace to the citizens of Ukraine and not lose people, definitely, we will go for this set-up for the meeting,” he told British journalist Piers Morgan yesterday.
"I will not be kind to him. I consider him an enemy. And to be honest, I believe he considers me an enemy as well," Mr Zelensky said.
This comes shortly after he said Ukraine has lost more than 45,000 soldiers on the battlefield since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Mr Zelensky said that Ukraine has suffered at least 45,100 deaths and a total of 390,000 injured in the war, adding that nearly half of the wounded soldiers later returned to fighting on the war frontlines. Ukraine claims Russia has suffered at least 842,390 casualties in the war, a figure Moscow has not confirmed.
And, Russia has voiced its opposition to Donald Trump’s demands that Ukraine pay for US support with rare minerals.
Key Points
- Zelensky says ready to speak with 'enemy' Putin
- Over 45,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed in invasion, says Zelensky
- Russian attacks near Ukrainian nuclear sites raise concerns
- Trump demands Ukraine's earth minerals to US as payment for war aid
- Mapped: Russia-Ukraine frontline
Zelensky says ready to speak with 'enemy' Putin: 'I will not be kind to him'
04:13
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Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to negotiate the end of the Ukraine war with Russian president Vladimir Putin if it is the only method to bring peace to Ukraine.
"If that is the only set-up in which we can bring peace to the citizens of Ukraine and not lose people, definitely, we will go for this set-up for the meeting,” he told British journalist Piers Morgan yesterday.
"We will be speaking with Putin. Even the conversation with Putin is a compromise," Mr Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president said his personal stance towards the Russian leader does not matter in the present situation.
"I will not be kind to him. I consider him an enemy. And to be honest, I believe he considers me an enemy as well," Mr Zelensky said.
Presenting the present battlefield scenario, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine is currently unable to reclaim all its territories and "cannot lose millions of people for the result that is not yet clear will ever happen".
Over 45,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed in Ukraine war, says Zelensky
04:07
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Arpan Rai
Ukraine has lost more than 45,000 soldiers on the battlefield since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The death toll from the Ukrainian president is a rare statement presented about the battlefield losses, which has been treated as a state secret by both sides – Kyiv and Moscow.
Mr Zelensky said that Ukraine has suffered at least 45,100 deaths and a total of 390,000 injured in the war, in an interview with Piers Morgan.
The war-time president has said previously that approximately half of the soldiers wounded later return to fighting.
Ukraine claims Russia has suffered at least 842,390 casualties in the war, a figure Moscow has not confirmed.
US aid freeze puts at risk Ukraine’s wartime help for frontline evacuees
04:00
,
Tom Watling
Oil depot on fire after drone attack in Russia's Krasnodar
03:58
,
Arpan Rai
A drone attack by Ukraine sparked a fire at an oil depot in Russia's Krasnodar region, the governor of the region in southern Russia said early today.
"The fire has been contained, there are no casualties," Veniamin Kondratyev said on Telegram.
He said that 55 people and 19 units of equipment were involved in extinguishing the fire.
Russian attacks near Ukrainian nuclear sites raise concerns
02:01
,
Tom Watling
Trump demands Ukraine give earth minerals to US as payment for war aid
00:01
,
Tom Watling
British medic loses arm and leg in strike in Ukraine
Tuesday 4 February 2025 23:00
,
Tom Watling
Ex-Tory MP joins Ukraine’s foreign legion to aid fight against Putin
Tuesday 4 February 2025 22:01
,
Tom Watling
Mapped: Russia-Ukraine frontline
Tuesday 4 February 2025 21:01
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Tom Watling
US aid freeze puts at risk Ukraine’s wartime help for frontline evacuees
Tuesday 4 February 2025 20:01
,
Tom Watling
Mapped: Russia's advance in eastern Ukraine
Tuesday 4 February 2025 19:01
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Tom Watling
British teenager killed ‘minutes into first mission’ in Ukraine
Tuesday 4 February 2025 18:00
,
Tom Watling
Zelensky says his team already had contacts with Trump's Ukraine envoy
Tuesday 4 February 2025 17:08
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Tom Watling
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said his team has already been in contact with Washington's top Ukraine official Keith Kellogg and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and there were “working dates” for an American delegation to visit.
Commenting on US president Donald Trump’s interest in Ukrainian rare earth minerals, Mr Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv that Ukraine was open to investment by American companies.
New Belgian PM: Belgium will continue to support Ukraine
Tuesday 4 February 2025 16:32
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Tom Watling
Belgium will continue to support Ukraine, new Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said on Tuesday as he delivered his policy statement to parliament.
His coalition government was sworn in on Monday, after almost eight months of negotiations.
In pictures: Inside a damage building in Izyum, northeast Ukraine
Tuesday 4 February 2025 16:03
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Tom Watling
UPD: Five killed and more than 50 wounded in Izyum strike
Tuesday 4 February 2025 15:49
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Tom Watling
A Russian strike killed five civilians and wounded 55 on Tuesday in the town of Izium in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, partially destroying the city council building, officials said in an update.
Ukraine says it hit Russian command post in Kursk region
Tuesday 4 February 2025 15:30
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Tom Watling
Ukraine's military said on Tuesday its air force had struck a Russian military command post in Russia's Kursk region the previous day.
"The facility sustained significant damage, leading to substantial casualties among enemy personnel," the general staff said on Telegram.
The Independent could not independently verify the statement.
Ukraine's military has reported numerous strikes on Russian military and energy facilities in recent weeks. Ukrainian forces have been battling Russian troops in the Kursk region since Ukraine mounted a cross border operation there last year.
Russian strategic bombers conduct flight over Barents and Norwegian seas, RIA reports
Tuesday 4 February 2025 15:00
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Tom Watling
Two Russian TU-95MS strategic bombers conducted a routine flight over the Sea of Barents and Norwegian Sea, state-run RIA news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the Russian Defence Ministry.
Strategic bomber planes, which form part of Russia's nuclear deterrent, have also made flights in recent months over the Black and Baltic Seas as well as the Sea of Okhotsk and Sea of Japan.
Russia uses such flights to maintain force readiness and project strength at a time of heightened East-West confrontation because of the war in Ukraine.
IAEA chief, in Kyiv, warns of nuclear risk from attacks on Ukraine grid
Tuesday 4 February 2025 14:38
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Tom Watling
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday and inspected an electricity distribution substation, warning that attacks on Ukraine's power grid could pose a risk of nuclear accident by disrupting supply.
"I’m at Kyivska electrical substation,” an important part of Ukraine’s power grid essential for nuclear safety," Grossi wrote on X. "A nuclear accident can result from a direct attack on a plant, but also from power supply disruption."
Grossi posted pictures of him visiting the substation alongside Energy Minister German Galushchenko, and being showed what appeared to be defences against Russian strikes.
Moscow has regularly bombarded Ukraine's energy infrastructure, including substations, throughout its three-year invasion, although it has avoided direct strikes on Ukraine's nuclear plants.
Grossi said he would visit Russia later this week to discuss the situation in Ukraine and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russia captured the plant, Europe's biggest nuclear power station, soon after its forces went into Ukraine in February 2022.
"It's essential that I, in the discharge of my obligations keep channels of communication constantly," Grossi told a news briefing.
I’m at Kyivska electrical substation—an important part of Ukraine’s power grid essential for nuclear safety.
— Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) February 4, 2025
A nuclear accident can result from a direct attack on a plant, but also from power supply disruption. @IAEAorg is here to assess impact, support, & help prevent that risk. pic.twitter.com/Kd29wKVNhn
Downing Street urges Brits not to go to war in Ukraine
Tuesday 4 February 2025 14:16
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Archie Mitchell
Downing Street has urged Brits not to follow former Tory MP Jack Lopresti to war in Ukraine after he joined the country’s International Legion to help in the fight against Russia.
The ex-deputy chairman of the Conservative Party is now based in Kyiv using his skills in the ongoing war in a non-combat role.
But, asked whether the prime minister supports Mr Lopresti’s involvement in the war, Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said the government advises against travel to Ukraine.
The spokesman said: “Our long-standing position is that we advise against all travel to Ukraine except some western regions of the country.
“The government is supporting Ukraine wherever we can, we want to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position.”
But, asked directly whether the PM would advise against more Brits signing up to fight for Ukraine, the spokesman repeated: “We advise against all travel to Ukraine except some western regions of the country.”
Trump demands Ukraine give earth minerals to US as payment for war aid
Tuesday 4 February 2025 13:49
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Tom Watling
Only force and pressure can stop Russia, says Ukraine PM
Tuesday 4 February 2025 13:16
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Tom Watling
Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal has said that “only force and pressure” can stop Russia’s war of aggression.
The politician issued the statement alongside a video of Russia’s latest missile strike on the northeast Ukrainian city of Izyum, which has killed five people and injured 30 more.
UPD: Five killed and 30 wounded in Russian strike on Izyum
Tuesday 4 February 2025 12:46
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Tom Watling
A Russian strike killed five civilians and injured more than 30 in the town of Izyum in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, partially destroying the city council building, officials said in an update on Tuesday.
Russian forces hit the town's central district using a ballistic missile, governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram, citing preliminary information. He added there were no military facilities in the area.
A 15-year-old girl was among the injured and three people were undergoing surgery after the strike, he added.
Rescuers continued to work at the site, he added.
Izium was occupied by Russian forces at the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now approaching its three-year anniversary, and sustained widespread destruction.
After the town was liberated, Ukrainian officials said they found mass graves and accused Russia of war crimes, which Moscow denies.
Vladimir Putin meets with local official in Moscow - picture
Tuesday 4 February 2025 12:16
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Tom Watling
Zelensky says 'brutality' of Izyum strike cannot be tolerated
Tuesday 4 February 2025 11:43
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Tom Watling
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed the “brutality” of the Russian missile strike on Izyum, which has killed five and injured 20, cannot be tolerated.
He posted a video of the aftermath of the strike, which took place earlier today.
“This brutality cannot be tolerated. Maximum pressure must be applied to Russia – through military force, sanctions, and diplomacy – to stop the terror and protect lives,” he wrote.
Izyum. The rescue operation continues after a Russian missile strike on the city. This attack destroyed part of the city council building.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 4, 2025
As of now, we know there are casualties – twenty people have been injured. Tragically, five people have died. My condolences to the families… pic.twitter.com/HaZUg8bNOc
Russian strike kills four, injures 20 in Ukrainian town of Izyum
Tuesday 4 February 2025 11:10
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Tom Watling
A Russian missile strike damaged an apartment bloc and administrative buildings, killing four people and injuring at least 20 in the town of Izyum in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, the regional governor said on Tuesday.
Russian forces hit the town's central district using a ballistic missile, governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram citing preliminary information.
Rescuers were working at the site and at least one person was trapped under the rubble, he added.
A five-storey residential block was damaged and several administrative buildings were partially destroyed as a result of the strike, according to Syniehubov.
Kharkiv region, bordering Russia, regularly comes under Russian air attacks.
British medic loses arm and leg in strike in Ukraine
Tuesday 4 February 2025 10:39
,
Tom Watling
Moscow apartment blast ‘kills pro-Putin paramilitary leader’
Tuesday 4 February 2025 10:10
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Tom Watling
Russian drone attack damages homes and railway depot in Ukraine
Tuesday 4 February 2025 09:47
,
Tom Watling
Ukraine's military said on Tuesday that it shot down 37 out of 65 Russian drones overnight in an attack that damaged businesses, a railway depot and homes around the nation.
Ukraine's state railways Ukrzaliznytsia said Russia attacked a depot in Dnipropetrovsk region, causing significant damage to infrastructure and premises.
The attack also caused fires at three private enterprises in the central Cherkasy region, its governor Ihor Taburets said via Telegram.
In the northeastern region of Sumy, it damaged eight residential buildings and one apartment building, regional authorities said.
Of the 65 drones, 28 more did not reach their targets, likely due to electronic warfare, Ukraine's military said.
Ukrenergo, the country's national grid operator, reported emergency power cuts in eight regions on Tuesday, citing damages from the missile and drone attacks.
Russia says Trump comments on Ukrainian rare earth minerals amount to request for Kyiv to buy US aid
Tuesday 4 February 2025 09:23
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Tom Watling
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that comments by US president Donald Trump suggesting he wants Ukraine to supply Washington with rare earth minerals show he now wants Kyiv to pay for US assistance rather than receive it for free.
Mr Trump told reporters on Monday that Ukraine was willing to engage in the exchange, adding that he wants “equalization” from Ukraine for Washington's “close to $300 billion” in support.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the comment demonstrated the US is no longer willing to provide free aid to Kyiv.
Mapped: Ukraine-Russia frontline
Tuesday 4 February 2025 09:00
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Tom Watling
British teenager killed by Russian drone ‘minutes into first mission’ in Ukraine
Tuesday 4 February 2025 08:24
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Alex Croft
An 18-year-old British volunteer who enlisted to help defend Ukraine was killed by a Russian drone just minutes into his first mission, according to a report.
James Wilton, from Huddersfield, travelled to Ukraine aged 17 and with no prior military experience, where he was reportedly given a crash training course by Ukrainian instructors.
But his first mission on Ukraine’s eastern front on 23 July 2024 was also to be his last, after James and his comrade found themselves being hunted by multiple Russian drones in an open field with no cover to run for.
“I’ll never get over this. I didn’t want him to go but his heart was set on it. He wanted to help Ukraine,” his father Graham told The Sun.
Andy Gregory reports:
North Korean troops pulled from Ukraine war front line – what happened?
Tuesday 4 February 2025 08:02
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Alex Croft
North Korean troops have been pulled back from the frontline amid devastating losses, according to Ukrainian and American officials.
Kim Jong Un’s forces have not been seen on the battlefield for around three weeks, Ukrainian special forces said, according to the New York Times.
Pyongyang sent roughly 11,000 soldiers to help with Vladimir Putin’s war effort in November last year, four months after Kyiv’s troops seized Russian territory in Kursk.
They quickly gained a reputation as being fierce, “committed” soldiers, who would often choose suicide over surrender, but were hampered by poor tactics and a language barrier.
In January, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said 300 of Kim’s soldiers have been killed and another 2,700 wounded since joining the conflict.
Alexander Butler reports:
Ukraine shoots down 37 Russian drones overnight
Tuesday 4 February 2025 07:44
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Alex Croft
Russia fired 65 drones towards Ukraine 37 of which were shot down by Ukrainian air defences, Kyiv’s military said on Tuesday.
Of the 65 drones, 28 did not reach their targets, likely as a result of electronic warfare, the military added.
Russian strikes near Ukrainian nuclear sites raise concerns over Kyiv’s preparedness
Tuesday 4 February 2025 07:20
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Alex Croft
Moscow’s renewed attacks on Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure this winter have heightened scrutiny over the Ukrainian Energy Ministry's failure to protect the country’s most critical energy facilities near nuclear power sites.
Despite more than a year of warnings that the sites were vulnerable to potential Russian attacks, the Energy Ministry failed to act swiftly, current and former Ukrainian officials in Kyiv told The Associated Press.
Two years of punishing Russian strikes on its power grid have left Ukraine reliant on nuclear power for more than half of its electricity generation. Especially vulnerable are the unprotected nuclear switchyards located outside the perimeters of its three functioning nuclear plants, which are crucial to transmitting power from the reactors to the rest of the country.
Full report here:
Putin's forces suffered 'high losses' in January – ISW
Tuesday 4 February 2025 06:55
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Arpan Rai
Russian forces continued to suffer high losses in January 2025 despite a slower rate of advance as compared with previous months in late 2024, the Institute for the Study of War has said.
The US-based think tank cited Russian casualties recorded by the Ukrainian defence ministry and said January was the second-highest month of losses since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian forces have suffered 48,240 casualties in just the past month, amounting to over three Russian motorized rifle divisions worth of personnel, the ISW said, citing Ukrainian figures.
“ISW has observed geolocated evidence to assess that Russian forces gained roughly 498 sq km in January in Ukraine and Kursk Oblast, or roughly 16.1sq km per day. The available figures suggest Russian forces suffered roughly 96 casualties per sq km of territory seized,” it said in the latest assessment.
UK to adopt ‘ruthlessly pragmatic’ approach in EU reset talks
Tuesday 4 February 2025 16:38
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Tom Watling
US arms shipments to Ukraine briefly paused, resumed over weekend
Tuesday 4 February 2025 06:01
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Arpan Rai
US shipments of weapons into Ukraine were briefly paused in recent days before resuming over the weekend, four people briefed on the matter told Reuters.
The shipments restarted after the White House pulled back on its initial assessment to stop all aid to Ukraine, two of the sources said. The brief halt came as the Trump administration debated its policy towards Kyiv.
There are factions inside the administration that are at odds over the extent to which the US should continue to aid Kyiv's war effort with weapons from US stocks, said one of the people, a US official.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Halting the flow of US weapons would hinder Kyiv's ability to fight, and put it in a less advantaged negotiation position in peace talks.
It is unclear if the Trump administration will formally acknowledge the pause and subsequent resumption of shipments.
UN reports alarming rise in Russian execution of Ukrainian soldiers
Tuesday 4 February 2025 05:55
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission has recorded an “alarming” spike in the execution of Ukrainian soldiers captured by the Russian armed forces.
The UN body said it had received reports of 79 executions in 24 separate incidents since the end of August last year.
"Many Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered or were in physical custody of the Russian armed forces were shot dead on the spot. Witness accounts also described the killings of unarmed and injured Ukrainian soldiers," the mission said in a statement.
International humanitarian law prohibits the execution of prisoners of war and the wounded, and regards it as a war crime.
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has called for urgent international action against the Russian atrocities.
"Russia's horrific executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war demonstrate that Ukraine confronts true beasts," he said on X. "We need new and effective international legal tools, and concrete steps to hold the perpetrators accountable.”
Home Office U-turn allows Ukrainian refugees to bring children to UK after families separated
Tuesday 4 February 2025 05:15
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Andy Gregory
The Home Office has reversed “catastrophic” changes to the Homes for Ukraine refugee scheme to ensure that children can now join their parents in the UK, after The Independent highlighted instances of families being separated.
While Britain has offered sanctuary to nearly 300,000 Ukrainians after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, changes to the rules issued overnight last February by the Tory government have prevented some parents from bringing their children to the UK.
Starmer to urge European chiefs to bear down on Russia at EU meeting
Tuesday 4 February 2025 16:38
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Tom Watling
Ryanair boss plans to resume Ukraine flights within six weeks war ending
Tuesday 4 February 2025 05:00
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Andy Gregory
Ryanair is planning to resume flights to and from Ukraine in the hope that Donald Trump will successfully encourage a ceasefire with Russia.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair chief executive, said that the airline is drafting plans to allow flights to restart within six weeks of the conflict ending at a press conference in London on Wednesday, reports The Telegraph.
Natalie Wilson reports:
Trump wants Ukraine to supply US with rare earths in exchange for aid
Tuesday 4 February 2025 04:53
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Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has said he wants Ukraine to supply the United States with rare earth metals as a form of payment for financially supporting the country's war efforts against Russia.
Mr Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, said Ukraine was willing to participate in the idea, adding that he wants "equalisation" from Ukraine for Washington's "close to $300bn" in support.
"We're telling Ukraine they have very valuable rare earths," Mr Trump said. "We're looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they're going to secure what we're giving them with their rare earths and other things."
It was not immediately clear if the US president was using the term "rare earths" to refer to all types of critical minerals or just to rare earths.
Rare earths are a group of 17 metals used to make magnets that turn power into motion for electric vehicles, cellphones and other electronics. There are no known substitutes.
Russia suffers major casualty as deputy governor killed by landmine in Kursk
Tuesday 4 February 2025 04:00
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Andy Gregory
A deputy regional governor has become the most senior Russian government official to die fighting against Ukraine.
Sergey Efremov, the deputy governor of the eastern Primorsky Krai region, died in Kursk, where Russian forces have been trying to beat back a Ukrainian invasion since last August.
Efremov was reportedly killed along with a military officer on Friday when their vehicle struck a landmine and blew up.
Arpan Rai reports:
UN nuclear agency chief heads to Kyiv for crucial safety inspection
Tuesday 4 February 2025 03:59
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Arpan Rai
The UN nuclear agency's top official is heading to Kyiv for a safety inspection of the war-hit nation's nuclear plants.
Rafael Grossi, the director general at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on X:"On my 11th visit to Ukraine since the war began. I'm heading to Kyivska substation, critical for the safety of Ukraine's nuclear power, to assess damage and help prevent a nuclear accident."
On my 11th visit to Ukraine since the war began, I’m heading to Kyivska substation, critical for the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear power, to assess damage and help prevent a nuclear accident.
— Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) February 3, 2025
An increasingly fragile grid poses a growing risk to all NPPs, not just ZNPP. pic.twitter.com/64V8DvByI7
Last week, the IAEA said in a statement that Mr Grossi would visit Kyiv for "high-level" meetings to ensure nuclear safety in the war that Russia started in February 2022.
More than half of the electricity consumed in Ukraine is generated by three nuclear power plants, but Russian missile and drone attacks on substations threaten the stable operation of nuclear power plants, according to Ukraine's nuclear inspector's office.
Ukraine brings back 12 children forcibly taken to Russia
Tuesday 4 February 2025 03:46
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Arpan Rai
Ukraine has brought home 12 children forcefully taken by Russia, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said
