A huge blast erupted at a strategic bomber base deep inside Russia following a Ukrainian drone strike, Russian officials and media reported.
Kyiv has confirmed the strike on the Soviet-era Engels airfield, which stores Russia’s heavy strategic bombers and cruise missiles around 700km from the Ukrainian border.
Unverified footage shows a huge blast spreading to nearby cottages, before a state of emergency was declared in the district.
The blast came after Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia’s continued strikes on Ukraine show their “true attitude” towards peace, following a major Moscow attack
At least 10 people, including four children, were injured following an overnight attack on the city of Kropyvnytskyi, he said. Local authorities said one person was killed in a guided aerial bomb attack on the northeastern Sumy region.
Mr Zelensky, saying nearly 200 drones were launched by Russia overnight, accused Moscow of showing its “true attitude towards peace”.
The Ukrainian president will today debrief a summit of EU leaders on yesterday’s phone call with Donald Trump. The presidents discussed the ceasefire on energy infrastructure, the battlefield situation in Kursk, and the possibility of US control over Ukrainian power plants.
Key Points
- Huge blast at key Russian airfield after Ukrainian strike
- Putin has showed ‘true attitude’ to peace after strikes, Zelensky says
- Zelensky to address EU summit in Brussels today
- Four children among 10 injured in fresh Russian attack, Ukrainian officials say
- Zelensky says 'lasting peace' could be agreed this year after call with Trump
Zelensky arrives in Norway as diplomatic tour continues
11:36
,
Alex Croft
For the next stop in Volodymyr Zelensky’s endless European diplomacy, the Ukrainian president has just touched down in Norway.
He flew in from Finland, where he met with president Alexander Stubb and other senior political figures to discuss a common approach to sharing a border with Russia, and continued support for Ukraine.
The Norwegian government earlier this month said it would more than double its financial support to Kyiv this year, to 85 billion crowns (£6.17 billion) from a plan agreed in November of 35 billion crowns.
"Norway stands with Ukraine," prime minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Thursday. "I look forward to good discussions on how Norway can best support Ukraine in both the short- and long-term."
Jens Stoltenberg, until October NATO's chief and now Norway's finance minister, will have a meeting with Mr Zelensky's delegation.
Mapped: Putin’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure from nuclear to hydroelectric
11:42
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump has floated the idea of taking control of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants in a phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, part of his latest attempts to extract real estate concessions from Ukraine.
While the conversation was described as positive by both sides and focused on securing a truce between Ukraine and Russia on aerial attacks against one another’s energy infrastructure, subsequent readouts appeared to disagree with the extent to which the US could takeover Ukrainian nuclear power stations.
Tom Watling reports:
Ukrainian troops not encircled in Kursk, intelligence officials say
11:25
,
Alex Croft
Ukrainian soldiers are not encircled in Kursk, intelligence officials have said, despite claims to the contrary by presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
It comes after intelligence assessments were shared with the White House, according to three US and European officials familiar with their government’s intelligence.
The assessments show that Ukrainian troops have faced intense pressure from Russian forces but are not “completely surrounded”, as Mr Trump said following a meeting between his special envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin.
Starmer to address military chiefs gathered in UK
11:24
,
Alex Croft
Military chiefs will gather in the UK today as Sir Keir Starmer continues efforts to form the so-called coalition of the willing.
Sir Keir is expected to address the meeting of around 30 military officials, two days after Vladimir Putin demanded that all Western military aid to Ukraine be ended as a condition to end the fighting.
Mr Starmer and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have been scrambling to build a coalition of countries willing to put troops onn the ground and be directly involved in peacekeeping efforts in Ukraine in any postwar settlement.
Kyiv confirms strike after huge blast at key Russian airfield
11:14
,
Alex Croft
Ukraine has struck a strategic nuclear bomber base 700km deep inside Russia, Kyiv confirmed on Thursday.
The attack was carried out on the Soviet-era Engels airbase, which hosts Russian strategic bombers, cruise missiles and glide bombs, an official at the Security Service of Ukraine said.
Unverified video on Russian Telegram channels showed a major blast spreading out from the airfield and wrecking nearby cottages. Russia's defence ministry said air defences had shot down 132 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions.
A state of emergency was declared by local authorities, and Saratov governor Roman Busargin said nearby residents had been evacuated after a fire in the airfield.
Zelensky says Putin has showed ‘true attitude’ to peace
11:16
,
Alex Croft
Taking to X following a major Russian attack overnight, Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putin of showing his “true attitude” towards peace.
“Russian strikes on Ukraine do not stop, despite their propaganda claims,” the Ukrainian president said in a post accompanied by pictures of Ukrainian rescuers working on the sites of the attacks.
“Every day and every night, nearly a hundred or more drones are launched, along with ongoing missile attacks. With each such launch, the Russians expose to the world their true attitude towards peace.
“Last night, the Russians launched nearly 200 ‘Shahed’ drones and decoy UAVs. A massive attack on the Kirovohrad region left 10 people wounded, including four children, and caused damage to homes, a church, and infrastructure.
“I thank everyone who works on the ground and helps to eliminate the consequences of Russian terror.”
'Sorry Emmanuel!' - Macron calls Zelensky during meeting
09:38
,
Alex Croft
While speaking with journalists following another busy day of diplomacy on Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelensky was interrupted by a world leader.
The Ukrainian president had spent the day in Helsinki with his Finnish counterpart, Alexander Stubb, before holding a one-hour long phone call with Donald Trump to discuss next steps in bringing about a ceasefire in Ukraine.
But as he debriefed journalists on Zoom, a call came in from one of his closest allies - French president Emmanuel Macron.
"Sorry, Emmanuel! I'm just having a conversation with a journalist. Can I be back in 15-20 minutes?" the Ukrainian president replied in English, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
"Yes, I just spoke to President Macron. We often talk a lot. Once a day, I would say, on average," he confirmed, stressing that Mr Macron “helps a lot”.
Why Crimea is coveted by both Russia and Ukraine - and the role it plays in the war
09:16
,
Alex Croft
Exactly 11 years ago, on March 18, 2014, Russia's seizure of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine, was quick and bloodless.
It also marked a turning point in Moscow's relations with the West, triggering a downward spiral unseen since the Cold War and setting the stage for Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, during which it annexed more land from the war-torn country.
The strategically important diamond-shaped peninsula in the Black Sea highlights the long-standing tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
From valuable naval bases to the desirable coastline, here’s a look at why Crimea is so coveted.
Russia issues state of emergency after Ukrainian strikes airfield
09:07
,
Alex Croft
Russia has imposed a state of emergency after a Ukrainian drone attack on a military airfield, local officials said.
The airfield near a strategic bomber base in Engels, around 850 kilometres southeast of Moscow, was set on fire on Thursday following the Ukrainian drone attack, officials added.
Zelensky to address EU summit in Brussels today
08:56
,
Alex Croft
Volodymyr Zelensky will address a summit of EU leaders as they convene in Brussels to discuss Ukraine, the Middle East, and European defence.
Later this morning, European leaders will hear the Ukrainian president’s take on his phone call with Donald Trump yesterday, which saw difficult relations with Washington take a positive turn.
In his invitation to fellow world leaders, European Council president António Costa wrote: “Our continued support to Ukraine, the need to invest in our defence and our competitiveness are closely interlinked. A more competitive Union will be a stronger Union, better able to protect its citizens, its interests and its values on the global stage.”
Mr Zelensky is set to address his European counterparts over video conference at 11:30 Brussels time (10:30 GMT).
Mapped: Where are Ukraine's nuclear power plants as Washington proposes US control?
08:48
,
Alex Croft
In pictures: Putin's forces launch fresh drone attack on central Ukraine
08:26
,
Alex Croft
Four children among 10 injured in Russian attack, Ukrainian officials say
08:05
,
Alex Croft
At least 10 people, including four children, were injured following a major overnight attack which damaged residential buildings in the city of Kropyvnytskyi, officials said.
"Kropyvnytskyi has survived through the most massive enemy attack," said Arkadyi Raikovych, regional governor of the central Ukrainian city.
"Peaceful residential buildings were destroyed - private houses and multi-story buildings."
Ukraine’s air force says its defences shot down 75 of 171 Russian drones fired overnight.
Analysis | Zelensky has exposed Russia's reluctance to end the war
07:57
,
Alex Croft
The Independent’s world affairs editor, Sam Kiley, says Putin may fear a growing relationship between Kyiv and Washington.
By respecting, vocally, Trump’s efforts to get a ceasefire with Russia, Ukraine has exposed Putin’s deep reluctance to agree to any lowering of hostilities until he can be sure of permanently mangling Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Major gaps still exist between the US and Ukraine. First is that Trump’s administration will not acknowledge that Russia invaded Ukraine. The White House has agreed with Russia that Ukraine will have to concede territory its has lost to Moscow. And Ukraine’s request for US military support to guarantee its security after any peace deal is signed remains off the table, as far as Trump is concerned.
But Putin may fear that the unison he has enjoyed with the White House is now discordant as Kyiv and Washington start singing a few lines together.
Zelensky encourages Trump to push Russia out of occupied Zaporizhzhia power plant
07:42
,
Alex Croft
The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, will be a critical sticking point in future ceasefire negotiations.
While the White House said US control of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants was discussed in yesterday’s phone call between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president said they had only mentioned the Zaporizhzhia facility.
Located on the frontline and occupied by Russia since March 2022, the plant has been used as a shield from which Russian forces can attack the nearby city of Zaporizhzhia - in the knowledge that Ukraine wouldn’t risk major counter-strikes near the plant.
Kyiv has said that Russia will not be allowed to retain control of the plant, which has not been producing energy since it was occupied.
But by suggesting that the could take US control of Zaporizhzhia, Mr Zelensky has now given Washington a financial incentive to push Russia out of the plant.
Recap: What happened in Trump and Zelensky’s call yesterday?
07:25
,
Alex Croft
Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump held what they described as a positive phone call yesterday, the latest development in the pair’s highly volatile relationship.
Soon after the call, Mr Trump took to Truth Social to hail the “very good” discussion - the first time he had spoken with the Ukrainian president since booting him out of the Oval Office nearly three weeks ago.
Mr Zelensky echoed the US president’s sentiment, praising the “positive, very substantive and frank conversation” and reaffirming Kyiv’s willingness to end strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure.
It threw the ball back into Russian president Vladimir Putin’s court, after he agreed to the partial ceasefire before Kyiv accused Moscow of striking on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure hours later.
Also discussed in the call was the battlefield situation in Kursk, where Ukrainian troops lost large swathes of land reclaimed by Russia, and the provision of air defence systems and missiles to Ukraine, which Mr Trump committed to continue assisting with.
The White House also proposed US control of Ukraine’s electrical supply and nuclear power plants. US control of these plants, it said in a readout after the call, would be “the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Ukraine targets Russian airbase housing strategic bombers
07:06
,
Arpan Rai
An airfield is on fire deep inside Russia after Ukrainian drones targeted a base housing strategic bombers, according to Russian officials and state media.
The base in Engels, about 700km (435 miles) from the frontlines in Ukraine, hosts Russia's Tupolev Tu-160 nuclear-capable heavy strategic bombers.
Roman Busargin, the governor of Saratov, said there had been a Ukrainian drone attack on the town of Engels that had left an airfield on fire and that nearby residents had been evacuated.
He did not specifically mention the Engels base, but it is the main airfield in the area.
A plume of black smoke rising above cottages and what appears to be a major fire rising into the dawn sky, according to the unverified footage on Russian Telegram channels.
Russia's defence ministry said air defences had shot down 132 Ukrainian drones overnight over six different regions in southern Russia, including 54 in the Saratov region where the Engels base is located.
Why does Trump want Ukraine's power plants?
06:40
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump suggested to Volodymyr Zelensky that he should consider giving the US ownership of Ukraine’s power plants to ensure their long-term security, according to a White House statement.
Mr Trump told Zelensky yesterday that the US could be “very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise,” according to a statement from secretary of state Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz.
Mr Trump suggested that “American ownership of those plants could be the best protection for that infrastructure,” according to White House officials.
The idea was floated even as the Trump administration looks to finalise an agreement to gain access to Ukraine’s critical minerals as partial repayment for US support for Ukraine during the war.
In Kyiv, Mr Zelensky said the conversation focused on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — which is the largest of its kind in Europe and has been under Russian control since early in the war.
He said Mr Trump posed the idea of “an understanding” in which “the United States can recover” the plant.
Airfield on fire in Russia's Saratov region after Ukrainian drone attack
06:11
,
Arpan Rai
An airfield is on fire in Russia's Saratov region after a Ukrainian drone attack, governor Roman Busargin said this morning.
The Russian official said they are evacuating the nearby region for safety of residents living close to the airfield.
The scale of the fire at the airfield was not immediately clear.
White House says intelligence sharing with Ukraine will continue after Trump call with Zelensky
05:33
,
Arpan Rai
The White House has said America’s intelligence community would continue to share information with the Ukrainian government to bolster Kyiv’s defensive efforts.
The announcement came after president Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky had a phone call yesterday.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the two leaders reviewed the situation in Kursk and agreed to share information closely between their defence staffs as the battlefield situation evolved.
“President Zelensky asked for additional air defence systems to protect his civilians, particularly Patriot missile systems, and president Trump agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe,” Ms Leavitt said.
Putin showing 'true face' with energy grid attack, says Finnish president
05:09
,
Arpan Rai
Finnish president Alexander Stubb has said the only real solution to put off Moscow was to “militarise Ukraine to its teeth”.
Talking to Politico, Mr Stubb said the Russian president Vladimir Putin has revealed his real intentions in Ukraine by bombing civilian energy infrastructure just hours after claiming to Donald Trump that Moscow would stop such attacks.
“As someone who’s mediated the ceasefire in Georgia in 2008, I can say this is a fairly typical Putin tactic,” Mr Stubb told Politico.
“We have an aggressor who says he wants a ceasefire and peace, but refuses to commit,” he said.
“And I think yesterday’s phone conversation between Trump and Putin was a step in the right direction, but we are now seeing the true face of Putin,” Mr Stubb said.
Ukraine has an undeniable right to defend itself on its own and supported by partners, he said after his meeting with Mr Zelensky in Helsinki.
Hundreds of prisoners of war exchanged
05:00
,
Jane Dalton
Russia and Ukraine have each swapped 175 prisoners, in one of the largest exchanges since the Russian full-scale invasion three years ago.
Moscow also handed over 22 badly wounded Ukrainian prisoners, the Russian defence ministry added, in what it says was a goodwill measure.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said: “We are bringing back soldiers, sergeants, and officers — warriors who fought for our freedom in the ranks of the Armed Forces, the Navy, the National Guard, the Territorial Defence Forces, and the Border Guard Service.”
The Ukrainian leader said releasing all prisoners of war as well as captured civilians would be an important step toward peace and could help build trust between the two countries. He has repeatedly called for an “all-for-all” prisoner exchange.
In case you missed it:
Zelensky says 'lasting peace' could be agreed this year after call with Trump
04:26
,
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has said “lasting peace” in Ukraine could be achieved this year by working together with US president Donald Trump.
His remarks came shortly after speaking to Mr Trump yesterday, where he said Mr Trump also shared the details of his call with Vladimir Putin.
“We agreed that Ukraine and the United States should continue working together to achieve a real end to the war and lasting peace. We believe that together with America, with President Trump, and under American leadership, lasting peace can be achieved this year,” he said.
Mr Zelensky described his call with Mr Trump as “positive, very substantive, and frank conversation”.
Zelensky says energy strike ceasefire could be established quickly
03:53
,
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has said that a halt on energy strikes in the war with Russia could be established quickly, but warned Ukraine will respond in kind if Moscow violated the terms of the limited ceasefire.
The Ukrainian war-time president said Kyiv would draw up a list of facilities that could be subject to a partial ceasefire brokered by Washington, after a phone call with US president Donald Trump.
This list could include not only energy, but also rail and port infrastructure, he said, a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin spoke to Mr Trump and claimed to agree to pause attacks on energy infrastructure.
"I understand that until we agree (with Russia), until there is a corresponding document on even a partial ceasefire, I think that everything will fly," Mr Zelensky said, referring to drones and missiles.
Opinion: Putin’s attacks make mockery of Trump deal
03:45
,
Jane Dalton
White House hails 'fantastic' call between Trump and Zelensky
03:40
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to work together to end Russia's war with Ukraine, in what the White House described as a "fantastic" one-hour phone call.
In their first conversation since an Oval Office shouting match last month, Mr Zelensky thanked Mr Trump for US support and the two leaders agreed that technical teams would meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days.
Mr Zelensky asked Trump for more air defence support to protect his country against Russian attacks and the US president said he would help locate the necessary military equipment in Europe, the White House said.
The US president also briefed Mr Zelensky on his phone call on Tuesday with Vladimir Putin, in which the Russian president rejected a proposed full 30-day ceasefire sought by Mr Trump that Ukraine said it would be prepared to accept, but agreed to pause attacks on energy infrastructure.
Russia and Ukraine swap 350 prisoners of war in one of the largest exchanges
03:13
,
Arpan Rai
Russia and Ukraine said they had each swapped 175 prisoners in one of the largest exchanges since the Russian full-scale invasion started three years ago.
"We are bringing back soldiers, sergeants, and officers — warriors who fought for our freedom in the ranks of the Armed Forces, the Navy, the National Guard, the Territorial Defence Forces, and the Border Guard Service," said Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky.
On Tuesday, Mr Zelensky had said that releasing all prisoners of war as well as captured civilians would be an important step toward peace and could help build trust between the two countries.
He has repeatedly called for an "all-for-all" prisoner exchange.
This comes as ongoing discussions about a temporary ceasefire that may pause the war continue.
Russia sends 400 firefighters to put out fire at Krasnodar oil depot
03:00
,
Arpan Rai
Russian authorities have had to deploy hundreds of firefighters to extinguish a blaze which broke out yesterday at an oil depot in southern Krasnodar region.
The fire broke out on Tuesday after Ukraine had launched a drone attack on Russia and is yet to be brought under control.
Authorities in the region said a total of 406 firefighters and 157 pieces of equipment had been sent to the site near the village of Kavkazskaya.
"Specialists are continuing to battle the fire over an area of 4,250 sq. metres (45,750 sq. ft)," Krasnodar regional administration said on Telegram. The fire focused on burning petroleum products around a tank and shut-off valves.
The region's administration said on Tuesday that 30 employees had been evacuated from the depot and operations had been suspended.
Watch: White House declares Russia and Ukraine ‘never been closer to peace’
02:30
,
Jane Dalton
Analysis: Zelensky spies chance to get Trump back on side
01:15
,
Jane Dalton
No 10 welcomes Trump's progress on truce deal
00:05
,
Jane Dalton
Downing Street has welcomed "the progress President Trump has made” towards a ceasefire deal after the US leader's call with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: "We welcome the progress President Trump has made towards a ceasefire deal, and we will continue to work with international partners on putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position.
"We now need to ensure the implementation of the ceasefire deal to see a just and lasting peace in Ukraine."
European blueprint outlines how to boost defence spending
Wednesday 19 March 2025 23:01
,
Jane Dalton
Europe should further boost military spending, pool resources on joint defence projects and buy more European arms, according to an EU blueprint unveiled on Wednesday.
The European Commission presented the proposals in a White Paper on defence, which aims to ensure Europe has a "strong and sufficient" defence posture by 2030.
"The international order is undergoing changes of a magnitude not seen since 1945. This is a pivotal moment for European security," European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in Brussels.
Ms Kallas said Russia's economy was in "full war mode", with 40% of its federal budget going to the military.
"Regardless of the ongoing negotiations for peace in Ukraine, this is a long-term investment in a long-term plan of aggression," she declared.
Some proposed measures aim to boost the EU's arms industry, so any role for companies from major weapons producers in the United States, Britain and Turkey would be substantially limited.
US denies data on abducted children deleted
Wednesday 19 March 2025 22:00
,
Jane Dalton
The US State Department has denied that data collected in a government-funded program that helps track abducted Ukrainian children has been deleted, but acknowledged that the effort had been terminated as part of Washington's freeze on almost all foreign aid.
In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Democratic lawmakers sounded alarm that the data might have been permanently deleted.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said suggestions that data was deleted were false.
"The data exists," she said. "It was not in the State Department's control. It was the people running that framework, but we know who is running the data and the website, and we know fully that the data exists and it's not been deleted and it's not missing."
On Wednesday it was revealed that the Trump administration cut funding to Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab, which was compiling a database of alleged Russian war crimes, including the abduction of an estimated 35,000 children from occupied areas of Ukraine:
Putin demands Ukrainian capitulation, say experts
Wednesday 19 March 2025 21:10
,
Jane Dalton
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, has said Vladimir Putin's demands during his call with Donald Trump would amount to "Ukrainian capitulation".
"Putin is attempting to hold the temporary ceasefire proposal hostage in order to extract pre-emptive concessions ahead of formal negotiations to end the war," the ISW said.
White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said on social media that he and his Russian counterpart, Yuri Ushakov, agreed on Wednesday that their teams would meet soon in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia "to focus on implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire President Trump secured from Russia".
Lasting peace can be achieved this year, says Zelensky
Wednesday 19 March 2025 20:25
,
Jane Dalton
Volodymyr Zelensky says he believes lasting peace can be achieved this year with the support of the US, after his phone call with Donald Trump - the first time the pair had spoken since the US president threw his Ukrainian counterpart out of the White House.
On social media, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to implement the ending of strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure, agreed by Russia’s Vladimir Putin and the US leader.
Mr Zelensky thanked Mr Trump for the talks in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, and added: "We agreed that Ukraine and the United States should continue working together to achieve a real end to the war and lasting peace.
"We believe that together with America, with President Trump, and under American leadership, lasting peace can be achieved this year."
Orban says EU must back Trump efforts
Wednesday 19 March 2025 19:48
,
Jane Dalton
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says the European Union has to back efforts by Donald Trump to get a peace deal.
Asked whether he continued to oppose the EU giving more money to Ukraine, Orban replied: "We don't support it.
"In our understanding, there is one simple mission to be done by the European Union - to support President Donald Trump's efforts to make peace," he added.
White House says intelligence-sharing will continue
Wednesday 19 March 2025 19:19
,
Jane Dalton
Analysis: Trump’s stance on Russia won’t end war
Wednesday 19 March 2025 18:58
,
Jane Dalton
Zelensky thanks Trump for PoWs exchange
Wednesday 19 March 2025 18:11
,
Jane Dalton
The White House said President Zelensky thanked President Trump for continuing to push humanitarian [sic] including the exchange of prisoners of war.
“President Trump also asked President Zelensky about the children who had gone missing from Ukraine during the war, including the ones that had been abducted, and President Trump promised to work closely with both parties to help make sure those children were returned home,” the White House statement said.
“They agreed all parties must continue the effort to make a ceasefire work. The presidents noted the positive work of their advisers and representatives, especially Secretary Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike waltz, Special Envoy Kellogg and other