Moscow sees Donald Trump as weak and easy to manipulate, a bombshell report has claimed, with Mr Trump and Vladimir Putin set to discuss a Ukraine ceasefire over the phone.
Russian officials in the Kremlin believe the US president lacks a core set of principles, a European intelligence official told the Washington Post citing recent intelligence.
It comes with Putin and Mr Trump set to directly discuss proposals for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine after the Russian president held talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff late on Thursday, the Kremlin said on Friday
Putin expressed “solidarity” with the White House’s position on a ceasefire to Mr Witkoff - but believes there is “still a lot to be done” before ceasefire efforts become reality.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has rebuked Putin’s remarks as “Russian manipulation”, saying he is deliberately delaying the possibility of a ceasefire without explicitly rejecting it because he wants to “kill more Ukrainians”.
In his nightly address, Mr Zelensky said: “Putin often does this - he does not say ‘no’ directly, but he does it in such a way that practically everything only delays and makes normal decisions impossible.”
Mr Trump said he will now see “whether or not Russia is there, and if they're not, it'll be a very disappointing moment for the world”.
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Key Points
- Moscow sees Trump as weak and easy to manipulate - report
- Putin and Trump to hold phone call after Witkoff talks, says Kremlin
- Trump says Putin's remarks on ceasefire 'promising'
- Zelensky: 'Manipulative Putin wants to reject ceasefire but afraid to tell Trump'
- Ukrainian troops in Kursk must surrender or die, says Putin
Russian forces recaptured 28 villages in Kursk in past week, Moscow says
11:51
,
Alex Croft
After a rapid advance in its western Kursk region, the Russia says it has recaptured 28 settlements in the past week.
They have also invaded Ukraine’s territory, taking control of the Ukrainian village of Novenke in Ukraine’s neighbouring Sumy region, it added.
Russia’s lightning offensive has seen a critical collapse of Ukrainian control in Kursk, which had been a crucial bargaining chip for Kyiv in future peace negotiations.
US sidelined Trump envoy after Kremlin claimed he was too ‘close to Ukraine’, report says
11:29
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia was excluded from peace talks because the Kremlin complained that he was “too close” to Kyiv, it has been reported.
In November, President Trump announced retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, 80, as one of the key players in ending the war.
But since Mr Trump returned to office in January, Gen Kellogg has been noticeably absent from talks between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine.
Tom Watling reports:
Moscow sees Trump as weak and easy to manipulate - report
11:13
,
Alex Croft
Moscow sees Donald Trump as weak, a report has revealed before the pair hold talks in a phone call.
The US president has long touted his strong relationship with Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin - but the apparent respect may not flow both ways.
Citing intelligence from the past month, a European intelligence official said that Moscow believe Trump is weak, the Washington Post reported.
The stinging report doesn’t stop there.
The intelligence official also said Moscow believes Mr Trump may be open to manipulation by the Kremlin - and that he lacks a core set of principles.
This poses concerns for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who said Putin is attempting to manipulate the US with his purported support for a ceasefire - which Mr Zelensky says is false.
Witkoff leaves Moscow after Putin talks
11:00
,
Alex Croft
According to flight-tracking data, US envoy Steve Witkoff has left Moscow, Russian media is reporting.
Mr Witkoff, who is officially Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy but has been heavily involved in Ukraine talks, met Vladimir Putin in Moscow late last night.
EU renews sanctions on thousands of Russian individuals and entities
10:46
,
Alex Croft
The EU has agreed to renew sanctions on thousands of Russian individuals and entities - and have kept Russian tycoon Mikhail Fridman on the list despite pressure from Hungary.
Sanctions imposed by the EU must be renewed every six months in a unanimous vote by the Brussels ambassadors of the 27 member states. The sanctions list has been extended until September 15.
Hungary had threatened to block the renewal unless nine names were removed from the list - but envoys managed to reduce the number to three.
The EU has more than 2,400 individuals and entities on its Russia sanctions list.
Watch: Zelensky hits out at 'manipulative' Putin
10:22
,
Alex Croft
Full report: Putin says ‘yes’ to ceasefire – but lays down impossible terms for Ukraine
10:20
,
Alex Croft
Vladimir Putin has endorsed US plans for a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine – but has insisted he will do so only on his terms.
The Russian president made a series of demands for concessions from Ukraine’s President Zelensky, which some experts said would amount to a “surrender” by Ukraine.
Mr Putin said: “We agree with the proposals for the ceasefire, but our position is based on the assumption the ceasefire will lead to a long-term peace.”
Any such agreement had to address the “root causes” of the conflict, he said at a press conference.
Jane Dalton with the full report:
Ukraine strikes Russian gas compressor stations - security source
10:01
,
Alex Croft
Ukrainian drones have struck gas compressor stations in Russia, a source in Kyiv’s security service said on Friday.
Video from the site shows the drones striking the industrial equipment causing powerful explosions, the SBU source told Reuters.
The Ukrainian drones also struck a field depot for S-300/S-400 missiles in Russia's Belgorod region, detonating ammunition, the source added.
Putin and Trump to hold phone call after Witkoff talks, says Kremlin
09:53
,
Alex Croft
Vladimir Putin conveyed Moscow’s position on a ceasefire in Ukraine during direct talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday, the Kremlin confirmed on Friday morning.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there are grounds for “cautious optimism” and that Putin is in “overall solidarity” with Trump on Ukraine.
But the Russian autocrat added that there is much work to do before a ceasefire can become reality.
Once Mr Witkoff has relayed Putin’s position to Mr Trump, a timescale will be set for a phone call between the Russian and American presidents, Peskov added.
Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Putin of a “Russian manipulation”, saying he is deliberately delaying the possibility of a ceasefire without explicitly rejecting it.
Kyiv knows it cannot recapture all territory by force - Ukrainian official
09:47
,
Alex Croft
Kyiv understands it cannot recapture all the territory seized by Russia using military force, a Ukrainian government official said on Thursday.
Recovering Ukrainian territory would have to happen diplomatically over time, the unnamed official told reporters.
The official added that Kyiv would not recognise Moscow’s rights over Ukrainian territory, echoing comments made by president Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday.
Russia recaptures another Kursk village
09:37
,
Alex Croft
Russia has recaptured the Kursk village of Goncharovka, as Ukraine’s control over the pocket of Russian land comes rapidly to an end.
The settlement was one of only a handful which remained under Kyiv’s control after Russian forces have routed the Ukrainian military with a lightning advance in the region.
Ukraine begins forming team to develop ways to monitor possible ceasefire, foreign minister says
09:36
,
Tom Watling
Ukraine has begun forming a team to develop ways to monitor any possible ceasefire, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told journalists in Kyiv on Friday.
"We have already begun to form a national team that will develop appropriate procedures to properly monitor a possible ceasefire," Sybiha said.
Watch: Inside the Ukrainian family homes destroyed by Russian bomb strike
09:32
,
Alex Croft
On the ground | North Korean soldiers sent in ‘suicidal attacks’ to soften up Ukraine troops for Putin’s final push in Kursk
09:16
,
Alex Croft
North Korean troops have been sent in “suicidal attacks” involving waves of men to overrun Ukrainian troops during Russia’s offensive to retake its border region of Kursk.
The launch of the Kursk operation was marked by attempts to break through Ukrainian lines outside the salient of land captured by Kyiv in a surprise assault in August.
Likening the North Korean tactics to a cyber attack that can crash a website with mass attempts to access it, a Ukrainian military officer told The Independent: “[We faced] human waves like DDOS attacks on our positions... we killed eight out of 10 North Koreans.
“But in some areas we had only small numbers of troops and so they killed and killed until they were overrun,” the senior officer commanding a reconnaissance unit added.
Sam Kiley is in Ukraine:
Finnish court imprisons Russian man for war crimes in Ukraine
09:02
,
Alex Croft
A Russian man has been sentenced to life in prison after a Finnish court found him guilty of committing war crimes in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and 2015.
The trial of Yan Petrovsky, who is also known as Voislav Torden, was a rare case of prosecutors outside Ukraine seeking justice after alleged war crimes in a conflict that began long before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Petrovsky, who was born in 1987, faced five charges related to his activities in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine a decade ago.
He has been under European Union and US sanctions since 2022. He denied all charges, his lawyer Heikki Lampela told the Helsinki court last December.
In pics: Fire at a civilian hospital following a Russian drone attack in Zolochiv, Kharkiv
08:47
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Eight injured in Russian attacks on Kharkiv
08:33
,
Alex Croft
Eight people were injured in a Russian drone attack on the Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian military has said.
Ukrainian defences shot down 16 out of 27 drones launched by Russia overnight, while nine drones did not reach their target, the military added.
Seven people were injured in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, according to governor Oleh Syniehubov, and another woman was injured in a strike which caused a fire in a hospital in the surrounding region.
EU diplomatic arm proposes over $40bn in military aid for Ukraine
08:20
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The European Union's diplomatic service has suggested EU countries provide up to $43.35bn in military aid to Ukraine this year, according to a discussion paper seen by Reuters.
The paper, an updated version of an earlier proposal, also says each EU country participating in the effort should contribute "in line with its economic weight".
In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers train on remote cars
08:11
,
Tom Watling
Zelensky says Turkey is a partner in security guarantees
08:00
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine saw Turkey as a partner in security guarantees for his country, and added that Kyiv was ready to ratify a free trade agreement between the states.
Nato member Turkey has balanced ties with Kyiv and Moscow since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It has maintained good ties with both, supporting Ukraine militarily and backing its territorial integrity, while refusing to join sanctions on Russia.
As Europe scrambles to bolster its own defence and security, while seeking guarantees for Kyiv under any possible ceasefire deal with Moscow urged by Washington, Turkey has emerged as a key potential security partner.
Mr Zelensky met Turkish trade minister Omer Bolat and agriculture minister Ibrahim Yumakli in Kyiv, and discussed bilateral ties, cooperation in drone production, and Turkish firms' involvement in Ukraine's reconstruction.
"It is important that Turkish businesses are already present in Ukraine. Our country appreciates this, as well as Turkey's support and assistance, particularly the supply of Bayraktar drones," Mr Zelensky said on X.
"Ukraine considers Turkey one of its strategic partners, as well as a partner in terms of security guarantees, and is ready to ratify the Free Trade Agreement with Turkey during president (Tayyip) Erdogan's upcoming visit," he added, without specifying when he would visit.
Mapped: Russia's invasion of Ukraine
07:47
,
Tom Watling
Watch: Inside the Ukrainian family homes destroyed by Russian bomb strike in Kherson
07:30
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Residential buildings were damaged after Russia hit Ukraine's southern city of Kherson with four guided bombs late on Wednesday.
One person was injured, and several administrative buildings, six private houses, and a multi-story building were damaged.
In pics: Sudzha, the biggest town in the Kursk region of Russia, after it was taken over by Russian troops
07:00
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Russia downs drones flying towards Moscow
06:30
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Russian air defences repelled an attack by four drones flying towards Moscow, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Friday."
Emergency services are working at the site where debris came down," Mr Sobyanin said on Telegram.
He did not mention Ukraine, but Kyiv has launched a steady stream of drone attacks on Russia since president Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine more than three years ago, most of them targeting energy and other infrastructure.
This week, three men were killed in the Moscow region in what was described as the largest drone attack on the Russian capital since the start of the war.
Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the wider Moscow region, said that three of the drones had been brought down over his region.
Debris had fallen on a construction site and a residential building under construction, said Mr Vorobyov, adding that there had been no casualties.
One of the drones had hit the roof of a multi-storey residential building in the west of Moscow, the RIA news agency reported, citing initial information from emergency services.
Russia repells drone attack
05:33
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Russian air defence units repelled an attack by four drones flying towards Moscow, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said this morning.
The attack came after three men were killed in the Moscow region in what was described as the largest drone attack on the Russian capital since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Fire at Russian oil refinery
05:30
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A large fire broke out at an oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai overnight following an alleged attack by Ukraine, governor Veniamin Kondratyev claimed.
Over 100 fire department officials were working to extinguish a fire that engulfed the gasoline storage tank, he added.
Videos posted on social media showed a large fire burning in the depot.
Mr Kondratyev claimed that the region was rocked by explosions in an attack carried out by Kyiv.
North Korean soldiers sent in ‘suicidal attacks’ to soften up Ukraine troops for Putin’s final push in Kursk
05:00
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
North Korean troops have been sent in “suicidal attacks” involving waves of men to overrun Ukrainian troops during Russia’s offensive to retake its border region of Kursk.
The launch of the Kursk operation was marked by attempts to break through Ukrainian lines outside the salient of land captured by Kyiv in a surprise assault in August.
Likening the North Korean tactics to a cyber attack that can crash a website with mass attempts to access it, a Ukrainian military officer told The Independent: “[We faced] human waves like DDOS attacks on our positions... we killed eight out of 10 North Koreans.”
Sam Kiley reports from Ukraine.
Putin must sign – or go down as the first Russian leader in a century to concede territory
06:00
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
It seems that maybe Vladimir Putin doesn’t “have something” on Donald Trump after all.
The US president’s threat that he would “ruin” Russia if Putin doesn’t get on board with his plan for a 30-day ceasefire doesn’t suggest that Trump is beholden to his Russian counterpart: “There are things you can do that wouldn’t be pleasant in a financial sense. I can do things financially.”
There are “positive messages” emanating from Moscow, Trump has told reporters, but “a positive message means nothing” – a rare moment of cynicism towards Putin from a president who has hitherto appeared unaccountably indulgent towards the Russian autocrat.
Admittedly, Trump is inviting Putin to sign up to what is a highly lucrative offer, but still, it doesn’t sound like Trump is afraid of anything the Kremlin could do. The possibility arises that the deal is on, and that, if it is not, Trump will spend even more money supporting Ukraine, and apply still more pressure than the Biden White House did to change Putin’s mind.
US to resume shipment of long-range bombs to Ukraine
04:30
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The US is reportedly poised to resume shipments to Ukraine of long-range bombs known as Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB), after they were upgraded to better counter Russian jamming.
The munitions will arrive amid reports that Ukraine's supply of similarly-ranged Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) has been depleted, Reuters reported.
The glide-bombs were purchased under the US administration of former president Joe Biden using the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
The US has bought nearly $33.2bn worth of new arms and military equipment for Kyiv directly from US and allied defense contractors.
President Donald Trump's administration agreed this week to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after Kyiv said it was ready to support Washington's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia.
Trump says Putin's remarks on ceasefire 'promising'
04:02
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
US president Donald Trump called Vladimir Putin's statement on the US-proposed ceasefire "very promising" and said he hoped Moscow would "do the right thing".
"Now we're going to see whether or not Russia is there, and if they're not, it'll be a very disappointing moment for the world," he said.
Mr Putin yesterday said that Russia supported the ceasefire in Ukraine in principle, but sought a number of clarifications and conditions that appeared to rule out a quick end to the fighting.
"We agree with the proposals to cease hostilities," Mr Putin told reporters at the Kremlin. "The idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it."
"But we proceed from the fact that this cessation should be such that it would lead to long-term peace and would eliminate the original causes of this crisis."
Putin aide Ushakov says proposed ceasefire would be ‘merely a temporary break’ for Ukraine
04:00
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser complained in televised remarks that a proposed ceasefire would grant a “temporary break for the Ukrainian military”.
Yuri Ushakov's comments came a day after his phone call with US national security adviser Michael Waltz.
More here.
What are Putin and Zelensky’s demands for agreeing 30-day truce?
03:20
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Russia has reportedly presented the US with a list of demands for a deal to end its invasion of Ukraine and reset relations with Washington.
It is unclear what was included in that letter but former senior British officials with a focus on Russia have suggested to The Independent that Moscow will try to extract maximal demands from Washington in exchange for a ceasefire.
They say it is likely to include calling for Ukraine to disarm and for it to be barred from joining Nato or the European Union, tantamount to making Ukraine a “non-country”.
More details here.
EU policy chief optimistic about ceasefire
03:16
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she thinks Russia will likely say yes to a ceasefire but with conditions.
Ms Kallas said the US has told members it understands that Russia may be playing a game to extend the process by blurring the picture, she told Reuters.
Any delay would give Russia more time for its troops to push the last Ukrainian forces out of Russia's western Kursk region. Moscow also demands that Kyiv permanently cede territory claimed by Russia, a position that Ukraine rejects.
Ukraine and its allies describe Russia's 2022 invasion as an imperial-style land grab, and president Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly vowed to defeat Russian forces.
Russian forces control nearly a fifth of Ukraine's territory and have been edging forward since mid-2024.
Putin: Ukrainian troops in Kursk have a choice, surrender or die
02:30
,
Alex Croft
Putin has now discussed the situation in Kursk, where a rapid Russian offensive has recaptured large pockets of land.
“The situation is fully under our control and the group that invaded our territory has been isolated, fully isolated,” he said.
“Ukraine’s control over the Ukrainian forces has been lost.
“If there is a physical blockade, in the next two days, nobody will be able to leave. There will be only two ways: surrender or die.”
128 clashes between Russia and Ukraine today amid talks of ceasefire
01:30
,
Barney Davis
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have said there were 128 clashes on the frontline with one-third in the Pokrovsk sector.
An update on Facebook read: “According to preliminary calculations, today the occupiers in the Pokrovsky direction lost 344 people killed and wounded.
“Our soldiers destroyed three mortars, two cannons, eight vehicles units, 11 motorcycles, a self-propelled artillery rig, eight satellite terminals, four control points and two trenches.”
The Russian president will aim to exploit a truce, current and former senior European officials tell The Independent
00:30
,
Barney Davis
The chances of Vladimir Putin upholding a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine are “close to nil” European officials fear, with one warning that it could last just 30 minutes.
Ukraine agreed to a 30-day truce after talks with the US in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. But while the world waits for the response from the Kremlin, current and former officials across Europe have told The Independent Moscow would try and extract as much as possible from the US for any agreement – and then violate it anyway.
Tom Watling reports:
David Lammy says it would be 'wrong' for Putin to put conditions on a ceasefire
Thursday 13 March 2025 23:54
The Foreign Secretary, who is meeting G7 counterparts in Canada, said there is an “opportunity” for “a just and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
“The US and Ukraine have called for a full, immediate and unconditional 30-day ceasefire,” he told The Mirror.
“This would be a first step so that talks can start on a full settlement that protects Ukraine’s security and sovereignty. President Zelensky has shown that Ukraine is the party of peace.
“It would be wrong for Putin to lay conditions. Our support for Ukraine, and that of other partners, remains ironclad.”
Ukrainian soldiers describe chaotic retreat from Kursk
Thursday 13 March 2025 23:30
,
Barney Davis
Top army chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Wednesday he had ordered soldiers to withdraw to more advantageous positions in Kursk, saying preserving the lives of soldiers was his priority.
But some soldiers said it should have happened sooner.
One Ukrainian soldier said he and his comrades defied their company commander's orders, and made their own decision to retreat.
"We're sick and tired of sitting under fire all the time," said the soldier. Because all the main roads are being monitored by Russian drones, he said soldiers are withdrawing in small groups along tree lines to avoid detection.
"All the units that are left there, I don't know how they (the command) are going to get them out, because all supply chains have been disrupted," he said, referring to Sudzha and surrounding areas.
"The guys who came out said there were a lot of our dead bodies and a lot of burnt equipment."
Four children injured in Russian drone strike
Thursday 13 March 2025 21:38
,
Barney Davis
A Russian drone attack has left seven people injured including four children in Kharviv.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram: "Currently, there are seven casualties — four children, two women, and one man.”
Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, said four strikes have been recorded in the city.
Ukraine loses a ceasefire bargaining chip as its troops cede ground in Kursk
Thursday 13 March 2025 21:34
,
Barney Davis
The Ukrainian army stunned Russia in August by attacking across the border and taking control of an estimated 500 square miles of land. It was a much-needed morale boost for Ukraine — but more importantly, the country's leaders believed the capture of Russian territory might help in any future peace negotiations with its enemy.
Now, after months of intense pressure from Russian forces supported by troops from North Korea, Ukraine only holds about 30% of the Russian land it had seized and its forces are in retreat after a rapid near-defeat in the city of Sudzha.
The invasion of Kursk was intended to redirect Russian forces from inside Ukraine — and the land gained was supposed to help Ukraine get back at least some of the 20% of its country taken by Russia since its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
But many soldiers and commanders have long questioned whether it was worth diluting their forces available to defend Ukraine — and those doubts only grew as the retreat from Kursk accelerated.
Sir Keir Starmer says Russia is the aggressor
Thursday 13 March 2025 21:03
,
Barney Davis
Sir Keir Starmer has said that he was not surprised by Putin’s “barely disguised” ambitions to delay any ceasefire.
Speaking to the News Agents podcast, Starmer said: “Well, firstly, keep our focus on a lasting and secure peace in Ukraine, which is what we all want.
“It doesn’t entirely surprise me that Russia is taking this stance. They’ve made it pretty clear. They put it in lights a number of times over.
“I think progress was made on Tuesday, and I always felt that and hoped that out of Tuesday that would put the ball in the Russian court, if you like, where the pressure would come on Russia. That has now happened.
“That is a good thing, because Russia is the aggressor. Russia is the country that where there had been previous deals and ag