Foreign secretary David Lammy and French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot have accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in ceasefire talks, echoing concerns by Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.
"Our judgment is that Putin continues to obfuscate, continues to drag his feet," Mr Lammy told reporters at Nato headquarters, standing alongside his French counterpart in a symbolic show of unity.
"We see you, Vladimir Putin. We know what you are doing," Mr Lammy said. Mr Barrot said Ukraine had accepted ceasefire terms three weeks ago, and that Russia now "owes an answer to the United States".
The European leaders have demanded a swift response from Russia after weeks of US efforts to secure a truce.
This comes as the death toll in Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih soared to 19 overnight, including nine children, local officials said. At least 50 people were injured in the attack.
“People die every day. There is only one reason why this continues: Russia does not want a ceasefire, and we see it. The whole world sees it,” Volodymyr Zelensky said.
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Key Points
- UK and France accuse Putin of delaying Ukraine ceasefire efforts
- Death toll in Kryvyi Rih rises to 19
- Russia spreading false information over missile strike, says Ukraine
- Putin's negotiator traveling beyond US for frozen Russian assets, says Zelensky
- Zelensky says details of foreign troops in Ukraine could be ready in a month
- Russia using ceasefire negotiations as 'leverage to seize territory'
Putin's negotiator traveling beyond US for frozen Russian assets, says Zelensky
05:48
,
Arpan Rai
Russia’s top negotiator Kirill Dmitriev has been visiting not only the US but several other countries in Moscow’s push to unlock frozen Russian assets, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“He (Dmitriev) was not only in the US – we are monitoring the movements of our adversaries,” Mr Zelensky said during the briefing.
The Ukrainian president said Moscow is pressuring foreign governments to help release the funds by offering deals involving high-tech goods such as aircraft construction.
Russia is actively trying to have sanctions lifted, but as of now both Europe and the US remain firm in their stance of continuing to impose them, Mr Zelensky said.
Mr Dmitriev, Mr Putin's investment envoy, said on Thursday that he saw a "positive dynamic" in relations between Moscow and Washington after holding two days of meetings in Washington, but said more meetings were needed to sort out differences.
Zelensky says details of foreign troop contingent in Ukraine could be ready in a month
05:41
,
Arpan Rai
European military planners could be ready within a month with details of a foreign troop contingent in Ukraine seen as critical to ending the war with Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv after meeting British and French military chiefs, Mr Zelensky said many other countries would also contribute to the effort, which envisages foreign troops patrolling Ukrainian land, sea and airspace.
"I think the teams need about a month, no longer, and we will be fully ready with an understanding of this infrastructure," he said.
Mr Zelensky added that military working groups would meet weekly until then to finalise the details. He did not specify which other nations would contribute.
Kyiv is seeking security guarantees from its allies in the event of a peace agreement with Moscow to prevent a repeat of its February 2022 full-scale invasion.
Ukrainian army leaders including Kyiv's top general and the chief of its general staff also met the visiting European military officials yesterday.
Russia spreading false information over missile strike, says Ukraine
05:34
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine's military said early today that Russia was "again spreading false information" by saying it had targeted a gathering of servicemen in a missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih.
"The missile struck a residential area with a playground," the military's General Staff said in a statement on Telegram.
"Through this latest violation of the norms of international human rights, the insidious enemy shows that it is in no way seeking peace but rather intends to continue its invasion and war to destroy Ukraine and all Ukrainians."
Local officials say the strike killed at least 18 people, including nine children.
Red lines needed for Ukraine ceasefire timetable, says Estonia
05:29
,
Arpan Rai
There must be red lines in terms of a timetable when it comes to a Ukraine ceasefire, Estonian foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said yesterday.
"(Russian president Vladimir Putin) is asking more and he is not asking only more about Ukraine. He's just putting new conditions on the table (...) there must be some kind of red lines on the timetable", he said as he arrived in Brussels to meet his Nato counterparts.
UK and France accuse Putin of delaying Ukraine ceasefire efforts
05:14
,
Arpan Rai
The UK and French foreign ministers have accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in ceasefire talks aimed at halting Moscow's all-out invasion of Ukraine and demanded a swift response from Russia after weeks of US efforts to secure a truce.
"Our judgment is that Putin continues to obfuscate, continues to drag his feet," foreign secretary David Lammy told reporters at Nato headquarters, standing alongside French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in a symbolic show of unity.
"We see you, Vladimir Putin. We know what you are doing," Mr Lammy said.
Mr Barrot said that Ukraine had accepted ceasefire terms three weeks ago, and that Russia now "owes an answer to the United States."
"Russia has been flip-flopping, continuing its strikes on energy infrastructure, continuing its war crimes," Mr Barrot said. "It has to be 'yes.' It has to be 'no.' It has to be a quick answer."
Death toll in Kryvyi Rih rises to 19
05:00
,
Arpan Rai
The death toll in Russian attack on Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih rose to 19 last night, including nine children, local officials said.
Photos posted online showed bodies of the dead, including elderly, and wounded lying on the pavement as grey smoke rose into the sky.
Rescue workers toiled through the night with flashlights in Kryvyi Rih, moving around wrecked cars, buildings with shattered windows and a gaping crater. Residents carried armloads of foil and timber for emergency home repairs, according to a Reuters eyewitness.
At least 50 people were wounded, the emergency services said, adding that the figure was growing. More than 30 people, including a three-month-old baby, were in hospital, said regional governor Serhiy Lysak.
Russia's defence ministry claimed it targeted a military gathering there but did not explain the death of children and an infant.
"There were dead children lying there, crying parents, it was horrible," Yulia, 47, told Reuters as she surveyed the damaged blinds, fixtures and furniture in her apartment.
In pictures: Dozens injured in deadly Russian drone attack on Kharkiv
04:00
,
Alex Croft
Britain and France accuse Russia's Putin of delaying Ukraine ceasefire efforts
03:01
,
Alex Croft
Britain and France on Friday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in ceasefire talks aimed at halting his country's invasion of Ukraine and demanded a swift response from Moscow after weeks of U.S. efforts to secure a truce.
Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for a full and immediate 30-day halt in the fighting. A Kremlin official said Monday that Moscow views efforts to end its more than three-year war with Ukraine as “a drawn-out process.”
“Our judgment is that Putin continues to obfuscate, continues to drag his feet,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told reporters at NATO headquarters, standing alongside his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in a symbolic show of unity.
Read the full report:
Sam Kiley: Ukraine’s pioneering work with ketamine therapy taking soldiers to Valhalla on earth
02:00
,
Alex Croft
Kremlin to take 'extra measures' to minimise damage of Trump tariffs
01:01
,
Alex Croft
Although Russia was not included in Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariff measures he unveiled earlier this week, the Kremlin is preparing to take “extra measures” minimise damage.
Moscow said it must do what it can to protect its economy from the turbulence the tariffs will bring to the global market.
"We see quite a high level of turbulence in international markets", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "We are hearing very unfavourable forecasts from various economists, including world-renowned economists, who are pessimistic about this latest news."
He said that while the Russian economy was robust, thanks to the government's efforts, "additional efforts" would be necessary to protect it from tariff shocks. He did not specify what those efforts would be.
"Let's just say that with a storm like this, we need to be very careful to minimise the negative effects on our economy," Peskov said.
Mapped: Russia's counterattack in Kursk
Saturday 5 April 2025 00:00
,
Alex Croft
Putin does not want ceasefire, Zelensky says
Friday 4 April 2025 23:17
,
Alexander Butler
Vladimir Putin does not want a ceasefire, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said, as 16 were killed in a drone attack on Kryvyi Rih.
Mr Zelensky said: “People die every day. There is only one reason why this continues: Russia does not want a ceasefire, and we see it. The whole world sees it.”
He said rescue operations were ongoing in the central city, with regional governor Serhii Lysak adding that at least 50 people were injured.
Full report: We will known within weeks if Putin is serious about peace in Ukraine, US says
Friday 4 April 2025 23:01
,
Alex Croft
The US will know within weeks whether Vladimir Putin is serious about peace, US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said – with Washington’s Nato allies accusing Russia of stalling ceasefire efforts.
Donald Trump and his White House officials have reportedly become wary of Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin’s commitment to peace in Ukraine - despite the US president having insisted for weeks that Putin was serious about reaching a truce.
Speaking at the end of a two-day meeting of Nato foreign ministers, Mr Rubio said: "We will know soon enough, in a matter of weeks, not months, whether Russia is serious about peace or not. I hope they are.
"If this is dragging things out, President Trump's not going to fall into the trap of endless negotiations about negotiations," Mr Rubio said.
Read the full report:
Elton John's Aids charity placed on Moscow's 'undesirable' list - ICYMI
Friday 4 April 2025 22:02
,
Athena Stavrou
Russia has placed Elton John’s charity focussing on HIV/AIDS prevention on its list of “undesirable organisations”, the prosecutor general’s office said on Thursday.
The office derided what it described as the charity’s “promotion of non-traditional sexual relations”.
The Elton John AIDS Foundation, launched in 1992, works in over 90 countries "to increase access to health care, tackle LGBTQ+ stigma, and end AIDS”.
The foundation, established by the singer and songwriter, has previously clashed with Russian authorities over LGBTQ+ rights. Sir Elton, who has performed in Russia, has criticised what he views as discrimination against gay people by the Russian government.
In the statement by Russian prosecutors, they said the charity is "focused on the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations, Western family models, and gender reassignment."
Watch: Battle to save residents as Russian drone strike on Kharkiv homes leaves four dead
Friday 4 April 2025 21:30
,
Athena Stavrou
Trial of former Russian minister ‘not about Vladimir Putin’, jurors told
Friday 4 April 2025 21:05
,
Athena Stavrou
The trial of a former Russian minister accused of breaching sanctions in the UK is "not about Vladimir Putin" or the war in Ukraine, jurors have been told.
Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, 48, the former mayor of Sevastopol in illegally annexed Crimea, is facing seven counts of circumventing sanctions between February 2023 and January 2024.
During closing arguments yesterday at Southwark Crown Court, his defence barrister, Rosemary Davidson, told jurors that the case is not about the war in Ukraine or Ovsiannikov's work as governor of Sevastopol.
Read the full story here:
Pictured: Lammy in Brussels with Nato leaders
Friday 4 April 2025 20:29
,
Athena Stavrou
Russia using ceasefire negotiations as 'leverage to seize territory' - ISW
Friday 4 April 2025 20:01
,
Athena Stavrou
Russia seeking to use ongoing peace negotiations to “seize large amounts of territory in Ukraine,” a war-monitoring think tank says.
US based analysts The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Moscow is hoping to leverage ceasefire talks to install a pro-Russian puppet government in Kyiv, and is likely to continue military operations in Ukraine if it is not able to secure “full surrender” through the talks.
It cited the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence's (ODNI) which stated “Russia is leveraging its control of the theater-wide initiative and ongoing political and information efforts amid negotiations to end the war in Ukraine to achieve significant concessions from Ukraine and the West.”
It said the ODNI report also assessed that Putin is "probably" more willing to incur the risks of a longer war than to agree to an end to the war that is unfavorable to Russia.
Watch: Ukraine's firefighters battle blaze after Russian drone strike in Kharkiv
Friday 4 April 2025 19:28
,
Athena Stavrou
Mapped: Russia's counterattack in Kursk
Friday 4 April 2025 19:00
,
Athena Stavrou
Ukraine to head to US to discuss mineral deal in near future - ICYMI
Friday 4 April 2025 18:30
,
Athena Stavrou
Ukrainian officials are set to head to the US in the near future to discuss a new framework on a minerals deal.
Online consultations between Ukrainian and American teams could take place on Friday, public broadcaster Suspilne reported, citing foreign minister Andrii Sybiha.
Sam Kiley: Ukraine’s pioneering work with ketamine therapy taking soldiers to Valhalla on earth
Friday 4 April 2025 18:02
,
Athena Stavrou
Nato allies spending more on defence
Friday 4 April 2025 17:32
,
Athena Stavrou
Since Donald Trump took office, the US has demanded its Nato allies up their defence spending to 5 per cent.
On Friday, Nato’s secretary-general Mark Rutte said allies were committed to spending more, adding that many members have already begun to do so.
Almost a third of allies still do not meet Nato’s target of 2 per cent of their GDP on defence spending.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is not insisting that its allies hit the 5% spending target overnight, but "we think that's what NATO allies need to be spending for NATO to face the threats that itself has identified and articulated."
Russian drone strikes surged by over 50% since peace talks began - reports
Friday 4 April 2025 17:02
,
Athena Stavrou
Putin’s drone strikes on Ukraine have surged since peace talks began earlier this year, analysis by The Telegraph has shown.
Data from the Ukrainian Air Force Command updates found that in the 30 days after ceasefire talks began, there were 4,776 drone strikes launched by Russia - over 1,500 more than the 3,148 seen in the 30 days prior.
Ball in Russia's court regarding Ukraine ceasefire - Rutte
Friday 4 April 2025 16:28
,
Athena Stavrou
The ball is in Russia’s court regarding a ceasefire in Ukraine, Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte said on Friday after meeting Nato foreign ministers in Brussels.
Several European ministers asked for a deadline to be set for Moscow to answer to the US proposal for a ceasefire - but Mr Rutte did not say if he was in favour of that proposal.
He added that the military alliance still believes Russia poses the greatest threat to its security.
Comment: As Russia is spared from tariffs, is Trump playing into Putin’s hands?
Friday 4 April 2025 16:04
,
Athena Stavrou
For the US president, trade tariffs and sanctions are different things, writes Mary Dejevsky – but focusing on fair(er) trade rather than separating the good and bad guys may yet come back to haunt him.
Read the full comment here:
The illegal party drug helping Ukraine’s traumatised soldiers live again
Friday 4 April 2025 15:42
,
Athena Stavrou
With limited numbers of foot soldiers to take on Russia, Ukraine has branched out into a revolutionary new treatment for its traumatised and damaged troops – ketamine, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley from Kyiv.
Read the full story here:
Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers on frontline
Friday 4 April 2025 15:12
,
Athena Stavrou
Russia jails defence official for seven years on bribery charge
Friday 4 April 2025 14:58
,
Athena Stavrou
A former Russian defence official was convicted on Friday of taking bribes and sentenced to seven years in a penal colony, state news agency TASS said.
Andrei Chekmazov, a reserve colonel, was accused of accepting kickbacks worth more than 16 million roubles ($188,000) from the head of a company which had received contracts from the defence ministry.
While waging a war in Ukraine that is now into its fourth year, president Vladimir Putin has launched a drive to punish corruption in the armed forces, leading to a rash of prosecutions.
More than a dozen people have been arrested in the past 12 months.
Pictured: Putin holding meetings in the Kremlin today
Friday 4 April 2025 14:36
,
Athena Stavrou
Trump will know in weeks if Putin is serious about peace, Rubio says
Friday 4 April 2025 14:20
,
Athena Stavrou
The US will know “soon enough” if Putin is “serious about peace”, Marco Rubio said, as Nato leaders call for Moscow to be given a deadline to accept a ceasefire deal.
The US secretary of state told Nato allies that Donald Trump will be able to see Russia’s true intentions in a matter of weeks, amid reports that the US president has grown wary of Vladimir Putin’s stalling on an agreement.
"We will know soon enough, in a matter of weeks, not months, whether Russia is serious about peace or not. I hope they are," Rubio said after a two-day Nato meeting.
Russian drone strikes surged by over 50% since peace talks began - reports
Friday 4 April 2025 14:09
,
Athena Stavrou
Putin’s drone strikes on Ukraine have surged since peace talks began earlier this year, analysis by The Telegraph has shown.
Data from the Ukrainian Air Force Command updates found that in the 30 days after ceasefire talks began, there were 4,776 drone strikes launched by Russia - over 1,500 more than the 3,148 seen in the 30 days prior.
Peace deal 'difficult to digest' but better than 'death and destruction' - Turkey
Friday 4 April 2025 13:59
,
Athena Stavrou
Turkey’s foreign minister has said a potential peace deal between Ukraine would be “difficult to digest” but better than the alternative of “death and destruction”.
Hakan Fidan told Reuters that Turkey supported a US initiative to seek an end to the war in Ukraine, but that the sides remained a "little bit far away" from reaching a deal.
"It will be extremely difficult to digest any proposal," Fidan said. "But when we look at the other option, which is more death and destruction, I think whatever the conditions that we have... will be more reasonable" than the alternative.
Turkey, a NATO member, has maintained cordial ties with both Kyiv and Moscow since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022
Nato allies spending more on defence
Friday 4 April 2025 13:39
,
Athena Stavrou
Since Donald Trump took office, the US has demanded its Nato allies up their defence spending to 5 per cent.
On Friday, Nato’s secretary-general Mark Rutte said allies were committed to spending more, adding that many members have already begun to do so.
Almost a third of allies still do not meet Nato’s target of 2 per cent of their GDP on defence spending.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is not insisting that its allies hit the 5% spending target overnight, but "we think that's what NATO allies need to be spending for NATO to face the threats that itself has identified and articulated."
Watch: Battle to save residents as Russian drone strike on Kharkiv homes leaves four dead
Friday 4 April 2025 13:20
,
Alex Croft
Vatican and Russian foreign ministers discuss Ukraine over phone
Friday 4 April 2025 13:07
,
Alex Croft
Vatican foreign minister archbishop Paul Gallagher held a phone call with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to discuss Ukraine, the Vatican said.
They discussed the three-year conflict and "some initiatives aimed at stopping the military actions”, the Vatican announced.
Mr Gallagher expressed the Vatican’s willingness "to continue its humanitarian effort in matters regarding the exchange of prisoners”, the statement added.
Last October, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met Pope Francis at the Vatican last October to ask for the pontiff's help in securing the release of Ukrainians held captive by Russia.
Lavrov met the Vatican's number two official, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York.
Francis, currently out of public view as he recovers from double pneumonia, provoked anger among Ukrainian officials in March 2024 when he suggested they should have the courage of the "white flag" to negotiate an end to the war.
Mapped: Russian advance in Donetsk region slows as Ukrainian troops push back
Friday 4 April 2025 12:55
,
Alex Croft
Trump's tariffs don't violate Nato treaties - Rutte
Friday 4 April 2025 12:41
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs, which have sent shockwaves around the world, do not violate any Nato treaties, secretary-general Mark Rutte has said.
Speaking to reporters on Friday after meeting Nato foreign ministers in Brussels, Mr Rutte was asked about article 2 in the alliance’s treaty which states: "(NATO allies) will seek to eliminate conflict in their international economic policies and will encourage economic collaboration between any or all of them."
But Mr Rutte said there has been no violation of the treaty - despite large and damaging tariffs having been imposed on many of Washington’s European allies.
Ball in Russia's court regarding Ukraine ceasefire - Rutte
Friday 4 April 2025 12:30
,
Alex Croft
The ball is in Russia’s court regarding a ceasefire in Ukraine, Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte said on Friday after meeting Nato foreign ministers in Brussels.
Several European ministers asked for a deadline to be set for Moscow to answer to the US proposal for a ceasefire - but Mr Rutte did not say if he was in favour of that proposal.
He added that the military alliance still believes Russia poses the greatest threat to its security.
Russia's Belgorod 'under control' after Ukrainian incursion attempt, says Russian commander
Friday 4 April 2025 12:16
,
Alex Croft
The situation in Russia's Belgorod region is "under control" after Ukrainian troops tried to break through the border a fortnight ago, Russian commander Apti Alautdinov said according to state news agency RIA.
Just as Ukrainian forces are battling to keep their grip on a sliver of Russia's Kursk region they captured last year, they have tried to stage a little-publicised incursion into the adjacent Belgorod region, according to Russian military bloggers.
Russian forces are "clearing areas" of Ukrainian troops, Alautdinov said, who had not succeeded in their aim of carving out a meaningful foothold in Belgorod and were suffering heavy losses.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield report.
Pictured: Ukrainian servicemen training in Donetsk
Friday 4 April 2025 12:01
,
Athena Stavrou
Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking energy infrastructure
Friday 4 April 2025 11:50
,
Athena Stavrou
Moscow has accused Ukraine of attacking its energy infrastructure six times in the past 24 hours.
Russia news agencies reported the claim amidst an agreement between the countries to cease attacking such sites - a deal both sides have accused the other flouting.
The Independent could not independently verify the alleged attacks.
Kremlin to take 'extra measures' to minimise damage of Trump tariffs
Friday 4 April 2025 11:44
,
Athena Stavrou
Although Russia was not included in Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariff measures he unveiled earlier this week, the Kremlin is preparing to take “extra measures” minimise damage.
Moscow said it must do what it can to protect it