The US and Russia are expected to release a joint statement following bilateral talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday described as “challenging” by a Moscow official.
Delegates from the US, Russia and Ukraine have been locked in peace discussions in Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton hotel since Sunday - but Moscow and Kyiv are yet to hold direct talks.
After yesterday’s Russia-US meeting was described as challenging, intense, but “useful” by Russian negotiator Grigory Karasin, the extent of progress in reaching common ground remains unclear.
A joint Russian-US statement was scheduled for 4am in Washington (8am GMT), two sources told CBS News. A second round of talks between US and Ukraine on Tuesday morning was concluded after little over an hour, according to reports.
The White House has previously said it wants "energy and infrastructure" covered in an initial truce, but the Kremlin has referred more narrowly to "energy infrastructure." Washington is also seeking to achieve a ceasefire in the Black Sea, ensuring safe navigation for commercial vessels.
The Russian side on Monday played down the possibility of ceasefire talks moving quickly. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that many aspects of a peace deal are yet to be sorted, while Moscow’s Foreign Ministry said current negotiations “should not be expected to produce a breakthrough”.
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Key Points
- US and Russia to issue joint statement on Saudi talks - report
- Kremlin: Contents of Russia-US talks will not be shared with public
- UN to be involved in Russia's talks with US, says negotiator
- Kyiv and Washington talks reopen in Saudi Arabia - reports
- Ukraine talks today to include territory and power plant ownership
Moscow accuses Ukraine of deliberately targeting Russian journalists
10:28
,
Alex Croft
Moscow has accused the Ukrainian military of deliberately targeting a group of Russian journalists working in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine.
Alexander Fedorchak, a war correspondent from Russia's Izvestia media outlet, camera operator Andrei Panov and driver Alexander Sirkeli who worked for the Zvezda television channel, were all killed according to the Russian foreign ministry.
The reports have not been independently verified.
"The (artillery) fire was targeted. They were deliberately targeted to kill them. The Kyiv regime continues its atrocities against journalists and people who do not have weapons in their hands," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Second round of US-Ukraine talks end - reports
10:15
,
Alex Croft
As we reported, officials from Washington and Kyiv have been engaged in a second round of talks in Saudi Arabia this morning, after first meeting on Sunday night.
These talks have now concluded, Ukrainian media reports.
Discussions appear to have lasted little over an hour, following the mammoth 12-hour talks between US and Russian delegations on Monday.
In pictures: Firefighters battle blaze after Russian missile attack in Sumy which injured dozens
10:10
,
Alex Croft
Zelensky reveals mistake leading to Trump Oval Office clash
10:06
,
Alex Croft
For the past few weeks, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has been scrambling to rebuild ties with the White House after the infamous Oval Office clash with Donald Trump.
But Mr Zelensky, it turns out, made one mistake which could have altered the entire course of the visit.
The wartime leader had brought with him a gift - the championship belt of Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk. Taking his seat next to Mr Trump in the Oval Office, he placed the belt on a side table.
He had initially planned to reach over and hand the belt to Mr Trump in front of the journalists, according to an in-depth interview with Time.
Instead, the president picked up a folder containing gruesome photographs of the victims of the war in Ukraine, a move which US officials say the meeting started going in the wrong direction.
“He has family, loved ones, children. He has to feel the things that every person feels,” Zelensky told the magazine. “What I wanted to show were my values. But then, well, the conversation went in another direction.”
Kremlin: No plans for another Trump-Putin phone call
09:46
,
Alex Croft
No plans have been made for a conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mr Peskov said that such a conversation could be quickly organised whenever needed.
The leaders spoke over the phone one week ago, when Putin declined the US president’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine - but agreed to a moratorium on attacking energy infrastructure.
Kremlin: Contents of Russia-US talks will not be shared with public
09:41
,
Alex Croft
The contents of yesterday’s bilateral talks between Russia and the US will not be made public, the Kremlin has said.
Moscow and Washington are analysing the outcome of the discussions after reporting back to their respective governments, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"You see, we are talking about technical negotiations that go deep into details. Therefore, of course, the content of these negotiations will definitely not be published. This should not be expected," Peskov said.
"Secondly, I repeat once again, the reports back to the capitals are now being analysed. Only then will it be possible to talk about some understandings."
It comes despite reports that the two countries were set to release a joint statement. Sources familiar with the matter told CBS News that the statement was scheduled for 4am EDT (8am GMT) - but no statement has yet been released.
Trump praises ‘beautiful’ portrait gifted by Putin
09:35
,
Alex Croft
A portrait of President Donald Trump, commissioned by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been gifted to the US leader, the Kremlin has confirmed.
Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed the gift was given to Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, during a meeting in Moscow earlier in March.
Peskov declined to offer further details.
The existence of the portrait came to light in an interview between Witkoff and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Witkoff told Carlson that Trump was "clearly touched" by the "beautiful" painting.
Ukraine wounds 30 Russian soldiers in single strike, military says
09:09
,
Alex Croft
Ukraine’s air force struck a cluster of Russian troops, wounding and killing around 30 soldiers, Kyiv’s General Staff has claimed.
“The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine successfully struck the area in Kondratovka in Kursk Oblast where enemy personnel were concentrated.
“The target was completely destroyed and up to 30 occupiers were killed or wounded,” the military write on Telegram.
Ukrainian troops have lost control over large swathes of land in Russia’s Kursk region in recent weeks, following a major counteroffensive by Putin’s forces.
Kyiv and Washington holding more talks in Saudi Arabia - report
08:57
,
Alex Croft
Bloomberg News reports that officials from the US and Ukraine have opened a new round of talks in Saudi Arabia.
It follows a long round of talks between delegations from Moscow and Washington in the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Saudi Arabia on Monday.
Comment | Putin may not accept Trump's rush for peace
08:45
,
Alex Croft
Mark Almond, director of Oxford’s Crisis Research Institute, considers whether Russia wants peace fast - and whether Ukraine could be abandoned by Washington:
Behind a smokescreen of talks about “technical details” in the Saudi capital, secret dealings on the big questions of the peace deal are likely in play. The question is: will Putin accept Trump’s rush for peace – or does he think drawn-out negotiations can better serve the Kremlin’s aim of permanently weakening Ukraine?
If the Russian media are celebrating Witkoff’s praise for Putin’s “sincerity”, Ukrainian newspapers are pondering whether their country is going to suffer the fate of South Vietnam, abandoned by Washington 50 years ago.
America is the only superpower that survives – even prospers – despite its proxies falling like dominoes.
US and Russia to issue joint statement
08:34
,
Alex Croft
The US and Russia are expected to release a joint statement following bilateral talks on Monday, CBS News reports.
In Saudi Arabia’s Ritz-Carlton hotel, US officials have met with delegates from Ukraine and Russia as they attempt to bring the two sides towards common ground.
A member of the Russian delegation described yesterday’s Russia-US meeting as “challenging” but “useful”.
Everything we know about the US-led talks in Riyadh so far
08:20
,
Alex Croft
In the grand rooms of Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton hotel, a US delegation has been deployed for an intense round of diplomacy with officials from Moscow and Kyiv.
Here’s everything we know so far about the separate talks between US officials and their Russian and Ukrainian counterparts.
- Ukraine and US officials met on Sunday night. Defence minister Rustem Umerov hailed the talks as “productive and focussed”, as the delegations prepare to meet again today.
- Talks between Moscow and the US began yesterday, and were described as “challenging” but “useful” by Russian negotiator Grigory Karasin.
- The United Nations and other countries will now be invited to join the talks, Karasin told the TASS state news agency.
- Along with a ceasefire on energy infrastructure and the prospect of longer-term peace, Washington is seeking to achieve a Black Sea ceasefire in the intense round of diplomacy. This would ensure safe navigation for commercial vessels in the Black Sea.
- The Russian side on Monday played down the possibility of ceasefire talks moving quickly. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that many aspects of a peace deal are yet to be sorted, while Moscow’s Foreign Ministry said current negotiations “should not be expected to produce a breakthrough”.
- Russia’s delegation is being led by 70-year-old security service advisor Sergei Beseda, and 75-year-old Grigory Karasin, a career diplomat and former ambassador to Britain.
- Sources close to Donald Trump have told the Telegraph that he will begin to get “frustrated” if Russia and Ukraine both continue bombing energy infrastructure - accusations they have both levelled at each other.
Shahed drone strike injures two in Zaporizhzhia
08:01
,
Barney Davis
Two people were wounded after a Shahed drone strike in Zaporizhzhia.
“A 58-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man were injured as a result of enemy shelling of Zaporizhzhia district,” the head of the regional military Ivan Fedorov, said on Tuesday.
Fedorov clarified that the Russians attacked the area with “Shaheds”.
In one of the villages, a private house was partially destroyed, outbuildings and a car were damaged.
According to him, the two victims refused to be hospitalised.
Two injured in Russian drone strike on Poltava hangar
07:45
,
Barney Davis
Poltava regional military administration, Volodymyr Kohut, said a drone strike had injured two workers in a hanger.
He reported on Telegram: “Last night and tonight in Poltava region, air defence repelled another enemy attack.
“As a result of the fall of the UAV debris in Myrhorod district, the hangar of one of the enterprises was damaged.
“A fire broke out and was promptly extinguished”, he said.
Kohut said that two employees of the company were injured. One of them was hospitalised, while the other was treated at the scene.
Russia launches 139 drones and a ballistic missile overnight
07:20
,
Arpan Rai
Russia launched 139 drones and an Iskander-M ballistic missile during an overnight attack, the Ukrainian air force said this morning.
The air force shot down 78 drones and 34 more did not reach their targets, it added in a statement on Telegram.
The air force did not say what happened to the remaining 27 drones or the missile.
UN to be involved in Russia's talks with US, says negotiator
07:00
,
Arpan Rai
Russia wants to include representatives of the UN as well as other unspecified countries in its talks with the US about ending the Ukraine war, a member of the delegation from Moscow said this morning.
Regarding Monday's talks in Saudi Arabia, Russian senator Grigory Karasin said: "Everything was discussed – there was an intense, challenging dialogue, but it was very useful for us and for the Americans. Many problems were discussed."
Mr Karasin, a former diplomat, said that talks would continue and that the United Nations and other – as yet unidentified – countries would be brought in.
"We will continue to do this, involving the international community, first of all, the United Nations and individual countries," he said.
"In general, the impression was of a constructive dialogue, which is needed and necessary. The Americans are also interested in this," Mr Karasin said.
A draft joint statement is also expected to be released after the Russia-US talks today, pending approval from Moscow and Washington, a Russian source told Reuters.
China rules out supplying peacekeeping forces in Ukraine-Russia war
05:26
,
Arpan Rai
China has said it it will not send any peacekeepers to Ukraine to enforce any peace deal.
On being asked about reports speculating that China might send peacekeepers to Ukraine in the event of a negotiated ceasefire agreement, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun dismissed the idea.
"Let me stress that the report is completely false. China's position on the Ukraine crisis is clear and consistent," Mr Guo said at a briefing.
China has provided Russia with trade earnings from oil and other natural resources, along with diplomatic backing, but has not given any weapons or sent any personnel.
China is, however, on close terms with North Korea, which has sent troops to fight alongside the Russian army.
Fears Putin will abuse human rights laws against British peacekeepers in Ukraine
05:00
,
Andy Gregory
British troops sent to Ukraine as part of a planned peacekeeping force could face “lawfare” under human rights legislation, Tory MPs have warned.
They called on the defence secretary to create an exemption from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) for any soldiers sent to the region.
Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
In photos: Daily life in Ukraine
04:58
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine destroys four Russian military helicopters in Belgorod region
04:25
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine said its special forces destroyed four military helicopters in Russia’s Belgorod region with US-provided Himars rocket systems yesterday.
Drone footage published by the special operations team and Ukraine’s ministry of defence showed an aerial view of the attack.
“Special operations forces in cooperation with the GUR of the ministry of defence, missile forces and artillery destroyed two enemy Ka-52 and two Mi-8 helicopters in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation,” the statement said.
“Ukrainian forces appear to be leveraging long-range strikes to complicate Russian logistics and command and control (C2) in the area,” the US-based think tank The Institute for the Study of War said.
“Ukrainian forces recently conducted two strikes on Russian command posts in western Belgorod Oblast, destroying communications equipment."
-4 russian helicopters
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) March 24, 2025
Ukrainian Special Operations Forces destroyed two Ka-52 and two Mi-8 helicopters in the Belgorod region (russia).
Great job! pic.twitter.com/LDemCBRDbV
Putin gifts Trump a portrait
03:56
,
Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin has gifted Donald Trump a portrait he commissioned of the US president, the Kremlin confirmed yesterday.
Mr Putin gave the painting to Mr Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Moscow earlier this month, the Russian president's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a response to a journalist's question. He declined any further comment.
The gift was first mentioned last week by Mr Witkoff in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Mr Witkoff said the US president "was clearly touched" by the portrait from his Russian counterpart, which he described as "beautiful."
It was not immediately known if the portrait Mr Putin gave to Mr Trump had been examined for bugs. The White House hasn't commented on the portrait.
Ukraine talks today to include territory and power plant ownership
03:34
,
Arpan Rai
Senior US and Ukrainian officials are set to discuss territory and the ownership of Ukraine’s power plants today as negotiators work to a agree a partial ceasefire.
While the White House has previously said it wants "energy and infrastructure" covered in an initial truce, the Kremlin declared that the agreement referred more narrowly to "energy infrastructure."
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he would also like to see infrastructure like railways and ports protected.
In an exchange with reporters at the White House, Donald Trump said territorial lines and the potential for US ownership of a key nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine have been part of the talks.
Last week, he floated the idea of the US taking control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
The six-reactor facility – one of the world's largest – was seized by Russia early in the war.
"Some people are saying the United States should own the power plant – work it that way because we have the expertise" to get the plant operating, Mr Trump said. "Something like that would be fine with me,” he said.
Ukraine to meet with US delegation in Saudi Arabia today
03:30
,
Arpan Rai
The Ukrainian and US delegations will meet for further talks in Saudi Arabia today, according to the Ukrainian national broadcaster Suspilne, which cited an unnamed source in the country's delegation.
The talks come a day after Russia-US negotiations on a narrow ceasefire proposal between Kyiv and Moscow.
Ukraine sees Russian effort to sow chaos as cyberattack hits rail service
03:00
,
Andy Gregory
A powerful cyberattack knocked out the online ticketing system for Ukraine’s state railway service, causing long queues at stations on Monday in what Kyiv officials said appeared to be a Russian attempt to “destabilise” the situation.
Blaming the cyberattack on the “enemy”, officials said rail travel had not been affected but that work was still under way to restore the online ticketing system more than 24 hours after the hack.
An outage was first reported on Sunday when the rail company notified passengers about a failure in its IT system and told them to buy tickets on-site or on trains.
“The latest attack was very systemic, unusual and multi-level,” rail company Ukrzaliznytsia said.
A Ukrainian security official and a senior government source, both of whom were speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the attack looked like it had been carried out by Russia.
“It was some hacker group. We think that they are Russians. It is a strong strike but not critical,” the government source said.
White House source says Ukraine talks 'going extremely well'
02:55
,
Arpan Rai
The US-led talks in Saudi Arabia with delegations from Ukraine and Russia have been making good progress and an announcement is expected soon, a White House source told Reuters yesterday.
"Talks facilitated by the Trump administration’s technical teams in Riyadh are going extremely well and all parties involved have been working all day and into the night. We expect to have a positive announcement in the near future," the source said.
Video report: Dozens injured in Russian attack on Ukraine's Sumy
02:00
,
Andy Gregory
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff praises ‘super smart’ Putin
01:01
,
Andy Gregory
Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has praised Russian president Vladimir Putin as “super smart”, as talks over a ceasefire in Ukraine get underway in Saudi Arabia.
Ahead of Sunday’s discussions in Riyadh, Mr Witkoff – a former real estate mogul tasked by Mr Trump with leading negotiations on Ukraine’s future – met with Mr Putin in Moscow for a second time on Thursday for talks on ending the war.
Speaking to far-right commentator Tucker Carlson in an interview broadcast on Friday, Mr Witkoff said he “liked” the Russian president, who he described as “gracious”. He added: “I don't regard Putin as a bad guy. He’s super smart.”
And in remarks that will do little to assuage European fears that the White House is increasingly parroting Kremlin propaganda, Mr Witkoff claimed the “elephant in the room” in peace talks is whether Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky can acknowledge Moscow’s claimed right to Crimea and four “Russian-speaking” regions in eastern Ukraine.
Despite being unable to name two of the four mainland regions – which Mr Putin partly occupies, and attempted to illegally annex following sham referenda in September 2022 – and using the Russian name for a third, Mr Witkoff said he believed the “central issue” in the conflict was whether Ukraine would relent control of them to Moscow.
Read more details in this report:
What is being discussed in US-led talks in Saudi Arabia?
Monday 24 March 2025 23:59
,
Andy Gregory
Officials from Russia are holding ceasefire talks with a US delegation in Saudi Arabia, as Donald Trump reportedly pushes to secure a truce in time for Easter.
Here, The Independent takes a look at what to expect from the US-led talks in Saudi Arabia, which began on Sunday just hours after Russia killed seven people – including a five-year-old child – in overnight drone strikes on Kyiv, and four people in Donetsk:
Monday 24 March 2025 23:00
,
Andy Gregory
Former UK defence secretary Grant Shapps has criticised Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff for “parroting Kremlin-friendly guff while Ukrainians fight for freedom”.
Heartbreaking to see White House envoy @SteveWitkoff parroting Kremlin-friendly guff while Ukrainians fight for freedom. Since when did the land of the free do PR for Putin? The America we knew stood by its allies - not shoulder to shoulder with tyrants.https://t.co/NZ9zAH93AJ
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps (@grantshapps) March 24, 2025
US senators push Trump administration on Russian assets, letter says
Monday 24 March 2025 22:14
,
Andy Gregory
A group of Republican and Democratic US senators is pushing Donald Trump’s administration to transfer more than $300bn of seized Russian assets to help Ukraine, rather than just use the debt’s interest to support Kyiv.
“How does the Administration view using all financial tools at its disposal to increase pressure on Russia to end the war?” the senators asked in a letter sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Reuters reported.
“Specifically, does the Administration believe that U.S. and EU-held assets should be used as leverage in negotiations with Russia to bring an end to the war? If so, how?” the letter asked.
The letter was signed by Republicans Todd Young and Lindsey Graham, and Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Tim Kaine.
Austria uncovers Russian disinformation campaign, security service says
Monday 24 March 2025 21:26
,
Andy Gregory
Austria's DSN domestic intelligence agency says it has uncovered an extensive Russian disinformation campaign centred around a Bulgarian national accused of spying and disseminating false information about Ukraine.
The DSN said the unnamed woman had acknowledged working on behalf of Russia, especially in 2022 when Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, to turn public opinion in favour of Russia and against Kyiv.
A spokesperson for the Vienna prosecutor's office said that, despite its request to formally place the woman in custody when she was detained in December, a regional court had let her go. She was not currently under arrest, the office said.
A Vienna district court spokesperson said that while a judge had confirmed she was suspected of the crime, the arrest order was denied because the suspect had assured the court that she would not try to evade proceedings.
In a search of the woman’s home in an undisclosed location in Austria, the DSN said its investigators had found evidence of a group working for Russian secret services since shortly after the invasion of Ukraine.
It said the group executed an extensive disinformation campaign for German-speaking countries focusing on Austria. The campaign, it said, included “activities in the media landscape” and offline activity that included graffiti and stickers.
“The spread of false narratives, fake news and manipulative content undermines trust in our institutions and jeopardises social cohesion,” said senior Austrian interior ministry official Joerg Leichtfried.
Russia accused of ‘hollow’ peace claims after officials say 74 wounded in Sumy strike
Monday 24 March 2025 21:07
,
Andy Gregory
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has accused Russia of making “hollow statements about peace” after officials said at least 74 people – including 13 children – were wounded in a missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy.
As Russian and US officials met for ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia, following a third consecutive night of drone attacks on Kyiv, Mr Sybiha said: “Moscow speaks of peace while carrying out brutal strikes on densely populated residential areas in major Ukrainian cities.
“Instead of making hollow statements about peace, Russia must stop bombing our cities and end its war on civilians.”
Read more details in our report on today’s developments:
Trump says US discussing ‘lines of demarcation’ in Ukraine
Monday 24 March 2025 20:44
,
Andy Gregory
Donald Trump has said the US is discussing “lines of demarcation” in Ukraine, as talks continue in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to reporters as he met with his cabinet in the White House, Mr Trump said: “We're talking about territory right now. We're talking about lines of demarcation, Talking about power, power plant ownership. Some people are saying the United States should own the power plant ... because we have the expertise.”
Labour MP criticises Trump envoy over 'offensive and inaccurate' claim
Monday 24 March 2025 20:02
,
Andy Gregory
A Labour MP has criticised Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff after he propagated the “offensive and inaccurate” Kremlin claim that Ukraine is a “false country”.
In his lengthy interview with far-right commentator Tucker Carlson, Mr Witkoff said it was “correct” that, from the Kremlin’s perspective, annexed Crimea and four mainland Ukrainian territories partly occupied by Moscow should be part of Russia, calling questions over whether Ukraine will cede these territories “the elephant in the room”.
He told Carlson: “There's a sensibility in Russia that Ukraine is just a false country, that they just patched together in this sort of mosaic, these regions, and that's what is the root cause, in my opinion, of this war, that Russia regards those five regions as rightfully theirs since World War Two, and that’s something nobody wants to talk about.”
In comments to The Independent, Labour MP David Taylor said: “Having visited Ukraine twice since the outbreak of the war, the idea that the sovereign nation is a ‘false country’ is both offensive and inaccurate. Not least because a ‘false country’ would not be able to fend off an adversary with a military five times larger than its own.
“The Ukrainian people are the most resilient, brave and steadfast I have met. Ukrainian troops are on the frontline defending not just Ukraine’s future, but the West’s. Putin’s tyranny knows no borders, he poses a real and direct threat to Europe.”
Europe’s two leading nuclear powers ‘stepping up to forge stronger partnership’, British army chief says
Monday 24 March 2025 18:25
,
Andy Gregory
The head of the British armed forces has said that “Europe’s two leading nuclear powers are stepping up to forge a stronger and deeper partnership” after a meeting with French counterparts.
The chiefs of the British and French armies, navies, and air forces met in London on Monday, as well as the head of both countries’ defence forces.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defence Staff, said: “At this pivotal time for European security the third meeting of the British and French Chiefs of Staff should be seen as a sign of reassurance and commitment. Europe’s two leading nuclear powers are stepping up to forge a stronger and deeper partnership that has a vital foundational role to play in the security of the continent.
“Today’s deliberations will help shape the future of British and French military co-operation, and our shared efforts to support Ukraine with military aid now and after any peace deal.
“The combined convening power of Britain and France is immense. The political leadership of Prime Minister Starmer and President Macron is reflected in the military planning that is now under way between our respective staffs as we draw together a coalition of the willing from Europe and beyond.”
Russia says it has started exercises involving Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles
Monday 24 March 2025 17:56
,
Andy Gregory
Russia’s defence ministry said it has started planned exercises involving Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles, state media reports.
According to the ministry, Yars ICBM regiments in Sverdlovsk and Altai regions “will be deployed to field positions”.
The Yars is a nuclear-capable missile that can be moved around on trucks or stationed in silos.
Trump says he expects to sign Ukraine minerals deal soon
Monday 24 March 2025 17:28
,
Andy Gregory
Donald Trump has said he expects to soon sign a deal handing the US a stake in Ukraine’s critical minerals.
Speaking to reporters as he met his cabinet, Mr Trump also said that Washington is talking to Ukraine about the potential for American firms owning Ukrainian power plants.
Sir Keir Starmer not worried after Witkoff remarks
Monday 24 March 2025 17:02
,
Rachel Clun, with PA
The Prime Minister is not concerned about remarks made by White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff about the coalition of the willing being created to help Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
In an interview with the pro-Trump personality Tucker Carlson, Witkoff said Sir Keir Startmer’s plan was “simplistic” and a "combination of a posture and a pose"
Asked if the prime minister was worried about the comments, his official spokesperson said: "No, The PM has repeatedly said that a lasting peace in Ukraine can only be achieved if we provide real and credible security assurances to deter Putin.
"And the coalition of the willing is a group of nations politically aligned to the defence, security and sovereignty of Ukraine... if there is a deal, it's a deal that has to be defended."
Sumy attack shows Russia 'wants to continue the terror', Ukraine PM says
Monday 24 March 2025 16:49
,
Rachel Clun
The Russian attack on Sumy that has left dozens injured including children shows that Russia “wants to continue the terror”, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
Sharing a video of the destruction on X, Mr Shmyhal wrote: “Russia attacked the civilian infrastructure in Sumy. Residential and private houses in particular were damaged. There are casualties, including children.”
He continued: “Ukraine is striving for peace, and Russia is once again showing that it wants to continue the terror. The international community must increase the pressure on Russia to stop the aggression and ensure justice and save the lives of Ukrainians.”
