Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of engaging in "yet another deception" by failing to hand over its peace settlement proposal before a potential meeting between officials from the two countries next week.
"Ukraine has not received it. Our partners have not received it. Even Turkey, which hosted the first meeting, has not received the new agenda,” Mr Zelensky said.
"Despite promises to the contrary, first and foremost to the the United States of America, to President Trump: Yet another Russian deception."
Moscow has proposed a second round of direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Monday, two weeks after similar negotiations failed to bear fruit.
Kyiv says the memorandum was due following those talks.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow has drafted the memorandum and will present it at the next direct talks, adding that Kyiv had not responded to the offer of talks on Monday.
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Key Points
- Trump sets 'two weeks' deadline to see if Putin is serious about ending war
- Russia to send new missile systems to Belarus, Ukraine's neighbour
- Moscow proposes 2 June for further Istanbul peace talks
- Zelensky says he is ready for meeting between 'Trump, Putin and me'
- Germany to fund long-range weapons in Ukraine, says Merz
Kremlin says Kyiv has not replied over talks next week
22:00
,
Jane Dalton
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said Moscow has received no reply from Kyiv on whether it would attend negotiations on Monday in Istanbul.
But Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was "doing everything to make the meetings hollow" and Ukraine's partners needed to intensify pressure on Moscow.
Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said that without being able to review Russia's memorandum, Kyiv would conclude it was likely to be filled with unrealistic ultimatums, “and they are afraid of revealing that they are stalling the peace process".
Russia engaging in 'yet another deception', says Zelensky
21:15
,
Jane Dalton
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia is engaging in "yet another deception" by failing to hand over its peace settlement proposal before a potential meeting between Moscow and Kyiv.
"Even the so-called 'memorandum' they promised and seemingly prepared for more than a week has still not been seen by anyone," Mr Zelensky said.
"Ukraine has not received it. Our partners have not received it. Even Turkey, which hosted the first meeting, has not received the new agenda.
"Despite promises to the contrary, first and foremost to the the United States of America, to President (Donald) Trump: Yet another Russian deception."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (below) said on Wednesday that Moscow had drafted a memorandum outlining a settlement position in the three-year-old conflict in Ukraine.
North Korea helped Putin escalate missile strikes with ammunition, say experts
20:51
,
Jane Dalton
North Korea enabled Russia to increase missile attacks on key Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and supplied more than 20,000 containers of munitions, according to a UN group.
The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, a group comprising 11 UN members, said Moscow helped the North improve missile performance in return by supplying data.
As many as nine million rounds of artillery and rocket launcher ammunition were shipped from North Korea to Russia by Russian cargo vessels as part of military cooperation between the two countries in violation of UN sanctions, the report said.
"At least for the foreseeable future, North Korea and Russia intend to continue and further deepen their military cooperation in contravention of relevant UN Security Council resolutions," the group said in its first report.
Russia and Ukraine in spat over proposed talks – full report
19:29
,
Jane Dalton
Kyiv has accused Moscow of failing to send a memorandum outlining proposals for a future ceasefire - something it says was agreed on in previous talks.
Donald Trump issued a two-week deadline for Vladimir Putin to demonstrate he wants to end the war.
Erdogan says Russia's proposal heightens hope of peace
19:07
,
Jane Dalton
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Russia's proposal to hold another round of peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul next week had heightened Ankara's hopes for peace.
Nato member Turkey hosted an initial round of peace talks in March 2022 and again on May 16.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held talks in Moscow on Monday and Tuesday, including with Vladimir Putin. He will also meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday.
Erdogan said Ankara was in contact with both countries.
"The road to a resolution goes through more dialogue, more diplomacy. We are using all our diplomatic power and potential for peace," he was cited as saying by his office.
Mapped: Current frontline in Ukraine
15:38
,
Alex Croft
No indication that Russia is preparing to restart Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - IAEA
15:21
,
Alex Croft
There is no indication on the ground that Russia is preparing to restart the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine which it is occupying, an official from the UN nuclear watchdog that has a small team on site said on Thursday.
"Our teams continue to confirm there is no indication at the moment that there will be any active preparations for a restart of the plant now," the International Atomic Energy Agency official said on condition of anonymity.
Latest pictures from the Kremlin
15:03
,
Alex Croft
Russia opens criminal case after local official killed in explosion
14:50
,
Alex Croft
Russia opened a criminal case on Thursday after two men, including a local government official who had fought in Ukraine, were killed in an explosion in the southern city of Stavropol, authorities said.
Zaur Gurtsiev, a city official who was due to be appointed to Stavropol's regional administration, and another unidentified man, were killed.
Video footage published on social media showed two men standing close to some parked cars and a bench when a bright light filled the screen and the footage cut out.
Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, said the bodies of two men with multiple injuries had been discovered on Thursday outside a multi-storey building and that criminal cases investigating murder and the illegal possession of explosives had been opened.
Stavropol region governor Vladimir Vladimirov and other officials offered their condolences to Gurtsiev and his family.
What are fibre optic drones, the new weapon changing war in Ukraine?
14:32
,
Alex Croft
Fibre optic drones have become the latest weapon of war used by Ukrainian troops against Russian invaders.
A spool which is tens of thousands of metres long is fitted to the boittom of a drone, with a physical fibre optic cord attached to the controller.
"The video and control signal is transmitted to and from the drone through the cable, not through radio frequencies,” a drone engineer wit the 68th Jaeger Brigade explained to the BBC.
“This means it can't be jammed by electronic interceptors.”
Venia, a drone pilot, explained to the broadcaster that the drones can be used in more cramped and lower places. Drones can enter a house and look for targets inside, for example.
Russia began using the drones before them, Venia added.
North Korea has shipped more than 20,000 munitions containers to Russia - report
14:14
,
Alex Croft
North Korea has shipped more than 20,000 containers of munitions and other such material to Russia for the war in Ukraine, according to a report.
The Kim Jong-un regime helped Russia increase missile attacks against Ukrainian cities including critical civilian infrastructure, the report adds.
We’ll bring you more lines from the Monitoring Group report as they come in.
More pictures of high-rise in Moscow, which Russia says was damaged in Ukrainian attack
13:43
,
Alex Croft
Russia not sharing memorandum ahead of Ukraine meeting suggests 'unrealistic demands' - Kyiv
13:27
,
Alex Croft
Russia not sharing a memorandum ahead of a meeting with Ukraine suggests it likely contains unrealistic demands, Kyiv's foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday.
"The Russians' fear of sending their 'memorandum' to Ukraine suggests that it is likely filled with unrealistic ultimatums, and they are afraid of revealing that they are stalling the peace process," Heorhii Tykhyi wrote on X.
“If not, they must pass the document immediately, as Foreign Minsiter @andrii_sybiha said, and stop playing these games, which only show that they probably want the next meeting to be empty,” he added.
The Russians' fear of sending their "memorandum" to Ukraine suggests that it is likely filled with unrealistic ultimatums, and they are afraid of revealing that they are stalling the peace process. If not, they must pass the document immediately, as Foreign Minsiter… pic.twitter.com/cfL8vx24Yd
— Heorhii Tykhyi (@SpoxUkraineMFA) May 29, 2025
Kremlin calls on Kyiv to continue Istanbul negotiations
13:08
,
Alex Croft
As we earlier reporter, the Kremlin says Kyiv has not responded to its proposals for direct peace talks in Istanbul on 2 June.
We now have some fuller quotes in from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
"Here, you have to either confirm your readiness to continue negotiations or do the opposite," Peskov he told reporters.
Peskov also said Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha's suggestion that Russia should immediately hand over the memorandum, Peskov dismissed the idea was "non-constructive".
Taurus cruise missiles: Weapons Germany could be sending Ukraine to strike deep into Russia
12:50
,
Alex Croft
Germany could send its long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine this year, chancellor Friedrich Merz has said, a move which would help Kyiv strike deep into Russian territory.
Berlin pledged to ramp up its military support for Ukraine during a meeting between Mr Merz and Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, in which the former promised new military aid worth €5 billion (£4.2 billion).
Mr Merz did not mention Taurus missiles as he announced an increase in support for Kyiv - but he later addressed the issue when speaking on German TV.
"Of course, it is within the realms of possibility,” the new chancellor told TV channel ZDF when asked if Germany would supply the weapons, adding that it would require several months of training for Ukrainian troops.
Read the full report:
Emotional reunions as Ukrainians return home after major prisoner swap with Russia - ICYMI
12:34
,
Alex Croft
Kyiv hopes to boost agricultural exports with Brussels
12:16
,
Alex Croft
Ukraine hopes to agree new rules for agricultural exports with Brussels by end of July, Ukraine's farm minister said at a conference in Kyiv on Thursday.
"At the end of July, a mechanism for trade with the EU will be established and agreed upon," Vitaliy Koval said.
The European bloc has long been Ukraine’s largest and most reliable for Ukrainian agricultural exports, but Brussels has begun to roll back preferential quotas for Ukraine.
Russian troops seize three villages, Moscow defence ministry says
12:00
,
Alex Croft
Russian troops have taken control of three settlements, the defence ministry said on Thursday.
The army seized Stroivka in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, and Shevchenko Pershe and Hnativka in the Donetsk region, it said.
Moscow’s forces have been grinding forward in the eastern regions, suffering heavy personnel losses but nonetheless gaining village-by-village.
The Independent could not verify the battlefield report.
In pictures: Damage to apartment block after Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow
11:42
,
Alex Croft
Erdogan: Russian proposal for Istanbul talks boosts peace hopes
11:25
,
Alex Croft
Turkey is positive about peace prospects in Ukraine following Russia’s proposal for another round of talks on 2 June, president Tayyip Erdogan has said.
Speaking to reporters on a flight from Azerbaijan, Erdogan said Ankara was in contact with both countries, and added that the recent momentum in peace efforts was an opportunity to reach lasting peace.
"The road to a resolution goes through more dialogue, more diplomacy. We are using all our diplomatic power and potential for peace," he was cited as saying by his office on Thursday.
Ukrainian commander resigns citing 'stupid objectives' of leadership
11:07
,
Alex Croft
The battalion commander of a frontline Ukrainian brigade submitted his resignation earlier this month, slamming what he calls the “stupid objectives” of the current military leadership.
"I have never received more stupid objectives than in the current direction," Oleksandr Shyrshyn, commander of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade, wrote on Facebook on 16 May.
"Someday I will tell you the details, but the stupid loss of people, trembling in front of a stupid generals, leads to nothing but failures. I hope your children will also serve in the infantry and carry out your orders," he added.
The brigade was formed in 2022 from soldiers trained in Nato countries, as Kyiv prepared for the summer 2023 counteroffensive, the Kyiv Independent reported. It was engaged in combat in Russia’s Kursk region last year.
Russia to send new missile systems to Belarus, Ukraine's neighbour
10:48
,
Alex Croft
Russia will send a number of Oreshnik missile systems to Belarus by the end of 2025, an official from Russia’s neighbour said according to the Tass news agency.
Alexander Volfovich, the secretary of Belarus’ Security Council, revealed the news on the sidelines of an international security summit.
"By year's end, I believe the decision regarding the placement of Oreshnik, which was agreed upon by our heads of state, will become a reality," he said.
"These issues have been resolved, and the locations within Belarus have been finalised.”
Belarus borders both Russia and Ukraine, and president Aleksandr Lukashenko has been one of Vladimir Putin’s staunchest allies throughout his presidency.
"Preparations are proceeding as planned. Let others think - perhaps abroad - that it won't be in Belarus. But we know exactly where it is, and how it functions. Our primary concern is to remain confident and calm, ensuring the security of our peoples - Russia and Belarus,” Volfovich added.
Russia claims the Oreshnik - an intermediate-range ballistic missile - has the range to reach any European target.
No plans for Trump-Putin call, says Kremlin, as US president becomes frustrated
10:33
,
Alex Croft
Russian president Vladimir Putin currently has no plans to speak to former US president Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.
Trump has shown increasing frustration with Putin in recent days, warning on Tuesday the Russian leader was "playing with fire" by refusing to engage in ceasefire talks with Kyiv as his forces made gains on the battlefield.
In response to Trump's remarks, the Kremlin said on Wednesday that Putin prioritises Russia's national interests above all else.
Kremlin says Kyiv has not answered over 2 June talks
10:23
,
Alex Croft
Kyiv has not answered to Russia’s offer for further direct talks in Istanbul on 2 June, the Kremlin has claimed.
Russia’s priority is to continue the direct talks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the aim of the talks would be to start discussing draft memorandums for a peace accord.
It is not constructive for Kyiv and its allies to claim Russia is delaying the peace process, he added - an accusation which has been leveled at Moscow as it continues attacks on Ukraine and makes maximalist demands for peace.
Latest pictures from the frontline
10:04
,
Alex Croft
Here are some of the latest pictures of the frontline in eastern Ukraine, where the war grinds on amid international diplomacy efforts.
Watch: Trump calls Russia-Ukraine conflict 'Biden's War'
09:51
,
Alex Croft
Moscow wants legal mechanisms to prevent war restarting after ceasefire - Tass
09:37
,
Alex Croft
Moscow wants to introduce legally binding mechanisms to guarantee the Ukraine conflict will not resume as part of the peace proposals, the foreign ministry has been quoted as saying by state news agency Tass.
The ministry said that Kyiv was aware of Moscow's position that a final settlement was possible only if the "root causes" of the conflict were completely eliminated, the agency reported.
One killed in attack on northeastern Sumy region
09:20
,
Alex Croft
One person has been killed and another seriously injured in a Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, the local military administration has said.
Images showing fires tearing through a small village where a farm, civilian infrastructure and residential buildings were all damaged.
The injured victim has been hospitalised in a serious condition, the Sumy Military Administration said on Telegram.
Germany considering sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine - Merz
09:06
,
Alex Croft
Germany could supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles, chancellor Friedrich Merz has said as Berlin looks to boost its military support for Kyiv.
"Of course, it is within the realms of possibility,” the new chancellor responded when asked if Germany would supply the weapons - but he explained that it would require several months of training for Ukrainian troops.
Volodymyr Zelesnsky yesterday met Mr Merz, German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Bundestag president Julia Kloeckner in Berlin, where Germany promised new military aid worth €5 billion (£4.2 billion).
Military support for Kyiv is being improved in the short term, the German chancellor explained, given Taurus missiles would not be ready for immediate use.
One killed and others trapped under rubble after Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia
08:53
,
Alex Croft
At least one person has been killed and another injured after a Russian air attack on the Zaporizhzhia region, local authorities have said.
"The enemy attacked the village of Verkhna Tersa with guided aerial bombs at dawn. At least five bombs were dropped on housesResidential buildings have been destroyed and damaged,” Ivan Fedorov, head of the region’s military administration, said on Telegram.
People remain trapped under the rubble, Mr Fedorov added, before later confirming that one person had been killed and another injured.
‘Ample evidence’ Russia preparing fresh offensive despite talk of ceasefire, claims Zelensky
08:43
,
Alex Croft
Russia is preparing to launch a new military offensive in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed, even as the Kremlin suggests it is still open to peace talks.
After days of unprecedented Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine, involving more than 900 missiles and drones, Mr Zelensky claimed Kyiv had obtained intelligence suggesting Moscow was on the brink of a new push.
“We can see from the information obtained by intelligence and from open-source data that Vladimir Putin and his entourage do not plan to end the war,” the Ukrainian president said in his nightly address on Monday.
Our reporter Tom Watling writes:
Moscow proposes 2 June for further Istanbul peace talks
08:30
,
Alex Croft
Moscow has proposed 2 June as date for further direct talks with Ukrainian officials in Istanbul, faced with Donald Trump’s two-week deadline to prove its commitment to peace.
Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said the talks would be a continuation of the previous negotiations which took place on May 16.
"In Istanbul, it was agreed that Moscow and Kyiv would prepare documents setting out the positions of each side to reach a sustainable resolution," Lavrov said during a press conference, according to The Kyiv Independent.
"The Russian side, as agreed, promptly drafted a corresponding memorandum, which lays out our position on all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis."
Russia has repeatedly made maximalist demands from Ukraine, many of which are the same that it called for at the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Russia shoots down 48 Ukrainian drones, defence ministry says
08:22
,
Alex Croft
Russian air defences shot down 48 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 30 over the Belgorod region, Moscow’s defence ministry said on Thursday.
Ukrainian troops have continued attacking Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod regions on its northeastern border, as it looks prevent Russian troops from crossing the border in a potential attack.
Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Russia has amassed more than 50,000 troops to prepare for an offensive in northeastern Ukraine.
Moscow suggests return to Istanbul for next round of talks
08:00
,
Arpan Rai
The Kremlin has said the next direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials could again be held in Istanbul, where negotiations were staged on earlier this month.
Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Turkish city was “absolutely” being considered as the venue following the previous round of talks, which resulted in an exchange of 1,000 prisoners but no outcome on a ceasefire.
Earlier, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow had suggested Russian ally Belarus as the next location for peace talks, which he said would be impossible for Ukraine to agree to.
Putin 'demands end to Nato expansion' before he will stop Ukraine invasion
07:46
,
Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin's conditions for ending the war in Ukraine include a demand that Western leaders commit in writing to stop enlarging Nato eastwards and lift a chunk of sanctions on Russia, three Russian sources with knowledge of the negotiations told Reuters.
"Putin is ready to make peace but not at any price," one senior Russian source was quoted as saying.
The sources said Mr Putin wants a "written" pledge by major Western powers not to enlarge the US-led Nato alliance eastwards – which is a shorthand for formally ruling out membership to Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova and other former Soviet republics.
The first source said that if Mr Putin realises he is unable to reach a peace deal on his own terms, he will seek to show the Ukrainians and the Europeans by military victories that "peace tomorrow will be even more painful".
Russia also wants Ukraine to be "neutral", some Western sanctions lifted, a resolution of the issue of frozen Russian sovereign assets in the West, and protection for Russian speakers in Ukraine, the three sources told Reuters.
Russia to deploy Oreshnik missile systems in Belarus by end of year
07:36
,
Arpan Rai
Russia is planning to deploy multiple Oreshnik missile systems to Belarus by the end of 2025, a top official in Belarus said.
State secretary of Belarus' security council Alexander Volfovich said: "The locations for its deployment have already been determined.” He did not specify how many missile systems will be deployed.
Earlier this year, Russian president Vladimir Putin said that Oreshnik missiles could be deployed to Belarus in the second half of 2025, adding that they will remain under Russian control but Moscow will allow Minsk to select the targets.
Putin has hailed Oreshnik’s capability, saying its multiple warheads that plunge to a target at Mach 10 are immune from interception and are so powerful that the use of several of them in one conventional strike could be as devastating as a nuclear attack.
Zelensky says Russia gathering 50,000 troops near Sumy region
07:22
,
Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia has gathered 50,000 troops near Ukraine's northern Sumy region, but added that Kyiv had taken steps to prevent Moscow from conducting a large-scale offensive there.
His warning comes after he flagged Kyiv had “ample evidence” Moscow was planning a summer offensive on Ukraine rather than pursuing peace, as he continues to accuse Russian president Vladimir Putin of manipulating the west.
Sumy lies across the border from Russia's Kursk region where Ukraine previously seized and held a pocket of land for months, before being almost fully pushed out last month, although it says it still holds some areas there.
"Their largest, strongest forces are currently on the Kursk front," Mr Zelensky told reporters yesterday.
He said Moscow’s aim was to “push our troops out of the Kursk region and to prepare offensive actions against the Sumy region."
Ukraine calls on Russia to share memorandum on peace without delay
07:01
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine has already handed over its version of the memorandum on peace to the Russian delegation and urges Moscow to share its version without delay, the defence minister said today.
"We are not opposed to further meetings with the Russians and are awaiting their "memorandum", so that the meeting won’t be empty and can truly move us closer to ending the war," Rustem Umerov said following Russia's offer to meet in Istanbul on 2 June.
"The Russian side has at least four more days before their departure to provide us with their document for review," he added.
Former Russian president threatens Trump with World War 3 after Putin criticism
06:35
,
Arpan Rai
A former Russian president has threatened ‘World War III’ after Donald Trump criticised Vladimir Putin for his actions in Ukraine.
The US branded the comments by the often-inflammatory Dmitry Medvedev “reckless”, as the war of the words between the two global powers continues to ramp up.
However, diplomatic efforts appear to be ongoing despite the public clashes and in a rare move US embassy officials were seen attending a security meeting in Moscow on Wednesday.
