US president Donald Trump has claimed that Russia's war on Ukraine was close to being settled and that ending it might involve all of Europe.
Trump said he met privately with Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev at the White House as first lady, Melania Trump, hosted representatives from Kyiv and Moscow.
"It's going to be a big agreement, and it's going to involve more than Ukraine ... I could even say it might involve all of Europe. It's going to be a big, beautiful agreement, and everyone's going to be thrilled," Trump said.
A US delegation is scheduled to mediate talks in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November between representatives from Russia and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, UK prime minister Andy Burnham has said Putin will not be invited to next year’s G20 summit. It marks a break with Trump after his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said in September that Washington had invited Putin to the G20 meeting in Miami in December.
Read MoreZelensky has awarded Melania Trump one of Ukraine’s highest honours. Here’s why
Kyiv hit by mass blackouts as death toll from school bombing rises
Ukrainian children who fled Putin’s war were pushed to study Russian in UK schools
Russia’s return to ice hockey prompts boycott threats and World Championship rebellion
Key Points
- Trump meets with Putin envoy and says 'beautiful agreement' with Ukraine could be close
- Ukraine releases footage showing Russian double-tap bombing of village in Zaporizhzhia region
- Ukrainian drone attack kills three in Russia's border Belgorod region
- Russian strikes cause Kyiv's worst water outage of war
- Melania Trump to host representatives from Russia and Ukraine
Trump teases ‘big agreement’ after meeting Putin envoy but not with Ukrainian officials
04:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPresident Donald Trump confirmed holding talks with Vladimir Putin’s envoy at the White House on Thursday, but did not meet visiting Ukrainian officials.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump acknowledged his conversation with Kirill Dmitriev. "I can’t tell you what I discussed," Trump said.
Asked if he had met Ukrainian representatives, Trump said he had not.
Officials from both countries were at the White House for an occasion honouring Melania Trump’s work brokering a ceasefire in Oleshky.
More here.
Trump teases 'big agreement' after meeting Putin envoy but not Ukrainian officials
Iran's security chief meets Russia's Putin
04:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRussian president Vladimir Putin met Iranian top security official Mohsen Rezaei at the Kremlin, Iran's state media reported, after Iranian negotiators met with mediators to discuss proposals to end hostilities with the US.
Rezaei delivered a message from Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei to Putin, state media said. Putin's office also said the two met at the Kremlin.
“Important regional issues were discussed with Mr Putin, and significant conversations took place regarding the post-war period and regional security arrangements," Rezaei said after the meeting, referring to the war between Iran and the US.
Russian captain among 2 crew found guilty by Finnish court of damaging Baltic cables
03:00 , Maira ButtA Finnish court on Thursday convicted the captain and another crew member of a cargo ship of damaging undersea telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea late last year.
The Helsinki District Court found the two guilty of aggravated sabotage and gave them prison sentences. The captain was sentenced to three years and six months, and the boatswain to two years and 10 months. National broadcaster Yle reported that the captain is Russian and the boatswain Azerbaijani.
The court also ordered them to pay compensation for the costs of examining and repairing the cables.
Russian captain among 2 crew found guilty by Finnish court of damaging Baltic cables
In pictures: Aftermath of drone strike in Donetsk
02:00 , Maira Butt
Iain Duncan Smith: The road to Taiwan runs through Kyiv
01:00 , Maira ButtRussia could not have continued fighting in Ukraine today had China not been actively involved in the war, former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith has said.
“I was at a conference in Warsaw the other day, and I complained because there was next to nothing said or debated about China. It was all about Russia. I understand that.
“But as long as we leave China out of the debate, we have surrendered completely to the real threat that we face,” he said on the sidelines of Annual Summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.
He added: “I have said to the Americans on many occasions in Washington: the road to Taiwan runs through Kyiv. If we forget that, then we will have lost Taiwan because they will see us as weak.”
Watch: Zelensky calls Russian strike on school ‘insane’ as death toll reaches 40
00:01 , Maira ButtZelensky in Spain for Ibero-American summit
Thursday 5 November 2026 23:00 , Maira ButtUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Spain for talks on boosting Kyiv's air defences and top-level meetings during the Ibero-American summit, the Ukrainian president said on the Telegram messaging app.
Zelensky, shown online being greeted as he stepped off his aircraft, also said he planned to speak with US officials in the run-up to planned three-way talks in Abu Dhabi next week, which will include Russia.
"Over these coming days, contacts with the American side are also planned," Zelensky wrote. "We're coordinating with our partners to achieve concrete results on security issues and the next steps toward peace."
Trump meets with Putin envoy and says 'beautiful agreement' with Ukraine could be close
Thursday 5 November 2026 22:06 , Harriette BoucherDonald Trump met with Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev on Thursday and believes a “big, beautiful agreement” with Ukraine could be close.
He suggested that war could soon be over, but said bringing it to an end might involve all of Europe.
The president told reporters at the White House: “It's going to be an agreement. It's going to be a big agreement, and it's going to involve more than Ukraine... I could even say it might involve all of Europe.
“It's going to be a big, beautiful agreement, and everyone's going to be thrilled,” Trump said.
Seven killed in attacks on buses in Ukraine's Luhansk region
Thursday 5 November 2026 22:00 , Maira ButtSeven people were killed in Russian-controlled Ukraine's Luhansk region after two separate attacks on buses, Russian-installed governor Leonid Pasechnik said on MAX messenger on Thursday.
Fourteen people were injured, including two boys, aged 15 and 17, he added.
Trump’s diesel deal with Putin in shambles after Russian tankers turn away from US due to sanctions
Thursday 5 November 2026 21:00 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump’s controversial diesel deal with Vladimir Putin appears to be unravelling as two Russian fuel tankers turned away from the US this week.
The US leader, whose party suffered a crushing defeat at the midterm elections this week, had risked political capital in Europe for the agreement, which appears to have done little for him domestically.
Russian tanker Talisman and the Hong Kong-owned Leruo abandoned the US Atlantic Coast as their originally declared destination, according to the Financial Times.
Trump’s diesel deal with Putin in shambles after Russian tankers turn away from US
Full story: Melania Trump urges 'humanity over war' at meeting with Putin envoy and Ukraine officials at White House
Thursday 5 November 2026 20:00 , Maira ButtMelania Trump hosted representatives from Russia and Ukraine on Thursday at a White House event to recognize a recent six-day ceasefire she helped broker in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky.
The event followed US officials' ramped-up efforts to secure a deal to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began when Russian forces invaded Ukraine in early 2022. A trilateral meeting with officials from the US, Ukraine and Russia is planned for November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi.
“We have chosen humanity over war,” the first lady said at the event. "We must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people," she added.
Melania Trump hosts Putin envoy and Ukraine officials at White House after ceasefire
Putin envoy says Oleshky ceasefire shows what can be achieved with cooperation
Thursday 5 November 2026 19:00 , Maira ButtKirill Dmitriev, Russian president Vladimir Putin’s envoy, has said that the recent ceasefire with Ukraine in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky showed what can be achieved when compassion, determination and cooperation come together.
In an event hosted by US first lady Melania Trump with Russian and Ukrainian officials, Dmitriev said Putin also appreciated the US president's peacemaking efforts.
In pictures: Melania Trump meets Russian and Ukrainian officials at the White House
Thursday 5 November 2026 18:00 , Maira Butt
Ukraine lawmaker urges Melania Trump to continue efforts to end war
Thursday 5 November 2026 17:30 , Maira ButtSenior Ukrainian lawmaker David Arakhamia has urged US first lady Melania Trump to continue de-escalation efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine in comments made on Thursday.
Arakhamia was speaking at an event hosted by Melania in Washington with Russian and Ukrainian officials.
Melania Trump says officials have chosen 'humanity over war'
Thursday 5 November 2026 17:00 , Maira ButtAt a meeting between Russian and US officials on Thursday, Melania Trump said that the group had chosen “humanity over war”.
“We have chosen humanity over war,” she said at the event held at the White House.
“We must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people.”
Watch: Zelensky calls Russian strike on school ‘insane’ as death toll reaches 40
Thursday 5 November 2026 16:25 , Maira ButtUK breaks with Trump by refusing to invite Putin to G20 summit
Thursday 5 November 2026 15:30 , Maira ButtBritish prime minister Andy Burnham has said that Russian president Vladimir Putin will not be invited to next year’s G20 summit, according to comments reported in The Economist.
Mr Burnham said: “No” when asked if the Russian leader would be invited to the event.
It marks a break with president Donald Trump, whose secretary of state Marco Rubio said in September that Washington had invited Putin to a G20 meeting in Miami in December.
Russia remains a member of the Group of Twenty despite largely becoming a pariah on the world stage following the invasion of Ukraine.
Canada refuses to play Russian ice hockey teams in protest against Moscow’s war in Ukraine
Thursday 5 November 2026 15:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarCanada has joined a growing group of countries refusing to play Russian ice hockey teams in protest against Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney said Russian players would not be allowed to compete at next month’s world junior championship in Canada.
He said: “While Russia and Belarus are supporting this illegal, unjustified, horrific war in Ukraine, as long as that’s going on, there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada.”
The move follows a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision to lift the ban on Russian participation in International Ice Hockey Federation events, arguing that safety concerns “were not supported by sufficient evidence”.
The ban had been in place since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Latvia and the Czech Republic have also opposed playing Russian teams.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha thanked European countries for “refusing to share the ice with Russia”, adding: “If CAS lacks a moral compass, let’s show that hockey still has values”.
“Refuse to play against Russia and deny visas to its players. Keep Russia off the ice! A war of aggression and hockey are incompatible,” he said.
Zelensky hopes US election outcome will generate more help for Ukraine
Thursday 5 November 2026 14:30 , Rituparna ChatterjeeUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview on Wednesday, said he hoped gains by Democrats in the US midterm elections would generate more help for Ukraine in its 4-1/2-year-long war with Russia.
Zelensky told Germany's ZDF television he hoped the changes caused by Democrats taking control of both chambers of Congress next year would be to Kyiv's advantage.
"I am also grateful to the Republicans, but the Democrats speak very clearly about supporting Ukraine and providing assistance to Ukraine," Zelenskiy said in comments provided in German by ZDF before the interview was broadcast.
"They speak about renewing the connection between the United States and Europe... Therefore, there is hope that a balance of power will emerge and that we will receive more support."
Zelensky in Spain for Ibero-American summit
Thursday 5 November 2026 14:00 , Rituparna ChatterjeeUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Spain for talks on boosting Kyiv's air defences and top-level meetings during the Ibero-American summit, the Ukrainian president said on the Telegram messaging app.
Zelensky, shown online being greeted as he stepped off his aircraft, also said he planned to speak with US officials in the run-up to planned three-way talks in Abu Dhabi next week, which will include Russia.
"Over these coming days, contacts with the American side are also planned," Zelensky wrote. "We're coordinating with our partners to achieve concrete results on security issues and the next steps toward peace."
British volunteers cite donor fatigue as they say financial support for Ukraine is declining
Thursday 5 November 2026 13:30 , Maroosha MuzaffarPublic willingness to financially support Ukraine is declining after nearly four years of war, with British volunteers citing donor fatigue and other global crises.
Graeme Reavley, a 69-year-old from Northumberland has made 21 trips to Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, delivering 50 vehicles through his independent aid organisation, which has raised around £150,000.
“It’s now dragged on for four years, the war. There are a lot of other issues in the world requiring people’s support,” he told the BBC.
While he says raising money has become increasingly difficult, donations of humanitarian supplies such as clothing, sleeping bags and fire extinguishers have increased.
British paramedic science lecturer Kate Snowdon who recently delivered a vehicle and medical supplies to Lviv warned that ordinary Ukrainians risk being forgotten as public attention shifts elsewhere, urging people to continue supporting the country.
“There’s a real concern that everyday people are going to be forgotten in all of this,” she said.
Drone attacks in Black Sea pose new challenges to Bulgarian border police
Thursday 5 November 2026 13:00 , Rituparna ChatterjeeBulgarian border police crews are responding to drone attacks on commercial ships as Russia’s war in Ukraine brings growing danger to shipping off the Black Sea coasts of NATO members Bulgaria and Romania.
Over 24 days in October, nine cargo ships and tankers were struck by aerial or naval drones near the Bulgarian and Romanian coastlines.
At least 30 sailors on commercial ships were confirmed dead or reported missing.
The attacks have added dangerous rescue missions to the duties of Bulgarian border police, who also combat unauthorized migration and cross-border crime.During one recent operation, a border police patrol helped the crew of the Chelsea 3, a Ukraine-operated cargo ship sailing under a Maltese flag, after it was hit by three drones.
All 15 crew members were rescued from the damaged vessel despite strong winds and high waves, said Nikolay Monev, who commands the border police base in Sozopol on Bulgaria’s southern Black Sea coast.
“We are capable of an immediate response. Our vessels serve as the first line of response to such situations, including incidents involving drones,” Monev said.
The Sozopol base, established in 2013 with EU funding, keeps between two and five vessels on active duty at all times.
Patrol operations are supported by coastal surveillance stations equipped with radar, thermal imaging and daylight cameras.
Throughout the war, Russia has repeatedly bombarded Ukraine’s Black Sea and Danube River ports.
Some NATO members wonder if Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking escalation to test their support for Ukraine.
