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Zelenskyy says Trump's call to freeze current frontlines is a 'good compromise'
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that US president Donald Trump’s call for Ukraine and Russia to stop at the current frontlines was “a good compromise”, reports Reuters.
But Zelenskyy, who is visiting Nordic countries, said he doubted that Russian president Vladimir Putin would support it. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Zelenskyy told reporters:
[Trump] proposed ‘Stay where we stay and begin conversation’. I think that was a good compromise, but I’m not sure that Putin will support it, and I said it to the [US] president.
It comes as plans to hold a summit between Trump and Putin in Budapest have been put on hold as it was reported that Ukraine and its European allies had rallied in pushing for a ceasefire without territorial concessions from Kyiv.
Russia, however, said on Wednesday that preparation for a presidential summit between Putin and Trump was still continuing.
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Zelenskyy to visit Brussels and London this week, senior Ukrainian official says
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Brussels and London later this week after meetings held in Norway and Sweden on Wednesday, a senior Ukrainian official told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The official said multiple meetings would be held in the European capitals, including on energy amid repeated Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities.
During talks with Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre, both leaders were to “discuss energy”, the Ukrainian official told AFP as their meeting began on Wednesday.
The two leaders met in the military part of Oslo’s international airport Gardermoen, television images on public broadcaster NRK showed. Norway did not give any details about the talks.
Zelenskyy’s itinerary is “first Norway, then Sweden, then Brussels, then London,” the source told AFP, adding there will be “many meetings” with “different leaders in different capitals”.
EU leaders are expected to close ranks in support of Ukraine at a Brussels summit on Thursday – followed a day later by a “coalition of the willing” meeting of European leaders in London to discuss the next steps to help Kyiv.
Zelenskyy says Trump's call to freeze current frontlines is a 'good compromise'
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that US president Donald Trump’s call for Ukraine and Russia to stop at the current frontlines was “a good compromise”, reports Reuters.
But Zelenskyy, who is visiting Nordic countries, said he doubted that Russian president Vladimir Putin would support it. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Zelenskyy told reporters:
[Trump] proposed ‘Stay where we stay and begin conversation’. I think that was a good compromise, but I’m not sure that Putin will support it, and I said it to the [US] president.
It comes as plans to hold a summit between Trump and Putin in Budapest have been put on hold as it was reported that Ukraine and its European allies had rallied in pushing for a ceasefire without territorial concessions from Kyiv.
Russia, however, said on Wednesday that preparation for a presidential summit between Putin and Trump was still continuing.
Member states of the European Union (EU) must preserve exclusive jurisdiction on national security matters, the Italian prime minister said on Wednesday, as Rome faces scrutiny from Brussels over its use of special powers to shield strategic assets.
Italy is among countries within the bloc that have made extensive use of golden power legislation to protect sectors such as banking, defence and telecommunications.
Reuters reported this month that the EU was expected to act against the government of prime minister Giorgia Meloni as part of a push against EU countries hampering bank consolidation in Europe.
Speaking about defence matters during an address to parliament before an EU leaders summit this week, Meloni stressed that it was up to member states to decide on their security, echoing similar remarks by economy minister Giancarlo Giorgetti this month.
According to Reuters, Meloni said:
It is, and must remain, the member states who are the decision-makers in this process.
The comments came after European commissioner for financial services Maria Luis Albuquerque told newspaper Corriere della Sera that she will be in Rome on Thursday and will probably hold talks with Giorgetti.
In July, Italy’s second-biggest bank, UniCredit, withdrew its offer for smaller rival Banco BPM blaming government intervention for scuppering the €15bn ($17.5bn) transaction.
The EU will order Italy to withdraw the terms set by Rome to clear UniCredit’s failed bid, while challenging the overall golden power legislation through a separate infringement procedure, sources have told Reuters.
Russia said on Wednesday that preparation for a presidential summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump was still continuing, despite the latter announcing it had been shelved (see 10.30am BST).
“We are saying that preparations for a summit are continuing,” Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying by the state TASS news agency.
Plans for Trump-Putin talks in Budapest shelved
Dan Sabbagh
Plans to hold a summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Budapest have been put on hold as Ukraine and its European allies rallied in pushing for a ceasefire without territorial concessions from Kyiv.
The White House said there were now “no plans” for the US president to meet his Russian counterpart “in the immediate future” as a round of diplomacy at the end of last week failed to yield any significant progress towards ending the war.
The comment followed a Monday phone call between Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, and Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, at which Lavrov said his country’s negotiating position remained unchanged. Lavrov said:
I want to officially confirm: Russia has not changed its position compared to the understandings that were reached during the Alaska summit.
He had told Rubio this the day before, he added.
Last night Trump told reporters that he did not want a “wasted meeting” with Putin, adding:
I don’t want to have a waste of time, so I’ll see what happens.
Putting the Budapest summit on hold represents the end of a short diplomatic cycle that began with a call last Thursday between Trump and Putin.
During that call, Putin reportedly proposed giving up parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzha provinces occupied by Russian forces, in return for all of Donetsk, a heavily fortified area long sought by Moscow but considered by Kyiv to be the gateway to central Ukraine.
After briefly appearing to flirt with Putin’s proposal, Trump rejected the plan on Sunday, saying Donetsk should be “cut the way it is”. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, the US leader said:
They can negotiate something later on down the line. But I said cut and stop at the battle line. Go home. Stop fighting, stop killing people.
Zelenskyy in Oslo for talks with Norwegian PM
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Oslo on Wednesday for talks with Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Norway’s government said.
The two leaders were to meet in the military part of Oslo’s international airport, the statement from the prime minister’s office said.
One of two Ukrainians detained for drug possession had shared photographs and coordinates of critical Polish army infrastructure with a Russian speaker, Polish prosecutors said on Wednesday, reports Reuters.
Poland says it has been targeted with tactics such as arson and cyber-attacks in a “hybrid war” waged by Russia to destabilise nations that support Kyiv in the Russian war in Ukraine. Moscow has denied such accusations.
Two Ukrainians, identified only as Bohdan K and Kyrylo T under Polish privacy law, were detained in Biala Podlaska, eastern Poland, for possessing 30 grams of illegal drugs. Prosecutors said:
Correspondence was revealed on a secured telephone belonging to Bohdan K, which shows that he had been providing a Russian-speaking person with photographs and geographical coordinates of critical infrastructure at the disposal of the armed forces of the Republic of Poland.
The man was charged with acting for the benefit of foreign intelligence and providing intelligence with information harmful to state security. A court detained him for three months pending further investigation, reports Reuters.
The statement read:
The suspect pleaded not guilty and expressed pro-Russian views and questioned Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The other man, Kyrylo T, was charged with possession of illegal drugs and was released.
Away from Ukraine for a moment. Spain’s leftist government will publish next month a list of symbols of Gen Francisco Franco’s dictatorship to be removed from public spaces, prime minister Pedro Sánchez said on Wednesday.
The move will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the death of Franco, who ruled Spain between 1939 and 1975.
Latest attacks prove Russia 'does not feel enough pressure for dragging out the war', says Zelenskyy
Russia’s latest overnight attacks in the Ukrainian capital and other cities prove that it “does not feel enough pressure for dragging out the war”, said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s energy infrastructure had been “under fire”, but residential buildings had also been hit across the Kyiv, Odesa, Chernihiv, Dnipro, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy and Sumy regions.
He shared his condolences to the families and loved ones of the six people killed and 17 injured. Two children were among those killed in the strikes, he added.
Zelenskyy called for stronger sanctions on Russia, long-range capabilities and “coordinated diplomacy among all our partners”. He said:
Russian words about diplomacy mean nothing as long as the Russian leadership does not feel critical problems.
Here is his full statement:
Another night proving that Russia does not feel enough pressure for dragging out the war. Our air defence forces, mobile fire groups, and drone interceptor crews were working all night and into the morning. Ordinary cities have been under fire, primarily our energy infrastructure, but many residential buildings have also been hit. There were fires in Zaporizhzhia and hits on homes in Kyiv. The Kyiv, Odesa, Chernihiv, Dnipro, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy and Sumy regions were under attack. As of now, 17 people are known to have been injured. Unfortunately, six people were killed, among them two children. My condolences to their families and loved ones.
Russian words about diplomacy mean nothing as long as the Russian leadership does not feel critical problems. And this can be ensured only through sanctions, long-range capabilities, and coordinated diplomacy among all our partners. It is high time the European Union adopted a strong sanctions package. We also count on strong sanctions measures from the United States and the G7, from all those who seek peace. It is very important that the world does not remain silent now and that there is a united response to Russia’s vile strikes.
Everyone who is now helping Ukraine with air defence systems and missiles for them is protecting lives. We are grateful for that. And everyone who helps Ukraine with long-range capabilities will bring the end of the war closer.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to discuss a possible export deal at Swedish defence industry group Saab on Wednesday, said Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson, who will join him at the factory.
Saab is the maker of the JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet, the GlobalEye surveillance aircraft, missile systems, anti-tank infantry weapons and other equipment.
According to Reuters, Kristersson told Swedish Radio:
The entire meeting takes place at Saab in Linkoping. We will discuss a major possible Swedish export deal.
Linkoping is a key manufacturing hub of Saab, where it produces the Gripen. Kristersson declined to specify if Gripen would be discussed, reports Reuters.
However, he told public broadcaster Swedish Radio:
When it comes to flying capability in the midst of the ongoing war, it is radar reconnaissance aircraft that are the major contribution.
Sweden said last year it was donating two radar surveillance and command aircraft to Ukraine.
The Swedish government said in a statement ZelenskYy and Kristersson would present news regarding defence exports at a joint press conference. A spokesperson for the prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to Reuter’s request for further comment.
Kristersson said this month that he and Zelenskyy had discussed Kyiv’s interest in Gripen at a meeting of European leaders in Copenhagen. He said at the time donations of the fighter jet were not on the cards.
The possibility of supplying Gripens to Ukraine has been under consideration over the past two years but was put on hold to allow Kyiv to focus on the introduction of US-made F-16 fighters that it began deploying last August. Still, Ukrainian pilots have been in Sweden to test the Gripen and help smooth any eventual export of the jets, reports Reuters.
On Wednesday, a Saab spokesperson referred all questions about the event to the government, according to Reuters.
Peter Beaumont
The first explosions could be heard across Kyiv shortly after 1am and then more about half an hour later. Blasts were also reported in Zaporizhzhia, Poltava and Dnipro with strikes and air raid alerts continuing into the morning.
Emergency services rescued 10 people after a fire caused by drone wreckage hit the sixth floor of a 16-storey residential building, while the strikes also blew out windows of a medical facility and debris was found at another residential building, Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, reported on his Telegram channel.
In the Darnytskyi district of the capital emergency services were responding after drone debris hit a 17-storey residential building causing a fire on five floors.
In the Desnianskyi district, 20 people were rescued after the facade of a 10-storey building was damaged and a gas pipe caught fire.
Strikes in Ukraine’s eastern Poltava region damaged oil and gas facilities, said the local governor, Volodymyr Kohut, while the city of Dnipro reported heavy strikes.
An apartment building in Zaporizhzhia was also damaged overnight, where at least 13 civilians were reported injured.
Storm Shadow missiles struck a Russian chemical plant making gunpowder, explosives and rocket fuel in the Bryansk region, Ukraine’s military said late on Tuesday.
The French-British missiles are also known as Scalp. Ukraine’s armed forces general staff said:
A massive combined missile and airstrike was carried out, including with air-launched Storm Shadow missiles that penetrated Russia’s air defence system.
Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of Bryansk region, said on Tuesday afternoon that Ukraine attacked the region with drones and missiles. The Russian defence ministry also confirmed an attack.
Overnight Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv kills six people, including children
Russian drones and missiles have pounded the Ukrainian capital and other cities, killing six people in the Kyiv region, including a six-month-old baby, a 12 -year-old girl and a woman, and damaging key energy facilities and several high-rise residential buildings.
The attacks lasted most of Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning as Kyiv was hit by at least four ballistic missiles. A series of loud explosions could be heard across the city.
Towards dawn and the beginning of the morning rush hour, air defences targeting Russian drones was audible above the sound of traffic.
The latest attack came as it was reported that Ukraine had launched a substantial attack on a major chemical plant in Bryansk, in south-western Russia, with Storm Shadow missiles, which are supplied by Britain and France. Ukrainian drones also hit Russia’s Mordovia region.
Meanwhile, plans to hold a summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Budapest have been put on hold as Ukraine and its European allies rallied in pushing for a ceasefire without territorial concessions from Kyiv.
The White House said there were now “no plans” for the US president to meet his Russian counterpart “in the immediate future” as a round of diplomacy at the end of last week failed to yield any significant progress towards ending the war.
More on these stories in a moment, but first here are some other key developments:
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Preparations for a meeting in Budapest between Trump and Putin are still ongoing, Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán said on Wednesday, a day after the summit was put on hold. The planned meeting was paused as Moscow’s rejection of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine cast a cloud over attempts at negotiations.
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On Wednesday, Trump is expected to hold talks at the White House with Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte. The military alliance has been coordinating deliveries of weapons to Ukraine, many of them bought from the United States by Canada and European countries.
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European diplomats have said countries were working with Ukraine on a new proposal for a ceasefire along current battle lines. One told Reuters the proposal included a reference to a peace board that would be chaired by Trump, while another said it would be modelled on the US 20-point plan on Gaza. Thirty five allies of Ukraine will meet on Friday in London for a summit among countries willing to provide long-term support to Kyiv.
