Donald Trump has hit out at Volodymyr Zelensky for saying Ukraine would not recognise Russia's occupation of Crimea.
"This statement is very harmful to the peace negotiations with Russia," the US president said in a social media post, adding that a US brokered peace deal is on the horizon.
“He has nothing to boast about! The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” Mr Trump wrote.
It comes as high-level peace summit in London to discuss the terms of a Ukraine peace deal on Wednesday was abruptly downgraded after Mr Trump’s most senior diplomat snubbed the meeting.
Foreign ministers from France and Germany abandoned plans to travel to the UK for the talks after US secretary of state Marco Rubio announced he would not attend, citing “scheduling issues”.
Key Points
- Crimea was lost years ago, says Trump as he slates Zelensky
- JD Vance says time for a deal or US will "walk away"
- Zelensky admits emotions ran high in talks
- Trump slates Ukraine for not ceding land
We are pausing this live blog
05:07 , Sonal HayatFollow our coverage of Ukraine-Russia war here

Zelensky hits back at Trump, citing US Crimea Declaration
Wednesday 23 April 2025 20:21 , Jane DaltonUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has sought to hit back at Donald Trump’s attack on him, by reminding the US president of Washington’s historic commitment to the principle of opposing countries seizing territory by force.
Mr Zelensky published a screenshot of the Crimea Declaration of 2018, which upholds UN Charter, pledging to refrain from “the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state”.
The states of the world, including Russia, agreed to this principle in the charter, the US Crimea Declaration says.
Posting the screenshot of the declaration, Mr Zelensky wrote on social media: “Emotions have run high today.
“But it is good that 5 countries met to bring peace closer. Ukraine, the USA, the UK, France and Germany. The sides expressed their views and respectfully received each other’s positions. “
Trump administration reverses efforts to hold Russia accountable for Ukraine war crimes
Wednesday 23 April 2025 07:34 , Namita SinghThe Trump administration has been actively dismantling a series of measures designed to hold Russia and its allies responsible for alleged war crimes committed during the invasion of Ukraine.
One of the most significant steps taken by the administration was its decision to pull out of an international task force led by the European Union, established to respond to Russia's breaches of international law, reported the Washington Post.
This group had been formed to coordinate accountability for crimes linked to Moscow's military actions in Ukraine.
In addition to the withdrawal, the White House has scaled back the role of the US Justice Department’s War Crimes Accountability Team. The team, which had focused on investigating and building cases against individuals involved in war crimes, has seen its operations significantly reduced.

Further, the administration has dismantled a programme that was designed to seize the assets of Russian oligarchs who were sanctioned in response to the war.
This initiative had aimed to target the financial networks of individuals close to the Kremlin.Congressman Jason Crow criticised the administration’s actions, stressing the importance of a robust approach to accountability.
“The atrocities coordinator position is ... tasked with holding Putin responsible for the crimes he’s committed against the Ukrainian people,” Mr Crow told The Post.
“This position was created by Congress on a bipartisan basis, and the administration must empower whoever serves in this position to carry out their duties as required by law.”
The dismantling of these mechanisms has raised concern among lawmakers and human rights advocates who view the moves as undermining international efforts to seek justice for victims of the conflict in Ukraine.
Ukraine claims to inflict 1,210 casualties upon Russia in past day of fighting
Wednesday 23 April 2025 08:59 , Andy GregoryUkraine’s military claims to have inflicted 1,210 casualties on Vladimir Putin’s forces over the past 24 hours, as it reported a total of 144 combat clashes along the front line.
The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said in its daily update that Russia had launched 125 air strikes, while firing more than 6,000 artillery shells and deploying some 2,800 kamikaze drones.
As has been consistently the case in recent months, the heaviest fighting came in the direction of Pokrovsk, as Mr Putin’s forces seek to advance towards the key Donetsk city.
In addition to the casualties inflicted, Ukraine claimed to have destroyed eight Russian tanks, 11 armoured vehices, and 85 artillery systems.

Analysis | Why Zelensky swerved an American ambush in London
Wednesday 23 April 2025 10:21 , Andy GregoryThe Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Actor turned statesman Volodymyr Zelensky may have only ever played a soldier, but as a war time leader he knows an ambush when he sees one.
Having been trapped in the Oval Office and eviscerated by Donald Trump and JD Vance, he has avoided an enfilade from a crack team of American diplomats in the London kill zone by not turning up at all.
Tipped off that his intended target was not going to wander into his sights, the US team leader, secretary of state Marco Rubio, called off the operation altogether and stayed in Washington along with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy to Vladimir Putin.
Keith Kellog, Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, who was already in London, has been left to observe peering through the privet while foreign secretary David Lammy squires the Ukrainian foreign minister for much downgraded “talks”.
At least the British hosts were not saddled with what could have been an historic mess in which Zelensky was presented with a US-Russian ultimatum and then painted as a rejectionist war monger when he said “nemaye” (no).

Kremlin says there are 'many nuances' around Ukraine talks
Wednesday 23 April 2025 10:54 , Andy GregoryThe Kremlin has said there are “many nuances” around talks on finding a way to end the conflict in Ukraine and that the positions of different sides involved in the talks had yet to be narrowed.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia was continuing dialogue on a possible settlement with the US, but was not in contact with Europe or Ukraine.
He claimed that Vladimir Putin remained open to talks with all parties and that Moscow welcomed the US mediation efforts.
Scores injured in Russian attack on Marhanets, prosecutors say
Wednesday 23 April 2025 11:53 , Andy GregoryA total of 43 people have been injured after a Russian drone hit a bus carrying workers in the Ukrainian city of Marhanets, Ukraine's general prosecutor's office has said.
Nine people were killed in the attack and most of those injured required hospital treatment, Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Serhiy Lysak said.
Condemning the attack, Ukraine’s foreign ministry said: “Ukraine's proposal to implement a ceasefire on civilian objects remains in place. What is missing is Russia's willingness to accept it.”

What is Trump’s reported seven-point peace plan?
Wednesday 23 April 2025 13:02 , Andy GregoryWith Donald Trump’s vice president JD Vance repeating threats that the US will abandon its efforts to secure an end to the war in Ukraine, details of Washington’s seven-point peace plan have begun to emerge.
According to The Telegraph, the seven-point plan goes as follows:
- An immediate ceasefire in Ukraine
- Direct talks to start between Ukraine and Russia
- Ukraine to be barred from joining Nato
- US to formally recognise Russian sovereignty over annexed Crimea
- US to effectively recognise Russian grip on four occupied Ukrainian territories along current lines of control
- Ukraine to sign minerals deal to share profits on natural resources with US companies
- All US sanctions to be lifted on Russia and both countries to co-operate on energy
The Financial Times also reported that Washington had suggested a settlement which included the US recognising Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and acknowledging Moscow’s de facto control over territory it holds in four Ukrainian regions.
According to The Telegraph, Mr Trump’s envoy Keith Kellogg was hoping to secure Ukrainian backing for the plan in London today, after which his fellow Trump envoy Steve Witkoff would then present the deal to Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
But a Ukrainian government source told Sky News: “Look, we have a few fundamental points.
“The first is that while people are dying every day, it is extremely strange to focus on anything other than an immediate full and unconditional ceasefire. Especially since Easter showed that this is possible, because the intensity of the fighting decreased and there were no air strikes when Putin ordered it.
“Second, we are ready to discuss everything else in any format after the ceasefire,” the source said, adding that it was against Ukraine’s constitution to recognise Crimea as Russian.
Zelensky says Chinese citizens working at drone production site in Russia
Wednesday 23 April 2025 12:27 , Andy GregoryVolodymyr Zelensky has alleged that Chinese citizens were working at a drone production site in Russia and suggested that Moscow may have “stolen” drone technology from Beijing.
The Ukrainian president made the comment at a news conference in Kyiv days after he said China was supplying weapons and gunpowder to Russia – which marked the first time he has accused Beijing of directly providing military aid to Moscow.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said it had summoned Chinese ambassador Ma Shengkun and expressed Ukraine's “serious concerns” over alleged Chinese involvement in Russia’s war.
Asked about Mr Zelensky’s claims, China’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that China is firmly opposed to “groundless accusations and political manipulation”.
Ukraine is ready to negotiate – but not to surrender, warns deputy PM
Wednesday 23 April 2025 12:29 , Andy GregoryUkraine is ready to negotiate but not to surrender, Ukraine's deputy prime minister Yuliia Svyrydenko has said, as details emerged of Donald Trump’s peace proposals, suggesting the US could recognise Russia’s annexation of Crimea and acknowledge Moscow’s control of territory in four Ukrainian regions.
“There will be no agreement that hands Russia the stronger foundations it needs to regroup and return with greater violence,” Ms Svyrydenko wrote on social media.
“A full ceasefire – on land, in the air, and at sea – is the necessary first step,” she said, adding that if Moscow instead opted for a limited pause, Kyiv would respond in kind.

ICYMI: Putin compares Elon Musk to Soviet space hero
Wednesday 23 April 2025 12:45 , Andy Gregory‘A very dangerous moment’: Zelensky urges US not to abandon peace talks
Wednesday 23 April 2025 13:16 , Andy GregoryUkraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that it would not “send a very good signal” if Washington abandons efforts to end Russia’s war.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mr Zelensky was quoted by the Kyiv Independent as saying: “This is a very dangerous moment. I don't think it sends a very good signal if the US pulls out.
“We really hope that President Trump will support Ukraine and put pressure on Russia.”
Polish foreign minister denounces Russian aggression in annual address to parliament
Wednesday 23 April 2025 14:02 , Andy GregoryPoland’s foreign minister has used an annual address to parliament to send a sharp message to Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, asking: “Don't you have enough land?”
In remarks aimed at the Kremlin, Radek Sikorski said: “Don't you have enough land? Eleven time zones and still not enough? Take care of better governing what is within your borders according to international law.”
Describing the deteriorating security situation with a war next to Poland’s border, he said: “Anxiety, and the question of what will happen, have settled in Polish homes. Are we also at risk of Russian aggression? Are the relations between Europe and the United States heading towards a crisis? Can Europe quickly improve its defense capabilities?”
He added: “For Poland, the greatest threat would be the disintegration of the Western community. That is why we cannot afford illusions or inaction. We cannot afford to be alone.”
And in a warning to Moscow, Mr Sikorski added: “You will never rule here again, neither in Kyiv, nor in Vilnius, nor in Riga, nor in Tallinn, nor in Chisinau.”
UK remains ‘absolutely committed’ to ‘just and lasting peace in Ukraine’, says No 10
Wednesday 23 April 2025 13:45 , Andy GregoryThe UK remains “absolutely committed” to securing a “just and lasting peace in Ukraine”, Downing Street has said, after US secretary of state Marco Rubio pulled out of talks in London on Wednesday.
Asked if Sir Keir Starmer was disappointed at the decision, the prime minister's official spokesperson said: “Today there will be substantive technical meetings with European, US and Ukrainian officials on how to stop the fighting and end Putin's illegal invasion.”
No 10 said that foreign secretary David Lammy had “a productive call with Rubio yesterday, who confirmed that the US was looking forward to substantive and positive technical meetings in London today”.
“As you know, we remain absolutely committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and these talks today are an important part of that,” he said.
Rubio cancelled visit after Ukraine says ceasefire essential to further negotiations, source suggests
Wednesday 23 April 2025 13:50 , Andy GregoryReuters has cited a source close to the discussions as saying that the downgrading of the peace talks in London today came after Ukraine drafted a paper for the Europeans on Tuesday, in which it said there would be no talks on territorial issues until “a full and unconditional ceasefire”.
The source said the apparent US nervousness could indicate that the Ukrainian position did not align with what Washington’s representatives had agreed so far with the Russians.

Russia needs to boost fiscal reserves amid global uncertainty, finance minister says
Wednesday 23 April 2025 13:54 , ReutersRussia needs to boost its fiscal reserves in the face of global turbulence to ensure at least a three-year coverage of budget spending if the oil price remains low for an extended period, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has said.
Currently, the budget rule stipulates that oil revenues above the “cut-off” price of $60 per barrel are sent to the rainy day National Wealth Fund (NWF). The liquid part of the fund, held in cash, is then used to cover budget shortfalls.
Mr Siluanov told an annual meeting of ministry staff that the current cut-off price does not meet new challenges, calling for its revision to boost contributions to the rainy day fund.
He called for a new rule to “bring the liquid assets of the NWF to a level that ensures three years of uninterrupted financing of expenditures in the event of stress in the oil market”.
The NWF has become the main source of financing Russia's persistent budget deficit. The fund’s liquid assets have dropped by about two-thirds to just $39bn from $112.7bn before the Ukraine conflict.
Poland's foreign minister says Putin's offensive in eastern Ukraine is 'stuck'
Wednesday 23 April 2025 14:17 , Andy GregoryPoland’s foreign minister has described Russia’s forces as “stuck” in their grinding assault eastern Ukraine, as he used an annual address to parliament to condemn Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
Noting that the situation on the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine is “ambiguous”, Radek Sikorski said that Russia’s forces’ slow progress is being paid for “with huge losses”.
“After three years of this stage of the war, which Putin planned for three days, Russian troops control only about 20% of Ukrainian territory and are still stuck in eastern Ukraine,” Mr Sikorski said.
“It is estimated that the war has already cost Russia at least $200bn, and almost a million Russian soldiers have been eliminated from the battlefield. Ukrainian losses are smaller, and they have not allowed either the capture of their capital or the installation of a puppet government.”
Putin's central banker Nabiullina will serve until 2027 despite attacks, report claims
Wednesday 23 April 2025 14:32 , Andy GregoryRussian central bank chief Elvira Nabiullina is safe in her job, with Vladimir Putin's personal support until her term expires in 2027, two senior sources have told Reuters.
Ms Nabiullina, aged 61, has faced intense criticism from Russian politicians and some prominent businessmen since she was appointed in 2013, but has always endured with Mr Putin’s backing.

Rumours of her demise intensified after the bank hiked rates by 200 basis points to 21 per cent in October in an attempt to counter the inflationary pressure of the biggest Russian military spending since the Cold War.
Critics openly accused her of sabotaging the Russian economy to help the United States, or of driving businesses to the brink of bankruptcy with an overly orthodox obsession with battling inflation.
But Ms Nabiullina will stay in her role until her term expires in 2027 provided that no major policy mistakes occur prior to the end of her term, the two sources said.
Kyrgyzstan detains Russian government agency worker accused of recruiting fighters for Ukraine war
Wednesday 23 April 2025 14:40 , ReutersKyrgyz security services have detained four people – including the employee of a Russian government agency – on suspicion of recruiting Kyrgyz citizens to fight in the Russian army, officials have said.
Kyrgyzstan’s domestic security agency told Reuters the detainees included an employee of Rossotrudnichestvo, a Russian agency for cultural exchange, in Kyrgyzstan’s second city of Osh, as well as an employee of Osh city hall's press service.
In a statement, Rossotrudnichestvo's Russian House cultural centre in Osh said that its activities were all legal, and that it was “anxious” for the fate of the detained employee, Natalia Serekina, who it said was a citizen of Kyrgyzstan.
The suspects are being held under charges related to recruiting and supporting mercenaries for participation in armed conflicts abroad. A court in the country’s capital, Bishkek, charged the four suspects with mercenary activity, and placed them in pre-trial detention until 17 June.
Kyrgyzstan has maintained its traditional alignment with Moscow throughout the war in Ukraine, even as Kyrgyz authorities have prosecuted citizens for joining the Russian army.
Zelensky says Ukraine insists on an immediate full ceasefire
Wednesday 23 April 2025 15:09 , Andy GregoryUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Ukraine insists on an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire with Moscow.
Writing on Telegram, Mr Zelensky said that Ukraine has repeatedly said that it does not rule out any format of talks that can lead to a ceasefire.
It came as Reuters cited a source close to the talks as saying that US secretary of state Marco Rubio had pulled out of attending today’s summit in London after Ukraine drafted a paper on Tuesday stating that there would be no talks on territorial issues until “a full and unconditional ceasefire”.

Downing Street: Britain will never walk away from Ukraine
Wednesday 23 April 2025 15:26 , Andy GregoryOur political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Britain will “never walk away from Ukraine”, Downing Street has said, amid US threats to abandon the country as peace talks stall.
Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesperson said Britain has supported US-led efforts to secure a sustainable peace in Ukraine to end its war with Russia.
Asked about US vice president JD Vance’s threats to walk away from peace talks, the spokesperson said: “We will never walk away from Ukraine… as long as it takes.”

Asked if Sir Keir Starmer was disappointed at the decision by US secretary of state Marco Rubio to pull out of peace talks on Wednesday, the PM’s official spokesperson said: “Today there will be substantive technical meetings with European, US and Ukrainian officials on how to stop the fighting and end Putin's illegal invasion."
The spokesman said that foreign secretary David Lammy had "a productive call with Rubio yesterday, who confirmed that the US was looking forward to substantive and positive technical meetings in London today".
"As you know, we remain absolutely committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and these talks today are an important part of that," he said.
How Putin’s capture of Ukrainian nuclear power station puts whole world at risk
Wednesday 23 April 2025 16:24 , Andy GregoryNuclear power stations across the world are increasingly vulnerable to attack after Russia’s capture of Europe’s biggest facility during its invasion of Ukraine and the “normalisation” of such assaults, a leading thinktank will warn.
Vladimir Putin’s troops seized control of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in spring 2022 and have used the site to create fear in the nearby Ukrainian-held city of the same name by setting off nuclear drills, in an attempt to disrupt energy supplies.
A new report from the Royal United Services Institute due to be published later this week will warn that such targeting of nuclear sites is only expected to rise.
Our world affairs editor Sam Kiley reports:

Warning over the dangerous nuclear precedent being set by Putin
UK and Ukraine ministers meet, despite US absence
Wednesday 23 April 2025 16:46 , Rachel ClunForeign Secretary David Lammy and Defence Secretary John Healy met with their Ukrainian counterparts, despite the talks being downgraded after US secretary of state Marco Rubio pulled out.
The US state department had blamed a scheduling issue for Mr Rubio’s absence, but it also suggested the chances of a breakthrough in London were limited.
The meeting was meant to be a high-level discussion on how to end the war with Russia.
Mr Lammy and Mr Healey met with Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha and defence minister Rustem Umerov.
Mr Sybiha said: "We are grateful to the UK for its leadership and support. We will discuss ways to strengthen Ukraine and guarantee long-term peace and security."
Mr Umerov said they would "discuss ways to achieve a complete and unconditional ceasefire".
JD Vance says time for a deal or US will "walk away"
Wednesday 23 April 2025 17:24 , Rachel ClunAfter plans for a high-level meeting between top US, British, French and Ukrainian diplomats was scrapped at the last minute today, the US vice president said negotiations have reached a critical point.
"We've issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it's time for them to either say 'yes' or for the United States to walk away from this process," JD Vance said during a visit to Agra, India on Wednesday.

Mr Vance said there was a “very fair proposal” on the table, which would "freeze the territorial lines at some level close to where they are today," with both Russia and Ukraine having to cede some territory.
His comments came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ruled out ceding any territory to Russia.
Crimea was lost years ago, says Trump as he slates Zelensky
Wednesday 23 April 2025 17:42 , Jane DaltonDonald Trump has slated Volodymyr Zelensky for saying Ukraine would not recognise Russia's occupation of Crimea, branding the Ukrainian leader’s words “an inflammatory statement that will make a peace deal with Russia harder to achieve”.
"This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia," Mr Trump said in a social media post.
He said Crimea was lost years ago "and is not even a point of discussion".
Mr Zelensky on Tuesday reiterated that Ukraine would not recognise Russia's occupation of the Crimea. "There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution," he said.
But Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social: "Nobody is asking Zelenskiy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?"
Mr Trump said he was trying to stop the killing in his country and that they were "very close to a deal" on bringing an end to the war.
Analysis: The US is being uncharacteristically coy in refusing to blame either side for the stumbling talks
Wednesday 23 April 2025 17:48 , Sam KileyWorld Editor Sam Kiley has looked at the latest reaction from the US on Russia-Ukraine peace talks:
The latest version of America's "put up or shut up or we'll walk away” coming from JD Vance, following Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, is significant in that the US administration is, so far, blaming both Ukraine AND Russia for the failure of the "peace initiative".

Trump's two stooges will be looking to the boss to know whether to pin the non-peace process on Ukraine, or Russia.
Wise council would be for the US to quietly shuffle off though, without naming either.
Analysis: Ukraine has learned to let Putin show the US who he is
Wednesday 23 April 2025 18:01 , Sam KileyWorld editor Sam Kiley reports that Ukraine has worked out how to manage the US:
The US position has been a cigarette paper's breadth from the Kremlin's views throughout the last two months of shuttling between Kyiv, Moscow, Washington and London.
Ukraine has learned not to antagonise Trump.

Volodymyr Zelensky has trapped the US into seeing an equivalence between Russia and Ukraine over ceasefire talks by accepting unacceptable conditions like ending attacks on Russia's energy networks and letting the Kremlin return its warships to the Black Sea - sure in the knowledge that Putin can't bring himself to cease ire even with the fulsome US backing he's enjoyed this year.
Russia adds 21 British parliamentarians to 'banned' list
Wednesday 23 April 2025 19:02 , Rachel Clun, ReutersThe Kremlin has added 21 British parliamentarians to its list of UK nationals banned from entering Russia.
In a statement on Wednesday, Russia’s foreign ministry said the lawmakers had made "hostile statements and unfounded accusations" against Moscow.
The list of newly banned parliamentarians includes six members of the House of Lords and 15 MPs, including members from the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP and the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party.
Moscow maintains a long list of foreign nationals including business people, journalists and public figures who are barred from entering Russia, mostly from countries the Kremlin has officially declared as “unfriendly”.

Witkoff expected to meet Putin on Friday - reports
Wednesday 23 April 2025 19:30 , Athena StavrouDonald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said on social media on Wednesday, citing an American official.
Witkoff has previously held three long meetings with Putin on prospects for an end to the war in Ukraine and will visit Moscow this week for a new round of talks, the White House said earlier.

Reeves: Britain must work 'more closely than ever' with EU to shore up security
Wednesday 23 April 2025 19:41 , Athena StavrouOur Political Correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Working people across Britain and Europe are depending on us to shore up their security, Rachel Reeves told her fellow European finance ministers at a meeting in Washington today, urging allies to "work together more closely than ever".
The chancellor said closer cooperation is needed to "mobilise our collective resources to protect our shared security and prosperity".
“The world has changed and the UK and its European allies must step up and meet the moment", Ms Reeves said.
“Merely increasing spending is not enough. In an uncertain and changing world we must be strategic in where and how we invest – to secure our industrial future, meet our NATO commitments, and deliver the security for working people that supports our Plan for Change.”
Trump's press secretary asked if US has asked Ukraine to give up Crimea
Wednesday 23 April 2025 19:47 , Athena StavrouOn Ukraine, The White House’s press secretary was just asked if the United States has asked Ukraine to give up the Crimea and if President Trump will meet with President Zelensky when both leaders are in Rome for the pope’s funeral.
Karoline Leavitt replied: “As President Trump rightfully pointed out in that statement, it was President Obama who gave up Crimea, who allowed Russia to take it over in 2014 and so the President is not asking Ukraine to recognise Crimea.
“Nobody has asked them to do that.”

'President is frustrated' - Leavitt
Wednesday 23 April 2025 19:53 , Athena StavrouThe White House’s press secretary has answered questions on the current US position on Ukraine ceasefire negotiations.
Karoline Leavitt said Donald Trump is “frustrated” with Zelensky, and said he believes he is “moving in the wrong direction”.
“What he is asking is for people to come to the negotiating table, recognising that this has been a brutal war for far too long,” she said.
“And in order to make a good deal, both sides have to walk away a little bit unhappy, and unfortunately, President Zelensky has been trying to litigate this peace negotiation in the press, and that's unacceptable to the president.
“These should be closed door negotiations. The President's national security team, his advisors, have exuded significant time, energy and effort to try to bring this war to an end. The American taxpayer has funded billions of dollars in this effort, and enough is enough.
“The President frustrated. His patience is running very thin. He wants to do what's right for the world. He wants to see peace.
“He wants to see the killing stop but you need both sides of the war willing to do that, and unfortunately President Zelensky seems to be moving in the wrong direction.”

Trump slates Ukraine for not ceding land as he warns Zelensky – full report
Wednesday 23 April 2025 20:37 , Jane Dalton
Trump slates Ukraine for not ceding land as he warns Zelensky to accept peace deal
Russian spy chief says 'there are always chances' for Russia-US deal
Wednesday 23 April 2025 21:02 , Andy GregoryThe head of Russia’s foreign intelligence service (SVR), Sergei Naryshkin, has claimed that “there are always chances” that Russia and US could reach a deal, Russian state news agency Tass reported.
It was not clear if Mr Naryshkin was referring to negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine, or an economic deal between Washington and Moscow.
Analysis: The real truth behind Trump’s latest attack on Zelensky
Wednesday 23 April 2025 21:07 , Jane Dalton
The real truth behind Trump’s latest attack on Zelensky over potential US peace deal
Trump appears to have no basis for claim 5,000 soldiers die a week
Wednesday 23 April 2025 21:30 , Jane DaltonDonald Trump, in his angry social media post attacking Volodymyr Zelensky, wrote: “I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever.”
He did not cite a source for the 5,000 figure. But calculations by The Independent suggest the figure is a lot lower.
Russia rarely comments on battlefield losses.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier this year, over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed.
That equates to 213 a week since the start of the war.
According to figures released by Kyiv, UN statistics, and open-source data published by BBC Russia, as of March 31 this year, the total death toll of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers, as well as Ukrainian civilians stood at 158,341.
Dividing that by the approximate number of weeks the fighting has lasted gives 733. Since that includes civilians, no one can be certain of how many soldiers are being killed a week.
Watch: Putin says AI will give Russia huge advantage in warning to the West
Wednesday 23 April 2025 22:02 , Rachel ClunIn a meeting on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the importance of AI, saying: “Whoever begins to master these technologies faster, in this case in military affairs, will have huge advantages on the battlefield.”
Zelensky admits emotions ran high in talks
Wednesday 23 April 2025 22:17 , Jane DaltonUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged that talks in London were marked by emotions and expressed hope that future joint work would lead to peace.
“Emotions have run high today. But it is good that 5 countries met to bring peace closer,” he wrote on social media. "The American side shared its vision. Ukraine and other Europeans presented their inputs."
He pledged Ukraine would always abide by its constitution – in other words, Ukraine will not cede Crimea to Russia, which Donald Trump insists was already done in 2014.
He added: “We are absolutely sure that our partners in particular the USA will act in line with its strong decisions” – referring to Washington’s Crimea Declaration of 2018, clearly stating the US refused to recognise Russia’s claims over Crimea.
Emotions have run high today. But it is good that 5 countries met to bring peace closer. Ukraine, the USA, the UK, France and Germany. The sides expressed their views and respectfully received each other’s positions. It’s important that each side was not just a participant but… pic.twitter.com/lDFV5WK8tw
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 23, 2025
Analysis: The real truth behind Trump’s latest attack on Zelensky
Wednesday 23 April 2025 22:48 , Athena StavrouTrue to form, Donald Trump has again launched into victim-shaming Ukraine’s president and taking Vladimir Putin’s side after Volodymyr Zelensky repeated that Crimea can never be given to Russia.
The US president was right when he said in his latest post on social media that “there’s nothing to talk about here” when it comes to Crimea – but not for the reasons that he lays out in his characteristic rant.
Below, world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes that Donald Trump’s best option now is to walk away from his so-called peace talks:

The real truth behind Trump’s latest attack on Zelensky over potential US peace deal
Kyiv fears Moscow may be planning major drive into Ukraine
Wednesday 23 April 2025 23:01 , Andy GregoryOur world affairs editor Sam Kiley reports:
Ukraine knows what happens when it defies Donald Trump. As a taster, it suffered suspended military aid, and later its intelligence feed from the US was cut – just as Russia launched attacks in its Kursk province.
According to Kyiv, Moscow has massed close to 70,000 troops on Ukraine’s northern border and may be planning a major drive into Ukraine.
Kyiv’s forces are bracing for that – keeping the Ukrainian president safe at home, where he’s only got drones, missiles and Russian assassins to fear.
Read more analysis here.
Trump says he 'thinks he has a deal' on Russia and Ukraine
Wednesday 23 April 2025 23:02 , Athena StavrouDonald Trump has said that he thinks he has a deal with both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.
The US president told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that he believes he has made a deal to settle the war in Ukraine, Reuters reports.
He also, however, implied that a deal with Zelensky remained elusive - adding that the Ukrainian leader had been more difficult to deal with than Putin.
US's 2018 Crimea Declaration – the full text
Wednesday 23 April 2025 23:45 , Jane DaltonChechnya leader's son, 17, becomes head of Chechen security council
Thursday 24 April 2025 00:01 , Andy GregoryThe teenage son of Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia's Chechnya region and close ally of Vladimir Putin, has been appointed secretary of the region’s security council.
Adam Kadyrov turned 17 in November 2024. It is the fourth time he has been appointed to an official position since 2023, when he was 15. He already serves as his father’s top bodyguard, is a trustee of Chechnya's Special Forces University, and an observer in a new army battalion.
ICYMI: Putin compares Trump ally Elon Musk to Soviet space hero
01:02 , Andy GregoryHow Ukraine’s 2.5-bn-year-old rock deposit became central to helping stop Russia
02:03 , Andy GregoryUkraine’s minerals have become central to global geopolitics, with the US president, Donald Trump, seeking a deal with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky to access them.
Munira Raji reports:

How a 2.5bn-year-old rock deposit became central to helping stop Russia’s invasion
Immediate ceasefire a 'fundamental' part of peace deal, Ukraine says
03:02 , Rachel Clun, Andy GregoryA Ukrainian government source has said there are a “few fundamental points” to securing a peace deal.
“The first is that while people are dying every day, it is extremely strange to focus on anything other than an immediate full and unconditional ceasefire,” the source told Sky News.
“Especially since Easter showed that this is possible, because the intensity of the fighting decreased and there were no air strikes when Putin ordered it.
“Second, we are ready to discuss everything else in any format after the ceasefire,” the source said, adding that it was against Ukraine’s constitution to recognise Crimea as Russian.”

ICYMI: Putin says AI will give Russia huge advantage in warning to the West
04:01 , Rachel ClunRussian President Vladimir Putin said Russia could gain a huge advantage if it masters AI faster than other nations.