Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff has reportedly arrived in Moscow for a critical meeting with Vladimir Putin, as the US president claims they are “very close” to a peace deal.
Mr Witkoff, who has emerged as Washington’s key representative in Ukraine peace talks, has already held three long meetings with the Russia autocrat.
This visit to Moscow comes just one day after Mr Trump demanded that Putin “STOP!" after a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv that killed at least 12 people.
But he hailed the significance of the following days, telling reporters on Thursday: "This next few days is going to be very important. Meetings are taking place right now. I think we're going to make a deal... I think we're getting very close."
It comes after Volodymyr Zelensky’s aide clashed with Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko after he said Ukraine may need to cede land to Russia in order to secure peace, as Donald Trump ramps up pressure on Kyiv to accept major concessions.
"It's not fair. But for the peace, temporary peace, maybe it can be a solution, temporary," Mr Klitschko told the BBC.
Serhi Leshchenko, an adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky, described the comments as “counterproductive”.
Key Points
- Trump envoy lands in Moscow for Putin talks
- Kyiv mayor Klitschko says Ukraine may have to concede land
- 'Counterproductive': Zelensky adviser hits back at Kyiv mayor's comments
- Boris Johnson says Ukraine 'gets nothing' in Trump peace plan
- Two killed in Russian attack on Ukraine's Pavlohrad
In full: US proposals to end war in Ukraine revealed
10:54 , Alex CroftHere are the US proposals to end the war in full, as revealed by Reuters news agency:
- Permanent ceasefire
- Both sides immediately engage in technical implementation negotiations Ukraine security guarantee
- Ukraine receives robust security guarantee
- Guarantor states will be an ad hoc grouping of European states plus willing non-European states
- Ukraine will not seek to join NATO
- Ukraine may pursue EU membership Territory
- US provides de jure recognition of Russian control of Crimea
- US provides de facto recognition of Russian control of Luhansk
- US provides de facto recognition of Russian-controlled parts of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Kherson
- Ukraine regains territory in Kharkiv Oblast
- Ukraine regains control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant through US control and administration of the plant, with electricity distributed to both sides, and also the Kakhovka Dam
- Ukraine enjoys unhindered passage on Dnieper River and control of the Kinburn Spit Economics
- United States and Ukraine will implement economic cooperation/minerals agreement
Full text of European and US proposals to end war display clear differences
10:51 , Alex CroftThe divergence between European and US proposals to end the war in Ukraine has been revealed, after the full texts of both proposals have been revealed by Reuters.
The proposals were put forward in talks between US, European and Ukrainian officials in Paris on 17 April and in London on 23 April.
Territory, sanctions on Russia, security guarantees and the size of Ukraine’s military mark the main points of contention between the two documents.
The two documents were exchanged as a “broad framework” to identify the differences between the sides.
Emergency worker hurt due to Pavlohrad attack, say emergency services
10:31 , Alex CroftAn emergency worker was injured as a result of Russia’s repeat attack on Pavlohrad, Ukraine’s emergency services said.
The industrial city of Pavlohrad had a pre-war population of about 100,000 people. It is an important railway hub for the Dnipropetrovsk region, connecting it to the east of the country.
As a result of the attack, which killed three people, city infrastructure has also been damaged, and a social institution was partially destroyed. Several cars also burned down.
Five people killed in renewed Russian attacks, say officials
10:14 , Alex CroftA child was among five people killed in renewed Russian attacks on Ukraine, officials said on Friday.
Three of the victims were killed in the city of Pavlohrad after a drone strike, said Serhiy Lysak, governor of the central Dnipropetrovsk region.
"The aggressor again conducted a mass attack on the region with drones," Lysak wrote on Telegram, adding that 11 drones were destroyed over the region.
He said that 14 people were wounded in the attack on a five-storey building, including a six-year-old boy and teenagers, aged 15 and 17. Five of the wounded remained in hospital, he added, without specifying at what time the attack took place.
"Unfortunately, there are already three dead in Pavlohrad. Among them is a child," he said in a later update.
In pictures: Three killed in Russia attack on Pavlohrad
09:59 , Alex Croft
Two killed in Russian air bombing in Donetsk region
09:44 , Alex CroftTwo people were killed after Russia dropped an air bomb on a residential building in a village in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, the local prosecutor’s office said.
The attack on Friday morning on the village of Yarova also caused damage to several buildings.
"At 05:10, enemy forces conducted two airstrikes on the village of Yarova in the Lyman hromada. As a result of a direct strike on a residential building at their place of residence, a 61-year-old man and his 88-year-old father sustained fatal injuries,” the prosecutor said according to Ukrainska Pravda.
It appears that the Russians used an FAB-250 air bomb t attack the settlement.
Editorial | If the EU coalition is truly willing, Ukraine has a chance of defying the odds
09:24 , Alex CroftThe Independent shares its view on how Ukraine can achieve a lasting peace:
The success of the “coalition of the willing” depends on how willing the coalition proves to be. If Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, ad hoc leaders of this ad hoc alliance, manage to inspire their allies half as much as Mr Zelensky has, then Ukraine still has a chance of defying the odds.
It might not win Crimea back in the near future, but it would mean that President Putin would be forced to negotiate a more satisfactory and sustainable peace, after which Ukraine can build its defences and deepen its newly strengthened partnerships, at least until the Trump-Putin era passes.
Read our full editorial here:
If the EU coalition is truly willing, Ukraine has a chance of defying the odds
'Counterproductive': Zelensky adviser hits back at Kyiv mayor's comments
08:58 , Alex CroftSerhi Leshchenko, an adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky, has hit back at Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko’s claim that Ukraine may need to concede land to reach peace.
“I think it’s counterproductive to make any comments on this topic, since we have no official proposal on the table regarding this,” he told BBC World Service’s Newsday programme.
“Any discussion of this violates the Ukrainian constitution because Ukraine’s constitution states the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” he said, adding that it is “very important” that Ukrainian politicians abide by the constitution.
The Ukrainian position has been clear and declared by president Volodymyr Zelensky, when a Ukrainian delegation proposed a ceasefire in the air and sea, Mr Leschenko added.
Kyiv also agreed to a full ceasefire on the land during the Saudi Arabia talks last month, he said.
Breaking: Trump envoy lands in Moscow for Putin talks
08:53 , Alex CroftDonald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has landed in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin, according to the Interfax news agency.
It would be the second time Mr Witkoff has met with the Russian autocrat, as the Trump administration claims it is keeping up pressure on the Kremlin to stop its heavy bombardment of Ukraine.
Mr Trump has expressed hope that a peace deal will be made in the following days, telling reporters on Thursday: "This next few days is going to be very important. Meetings are taking place right now. I think we're going to make a deal ... I think we're getting very close."
Boris Johnson issues first stark rebuke of Trump peace plan
08:41 , Alex CroftBoris Johnson has weighed in on Donald Trump’s peace proposals, issuing his first stark criticism of the US president as he said that Kyiv would “get nothing” under his plans.
Russia would retain the right to keep Ukrainian territory, the right to “control Ukraine’s destiny”, the lifting of sanctions, an economic partnership with the US, and the opportunity to rebuild its armed forces “for the next attack in a few short years’ time”, Mr Johnson said.
“As for Ukraine - what do they get after three years of heroic resistance against a brutal and unprovoked invasion?” he asked, adding that they would “get nothing”.
The former prime minister said there is “nothing” in Donald Trump’s offer which can “realistically stop a third Russian invasion”.
Putin indiscriminately butchers more Ukrainian civilians, killing and injuring 100 in Kyiv including children. And what is his reward under the latest peace proposals?
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 24, 2025
1. The right to keep sovereign Ukrainian territory he has taken by violence and in breach of international…
Klitschko: Putin is sitting in the corner, unable to explain mistakes
08:32 , Alex CroftKyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko has said Vladimir Putin is sitting “in the corner” and is unable to explain his mistakes to the Russian people.
“We have the same religion, almost the same language, almost the same history, but the idea [to invade], sick idea destroyed the relationship between the two countries and brings instability in the whole of Europe, in stability in the world.
“Right now, Putin sits in the corner. He can’t explain to people [about the] mistakes. He had a dream to occupy Ukraine in a couple of days, and they expect the Ukrainian people to be very happy to see the Russian soldier, a sick illusion.”
Analysis| If Trump’s hatred of Zelensky feels personal, that’s because it is
08:12 , Alex CroftWorld affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
On Wednesday, America’s ‘big man’ once again lashed out at the diminutive Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Warning that Zelensky would “lose his country” if he refused to accept a peace deal, Trump accused him of prolonging the “killing field” after Zelensky declined to cede Crimea to Vladimir Putin as part of a potential settlement.
Claiming the territory had been lost for good in 2014 and was not up for discussion, Trump reserved his harshest criticism not for the aggressor who invaded a neighbouring sovereign state, but for the leader defending it. And if it all feels personal, that’s because it is.
The narcissism of America’s 47th president has long been one of Vladimir Putin’s greatest assets. As a former head of the Federal Security Service – successor to the KGB and expert in personality profiling and manipulation – Putin understands that the fragile ego behind the resolute desk is a potent weapon for the Kremlin.
Watch: Kyiv civilians shelter in metro as Russian missiles rain on Ukraine's capital on Wednesday
07:55 , Alex CroftKyiv mayor says Ukraine may have to concede land
07:38 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe mayor of Kyiv this morning said Ukraine may have to give up land as part of a peace deal with Russia as Donald Trump ramps up pressure on Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky to accept territorial concessions.
"One of the scenarios is… to give up territory. It's not fair. But for the peace, temporary peace, maybe it can be a solution, temporary," Vitali Klitschko told the BBC.
However, he stressed that the Ukrainian people would "never accept occupation" by Russia.
His statement comes just hours after Mr Trump said a Russia-Ukraine agreement was very close – but accused his Ukrainian counterpart of prolonging the “killing field” after he refused to cede Crimea to Vladimir Putin as part of a potential peace plan.
Mr Trump accused Mr Zelensky of making an end to the war harder to achieve, arguing that the territory had been lost for good in 2014 and was not up for discussion.
"Nobody is asking Zelensky to recognise 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 asked.
Mr Zelensky had insisted on Tuesday that Ukraine would not recognise Russia's occupation of Crimea under any agreement, saying: “There is nothing to talk about – it is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people.”
Later on Wednesday, Mr Zelensky posted a statement on X: “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."
Ukraine suspects Russia of torturing reporter who died in captivity
Ukraine said it identified the body of journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who had died in Russian captivity, and a forensic medical examination revealed signs of torture and ill-treatment.
Viktoria Roshchyna died at the age of 27 last September after spending months in captivity.
The journalist, whose first-hand reports provided a glimpse into life under Russian occupation early in Moscow's invasion, went missing in August 2023 during a reporting trip to Russia-held eastern Ukraine.
The body of the journalist was discovered among bodies that Russia handed over to Ukraine in February, Ukraine's prosecutor general's office said yesterday.
"A tag with the surname Roshchyna was found on one of them," it said in a statement.
The DNA tests showed that chances the body belonged to Roshchyna were over 99 per cent, and additional tests are being carried out with the help of French specialists, it said.
Breaking: Two killed in Russian attack on Ukraine
06:52 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarTwo people were killed and eight more were wounded in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad, the regional governor said this morning.
"The aggressor again conducted a mass attack on the region with drones," Serhiy Lysak, governor for the central Dnipropetrovsk region, said on Telegram, adding that 11 drones were destroyed over the region.
Mr Lysak said that several fires had broken out in the city, posting a photo of a fire raging on some levels of a multi-storey building.
He said that six of the wounded were hospitalised while two others, including a 15-year-old girl, were treated on site.
Russia a 'long-term threat', says Nato chief
06:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarNato secretary-general Mark Rutte said after talks with Donald Trump that the US and its European allies agree that Russia is a long-term threat.
"We all agree in Nato that Russia is the long-term threat to Nato territory – to the whole of the Euro-Atlantic territory," Mr Rutte told reporters outside the White House.
He also said the US remained committed to Nato, even as Washington increasingly focuses on the Asia-Pacific region.
Zelensky says missile that struck Kyiv was North Korean
06:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky claimed the Russian missile that struck a residential building in Kyiv overnight and killed 12 people was supplied by North Korea.
A North Korean KN-23 missile hit a residential block in the Sviatoshynskyi district west of Kyiv's centre during a major aerial attack by Russia, Reuters reported, citing an Ukrainian military source.
"According to preliminary information, the Russians used a ballistic missile manufactured in North Korea. Our special services are verifying all the details," Mr Zelensky said on X, without providing further details.
Russia made no comment on Mr Zelensky's remarks. Russia and North Korea have denied weapons transfers that would violate UN embargoes.
Trump says Russia has made ‘pretty big concession’ to peace
06:01 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPresident Donald Trump has said Russia’s failure to forcibly seize and occupy the entirety of Ukraine’s territory amounts to a “pretty big concession” to Kyiv.
Speaking in the Oval Office during a bilateral meeting with Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Mr Trump insisted that he is putting pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin behind the scenes as reporters asked him what he would ask the Russian leader to give up to match the massive territorial concessions he has asked Ukraine to make as a way to find an end to Europe’s bloodiest conflict since the end of the Second World War.
Mr Trump replied: “Stopping the war, stopping [from] taking the whole country.”
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Trump says Russia made ‘pretty big concession’ to peace by not seizing all Ukraine
In pics: Aftermath of Russia's missile attack on Kyiv
05:47 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Zelensky wishes Trump would realise ‘Russia is the aggressor’
05:24 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he wished Donald Trump would realise that “Russia is the aggressor” in the three-year-long war in Europe.
“We consider United States as a strong strategic partner with an influence, and we would really like to have peace through strength,” Mr Zelensky told Conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro.
He added: "That would be useful with Russia so that the force would be toward Russia because they’re the aggressor."“I highly respect the fact that he’s searching for [peace]. That’s his approach,” he said, referring to Mr Trump.
“But you shouldn’t be saying that Ukraine … started this war. I believe that it’s painful for our people to hear. This is why we responded this way.”
Ukraine must have final say on deal, Starmer insists – contradicting Trump
05:16 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarSir Keir Starmer has insisted that Ukraine must be allowed to decide the terms of any peace deal with Russia, contradicting Donald Trump’s plans, it’s been reported.
The prime minister said the “courageous” Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, was not to blame for the failure to strike an agreement ending the war.
Sir Keir also refused to back US plans to formally recognise Crimea as Russian in any deal, and demanded that Moscow agree to an unconditional ceasefire.
In an interview with The Telegraph, he said: “We are at an intense stage in the negotiations.
“In the end, I’m always mindful of the fact that it is Ukraine that must decide on those issues – it’s not for other people to decide on behalf of Ukraine.
“It is for Ukraine to decide. And Russia must come to the table for that unconditional ceasefire.”
Top Russian diplomat says Moscow 'ready' for peace deal
05:12 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said talks to end the war with Ukraine were "moving in the right direction".
"... we are ready to reach a deal, but there are still some specific points – elements – of this deal which need to be fine-tuned," the top Russian diplomat said, according to an excerpt from an interview with CBS News.
"And we are busy with this exact process."
Mr Lavrov said the US president “did not spell out the elements of the deal, so it is not appropriate for me to do this".
Trump tells Putin to 'STOP'
05:12 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRussia pounded Kyiv with missiles and drones, killing at least 12 people, in the biggest attack on the Ukrainian capital this year and drawing a rare rebuke from US president Donald Trump, who told Vladimir Putin: "Vladimir, STOP!"
Mr Trump told reporters at the White House that his administration was applying "a lot of pressure" on Russia and reiterated his displeasure with the attack.
But he said significant progress had been made in peace negotiations and the Kremlin had made a "pretty big concession" by being open to "stopping the war, stopping taking the whole country," referring to Ukraine.
"This next few days is going to be very important. Meetings are taking place right now," Trump said. "I think we're going to make a deal ... I think we're getting very close."
