The US has slashed its demands for the payback of aid by Ukraine during talks over an economic deal between the two nations.
Following a round of negotiations in Washington last week, Donald Trump's administration reduced its estimate of US aid provided to Kyiv to about $100 billion from $300 billion, sources told Bloomberg.
Trump sees the deal - which would allow the US to share profits on Ukraine’s rare minerals - as a means to recover the billions of dollars spent on aid in Ukraine.
Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Odesa president Volodymyr Zelensky said the negotiations on the minerals deal are “positive”.
"When the teams are ready, they will present what they have worked out. So far, both sides have ended the meetings in a positive mood," Zelensky said.
The talks come after months of stalled negotiations over a deal that would give the US access to Ukraine's vast reserves of critical raw materials.
Meanwhile, Russia launched a “massive” overnight drone attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa damaging residential buildings and warehouses.
It came just hours after Nato secretary-general visited the region alongside Volodymyr Zelensky.
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Key points
- Minerals deal with the US is 'positive', Zelensky says
- Three injured in Russian attack on Odesa port city
- Nato chief reaffirms support for Ukraine during a visit to Odesa
- US-Russia trade could push Putin to end Ukraine war, says White House
- Russia launched almost 100 drones at Ukraine in overnight attack
Zelensky has 'honest' conversation with President of Finland
19:00 , Rebecca WhittakerVolodymyr Zelensky said he discussed “next steps” in response to possible “Russian provocations” with President of Finland Alexander Stubb.
In a post on X he added that they also spoke about the need for air defence.
I had a good and honest conversation with the President of Finland @AlexStubb.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 16, 2025
We discussed many issues, including preparations for our next joint steps and our response to possible Russian provocations in the near future.
I informed about the battlefield situation and our need… pic.twitter.com/oFRIv6IKVe
The key events from the Ukraine-Russia war today
18:00 , Rebecca Whittaker• Ukraine first deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said talks on a minerals deal with the US were progressing quickly.
• Donald Trump’s most senior envoys are travelling to Paris this evening for talks with European counterparts over the future of Ukraine.
• The former governor Russia's Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, has been detained on suspicion of fraud.
• Buildings in the Ukrainian port city Odesa were reduced to rubble in Russian overnight drone attack.
Latvia votes to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention
17:00 , Rebecca WhittakerThe Latvian parliament has voted in favour of withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention international treaty that bans the use of anti-personnel landmines.
It comes amid concerns over the military threat posed by neighbouring Russia.
"The withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention will give our armed forces room for manoeuvre in the event of a military threat to use all possible means to defend our citizens," parliament foreign affairs committee chair Inara Murniece said in the statement.
Latvia is the first country to formally withdraw from the treaty but Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Finland, all of whom also border Russia, have said they plan to exit it due to the military threat from their much larger neighbour.
Russia is not a member of the treaty and has used landmines in its invasion of Ukraine.
Poland and the Baltic countries have been concerned that an end to the war in Ukraine could lead Russia to re-arm and target them instead.
Germany plans to send missiles to Ukraine
16:15 , Rebecca WhittakerGermany is relying on British endorsements to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine, a member of Berlin’s incoming government has warned.
Roderich Kiesewetter, a senior Christian Democrats (CDU) MP, said in-fighting between his party and its coalition partner, the centre-Left Social Democrats (SPD), was preventing a final decision by Friedrich Merz, the chancellor-in-waiting.
But he suggested that “UK leadership” could give Mr Merz the support he needs to deliver the powerful missile system, The Telegraph reported.
“The Taurus delivery remains a point of contention for the time being ... I do not yet see any consensus here, especially as the parties have not agreed on the key security policy issues in the coalition agreement,” Mr Kiesewetter said.
“I don’t yet see the Taurus being delivered. Any influence by UK leadership to finally convince Germany to deliver Taurus might help and is highly welcomed,” he added.
Although Britain already supplies Kyiv with Storm Shadows and France has also sent Scalp, these are shorter range missiles.
The outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, refused to provide the Taurus system over fears it would pull Germany into direct conflict with Russia.
Mr Merz’s Taurus announcement earlier this week was viewed as a sign that Germany will get much tougher on Russia under his leadership.
But Mr Kiesewetter warned that the political debate in his coalition on sending the missiles remained open, and that there was still resistance in the SPD party.
In pictures: Funeral for family killed in Russian missile strike in Sumy
16:30 , Rebecca WhittakerFamily and friends mourn over the coffins of eleven-year-old Maksym Martynenko and his parents Mykola and Nataliia, who were killed by a Russian missile strike on Sunday.
Pictures show the funeral ceremony in a village of Stare Selo, outside Sumy, northeastern Ukraine.
Former governor of Russia's Kursk region detained
16:00 , Rebecca WhittakerThe former governor of Russia's Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, has been detained on suspicion of fraud, state news agency TASS reported.
Smirnov was head of the western region when Ukrainian troops smashed across the border in a large-scale incursion in August 2024.
Since then, a Russian offensive has ejected most of the Ukrainian forces.
Smirnov led the region until December 2024, when he was replaced by Alexander Khinshtein.
US Secretary of State to meet French counterpart on Thursday
15:45 , Rebeca WhittakerUS secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot on Thursday during his visit to Paris and they will discuss the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and Iran nuclear talks, a French diplomatic source said.
US President Donald Trump's administration relaunched negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme this month with talks in Oman last weekend and a second round expected in Rome this weekend. It has also started talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
French media had reported that US officials would be in Paris this week.
French government spokesperson Sophie Primas told reporters on Wednesday that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff would visit France soon.
Primas added that they would broadly discuss issues in the Middle East with French officials. He said: "All subjects regarding the Middle East will be on the table."
Ukraine defense-industrial sector awards
15:30 , Rebecca WhittakerVolodymyr Zelensky shared images from the defense-industrial sector awards in Ukraine.
He wrote on social media site X: “Ukraine will keep ramping up production to ensure its own security – both independently and in cooperation with partners. I’m grateful to everyone working in our defense industry for your dedication.”
Today, I honored workers in our defense-industrial sector with awards. More than 40% of all the weapons used on the front lines to defend Ukraine are made in Ukraine.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 16, 2025
And the trend is clear: Ukraine will keep ramping up production to ensure its own security – both independently… pic.twitter.com/tkpaB4LTzb
Row over Russian envoy overshadows German WW2 commemoration
15:20 , Rebecca WhittakerThe German government warned against Russian efforts to "instrumentalise" events marking the 80th anniversary of World War Two.
It comes after the Russian ambassador to Berlin attended a local event in the eastern town of Seelow.
The commemoration marked the Battle of the Seelow Heights, one of the final battles in the war before the Soviet army's march on Berlin and Germany's capitulation in May 1945.
At least 30,000 Soviet soldiers were killed in one of the hardest fought battles for Russia's troops.
Earlier this year, Germany's Foreign Office issued guidance to be cautious of Russian attempts to use 80th anniversary events for propaganda purposes.
It recommended municipalities to make use of their "host rights" not to invite Russian state representatives to commemorations.
"We can expect the Russian side to instrumentalise it to justify the attack on Ukraine," a spokesperson for the ministry told a regular news conference on Wednesday.
"That's why the Foreign Office made a recommendation of that nature."
Russian President Vladimir Putin initially portrayed his invasion of Ukraine as needed to deal with "Nazis", seeking to use the legacy of World War Two to justify the attack.
"It's inappropriate for a representative of a criminal regime that is attacking my country with missiles, bombs and drones every day to be present at a commemoration of war victims," Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksii Makeiev told Welt TV.
Top Trump envoys travel to Paris for Ukraine talks with Europe
15:10 , Rebecca WhittakerDonald Trump’s most senior envoys are set to travel to Paris for talks with European counterparts over the future of Ukraine, the US state department has said.
The talks led by Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, and Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East, are set to last until Friday.
"Secretary of state Marco Rubio and ambassador Steve Witkoff will travel to Paris, France, 16-18 April for talks with European counterparts to advance President Trump's goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war and stop the bloodshed," the statement said.
"While in Paris, he will also discuss ways to advance shared interests in the region."
'Substantial progress' made in minerals deal talk, says deputy prime minister
14:50 , Becky WhittakerUkraine and the United States have made "substantial progress" in their talks on a minerals deal and will sign a memorandum in the near future, first deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.
US President Donald Trump is seeking a bilateral minerals deal as part of his push to end Ukraine's war against the Russian invasion.
Trump also sees it as a way to recover billions of dollars the US has spent on military assistance to Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that Ukraine would not recognise past US military aid as loans.
"Our technical teams have worked very thoroughly together on the agreement, and there is significant progress. Our legal staff has adjusted several items within the draft agreement," Svyrydenko said in a social media post on X.
A positive new step has been made in the ongoing progress with the United States on the Economic Partnership Agreement and the creation of an investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
— Yulia Svyrydenko (@Svyrydenko_Y) April 16, 2025
In Pictures: Funeral of Lithuanian volunteer soldier
14:40 , Rebecca WhittakerPeople attend the funeral ceremony of 20-year-old Tomas Valentelis, callsign "Biden", a Lithuanian volunteer soldier who fought for the Ukrainian army and was killed in the battle near the Kupiansk direction.
More than 30 attacks on energy infrastructure
14:20 , Rebecca WhittakerUkraine accused Russia of carrying out more than 30 attacks on its energy infrastructure since the two sides agreed in March to pause strikes on such targets.
Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesperson, Heorhyi Tykhyi, told a news briefing that Russia attacked energy facilities in Kherson and Mykolaiv in the south and Poltava in the centre of the country over the past 24 hours.
In pictures: People hide in an underground metro station in Kyiv
14:11 , Rebecca Whittaker
'Substantial progress' made in minerals deal talk
14:00 , Rebecca WhittakerUkraine and the United States have made "substantial progress" in their talks on a minerals deal and will sign a memorandum in the near future, first deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.
Svyrydenko said on Facebook the future agreement would help support economic growth both in Ukraine and the US.
Vladimir Putin will discuss Ukraine with Qatari leader
13:40 , Becky WhittakerVladimir Putin is set to discuss Ukraine with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani when they meet in Moscow today, the Kremlin said.
"There will definitely be an exchange of views between Putin and the Emir of Qatar on Ukrainian affairs," Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"There will also be an exchange of views on regional affairs.
"The region is replete with conflict potential. And Qatar plays a very big and important role in attempts to resolve many situations," Peskov said.
Qatar has made a series of attempts to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, and has helped arrange the return of children from both countries who were separated from their parents during the war.
"We highly appreciate the potential and current level of our trade and economic cooperation and, of course, our confidential dialogue on many topics, including the most sensitive ones."
Pictured: training for young Ukrainian civilians
13:20 , Rebeca WhittakerYoung Ukrainian civilians with the 'Centuria' organisation take part in tactical training in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, on Tuesday.
Founded in 2020 by veterans of the Azov Brigade, Centuria provides a space for youth aged 14 and above who are interested in defending Ukraine to gain military and combat medical training, with a focus on national identity.
The training sessions do not involve live ammunition. The organisation says it has over 3,000 members and branches in several Ukrainian cities.
Denmark to send soldiers for training in Ukraine
13:00 , Rebecca WhittakerThe Danish Armed Forces are planning to send Danish soldiers to Ukraine for training.
The soldiers will be unarmed and drawn from various military regiments, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
"In my 42 years of service in the armed forces, I have never seen events develop so quickly," said Major General Peter Boysen, after observing the training of a reconnaissance regiment using advanced attack drones similar to those deployed on the front line in Ukraine.
Boysen asserts that the adoption of new weapons systems and warfare methods by the Danish Armed Forces stems from his two recent visits to Ukraine.
He now aims to accelerate the process by sending more teams of Danish soldiers to training camps in Ukraine.
'Trump is Putins servant': Sign on the medieval Charles Bridge in Prague
12:40 , Rebecca WhittakerPeople hang a sign on the medieval Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic.
“Trump is Putins servant,” it states.
Russian glide bombs and artillery struck a city in southern Ukraine
12:20 , Rebeca WhittakerRussian glide bombs and artillery struck a city in southern Ukraine, killing one person and wounding five others.
The city of Kherson was struck with glide bombs on Wednesday morning, and when rescue teams arrived at the scene, Russian forces launched an artillery barrage, said the region's head, Oleksandr Prokudin.
"This is a deliberate tactic by Russia to hinder the rescue of the injured and harm doctors, rescuers, and police," he said.
The attack damaged a sports facility, a supermarket, residential buildings and civilian vehicles, Prokudin added.
Odesa buildings reduced to rubble in Russian overnight drone attack on Ukrainian port city
12:11 , Rebeca WhittakerRussia's overnight drone attack hit infrastructure in Odesa, Ukraine, video released on Wednesday, 16 April shows.
Smoke billowed from wreckage as rescuers doused a building hit in the attack.
The strike on the Black Sea port city also damaged residential buildings and warehouses, Ukrainian officials from the region said.
Three people were injured and several fires broke out in the city as a result of the attack, Ukraine's emergency service.
Russia did not immediately comment on the attack.
Both Ukraine and Russia deny targeting civilians in the war that Russia started with Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago.
Odesa buildings reduced to rubble in Russian overnight drone attack
Italy transfers $28 million to restore Ukraine's energy infrastructure
11:41 , Rebecca WhittakerThe Italian government has transferred the first 25 million euros ($28.3 million) instalment to help rebuild Ukraine's war-damaged energy infrastructure.
Its part of a broader 200 million euros (around $227 million) initiative co-financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The project aims to restore energy access, reinforce critical power grids, and ensure delivery of essential services in the hardest-hit regions, the Italian Embassy in Ukraine told the Kyiv Independent.
"This first financing is a concrete signal of Italy's strong support for Ukraine's energy sector, which has been severely tested by the war," said Italian Ambassador to Ukraine Carlo Formosa.
Minerals deal with the US is 'positive', Zelensky says
11:23 , Rebecca WhittakerPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said negotiations on a key minerals agreement with the US is “positive”, following a round of technical consultations held in Washington.
Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Odesa on Tuesday, Zelensky noted that working-level meetings would continue through the end of the week.
"When the teams are ready, they will present what they have worked out. So far, both sides have ended the meetings in a positive mood," Zelensky said.
The talks come after months of stalled negotiations over a deal that would give the US access to Ukraine's vast reserves of critical raw materials.
Trump has a deep grudge against Zelensky – but he’s now taken it further than ever before
11:00 , Rebecca WhittakerWhat could possess Donald Trump to victim-shame Ukraine’s president and endorse the actions of an indicted war criminal by backing Vladimir Putin? Personal hatred of Volodymyr Zelensky? A near-demented obsession with personal sleight? A radical strategic vision that’s upended world affairs? Something worse? Probably.
Soon after the massacre in Sumy, where two Iskander missiles slammed into the provincial Ukrainian capital killing 35 people, including two children, Trump sloughed off the atrocity by claiming it had been a Russian mistake.
Shocking, but not surprising, as Trump has consistently taken the Russian side at every opportunity this year.
Before most of the bodies could be collected from the city morgue, though, he had gone on the offensive by doubling down on his efforts to pin Ukraine’s suffering on its president.
“When you start a war, you got to know you can win,” he said of Ukraine’s leader.
Trump has a deep grudge against Zelensky – but he’s now taken it further than ever
Ukrainian parliament extends martial law and mobilisation
10:50 , Rebeca WhittakerUkraine's parliament voted on Wednesday to extend martial law until August 6, a senior lawmaker said.
An overwhelming majority of 357 deputies supported the extension, which allows the country to continue mobilising troops and suspends the election cycle.
One lawmaker voted against the bill.
This marks the 15th vote by the Ukrainian parliament to extend martial law and mobilisation since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Three injured in Odesea drone attack
10:41 , Rebecca WhittakerA Russian drone attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa overnight injured three people, sparked fires and damaged homes and civilian infrastructure, officials of the southern Ukrainian region said.
Several morning attacks by Russian aviation and artillery on the southern city of Kherson also killed one person and injured three more, according to local authorities.
In a Telegram post, Ukraine's emergency service said three people were injured and several fires broke out in Odesa as a result of the overnight attack there.
In Odesa, residents picked through debris in several ruined homes. A woman swept up after the windows in a church were smashed.
The Ukrainian air force said it shot down 57 out of 97 drones launched by Russia overnight. Another 34 did not reach their targets likely due to electronic warfare countermeasures.
The emergency services also said an attack on Kamianske in Dnipropetrovsk region injured two people and damaged a gas pipeline. The fires had been put out by the morning.
Watch: Trump falsely accuses Zelensky of ‘starting’ war in Ukraine
10:20 , Rebecca WhittakerUS President Donald Trump falsely blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for “starting” the war in Ukraine, disregarding Russia's 2022 invasion, on Tuesday.
Trump questioned Mr Zelensky's requests for more Patriot missile defence systems, suggesting he should have considered the potential outcome before engaging in conflict with Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, former US President Joe Biden, and Zelensky for the lives lost in the war, saying “millions are dead because of three people”.
Ukrainian servicemen from anti-drone mobile air defence unit
10:10 , Rebecca WhittakerUkrainian servicemen from anti-drone mobile air defence unit are seen at their position in Donetsk region amid Russia's attack.
Watch: Russia drone attack hits Odesa
10:00 , Rebecca WhittakerIn Pictures: Firefighters put out the fire following Russia's drones attack in Kamianske
09:44 , Rebecca Whittaker
Russia kills civilian and injures 27 over past day
09:38 , Rebecca WhittakerRussian attacks across Ukrainian regions killed at least one civilian and injured at least 27 over the past day, regional authorities reported.
A drone attack killed a man in Velyka Pysarivka, Sumy region, according to the military administration there.
Overnight attacks against the Dnipropetrovsk region injured two men, aged 39 and 48, governor Serhii Lysak reported.
Russia injured five people in the Donetsk region and another five in the Kharkiv region, including a paramedic, local governors said.
In the Kherson region, 11 people were injured while two high-rise buildings and 11 houses were damaged, according to governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
Another three people were injured in a drone attack on Odesa.
In pictures: Russian drone attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa
09:31 , Rebecca Whittaker
Russia launched almost 100 drones at Ukraine in overnight attack
09:20 , Rebecca WhittakerThe Ukrainian airforce said Russia launched 97 drones during overnight attacks.
The air force said it shot down 57 drones with another 34 not reaching their targets likely due to electronic warfare countermeasures.
It did not specify what happened to the remaining six drones.
US softens payback demands in mineral deal talks - reports
07:59 , Athena StavrouThe US appears to have tempered demands for Ukraine to repay aid, as mineral deal talks between the two countries continue.
Following a round of negotiations in Washington last week, Donald Trump's administration reduced its estimate of US aid provided to Kyiv to about $100 billion from $300 billion, sources told Bloomberg.
The US sees the bilateral minerals deal it is seeking as a way to recover the billions of dollars spent on aid in Ukraine - even though the payments were not a loan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that talks with the US.regarding a minerals deal were "positive", and that more meetings were expected.
Russian spy chief threatens Poland and Baltic states as 'first to suffer'
07:47 , Arpan RaiRussia’s intelligence chief has threatened Poland and the Baltic states, saying they will be the “first to suffer” in a direct fight between Nato and Russia.
Russia's foreign intelligence service director Sergey Naryshkin said that any Nato aggression against Russia or Belarus would have damaging consequences for Poland and the Baltic countries – Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
"They should understand, but do not yet understand, that in the event of aggression by the North Atlantic Alliance against (Russia and Belarus), damage will be done, of course, to the entire Nato bloc, but to a greater extent, the first to suffer will be the bearers of such ideas among the political circles of Poland and the Baltic countries," Mr Naryshkin told the TASS news agency.
He claimed that these nations have shown "high aggressiveness" towards Russia and accused Poland and the Baltics of "constantly rattling their weapons”.
In photos: Families hold funerals in Sumy
07:40 , Arpan Rai
In photos: Nato chief visits Odesa port city shortly before Russian attack
07:28 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainians mourn dead from Sumy attack
07:14 , Arpan RaiDozens of Ukrainian families gathered on Tuesday to mourn the dead after Vladimir Putin’s forces carried out a missile attack killing at least 35 people.
As some of the victims of Sunday's attack were laid to rest yesterday, Viktor Voitenko, 56, described to AP how he ended up paralysed in a hospital bed.
He was working as a security guard when the second missile hit and shattered his spine.
As he spoke, his wife Hanna, 40, lovingly applied his deodorant – a simple act he could no longer perform.
The attack in Sumy, which had a prewar population of about 250,000, came just over a week after a Russian missile strike killed about 20 people, including nine children, in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih.
Russia said it was targeting a meeting of soldiers, but there is no evidence to support the claim.
Three injured in Russian attack on Odesa port city
06:32 , Arpan RaiThe drone attack sparked fires and damaged homes and civilian infrastructure, officials of the southern Ukrainian region said early today.
"The enemy has again attacked Odesa with a massive drone attack," Oleh Kiper, governor of the region whose administrative centre is the city of Odesa, said on his Telegram channel, though the full scale of the attack was not clear.
Russia’s attack on the Ukrainian port city came just hours after Nato secretary general Mark Rutte was visiting the region with president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russia says it downs 26 Ukrainian drones overnight
06:31 , Arpan RaiRussian defence units destroyed 26 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia's defence ministry said this morning.
Of these, nine drones were destroyed over the southern Voronezh region and eight over the border Belgorod region, and the rest were downed over the Kursk, Lipetsk and Moscow regions, and over the Crimean Peninsula, the ministry said in a post on Telegram.
Russian officials do not detail the total number of drones launched or the drones that caused damage.
US-Russia trade could push Putin to end Ukraine war, says White House
06:30 , Arpan RaiEconomic partnerships between the US and Russia could prove to be an incentive to Russian president Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
"There is an incentive for Russia to end this war and perhaps that could be economic partnerships with the United States. But we need to see a ceasefire first and the president and the presidential envoy, Witkoff, made that very clear to the Russians,” Ms Leavitt said last night at a press briefing.
She also confirmed that the US special envoy Steve Witkoff’s one-on-one meeting with Mr Putin last week was “productive”.
"(Witkoff) believes that Russia wants to end this war and the president believes that as well," she said.
Soldier jailed by Russia after he voluntarily surrendered to Ukraine
06:29 , Arpan RaiA Russian soldier has been jailed for 15 years after he deserted the military and voluntarily surrendered to Ukraine.
In what is a Russian military court’s first such prosecution, the crime of voluntary surrender, which is punishable by between three and 10 years in prison, was first introduced in September 2022.
According to the Kommersant newspaper, a court on the far eastern Russian island of Sakhalin found soldier Roman Ivanishin guilty of voluntary surrender, of attempting to voluntarily surrender, and of desertion.
Ivanishin, who was reported to have denied all the charges, will serve his sentence in a maximum security facility. Local media reported that his trial was held behind closed doors.
Russian soldier jailed after voluntarily surrendering to Ukraine
Trump has a deep grudge against Zelensky – but he’s now taken it further than ever before
06:28 , Arpan RaiWhat could possess Donald Trump to victim-shame Ukraine’s president and endorse the actions of an indicted war criminal by backing Vladimir Putin? Personal hatred of Volodymyr Zelensky? A near-demented obsession with personal sleight? A radical strategic vision that’s upended world affairs? Something worse?
Probably.
Soon after the massacre in Sumy, where two Iskander missiles slammed into the provincial Ukrainian capital killing 35 people, including two children, Trump sloughed off the atrocity by claiming it had been a Russian mistake. Shocking, but not surprising, as Trump has consistently taken the Russian side at every opportunity this year.
Trump has a deep grudge against Zelensky – but he’s now taken it further than ever
Zelensky says talks with US on minerals deal were positive and more meetings expected
06:28 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said talks with the US regarding a minerals deal were "positive", and that more meetings were expected.
Mr Zelensky said meetings regarding the deal would continue at a technical level throughout the week.
Ukraine, UK, France and Turkey discuss Black Sea security
06:27 , Arpan RaiEnvoys from Ukraine, Britain, France and Turkey are meeting to discuss Black Sea security this week, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday.
"This is a military meeting on security in the Black Sea, first of all, a coalition of the willing, appropriate steps," Mr Zelensky said in Odesa, speaking alongside Nato secretary general Mark Rutte.
Mr Zelensky said the meetings would take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was not immediately clear whether meetings were already ongoing.
"There are already quite a few such meetings, in various formats," he added.
“Turkey has in 2022 already successfully agreed a ceasefire when it came to a greater grain deal... let's be positive on the fact that Turkey, again, tries to bring together all relevant parties, And let's hope they are successful," Mr Rutte said.
"We are talking about the presence of a contingent at sea, and we believe that Turkey can have a serious place in future security guarantees for the sea," Mr Zelensky said.
"This is not about ending the war, this is about what will happen after the ceasefire – security guarantees,” he said.
Russia attacks Odesa with drones just hours after Nato chief visits port city
06:26 , Arpan RaiRussia launched an overnight drone attack on the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa, just hours after Nato chief Mark Rutte visited the region with president Volodymyr Zelensky.
The drone attack has damaged residential buildings, warehouses and civilian infrastructure, Ukrainian officials from the region said early this morning.
"The enemy has again attacked Odesa with a massive drone attack," Oleh Kiper, governor of the broader Odesa region of which the city of Odesa is the administrative centre, said on his Telegram channel.
According to preliminary information, there were no injuries, Odesa's mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov said on Telegram.
He posted photos of a residential and other buildings nearly destroyed and of a dog peeking from behind a pile of wood.
The full scale of the attack is not immediately clear.
Nato chief reaffirms support for Ukraine during a visit to Odesa
06:25 , Arpan RaiNato secretary general Mark Rutte has said the alliance’s support for Ukraine remains “unwavering” as he spoke from the war-hit nation’s port city of Odesa.
"I'm here today because I believe Ukraine's people deserve real peace, real safety and security in their country, in their homes," Mr Rutte said during a joint news conference with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
The two met with wounded Ukrainian soldiers at a hospital in Odesa.
"These discussions are not easy, not least in the wake of this horrific violence," Mr Rutte said, referring to the recent strikes. "But we all support President Trump's push for peace.
"His visit came days after two Russian ballistic missiles struck the city of Sumy on Palm Sunday morning, killing at least 35 people, including two children, and injuring 119.
The Nato chief also emphasised that more than €20bn (£17bn) in security assistance has already been pledged by Nato allies in the first three months of the year.
