Closing summary
The Europe live blog is closing now. Here’s a summary of the latest developments:
US arms deliveries to Ukraine have resumed, Ukrainian and Polish foreign ministers have said.
US envoys are expected to hold talks with Vladimir Putin by the end of the week. The White House’s Middle East envoy and close Trump ally, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Moscow this week for a meeting with the Russian leader. The White House said US national security adviser Mike Waltz spoke to his Russian counterpart on Wednesday.
Donald Trump suggested he could target Russia financially if it failed to support a 30-day ceasefire agreed at a meeting between Ukrainian and US delegations in Saudi Arabia. The US president warned that if Putin refused to sign the deal, he could “do things financially that would be very bad for Russia”.
Trump met with Ireland’s taoiseach Micheál Martin at the White House where he accused Dublin of stealing the US pharmaceutical industry and the tax revenue that should have been paid to the US treasury. The US president said “of course” he would respond to retaliatory tariffs announced by the EU, of which Ireland is a member, on Wednesday.
Putin visited Russia’s Kursk region for the first time since Ukraine launched its counter-offensive in August. Visiting a control centre in Kursk region used by Russian troops, Putin heard a report from Valery Gerasimov, head of the Russian general staff, who said that Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region were now surrounded. Putin said any Ukrainian soldiers captured would be treated as “terrorists”. Ukraine’s top army commander Oleksandr Syrsky said his troops will continue to fight in Kursk “as long as appropriate and necessary”.
Defence ministers from Europe’s five leading military powers – France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK – met in Paris to discuss support for Ukraine. About 15 countries have “shown an interest” in proposed options for “security architecture” in Ukraine, France’s Sébastien Lecornu said. Germany’s Boris Pistorius said Europe needs a much more unified approach regarding the procurement of military equipment.
UK defence secretary John Healey said European allies will “accelerate” work on forming a “coalition of the willing” to provide security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. Healey noted that Keir Starmer is scheduled to host another leaders’ summit on Saturday before further meetings between senior military officers next week.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hoped for “strong steps” if Russia rejects the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine, with further measures “strengthening Ukraine.” If Putin refuses, “I understand that we could count on strong steps. I don’t know the details yet, but we are talking about sanctions and about strengthening Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.
Russia is attempting to push the UK embassy in Moscow towards closing, the Foreign Office has said, after the UK expelled a Russian diplomat and their spouse in a tit-for-tat response to the expulsion of a British diplomat and a diplomatic spouse over allegations of espionage that UK officials strenuously deny.
Greenland voted for a complete overhaul of its government in a shock result in which the centre-right Democrat party more than tripled its seats after a dramatic election campaign fought against the backdrop of Trump’s threats to acquire the Arctic island.
Thanks for following along with me, Donna Ferguson, and goodnight.
Irish premier praises Trump's 'peace initiatives'
The Irish premier Michael Martin has said he shares Donald Trump’s “unrelenting focus on peace”.
He praised Trump’s work on “peace initiatives” in Ukraine and the Middle East while attending diplomatic engagements in Washington, ahead of Saint Patrick’s Day on Monday.
He told US President Donald Trump: “In my view, there is nothing more noble, president, than the pursuit of peace.”
He added: “Ireland is ready to work with you and our international partners to end conflict, and especially to bring just, lasting and sustainable peace to the people of Ukraine and the people of the Middle East.
“Conflict and war hurt the most vulnerable. Too many children in particular have died in Gaza, in Israel, in Sudan, and too many children have been abducted in Ukraine.
“Let us together never cease to strive for peace, prosperity and opportunity for all the world’s children.
“That would be an extraordinary achievement for the transatlantic relationship and an extraordinary legacy for the ages.”
Kyiv no longer has any of the longer-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles, according to US and Ukrainian officials who spoke to the Associated Press on conditions of anonymity.
According to a US official and a Ukrainian lawmaker on the country’s defense committee, Ukraine has run out of the ATACMs.
The US official said the U.S. provided fewer than 40 of those missiles overall and that Ukraine ran out of them in late January.
Senior US defense leaders, including the previous Pentagon chief, Lloyd Austin, had made it clear that only a limited number of the ATACMs would be delivered and that the U.S. and NATO allies considered other weapons to be more valuable in the fight.
US arms deliveries to Ukraine have resumed
US arms deliveries to Ukraine have resumed, Ukrainian and Polish foreign ministers have said.
The deliveries go through a NATO and U.S. hub in the eastern Polish city of Rzeszow that’s has been used to ferry Western weapons into neighboring Ukraine about 70 kilometers (45 miles) away, Associated Press have reported.
The U.S. government has also restored Ukraine’s access to unclassified commercial satellite pictures provided by Maxar Technologies through a programme Washington runs. The images help Ukraine plan attacks, assess their success and monitor Russian movements.
Updated
French defense minister Sebastien Lecornu said that a “very broad consensus” is emerging among European countries in regards to boosting Ukraine’s long-term security, Agence France-Presse reports.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the defense ministers of Britain, Germany, Italy and Poland in Paris, Lecornu said: “There is obviously a very broad consensus emerging... that the first of the security guarantees for Ukraine is obviously the Ukrainian army itself.”
He also ruled out any postwar “demilitarisation” of Ukraine.
“The word ’demilitarisation’ is emerging, but it is not the case. On the contrary, the real guarantee of long-term security will be the capabilities that we will be able to give to the Ukrainian army,” Lecornu said.
Lecornu said that “at this stage, about fifteen countries have shown an interest in continuing this process,” referring to proposed options for a “security architecture” with a view to a lasting ceasefire” in Ukraine.
In a new statement on Wednesday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the “key factor is our partners’ ability to ensure Russia’s readiness not to deceive but to genuinely end the war.”
He went on to add:
“Because right now, Russian strikes have not stopped. Around a hundred ‘Shahed’ drones attack Ukraine each night. Missile strikes are regular. Some of our civilian infrastructure and ports have been hit, unfortunately, including in Odesa.
We continue our work on the diplomatic front to ensure that all necessary conditions are swiftly in place to apply pressure on Russia, to achieve real peace. I am awaiting a report from the Ukrainian delegation that worked in Saudi Arabia and we are preparing new tasks for our diplomacy.”
Donald Trump has hinted at financial repercussions if Russia rejects Ukraine’s ceasefire.
The Guardian’s Shaun Walker, Pjotr Sauer and Andrew Roth report:
Donald Trump has suggested he could target Russia financially as Ukraine’s president urged him to take strong steps against Russia if Moscow failed to support a 30-day ceasefire agreed at a meeting between Ukrainian and US delegations in Saudi Arabia.
Washington and Kyiv are waiting for Moscow’s response to the ceasefire proposal, and US envoys are expected to hold talks with Vladimir Putin by the end of the week. The Kremlin has not publicly said whether or not it supports an immediate ceasefire.
If Putin refuses, “I understand that we could count on strong steps. I don’t know the details yet, but we are talking about sanctions and about strengthening Ukraine,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday.
For the full story, click here:
Summary of the day so far
Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
US envoys are expected to hold talks with Vladimir Putin by the end of the week. The White House’s Middle East envoy and close Trump ally, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Moscow this week for a meeting with the Russian leader. The White House said US national security adviser Mike Waltz spoke to his Russian counterpart on Wednesday.
Donald Trump suggested he could target Russia financially if it failed to support a 30-day ceasefire agreed at a meeting between Ukrainian and US delegations in Saudi Arabia. The US president warned that if Putin refused to sign the deal, he could “do things financially that would be very bad for Russia”.
Trump met with Ireland’s taoiseach Micheál Martin at the White House where he accused Dublin of stealing the US pharmaceutical industry and the tax revenue that should have been paid to the US treasury. The US president said “of course” he would respond to retaliatory tariffs announced by the EU, of which Ireland is a member, on Wednesday.
Putin visited Russia’s Kursk region for the first time since Ukraine launched its counter-offensive in August. Visiting a control centre in Kursk region used by Russian troops, Putin heard a report from Valery Gerasimov, head of the Russian general staff, who said that Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region were now surrounded. Putin said any Ukrainian soldiers captured would be treated as “terrorists”. Ukraine’s top army commander Oleksandr Syrsky said his troops will continue to fight in Kursk “as long as appropriate and necessary”.
Defence ministers from Europe’s five leading military powers – France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK – met in Paris to discuss support for Ukraine. About 15 countries have “shown an interest” in proposed options for “security architecture” in Ukraine, France’s Sébastien Lecornu said. Germany’s Boris Pistorius said Europe needs a much more unified approach regarding the procurement of military equipment.
UK defence secretary John Healey said European allies will “accelerate” work on forming a “coalition of the willing” to provide security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. Healey noted that Keir Starmer is scheduled to host another leaders’ summit on Saturday before further meetings between senior military officers next week.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hoped for “strong steps” if Russia rejects the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine, with further measures “strengthening Ukraine.” If Putin refuses, “I understand that we could count on strong steps. I don’t know the details yet, but we are talking about sanctions and about strengthening Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.
Russia is attempting to push the UK embassy in Moscow towards closing, the Foreign Office has said, after the UK expelled a Russian diplomat and their spouse in a tit-for-tat response to the expulsion of a British diplomat and a diplomatic spouse over allegations of espionage that UK officials strenuously deny.
Greenland voted for a complete overhaul of its government in a shock result in which the centre-right Democrat party more than tripled its seats after a dramatic election campaign fought against the backdrop of Trump’s threats to acquire the Arctic island.
UK defence secretary John Healey said peace and stability in Europe will only be achieved through “strengthening Nato and standing by Ukraine”.
Healey, in a post on X, said a “united message” had emerged from a meeting in Paris with his counterparts in France, Germany, Italy and Poland.
For our shared security, we are stepping up our collective deterrence and defence.
Britain’s defence secretary John Healey said European allies will “accelerate” work on forming a “coalition of the willing” to provide security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
“The UK and France are jointly leading work on planning to drive the push for peace and drive the arrangements for security guarantees for Ukraine,” Healey said at the joint press conference in Paris.
We are doing this work together, we are cooperating closely with partner nations, we are looking to build a coalition of the willing from Europe and beyond, and from today we are accelerating that work.
Healey noted that Keir Starmer is scheduled to host another leaders’ summit on Saturday before further meetings between senior military officers next week.
France says a 'very broad consensus' among European nations on Ukraine
We reported earlier that the defence ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK met in Paris on Wednesday to discuss support for Ukraine.
Sébastien Lecornu, France’s defence minister, told reporters after the meeting that “we are hoping to see a ceasefire tomorrow”.
Agence-France-Presse has more of his remarks:
There is obviously a very broad consensus emerging … that the first of the security guarantees for Ukraine is obviously the Ukrainian army itself.
Lecornu added that “at this stage, about fifteen countries have shown an interest in continuing this process,” referring to proposed options for a “security architecture” with a view to a lasting ceasefire” in Ukraine.
Updated
Here are some images released by the Kremlin showing Vladimir Putin visiting an armed forces’ command centre in Russia’s Kursk region.
Ukraine to keep fighting in Kursk 'as long as necessary', says army commander
Ukraine’s top army commander Oleksandr Syrsky said his troops will continue to fight in Russia’s Kursk region “as long as appropriate and necessary”.
In a statement on Wednesday, Syrsky said:
In the most difficult situation, my priority has been and remains saving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers. To this end, the units of the defence forces, if necessary, manoeuvre to more favourable positions.
Donald Trump has suggested he could target Russia financially if it refused a ceasefire deal with Ukraine.
Trump said he had got “positive messages” regarding the ceasefire, but “a positive message means nothing”. US envoys were currently en route to Russia, he added.
He did not directly promise to target Russia with sanctions if Russian president Vladimir Putin does not sign the deal, but said he could “do things financially that would be very bad for Russia”.
“I don’t want to do that, because I want to get peace,” he added.
Putin says captured Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk will be treated as 'terrorists'
Russia’s chief of general staff, Valery Gerasimov, said his forces had captured about 430 Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region, state news agency Tass reports.
Gerasimov, in a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin at a command post in Kursk, said:
The Ukrainian military, seeing futility of further resistance, started surrendering. Four hundred and thirty fighters were captured.
Putin said the captured fighters should be “treated as terrorists, in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation,” Agence-France-Presse reports.
Putin’s comments suggest the captured soldiers could face trials in Russian courts and be jailed for decades.
Putin visits Kursk for first time since Ukrainian incursion
Russian president Vladimir Putin visited troops involved in the counteroffensive in the Kursk region on Wednesday, according to state media.
Putin’s visit to the western Russian region was his first since Ukrainian forces seized some territory in the region.
In televised remarks reported by Agence-France-Presse, Putin said:
I am counting on the fact that all the combat tasks facing our units will fulfilled, and the territory of the Kursk region will soon be completely liberated from the enemy.
Russian state news agency Tass reported that Putin held a meeting at a command post used by Russian forces, where he received an update from Valery Gerasimov, chief of general staff.
Russia is attempting to push the UK embassy in Moscow towards closing and has no regard for the escalatory impact of such a move, the Foreign Office has said.
The UK expelled a Russian diplomat and their spouse on Wednesday in a tit-for-tat response to the expulsion of two British diplomats for alleged espionage, a claim UK officials strenuously deny. In a strongly worded statement, the Foreign Office said:
During the past 12 months, Russia has pursued an increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats, pumping out malicious and completely baseless accusations about their work.
“It is clear that the Russian state is actively seeking to drive the British embassy in Moscow towards closure and has no regard for the dangerous escalatory impact of this,” it added.
A senior Foreign Office official summoned the Russian ambassador, Andrey Kelin, and told him that the UK would not stand for the intimidation of British embassy staff and their families.
White House confirms Trump envoy to visit Moscow this week
The White House has confirmed that the US national security adviser, Mike Waltz, spoke to his Russian counterpart today.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also said that US envoy Steve Witkoff is going to Moscow this week for talks on a Ukraine ceasefire.
“Mr Witkoff is travelling to Moscow later this week,” Leavitt said, after Donald Trump said US negotiators were “going to Russia right now”.
'Putin, over to you': UK's Healey calls on Russian leader to accept ceasefire
Britain’s defence secretary John Healey has called on Russian president Vladimir Putin to “accept the ceasefire, start negotiations and end the war.”
Healey, at a joint press conference with his French, German, Italian and Polish counterparts in Paris, said:
I say to President Putin, over to you now. You say you want to talk. Prove it. Accept the ceasefire, start negotiations and end the war.
“Make no mistake, the pressure is now on Putin,” he added.
The defence ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK have been speaking at a news conference following a meeting in Paris on support for Ukraine.
France’s Sébastien Lecornu said about 15 countries had expressed interest in discussing a new security architecture for Ukraine.
Germany’s Boris Pistorius said Europe needs a much more unified approach regarding the procurement of military equipment.
“We don’t have that time, it’s superfluous and costly,” Pistorius said.
As journalists filtered out of the presidential administration in central Kyiv on Wednesday afternoon after a 30-minute press conference with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the general consensus was that he had not said anything that would immediately make for a dramatic headline.
That, it seems, was the point. Eager to show the White House that Ukraine is onboard for negotiations and not an obstacle to Donald Trump’s desire to bring peace, Zelenskyy seems to be trying to erase the memories of the nightmare meeting in the White House two weeks ago.
Then, he rose to the bait of the US vice-president, JD Vance, and ended up in an argument with him and Trump. Now, the Ukrainian president is making a concerted effort to retain an air of diplomatic zen.
For three years of war, Zelenskyy’s natural ability to communicate – through the media and his nightly videos – and his personal charm when in the room with other world leaders, has largely been an asset. In the White House, though, it became very clear that when dealing with Trump and his entourage, a change of strategy was required.
Read the full analysis: Cautious Zelenskyy keeps cards close to his chest after Ukraine ceasefire proposal
Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk, at the joint news conference with Turkey’s leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said he hoped Ankara would play an important role in promoting peace in Ukraine. Tusk said:
I made a clear proposal to President Erdoğan: that Turkey assumes the greatest possible responsibility in the peace process, in ensuring stability and security throughout our region.
He added that it was “very important that Nato and European countries simultaneously and effectively guarantee the stability... of the Russian-Ukraine border” after any truce was signed.
“Turkey’s role could be crucial in this respect,” he added.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has described the news that Ukraine accepted a 30-day ceasefire with Russia as “positive and important”, adding that he hopes Moscow will respond “constructively”.
Erdoğan, at a joint news conference with visiting Polish prime minister Donald Tusk, said:
Turkey’s attitude towards this war has been very clear since the first day. We do not want any more bloodshed and we hope that our two neighbours end the war by a just peace.
He reiterated Turkey’s proposal to host any peace talks “if the latest developments bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table”.
And on that note, it’s all from me, Jakub Krupa in London, and it’s over to Leonie Chao-Fong in Washington who will guide you through the evening, including the upcoming press conference of E5 defence ministers in Paris.
Stay with us for more updates on Europe Live.
Trump says EU targets Apple, recalls asking Merkel how many Chevrolets are in Munich in swipe at bloc's trade rules
in Dublin
Donald Trump also accused the EU of treating Apple badly over last year’s lawsuit over €14bn ($16bn) back taxes due in Ireland.
Ireland fought and lost the case at the European court of justice last year and is now considering what to do with the windfall.
“Apple has been treated very badly. Apple had tremendously bad luck. I thought they had a very good lawsuit but they lost $16bn... See that is unfair,” he said in his Oval Office meeting with the Irish premier Micheál Martin.
Turning to Martin, Trump said: “I’m not blaming you. I’m blaming the European Union. The European Union’s gone after our companies,” he added before launching a broadside against the bloc.
“We have a problem with the European Union. They don’t take our farm products. They don’t take our cars. We take millions of cars, BMWs and Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagens and everything. We take millions of cars,” he said.
Referring to the former German chancellor Angela Merkel, he added:
I said to Angela Merkel at the time, I said, Angela, how many Chevrolets do we have in the middle of Munich? … None [she said] ... You’re right. We have none. That’s the way it is. We have none. No, I’m not happy with the European Union.
“We have the greatest farmers in the world. They don’t accept our farm products, so you know things are going to change,” he said.
US 'could do things very bad' to Russia financially but wants peace, Trump says
During his meeting with Irish prime minister, Donald Trump was repeatedly asked about the progress on Ukraine, as he played up the prospect of a ceasefire and his role in stopping the war.
He said that the US has “people going to Russia right now, as we speak,” as he said “hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia.”
The US president stressed the scale of devastation and killing as a result of Russian invasion of Ukraine, explaining why the war needs to be stopped.
Pressed further on what the US could do to pressure Russia into the ceasefire, he said he hoped “it is not going to be necessary” as he criticised previous presidents for their record of dealing with Moscow. “What I did to Russia was very tough, the toughest ever,” he said, explaining his criticism of the Nord Stream pipeline.
“They never took anything from me. They took them from Obama and Bush, and they took from sleepy Joe Biden. With Biden, they wanted to take the whole country, but I think I’ve stopped that, but we’ll see,” he said.
But Trump said that if needed, “there are things you can do that wouldn’t be pleasant in a financial sense,” and would be “very bad for Russia.”
“We could do things very bad for Russia. Would be devastating for Russia. But I don’t want to do that because I want to see peace,” he said.
Updated
'I think the Irish love Trump,' US president says
in Dublin
Donald Trump has seesawed on Ireland in the space of half an hour.
He started off his meeting with taoiseach Micheál Martin claiming Ireland has stolen US pharmaceutical companies and tax.
But within half an hour he was love-bombing Martin.
I think the Irish love Trump. We won the Irish with a tremendous amount of vote I want to thank you very much.
“I’ve been there many times, as you know, and we don’t want to do anything to hurt Ireland,” he said adding that maybe if he “drained” Ireland of all the pharmaceutical companies he would lose the Irish vote.
Irish companies create thousands of jobs, Martin tells Trump in response
in Dublin
Micheál Martin has tried to redress Donald Trump’s claims that Ireland has stolen US business and tax in a lively meeting in the Oval Office in which the US president repeatedly took aim at Ireland and the high presence of American pharmaceutical companies.
He told Trump that Irish firms Ryanair and Aercap, the world’s biggest aircraft leasing company, are the biggest purchasers of Boeing aircraft.
“It is a little known fact. It doesn’t turn up on different statistics,” he said adding about 700 Irish companies based in the US create “thousands of jobs” for Americans.
Trump told Martin: “I’m not upset with you. I think I respect what you’ve done.”
Trump accuses Ireland of stealing US pharma industry
in Dublin
Donald Trump has accused Ireland of stealing its pharmaceutical industry and the taxes they should have paid in the US in a meeting with the Irish taoiseach Micheál Martin.
“The Irish are smart, yes, smart people. And you took our pharmaceutical companies and other companies. … proper taxation, and they made it very, very good for companies,” he said.
“And this, this beautiful island of its island of 5 million people, it’s got the entire US pharmaceutical industry,” he said.
Trump’s broadside dashes hopes of a superficial love in at the Oval House to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
Ireland’s trade surplus with the US is largely driven by pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, Boston Scientific and Lilly all manufacturing in the Ireland.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office he was “going to take back” the country’s rightful “wealth”.
He said he would have said “fine” to pharmaceutical companies that wanted to set up in Ireland decades ago, but he would have made it unviable.
“When the pharmaceutical company started to go to Ireland, I would have said that’s OK. If you want to go to Ireland, I think it’s great, but if you want to sell anything into the United States, I’m going to put a 200% tariff on you so you’re never going to be able to sell anything into the United States.”
Trump has also said the “EU was set up in order to take advantage of the US” during his meeting in the Oval Office.
He said Ireland was no exception.
Asked if Ireland was also taking advantage by an Irish reporter, he replied:
Of course, they are… I have great respect for Ireland or what they did, and they should have done just what they did, but the United States shouldn’t have let it happen.
We had stupid leaders.
American pharmaceutical companies manufacturing packaged medication in Ireland and selling back to the US pay taxes on profits in Ireland, not the US, something that has enraged Trump and his commerce secretary Howard Lutnick.
Ireland sells about €72bn worth of goods a year to the US.
Updated
'We have people going to Russia right now,' Trump says
We are getting first lines emerging from Donald Trump’s meeting with Irish prime minister Micheál Martin.
The US president are reporting that Trump said that the US “have people going to Russia right now,” and adding “it is up to Russia now.”
But he insisted that “we have gotten some positive messages on ceasefire.”
We will bring you more soon.
Irish taoiseach Martin visits White House
We should hear from Donald Trump and Micheál Martin later today – will bring you the latest.
Obviously his visit comes at a tricky time, as the EU scrambles to respond to US tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
My colleague Lisa O’Carroll reported earlier that European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has been in touch with the taoiseach over the weekend ahead of his meeting with Donald Trump today.
However EU officials do not expect the taoiseach or any other leader to engage on trade negotiations as that is an EU competency, rather than a national one.
E5 meeting of defence ministers in Paris - snap analysis
Defence and security editor
in Paris
Defence ministers from Europe’s five leading military powers are meeting in Paris this afternoon to discuss Ukraine and plans to provide a security guarantee for the country in the event of a peace deal with Russia.
The so called E5 meeting is an effort to demonstrate that Europe can coordinate its own security arrangements in the light of the Trump administration assertion that the US is no longer primarily focused on European security.
It comes a day after 34 military chiefs, led by France and Britain, held a working meeting to discuss who will contribute to a post conflict “reassurance force” of up to 30,000 troops plus air and maritime components.
Details are being held close, partly because it is unclear exactly what will be required from the force until a peace agreement is reached, and partly because the required level of commitments from individual countries have not been achieved.
Critical to its success is a united front on the part of European military powers, although Poland has so far said it will not allow its troops to be based in Ukraine.
They will also discuss the importance of US involvement, with the UK and others calling for a “backstop” guarantee in the case the force is attacked - which so far the White House has declined to provide.
E5 defence ministers meet in Paris
Meanwhile in Paris, the defence ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Britain are meeting to discuss support for Ukraine amid Russia military invasion and European defence.
According to their schedule for the day, they are currently talking to their Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, before another session among themselves, with Nato and the EU, later.
We should hear from them later today as there are plans for a press conference at the end of their day.
Updated
Ireland's Martin invites JD Vance to Ireland to play golf at Trump's resort
in Dublin
Irish premier Micheál Martin has invited JD Vance to Ireland suggesting he might enjoy a round of golf in Donald Trump’s Doonbeg resort in county Clare along with a repeat of a previous private road trip he made in county Clare with his wife, Usha.
The breakfast meeting with the US vice-president passed off without incident with the jovial tone giving the Irish delegation hope that the Oval Office meeting with Trump will be underpinned by a similar amiable tone.
Ticking off all the diplomatic check boxes, Martin thanked Vance and his wife for opening their home to the Irish and thanked the US for the “progress” it has made in brokering peace in Ukraine.
He also highlighted the centuries old “bonds of friendship” between the two countries and made several mentions of Vance’s own Scots-Irish heritage.
And on the vexed question of tariffs, Martin, as expected, dropped some facts into his address on trade with Ireland pointing out that the republic is one of the top 10 foreign investors in the US.
Ukraine hopes for 'strong steps' if Russia rejects ceasefire offer, Zelenskyy says
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hoped for “strong steps” if Russia rejects the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine, with further measures “strengthening Ukraine.”
Talking to reporters in Kyiv via an interpreter after “first big constructive discussion” with the US, Zelenskyy praised “very positive results” of US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia, particularly welcoming the decision to resume US aid and intelligence sharing.
He said that Ukraine “has always wanted the war to end,” and pledged his support to the US plan “to see this war end as soon as possible.”
He said US will have to be acting together with European countries to “make Russia, compel it to end this war.”
The Ukrainian president said that the issue of future security guarantees for Ukraine would have to be discussed during the 30-day truce so that the sides can “use it to put certain matters on paper.”
“Everything depends now on whether Russia is willing to do so, … or is it rather willing to continue killing people,” he said.
On Ukraine’s red lines, he said that “we are not going to recognise any territories occupied by the Russians,” stressing “this is the most important red line.”
Asked about the impact of the US intelligence pause on Ukrainian operations, Zelenskyy declined to offer any details, saying only “it was not by chance that I had lots of meetings, technical, … because we had to prepare for certain things,” and stressing it was important the arrangement was not back operational.
He was also challenged on his previous comments that Trump lives in an ‘disinformation space,’ softening the language and just speaking more broadly about “particularly Russian information” seeking to fill any voids in knowledge about what is happening on the ground.
The president was also asked about reports that he could be coming back to the White House soon and said he “heard nothing about such invitation,” but stressed that any such meeting would “have to end with positive results for both parties.”
Rubio's comments on talks with Russia - video
Trump 'hasn't got a clue,' Churchill's grandson says
As is well known, US president Donald Trump is a big fan of wartime UK prime minister Winston Churchill – to the point that he talked about bringing his bust back into the Oval Office during last month’s meeting with UK prime minister Keir Starmer.
He said:
I‘m pleased to say that the bust of one of the prime minister’s greatest predecessors, Winston Churchill, is now back in the rightful place in the Oval Office and we’re very proud of it.
Trump will be probably slightly less pleased to hear what Churchill’s grandson and peer in the UK House of Lords, Nicholas Soames, makes of him.
Our diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour alerted me to Soames’ comments at the House of Lords International Relations
select committee today.
It is impossible in a way to take President Trump seriously.
How is it possible that America could have voted at the UN alongside Russia, Syria, the Central African Republic, North Korea and Belarus? How is that possible?
Soames added:
I really do think it is extraordinary, the perversion of the so-called Republican Party that can genuinely think Putin was not the aggressor in the Ukraine, and then expect the world to believe it, and sees the repulsive defenestration of Zelenskyy in public as part of a television show.
It all creates a really bad impression. I worked in the Senate for two and a half years. I love America, but it is not an America I know.
He then challenged Trump’s claim that the EU was set up to “screw
America” explaining:
Without America the European Union would not have been created. It is very worrying to me that America’s policy is being driven by a deep and profound misunderstanding of the truth.
The President hasn’t a clue.
Russia's Putin yet to decide on US ceasefire proposal - snap analysis
Russian affairs reporter
The Kremlin has declined to commit to an immediate 30-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine, stating that Vladimir Putin must first be briefed by the US before deciding whether the proposal would be acceptable to Russia.
Some Russian officials in Moscow indicated scepticism about the prospect of a ceasefire, saying that Moscow was unwilling to stop the fighting as its forces this week made rapid gains in reclaiming territory in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukraine launched a surprise incursion last year.
“Russia is advancing [on the battlefield] … Any agreements must be on our terms, not American ones … Washington should understand this as well,” the senior Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev wrote on Telegram. “Victory will be ours,” he added.
The lawmaker Mikhail Sheremet told Russian media that Russia was not interested in continuing the war but at the same time Moscow “will not tolerate begin strung along”.
Other insiders said that Russia would probably push for certain guarantees before accepting a ceasefire.
On Wednesday, Fyodor Lukyanov, a prominent Russian foreign policy analyst who heads a council that advises the Kremlin, wrote that a ceasefire agreement “contradicts” Moscow’s repeatedly stated position that no truce will take place until the foundations of lasting peace are determined.
“In other words, we fight until a comprehensive settlement framework is developed,” Lukyanov concluded.
Putin has repeatedly rejected the possibility of a temporary ceasefire, saying that he was focused on addressing what he calls the “root causes” of the conflict.
Earlier this year, he told Russia’s security council that there “should not be a short truce, not some kind of respite for regrouping forces and rearmament with the aim of subsequently continuing the conflict, but a long-term peace”.
Instead, the Russian leader has set out a list of maximalist demands to end his invasion, including Ukraine forgoing Nato membership, undergoing partial demilitarisation, and ceding full control of the four Ukrainian regions Putin claimed in 2022.
Russia’s longtime foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, in an interview this week with a group of far-right bloggers from the US, also stated that Moscow would not accept western peacekeepers in Ukraine as security guarantees “under any conditions”.
Still, an outright rejection of the ceasefire by Putin would risk angering Trump and undermining their warm relationship, which has led the US administration to adopt a fundamentally different approach to Moscow compared with Europe.
Irish taoiseach Martin begins visit in Washington
in Dublin
The taoiseach Micheál Martin has begun his day long engagements in Washington starting with a breakfast with vice-president JD Vance at the Naval Observatory.
Vance joked that he was wearing “Shamrock socks” fuelling hopes that the Martin will emerge unscathed from his meeting later today in the Oval Office with Donald Trump.
Turning to the taoiseach he said: “When we meet later in the Oval Office – the president is a very big fan of conservative dress. And so, if he notices these socks you have to defend me. This is an important part of cementing the Irish American relationship.”
Trump will host Martin in the Oval Office around 2.45pm London time in a highly anticipated meeting.
Ireland has been investing in intense diplomatic preparations to avert any repeat of the dressing down reserved for Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month by Vance.
US ceasefire proposal could serve as draft for broader peace deal, Zelenskyy says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed this week’s meeting in Saudi Arabia between US and Ukrainian officials as constructive, and said a potential 30-day ceasefire with Russia could be used to draft a broader peace deal, Reuters reported.
Zelenskyy made the remark during a briefing in Kyiv, where he said Ukraine supported a US effort to end Russia’s three-year-old invasion as soon as possible, and that the resumption of U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing was very positive.
Rubio's comments after talks with Ukraine
US state secretary Marco Rubio told reporters that a sufficient deterrent to keep Ukraine safe from future aggression would “have to be a part of the conversation” if the US-led peace process gets to the next stage and formal negotiations with Russia.
Speaking to reporters at Shannon Airport in Ireland, where he briefly stopped for refuelling on the way back to the US, Rubio also said that Europeans are likely to have a role to play as he “would imagine” that Russians would raise the issue of EU sanctions on Russian economy as something they want removed as part of the talks.
Rubio also said the US-Ukraine minerals deal would not form a direct security guarantee for Ukraine, but he said that the US “would have a vested interest in protecting it if it were to be challenged or threatened.”
He said the US administration was “happy” that Ukraine backed the process, and the focus was now on Russia’s answer. He expected the US to “have contact” with Russia on Wednesday.
“If they say no, it’ll tell us a lot about what their goals are and what their mindset is, but I don’t want to go into that before they’ve even answered us,” he said.
Below are longer excerpts from his comments:
On Ukraine and deterrence:
Can Ukraine create a sufficient deterrent against future aggression, against future attack, against future invasion? Because every country in the world has a right to defend themselves, and no one can dispute that, so that will most certainly have to be part of the conversation.
There isn’t a peace to secure until you have a peace. But there’s no way to have a enduring peace without the deterrence peace being a part of it.
On European involvement and sanctions:
The Europeans have issued a series of sanctions against the Russian Federation, and I would imagine that in any negotiation, if we get there, hopefully with the Russians, they will raise these European sanctions that have been imposed upon them.
So I think that the issue of European sanctions is going to be on the table, not to mention what happens with the frozen assets and the like.
So I think it’s self evident that for there to be a peace in Ukraine at the end of that process, there’s going to have to be some decision made by the Europeans about what they’re going to do with these sanctions and so forth. And so that’s why, I think they have to be necessarily involved in this regard.
Whether they’re involved at the front end of it or at the back end of it, it’ll have to play itself out.
And then obviously there’s also all sorts of security promises that European countries have made to Ukraine that that will also be, I imagine, a part of this conversation as we move forward.
On the prospect of European troops in Ukraine
There’s different ways to there’s different ways to construct a deterrent on the ground that prevents another war from starting in the future.
We’re not going to go in with any sort of preconceived notion.
The bottom line is it needs to be something that makes Ukraine feel as if they can deter and prevent a future invasion, how that looks and how that’s put together. That’s what we’re going to be talking about if we can get to that stage again.
Right now, we’re just trying to get to the stage where there’s actual diplomacy happening.
On US-Ukraine minerals deal
I think that a minerals deal is something that I think is beneficial for both countries. …
So I think certainly any economic development for Ukraine is positive for their own future. Obviously, the United States [also] has a vested economic interest … we’re tied to them on an economic front. We’re in partnership with them on something. We will have an interest in the future of Ukraine as well.
I wouldn’t couch it as a security guarantee, but certainly, if the United States has a vested economic interest that’s generating revenue for our people as well as for the people of Ukraine, we’d have a vested interest in protecting it if it were to be challenged or threatened.
On monitoring any potential ceasefire
The interesting thing about modern warfare is there it’s easier than ever to monitor. And simply because there’s so many eyes on the ground, and there’s also all sorts of overhead, you know, commercial satellite and the like.
It would be pretty hard to hide drone strikes. It would be hard to hide missile strikes, ballistic strikes, artillery.
So we feel like that is something that could be monitored. …
If [Russians] say yes, one of the things we’ll have to determine is who do both sides trust to be on the ground to sort of monitor some of the small arms fires and exchanges that could happen, but those are practices that that have become common in these and I don’t think that would be difficult to set up.
On US approach to Russia
The United States has not provided armaments to Russia. The United States is not providing assistance to Russia. Every single sanction that has been imposed on Russia remains in place. …
They’re pretty sanctioned up. …
My point being is that we’ve, there’s been no steps taken to relieve any of these things.
These things continue to be in place, but we don’t think it’s constructive for me to stand here today and begin to issue threats about what we’re going to do if Russia says no. Let’s hope they say yes.
On next steps
We are happy that the Ukrainians have agreed to do so; now it is up to Russia to say yes. If Russia says yes, that’s very good news, and we will begin that process and do everything we can to move that process forward.
If they say no, then obviously we’ll have to examine everything and sort of figure out where we stand in the world and what their true intentions are.
If they say no, it’ll tell us a lot about what their goals are and what their mindset is, but I don’t want to go into that before they’ve even answered us. …
They expressed a willingness under the right circumstances, which they did not define, to bring an end to this conflict.
So we have Ukraine ready to come to the table. Now we need to get Russia to come to the table.
If they do, and the shooting stops, I think that’s a very good day in the world.
Obviously, no one here is pretending that that negotiation is going to be easy or fast or simple, but at least we’ve gotten to that point.
If their answer is no, then obviously we’ll have to deal with that, and we’ll have to, at that point, make decisions on that basis.
We’re not there yet. Hopefully the answer is yes.
Updated
We’re getting more lines from Rubio.
In comments that will be welcomed in Kyiv, he also added that Ukraine needs sufficient deterrent against future attacks.
And he also said that Europeans will “need to be involved in this regard,” Reuters reported.
On a less positive note, he said he “would not couch minerals deal as a security guarantee,” but AFP added he said it would give the US “a vested interest” in Ukraine’s security.
Updated
US to 'have contact' with Russia today, Rubio says
US state secretary Marco Rubio has said that the US “will have contact with Russians” today.
He said the US hoped to have a positive answer from Russia, and “strongly urge Russians to end all hostilities.”
“There is no military solution to this conflict,” he said.
Rubio also confirmed that Tuesday’s talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, covered “what a negotiation process would look like,” and included “conversations about territorial concessions.”
Updated
What's next for US-led ceasefire plan - snap analysis
Defence and security editor
The Kremlin said it was waiting for the US to inform it about a proposed ceasefire in Ukraine and what this could mean for broader peace talks.
But there is a bit of scepticism in Kyiv that Russia could be genuinely interested in the offer, as it appears to be determined to continue its aggression against Ukraine.
A Ukrainian analyst I spoke with expected Vladimir Putin to wheel out some of the classic maximalist Russian demands on Ukraine to make further progress as difficult as possible.
These could include a demand to hold fresh presidential elections as Russia continue to question the legitimacy of Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a request to stop military aid deliveries to Ukraine.
They thought that such a response could also include a call for an extensive buffer zone around Ukrainian borders, and that’s after taking away four regions of Ukraine that it already considers Russian, a claim rejected by Ukraine.
Russia is also likely to ask that the Ukrainian army cut numbers - claiming that it is needed to limit its offensive potential and not pose a threat to Russia – and forcefully oppose any suggestions of peacekeeping forces formed by Nato or any other group of nations.
“But the ball is in [their court],” the analyst said.
For what it is worth, a senior source in the Russian administration told Reuters on Wednesday that “it is diffiącult for Putin to agree to this in its current form,” claiming that Russia “has a strong position because [it] is advancing.”
Four dead after Ukrainian attack in Kursk
A Ukrainian attack on a factory in Russia’s Kursk region killed four people, Russia said, as its troops reclaim territory from Kyiv’s forces in the border area.
“Four employees of the company were killed, among them three men and one woman,” acting governor Alexander Khinshtein said on social media, adding that the attack hit an agricultural plant in the village of Kozyrevka, east of where fierce fighting between Moscow and Kyiv’s forces is under way, AFP reported.
Kremlin waits for US to update it on Ukraine talks
The Kremlin said it was waiting for the US to inform it on the proposals discussed with Ukraine on Tuesday.
“We assume that state secretary [Marco] Rubio and [national security] adviser [Michael] Waltz through various channels in the coming days will inform us on the negotiations that took place and the understandings reached,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, adding Moscow did not rule out a “high-level” phone call with the US.
He also said that the Russian army was making good progress in its drive to drive Ukrainian troops from the Kursk border region, Reuters reported.
“The information provided by our military shows that our troops are successfully advancing in the Kursk Region, liberating areas that were under the control of the militants. The dynamic is good,” Peskov told reporters.
'Now it's up to Putin,' Germany's Scholz says
Outgoing German chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed Wednesday Ukraine’s backing for a US-proposed 30-day ceasefire plan, saying the decision on the next steps now rested with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The idea of a 30-day ceasefire is an important and correct step towards a just peace for Ukraine... Now it’s up to Putin,” Scholz said on social media platform X.
The outcome of the Jeddah talks was also welcomed by Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez, who said the ceasefire proposal was positive news.
US aid deliveries to Ukraine back to previous levels, Polish foreign minister confirms
Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski has just confirmed that US aid deliveries to Ukraine coming through the Polish logistics hub in Rzeszów-Jasionka have returned to previous levels seen before the brief pause.
Sikorski spoke at a press conference alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Andryi Sybiha, who stopped in Poland on his way back from Jeddah.
Sybiha, speaking in Polish, said that Ukraine was “the country that wants to end this war, and [achieve] a just, lasting peace the most.”
He added that Ukraine was ready to form a negotiating team to work on a roadmap to reach ceasefire with Russia.
Last night, US and Ukraine leaders agreed on resuming the aid deliveries and intelligence sharing as part of a broader peace.
In a cheeky comment just days after he publicly clashed with US state secretary Marco Rubio and Trump aide Elon Musk over the technology, Sikorski also added that “Starlinks are also still working.”
Updated
'Sensational' result in Greenland's critical election
The center-right opposition Demokraatit Party won the most votes in Greenland’s parliamentary elections, ahead of the nationalist, most ardently pro-independence party Naleraq.
The result is a surprise, as admitted by Demokraatit’s leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who said “we did not expect the election to have this outcome.”
His party led a domestically focused campaign and more than tripled its result from the 2021 election, while Naleraq more than doubled its support.
Both parties support Greenland’s growing independence from Denmark, but disagree on the timeline, the extent of the process, and potential links with the US.
Previously governing parties of the left-green coalition of Inuit Ataqatigitt and Siumut parties came in third and fourth place, respectively.
As no party won a majority in the 31-seat parliament, political leaders are now expected to start negotiations about forming the next government.
“We are open to talking to all parties and seeking unity. Especially with what is happening abroad,” Nielsen said, indicating he would reject Donald Trump’s attempts to “get” Greenland “one way or another”.
Denmark’s Berlingske newspaper noted that voters sent Copenhagen a clear signal that Greenland will move towards more autonomy and potentially independence, but most likely “slowly and carefully.”
French European Affairs minister, Benjamin Haddad, said the European Union could go further in its response to US tariffs, though a trade war was in no-one’s interest, Reuters reported.
“We have the means to go further, if we want,” Haddad told TF1 TV.
“For example, if it came to a situation where we had to go further, digital services or intellectual property could be included,” he added.
EU strikes back against Trump's tariffs
Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminium imports took effect on Wednesday “with no exceptions or exemptions”, as his campaign to reorder global trade norms in favour of the US stepped up.
The US president’s action to bulk up protections for American steel and aluminium producers placed tariffs of 25% on all imports of the metals.
The European Commission responded almost immediately, saying it would impose counter tariffs on €26bn ($28bn) worth of US goods from next month.
“We deeply regret this measure,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a written statement, as Brussels announced it would be “launching a series of countermeasures” in response to the “unjustified trade restrictions”.
Speaking in Strasbourg in the last hour, von der Leyen added that “jobs are at stake, prices up” as a result of Trump’s move.
“Nobody needs that on both sides, neither in the European Union, nor in the United States,” she argued.
EU countermeasures will be introduced in two steps, she said, starting from 1 April, and fully in place from 13 April.
“In the meantime, we will always remain open to negotiations. We firmly believe that in a world fraught with geoeconomic and political uncertainties, it is not in our common interest to burden our economies with such tariffs,” she said.
EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said the US measures “take us in a wrong direction,” as he said that during his visit to Washington last month “it was clear that the EU is not the problem, making today’s measures even more unjustified.”
“The disruption caused by tariffs is avoidable if the US administration accepts our extended hand and works with us to strike a deal,” he said.
For full coverage of the business fallout, follow our special live blog here:
Morning opening: Ball in Russia's court
When Andriy Yermak, top official in the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, posted a handshake emoji halfway through yesterday’s meeting on social media, it became clear that the US-Ukraine talks were going in the right direction.
Or, as our defence and security editor Dan Sabbagh described it: “Dizzying turnaround in US-Ukraine relations leaves all eyes on Russia.”
Now, for the first time, Russia is being asked to make a commitment, though it is unclear what will follow if it does sign up.
The US intends to speak to Russia in the next 24-48 hours to get an early indication as to whether Putin is willing to agree to Trump’s plan on ceasefire. If so, this could lead to proper peace talks, including all sorts of potentially contentious issues on future security guarantees for Ukraine.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said the ball was “now in Russia’s court” after the negotiations concluded. “If they [Russia] say no then we’ll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here,” he said.
(One could argue there are some other hints about that too, but hey.)
Let’s see what’s the aftermath of the Jeddah talks, and what’s next for Ukraine.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha, who took part in yesterday’s talks, is in Warsaw this morning, and expected to speak to the media in the next half hour. I will bring you all the key lines.
Later today, defence ministers of France, Germany, UK, Italy and Poland are meeting in Paris as part of discussions about Europe’s response to peace talks and potential Europe-led security guarantee for Ukraine.
Separately, I will also keep you up to date on:
the overnight surprising results in Greenland’s ‘most consequential’ elections,
the European Union’s response to Trump’s tariffs,
and what’s next for Portugal after the government in Lisbon lost a vote of confidence last night, paving the way for snap elections.
It’s Wednesday, 12 March 2025, and this is Europe live. It’s Jakub Krupa here.
Good morning.
The Guardian’s Rafael Behr writes in this opinion piece that a Trump-Putin pact is emerging, and that its target is Europe:
A prime time current affairs programme; a discussion about Donald Trump’s handling of the war in Ukraine. “He’s doing excellent things,” says a firebrand politician on the panel, before listing White House actions that have belittled Volodymyr Zelenskyy and weakened his battlefield position – military aid suspended; satellite communications obstructed; intelligence withheld. “Do we support this?” It is a rhetorical question.
“We support it all. Absolutely,” the celebrity host responds. “We are thrilled by everything Trump is doing.”
Such approval might not be out of place on polemical rightwing channels in the US, but these exchanges weren’t broadcast to American audiences. The show’s anchor is Olga Skabeyeva, one of Vladimir Putin’s most dependable propagandists. To hear the highest pitch of praise for Trump’s bullying of Ukraine you need to watch Russia’s state-controlled Channel One.
This being a Kremlin script, the enthusiasm was soon leavened with suspicion. For now the pressure on Kyiv is great, Skabeyeva continued, but what will the Americans want in return?
Russian intelligence chief holds call with CIA director
Russia’s foreign intelligence chief, Sergei Naryshkin, held a phone call on Tuesday with the director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, John Ratcliffe, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday.
They discussed issues of cooperation between their respective intelligence agencies and crisis management.
Two killed in Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih
A Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih killed a 47-year-old woman and caused a fire at an infrastructure facility, Dnirpopetrovsk regional governor, Serhiy Lysak, said on Wednesday.
The attack also injured at least two other people, local official Oleksandr Vilkul said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
Russian foreign minister says 'under no conditions' will Moscow accept Nato troops in Ukraine
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, says Moscow will under no conditions accept the presence of Nato troops in Ukraine.
In an interview published in Russian media, he also said that Russia would not make decisions that jeopardise lives, Reuters reports, and that Russia discussed the situation around Iran’s nuclear deal with the US and maintains some contact on the issue with Europe.
Russia is open to Trump’s idea of meeting with China, he added.
What is the ceasefire agreement?
Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, a joint statement says.
Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address that the US proposed taking a full interim ceasefire, stopping missile, drone, and bomb attacks, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire frontline.
“Ukraine is ready to accept this proposal – we see it as a positive step and are ready to take it,” Zelenskyy said.
The United States said it would immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine, Reuters reports. Ukrainian officials said late on Tuesday that both aid and intelligence sharing have resumed.
In Tuesday’s joint statement, the two countries said they agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources.
The minerals agreement has been in works for weeks and was thrown into limbo after an acrimonious White House meeting on 28 February between the US President Donald Trump, who has long been a Ukraine aid sceptic, and Zelenskyy.
Both sides also stressed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts as part of the peace process, particularly during the ceasefire, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.
Both sides agreed to name their negotiating teams and immediately begin peace negotiations.
Russia says Moscow will make decisions about Ukraine, not the US
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that Moscow would make its own decisions about the conflict in Ukraine after Kyiv said it was ready to support Washington’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, TASS reported.
“The shaping of the position of the Russian Federation does not take place abroad due to some agreements or efforts of some parties. The formation of the position of the Russian Federation takes place inside the Russian Federation,” she said.
Opening summary
Donald Trump has said he is ready to welcome Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy back to the White House and expects to speak to Russian president Vladimir Putin this week after Ukraine said it was ready to accept an immediate 30-day ceasefire.
The apparent breakthrough on a ceasefire deal came after talks between US and Ukrainian teams in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. US representatives will now head to Russia for talks.
Asked by a reporter about the prospects of a comprehensive ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump answered: “Well, I hope it will be over the next few days, I’d like to see.
“I know we have a big meeting with Russia tomorrow and some great conversations hopefully will ensue.”
Here are the other key recent developments.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said the ball was “now in Russia’s court” after Ukraine said it was ready to accept an immediate 30-day ceasefire. “If they [Russia] say no then we’ll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here,” he said. “Ukrainians are ready to stop the fighting, they’re ready to stop the shooting, they’re ready to get to the table,” Rubio told reporters in Jeddah, after negotiations between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia.
An influential Russian lawmaker, commenting on a ceasefire proposal agreed between US and Ukrainian officials, said on Wednesday that any deal would be on Moscow’s terms, not Washington’s. “Russia is advancing [in Ukraine], and therefore it will be different with Russia,” said Konstantin Kosachev, chair of the international affairs committee of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia’s parliament, in a post on Telegram. “Any agreements – with all the understanding of the need for compromise – on our terms, not on American. And this is not boasting, but understanding that real agreements are still being written there, at the front. Which they should understand in Washington, too.”
The US would “immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine”, said US national security adviser Mike Waltz. “We’ve gone from if the war is going to end to how the war is going to end,” Waltz told reporters alongside Rubio. Waltz, who said he would speak in the coming days with his Russian counterpart, credited the Ukrainians with agreeing on the need to “end the killing, to end the tragic meat-grinder of people and national treasure”. He added: “The Ukrainian delegation today made something very clear: that they share President Trump’s vision for peace.”
Hours after Ukraine’s declaration, Russia launched an air attack on Kyiv, with mayor Vitali Klitschko saying air defences were engaged in repelling the strikes. Strikes were also reported by the RIA news agency on Kharkiv. RIA cited the Ukrainian ministry of digital transformation, which said air raid alerts were issued in Kyiv ten regions.
Washington also revived plans for a controversial minerals deal that could give the US a 50% stake in revenues from the sale of Ukraine’s mineral wealth. Trump has said that the deal would provide implicit security guarantees by linking US economic interests with Ukraine’s security.
British prime minister Keir Starmer congratulated Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a “remarkable breakthrough” with the ceasefire proposal. “This is an important moment for peace in Ukraine and we now all need to redouble our efforts to get to a lasting and secure peace as soon as possible. As both American and Ukrainian delegations have said, the ball is now in the Russian court. Russia must now agree to a ceasefire and an end to the fighting too.” He said he would convene a leaders meeting on Saturday to discuss the next steps, adding: “We are ready to help bring an end to this war in a just and permanent way that allows Ukraine to enjoy its freedom.”
Ukraine’s battlefield positions have been under heavy pressure, particularly in Russia’s Kursk region where Moscow’s forces have launched a push to flush out Kyiv’s troops, which had been trying to hold a patch of land as a bargaining chip.
On Tuesday, Ukraine launched its biggest drone attack yet on Moscow and the surrounding region, showing Kyiv can also land major blows after a steady stream of Russian missile and drone attacks, one of which killed 14 people on Saturday. The Tuesday attack, in which 337 drones were downed over Russia, killed at least three employees of a meat warehouse and caused a brief shutdown at Moscow’s four airports.Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Wednesday that he informed a number of European counterparts about the “milestone” talks with the US where Kyiv said it was ready to support Washington’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. Sybiha, who took part in the Jeddah talks, said that afterwards he talked to several European foreign ministers, including British foreign secretary David Lammy and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, “about the outcomes of the milestone meeting”.
Ukrainian officials told the US that European partners must participate in any peace negotiations, Sybiha said. “We adhere to the position: no decisions on the long-term security of Europe without Europe,” Sybiha said in a social media post. On Wednesday, Sybiha will be in Warsaw for talks with his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski, the Polish foreign ministry said in a statement.
