Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin to send top negotiator to Washington as US anger grows over peace deal talks

Vladimir Putin is set to send his top negotiator to Washington in a bid to win back the favour of Donald Trump, who is reportedly angry at the Russian autocrat.

Washington officials have acknowledged that Putin is resisting attempts to strike a ceasefire, and discussed what economic or diplomatic punishments could push Russia closer to a deal, the sources said.

It comes following Mr Trump’s explosive reveal that he was “p***** off” with Putin and would look to unleash oil tariffs on Russia if they did not take peace talks seriously.

Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s Kyiv-born and US-educated envoy, will meet with Mr Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff this week, Reuters reported.

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Responding to the reports on X, Mr Dmitriev said: “The resistance to US–Russia dialogue is real—driven by entrenched interests and old narratives. But what if improved relations are exactly what the world needs for lasting global security and peace?”

On Tuesday, two senior Washington sources told Reuters that a peace deal does not seem imminent, despite US efforts.

Meanwhile, half of the US Senate – including 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats – has united to propose sanctions on Russia if it refuses to engage in good faith negotiations with Ukraine.

Key Points

Russia violating ceasefire – Ukraine hands dossier of evidence to US

In pictures: Aftermath of Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih that killed 4

Putin envoy to visit Washington for Witkoff meeting

Who is Putin’s negotiator and what will he discuss?

Russia violating ceasefire – Ukraine hands dossier of evidence to US

23:31 , Barney Davis

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Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, Ihor Brusylo, spoke on national television to say they have handed evidence to the US about Russia violating a

“The energy ceasefire… which Ukraine and the United States agreed upon, was violated by the Russian side. All the necessary information was transferred to the American side. I think the reaction will not be long in coming, because even American partners who were diplomatically disposed towards the possibility of ensuring such a ceasefire are running out of patience,” he said.

According to the official, all evidence confirms that Russia is not interested in a ceasefire or in bringing the war to an end.

“I hope international partners will not delay anything, and more resolute measures will still be taken against the aggressor state, which pursues its insidious policy despite the agreements reached during the negotiations,” Brusylo stressed.

Zelensky says Ukraine’s Nato membership never included in minerals deal

23:01 , Alex Croft

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Volodymyr Zelensky has said that a minerals deal that Ukraine and the US are negotiating doesn’t mention his country’s Nato membership in the future.

“As for this agreement and the Nato question, there is no mention of Nato in this agreement, and there never was,” Mr Zelensky said, confirming earlier reports.

“A decision (regarding the deal) will be made in the coming days.”

His remarks come a few days after a source in the presidential office told the Kyiv Independent that Ukraine is “not tying” the minerals deal to Nato.

In pictures: Aftermath of Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih that killed 4

22:26 , Barney Davis

(via REUTERS)

(via REUTERS)

(EPA)

Trump now objects to European push to buy weapons locally

22:00 , Alex Croft

Officials from the Trump administration are now urging their European allies to keep buying American-made arms – just weeks after Donald Trump asked the EU to take responsibility for its own defence and security.

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Five US sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the US has made outreach to its EU allies amid recent moves by the European Union to limit US manufacturers’ participation in weapons tenders.

According to two of the sources, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said any exclusion of US companies from European tenders would be seen negatively by Washington, which those two sources interpreted as a reference to the proposed EU rules.

One northern European diplomat, who was not part of the Baltic meeting, said they had also been recently told by US officials that any exclusion from EU weapons procurements would be seen as inappropriate.

Shortly after taking office, Mr Trump urged European allies to spend more on defence and take greater responsibility for their own security, and suggesting that his commitment to Nato is not absolute.

President Donald Trump is reportedly “p***** off” with Putin (AP)

Watch: Trump ‘p***** off’ at Putin over disparaging Zelensky comments

21:01 , Alex Croft

Two arrested in Russian plot to blow up Lviv police station

20:29 , Alex Croft

Two people have been arrested after allegedly plotting to blow up a police station in the western city of Lviv on Russian instructions, Ukrainian authorities said.

The suspects were carrying out the “instructions of a Russian representative in exchange for a monetary reward”, Ukrainian prosecutors said on Telegram.

They “arrived in Lviv and retrieved explosives hidden in a bag at specific coordinates”, authorities said. “The defendants were set to plant the concealed explosives in an administrative building at a Lviv police station as part of their prearranged plan.”

One of the perpetrators was a 22-year-old woman and resident of Kyiv who had been looking to ear “easy money” through Telegram channels.

After recruitment by Russian intelligence she was tasked with a “test” assignment, posting Russian propaganda leaflets around Kyiv, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

Trump must see through Putin’s stalling tactics over Ukraine ceasefire, Germany says

20:00 , Alex Croft

Donald Trump must not be misled by Vladimir Putin’s “stalling tactics” to delay peace in Ukraine, outgoing German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said during a visit to Kyiv.

“At the upcoming meeting of Nato foreign ministers, we will make it clear to the American side that we should not engage with Putin’s stalling tactics,” the 44-year-old Greens leader said in a statement released after her arrival in the Ukrainian capital.

Mr Putin is “feigning readiness to negotiate but is not moving one millimetre from his position”, she added.

Only international pressure can stop Putin’s terror – Zelensky

19:35 , Barney Davis

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russian terror can only be stopped with pressure from international partners after a missile strike on Kryvyi Rih killed four civilians.

“A targeted Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih. All necessary services are on site, working to mitigate the consequences of the shelling and to help people. Some people are wounded, and they are receiving medical assistance. As of now, it is known that, tragically, four lives were claimed by this strike, all of them civilians. My condolences to their families and loved ones,” he said on Telegram.

Zelensky stressed that everywhere in the world, such strikes are called by the same name – terror.

“What separates us all from at least a complete and unconditional cessation of strikes is the lack of Russia’s consent to end the war, and only the world’s pressure can ensure such consent,” Zelensky said.

(Telegram)

Mapped: Russia advance slows in Donetsk as Ukraine launches counterattacks

19:31 , Alex Croft

Watch ‘key’ fighter pilot shoot down drones

19:20 , Barney Davis

Nighttime combat in the skies: Fighter pilot with call sign Denfix took down two Shaheds.

Denfix, a MiG-29 pilot, intercepts russian cruise missiles and attack drones. With over 20 aerial kills, he’s a key player in Ukraine’s air defense. Watch him in action. pic.twitter.com/J6lOviTwkW — Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 2, 2025

‘Russia wants to continue fighting’ – Putin biographer

19:00 , Alex Croft

Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer who specializes in Russia’s war strategy, told Fox New that Putin’s goal with his latest conscription drive is to prolong the war.

“There’s no ceasefire and no peace plan between Russia and Ukraine to be had,” said Koffler, the author of a best-selling book ” Putin’s Playbook .”

“What President Trump seeks is regretfully, unachievable. Putin’s goal is to keep fighting, in order to compel Ukraine to capitulate.

“Now that Germany and France are considering to deploy reassurance forces into Ukraine, Putin is factoring in those numbers, so he is increasing his force’s posture, to deter such a deployment or failing to prevent it by force.”

(AP)

Russia has initiated its largest military draft in 14 years ahead of possible spring offensive

18:29 , Alex Croft

Putin has called up 160,000 men as part of the country’s bi-annual conscription drive as Russia seeks to beef up its military ranks.

According to the legislation, citizens aged 18 to 30 will be called up for mandatory military service through June 15.

The spring draft marks the largest conscription campaign since spring 2011, when 200,000 men were called up for service. Last year, 150,000 men were called, following 134,500 in 2022.

Ukrainian secret service arrest two alleged spies

18:26 , Barney Davis

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) say they have detained a man and a woman acting as spies for Russia on suspicion of attempting to carry out a bombing on a local police station office.

The SBU reported that the device, disguised as a fire extinguisher, was taken from a hidden cache based on coordinates provided by Russian handlers from the GRU.

According to SBU, a 22-year-old woman from Kyiv, was recruited via Telegram looking for “easy money” and initially tasked with distributing Russian propaganda leaflets in the Ukrainian capital.

After completing her first “test” assignment, she was allegedly told to travel to Lviv to carry out the attack. She also recruited an acquaintance to assist her in blowing up the administrative building of the local district police department, said the SBU.

Security services say the attackers also planned to install a hidden camera to broadcast the explosion’s impact to their Russian handlers.

The SBU said it “exposed both agents in advance, documented their crimes, and detained them ‘red-handed’ as they approached the police unit with explosives.”

Both suspects have been charged with high treason under martial law, a crime punishable by life imprisonment with property confiscation.

(Telegram/SBU)

Fighting increases despite ceasefire talks

17:58 , Alex Croft

Despite negotiations for a ceasefire, March saw a sharp increase in combat clashes along the frontline.

The number of clashes rose from 3,274 in February to 4,270 in March, bringing the total for 2025 to 12,631 so far, according to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

Russian forces have also significantly escalated their use of guided aerial bombs against Ukrainian positions.

In March, approximately 4,800 such munitions were deployed, an increase from 3,370 in February.

Four dead after Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih

17:53 , Barney Davis

The death toll from a Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih has risen to four, with three others injured.

Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih Defense Council, reported the attack on Telegram.

“Rescue operations are ongoing. A massive fire has broken out,” Vilkul wrote.

“Unfortunately, as of now, the death toll has risen to four,” Vilkul updated on Telegram.

A support center for affected residents will be set up in front of a store near the World War II military equipment monument.

Earlier reports indicated that Russia had targeted one of the city’s industrial facilities with a ballistic missile.

News analysis | Trump’s ‘anger’ at Putin over Ukraine peace deal delay is just play acting

17:23 , Alex Croft

World affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:

Donald Trump is peeved. His officials are starting to spin that his plans for almost instant peace in Ukraine may take a lot longer, while Vladimir Putin’s business envoy heads for the White House, supposedly to make amends.

Yet what it truly reveals is that the 47th president continues to be played by the Kremlin.

Trump has unleashed a trade war, expressed colonial designs on two Nato members, scrambled Ukraine’s defensive war plans, shown public contempt for Europe and set about the pillars of American democracy with a sledgehammer.

Trump has shown a remarkable ability to interpret Moscow’s deepest desires and to deliver on them.

That the US president is now saying he is “pissed off” with Putin and is considering – considering – increasing tariffs and sanctions on Russia, is play acting.

Trump’s ‘anger’ at Putin over Ukraine peace deal delay is just play acting

Russia and Ukraine trade accusations of energy facility attacks

16:49 , Alex Croft

Russia and Ukraine accused each other of launching new attacks against each other’s energy facilities on Wednesday, in violation of a US-brokered halt on such strikes.

Both sides said they were providing details of the alleged violations to the US, which persuaded Moscow and Kyiv to agree to the limited truce last month as a potential stepping stone towards a full ceasefire.

Russia’s defence ministry said Ukraine had conducted drone and shelling attacks in the western Kursk region that cut off power to over 1,500 households.

In the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, the state gas company said that a Ukraine drone strike on a gas distribution station had left more than 11,000 customers around the town of Svatove with limited access to gas.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said a Russian drone hit an energy substation in Sumy region and artillery fire damaged a power line in Dnipropetrovsk, cutting off electricity to nearly 4,000 consumers.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is impatient with both sides to move faster towards ending the three-year war.

A Ukrainian drone attack on Kharkiv injured three children (EPA)

Russian missile fired at ‘civilian infrastructure’: city official

16:43 , Steffie Banatvala

A Russian missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Wednesday killed at least three people, local officials reported.

The head of the city military administration said Russia has fired a ballistic missile at a “civilian infrastructure facility”.

In pictures: Putin meets regional chief in Moscow

16:17 , Alex Croft

Russian president Vladimir Putin meets with Head of the Republic of Buryatia Alexei Tsydenov at the Kremlin in Moscow (AP)

Putin is set to send an envoy to Washington for talks with the Trump administration (AP)

Russian missile kills three in Kryvyi Rih

15:53 , Alex Croft

Three people have been killed after a Russian missile hit an enterprise in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, the regional governor said.

At least one person was injured, he added on Telegram, while the attack sparked fire.

‘Russia’s position holding up ceasefire’ – Zelensky

15:46 , Alex Croft

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had been sharing information with the United States. He posted on X on Tuesday: “We have shared all information regarding Russia’s violations in the energy sector — there were strikes, and today again in Kherson, a Russian drone targeted an energy facility and equipment — deliberately and purposefully.

“Part of the city was left without electricity. We insist that every such violation must be documented and receive a response from our partners. It is precisely these small details that add up to Russia’s major delays in the diplomatic process.

“The unconditional cessation of strikes proposed by the United States is not being implemented solely because of Russia’s position.”

Nato countries pledge more than £16 billion military support to Ukraine since start of 2025

15:16 , Alex Croft

Nato countries allies have pledged more than 20 billion euros (£16.73 billion) in military support for Ukraine in the first three months of the year, secretary-general Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.

Foreign ministers from the alliance meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to discuss further support for Ukraine against Russia’s three-year-old invasion.

All you need to know so far on Wednesday

14:54 , Alex Croft

If you’re just joining us now, here’s everything you need to know so far on Wednesday:

Senior Russian official Kirill Dmitriev is set to visit Washington this week, where he will likely discuss peace in Ukraine, the return of US companies to Russia, rare earths, energy prices, prisoner swaps and other topics with Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

The Kremlin did not confirm the visit but said it was “possible”, adding that contacts between Moscow and Washington are continuing.

Russia killed one person and injured at least 10, including three children, in an overnight drone attack on Ukraine. Around 74 drones were launched including 14 at the northeastern Kharkiv region, where most of the injuries were recorded. 41 drones were shot down.

Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of damaging energy facilities in the Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions, cutting power to 4,000 people. Both countries had agreed to a halt on energy infrastructure strikes – but they have both accused each other of breaching this deal.

Russia shot down 93 Ukrainian drones, 87 of which were destroyed over the Kursk region, Moscow said. Dozens of people were evacuated from an apartment building in the Russian city of Kursk after it was hit by falling drone debris, the regional governor said.

Donald Trump’s pick to become America’s most senior military officer has emphasised the importance of military support for Ukraine. During his senate confirmation hearing, Lieutenant General Dan Caines said US assistance “improves Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table and deters Russia from further aggression”.

Elsewhere in the senate, 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats – making up half of the senate – banded together to propose sanctions on Russia which would be imposed if it refuses to engage in good faith negotiations with Ukraine.

Two people were arrested in an alleged Russian plot to blow up a police station in Lviv. The suspects had been offered money to carry out the act.

Trump must see through Putin’s stalling tactics over Ukraine ceasefire, Germany says

14:31 , Alex Croft

Donald Trump must not be misled by Vladimir Putin’s “stalling tactics” to delay peace in Ukraine, outgoing German minister Annalena Baerbock said during a visit to Kyiv.

The US president showed the first signs of frustration with his Russian counterpart over the weekend, telling NBC News he was “p***** off” and “very angry” with Putin over the failure to reach an agreement with a ceasefire – before threatening to unleash oil tariffs on Moscow.

Paying a final visit to Kyiv as Germany’s foreign minister – before a new government takes office with CDU leader Friedrich Merz at the helm – Ms Baerbock said she would raise the issue with US secretary of state Marco Rubio during a meeting of Nato foreign ministers this week.

“At the upcoming meeting of NATO foreign ministers, we will make it clear to the American side that we should not engage with Putin’s stalling tactics,” the 44-year-old Greens leader said in a statement released after her arrival in the Ukrainian capital.

Read the full report:

Trump must see through Putin’s stalling tactics over Ukraine ceasefire, Germany says

Corruption officers expose $18million embezzlement scheme in Ukraine’s defence ministry

14:13 , Alex Croft

Anti-corruption officers in Ukraine have exposed a $17.8 million embezzlement scheme in the defence ministry, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has said.

The funds were embezzled during food procurement for the Armed Forces between 2022 and 2023, and have led to charges being brought against a former head of department within the Ministry of Defence.

Food supplies for the army were arranged through pre-assembled “food kits” taken from a selection of 409 items – but only 10 per cent of those products were regularly ordered, NABU said according to Ukrainska Pravda.

Other items such as spices and berries, were very rarely due to their seasonal nature.

“This system allowed suppliers to manipulate prices – artificially inflating the cost of high-demand products while lowering prices for unpopular or seasonal products (such as cherries or apricots in winter).

“At first glance, there were no violations, as the total price of the kit remained unchanged. However, potatoes, supplied in thousands of tonnes, cost a fortune, while seasonal berries and fruits, which were rarely ordered, were priced at mere pennies.”

Ukraine $10billion short in funding needed for recovery efforts – PM

13:46 , Alex Croft

Ukraine is has come up $10 billion short in what is needed for recovery efforts in 2025, Kyiv’s prime minister Denuys Shmyhal said on Wednesday.

Kyiv needs $39.3 billion in international support this year and its partners have confirmed their commitment to covering this amount, Mr Shmyhal said.

But so far the overall shortfall is nearly $10 billion, he said after the 13th meeting of the Steering Committee of the Ukraine Donor Platform.

“This year, we consider the key areas of joint work of the Ukraine Donor Platform to be budget support, sustainable financing for infrastructure, housing and energy recovery, as well as economic development and investment attraction on the path to the EU,” he said.

In pictures: Zelensky visits wounded troops in Dnipro

13:40 , Alex Croft

Volodymyr Zelensky met with Ukrainian troops at a hospital in Dnipro on Wednesday (UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER)

The Ukrainian president said earlier on Wednesday that the international community must place “new and tangible pressure” on Moscow to force it to end the war (UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER)

Ukrainian records 176 clashes with Russian troops, 64 near Pokrovsk

13:26 , Alex Croft

The Ukrainian military recorded 176 clashes with Russian forces over the past day, 64 of which took place on the eastern Pokrovsk front.

Vladimir Putin’s forces have been steadily advancing near Pokrovsk, a strategic Ukrainian town which serves as a supply hub for other areas of the frontline. Russia has aimed to cut supply lines to and from Pokrovsk to other Ukrainian-controlled areas.

Clashes were also recorded on the fronts in Kharkiv, Kupiansk, Lyman, Toretsk, Kursk and others.

The grinding war of attrition in eastern Ukraine has seen Russia send large masses of troops charging towards stretched Ukrainian defences, claiming incremental territorial gains at the cost of large manpower losses.

Watch: Sam Kiley visits Kherson where Ukrainian civilians are being targeted by Russian drones in near-daily attacks

13:12 , Alex Croft

Dozens of people evacuated from Kursk building struck by drone debris, official says

12:59 , Alex Croft

Dozens of people were evacuated from an apartment building in the Russian city of Kursk following a Ukrainian drone attack, a regional official said on Wednesday.

“As a result of the attack of enemy drones on Kursk, there is damage to an apartment building in the city centre,” the acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexander Khinshtein, said on Telegram.

At least 60 people were evacuated from the building which was hit with drone debris, he said. “Fortunately, there are no casualties.”

Ukraine has not yet commented on the attack, the size of which remains unclear.

In pictures: Abandoned town in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine

12:44 , Alex Croft

The ruined and abandoned town of Maryinka (Mariinka) in the Donetsk region, Russian-controlled Ukraine (AFP via Getty Images)

The abandoned town was home to more than 9,000 people in 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

The city was largely destroyed during the Russian invasion, and has been abandoned since November 2022. It was reported as fully captured by Russian forces in 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

Comment | Putin has been playing Trump like a cheap violin

12:29 , Alex Croft

Such is the Trump Tower-sized self-conceit of Donald J Trump that for weeks – if not months – he could not see what virtually the whole of the rest of the world could: Vladimir Putin was playing him like a cheap violin.

Trump, seemingly mesmerised by the Russian leader, gave his friend everything he wanted: dominance in Ukraine, aside from a carve-out for US mineral interests; a Russian zone of influence in Europe; the abandonment of Nato and other allies. All of that in return for the Russians scaling back their nuclear arsenal and giving the Americans a free run at acquiring Greenland and Canada (even if they are not Russia’s to give away and won’t ever happen).

That looked to be the kind of grand bargain Trump was looking for, but Putin overplayed his hand.

Associate editor Sean O’Grady writes:

Putin has been playing Trump like a cheap violin

US Senators push for sanctions on Russia if peace efforts delayed

12:00 , Alex Croft

Half of the US Senate, including 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats, banded together to introduce prospective sanctions on Russia which would be imposed if it refuses to engage in good faith negotiations with Ukraine.

Led by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, the group said it would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia if Moscow does not engage in talks or initiated another attempt to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty.

“The sanctions against Russia require tariffs on countries who purchase Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products. They are hard hitting for a reason,” the two senators said in a statement, a rare moment of bipartisanship in a divided Congress.

“The dominating view in the United States Senate is that Russia is the aggressor, and that this horrific war and Putin’s aggression must end now and be deterred in the future,” they said.

Ukraine marks three years since Russian forces pushed out of Kyiv region

11:51 , Alex Croft

Three years ago, the Defense Forces drove the enemy out of Kyiv region. The russians attempted to swiftly capture the capital but shattered their ambitions against the resilience of the Ukrainian soldiers and the unity of Ukrainian society.

At the same time, with the liberation… pic.twitter.com/0vQ21xjIRG — Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 2, 2025

Watch: Ukraine’s firefighters battle blaze after Russian drone strike in Kharkiv

11:45 , Alex Croft

Trump’s pick for top US general stresses need to arm Ukraine

11:32 , Alex Croft

Donald Trump’s nominee to become America’s most senior military general has voiced his support for military assistance to Ukraine to “deter Russia from further aggression”.

Retired Lieutenant General Dan Caine is Mr Trump’s pick to become the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff – the highest-ranking officer in the US armed forces and the main military advisor to the president.

Speaking at the Senate Armed Services Committee, Lt Gen Caine said US military assistance “improves Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table and deters Russia from further aggression”.

“From a military standpoint, Ukraine has the right to self-defense, and from that standpoint our security assistance helps Ukraine to defend itself,” he said according to the published transcript of his confirmation hearing.

But Washington should “focus on what unique capabilities only the US can provide” while Europe “increases its share of support”.

Lt Gen Caine believes Moscow will “continue to prosecute the war in 2025” because it “likely views the conflict is in its favour”.

Lt Gen Caine faced the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing on Monday (Getty Images)

Who is Putin’s negotiator and what will he discuss?

11:11 , Alex Croft

Kirill Dmitriev, the 49-year-old chief of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, is reportedly set to visit Washington to meet Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff.

But who is Kyiv-born Mr Dmitriev, and why is he being sent by Moscow on what would be Russia’s first diplomatic visit to the US since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022?

Mr Dmitriev, who holds regular meetings with Vladimir Putin, was appointed in February as Putin’s special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation.

Born in Kyiv in Soviet Ukraine, the envoy went on to study at Stanford University in California before being awarded an MBA with distinction at Harvard.

He speaks fluent English, worked at Goldman Sachs in New York alongside McKinsey & Company, before returning to Moscow where he worked in an US-Russian investment management company.

Kirill Dmitriev was present for previous Russia-US talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (REUTERS)

He has built strong relations with key members of the Trump team, having played a role in early Russia-US contacts when Mr Trump first took power in 2016. Mr Dmitriev also met US special envoy Steve Witkoff when he visited Moscow in March.

Having flattered Mr Trump, he may be seen as the perfect fit for a Washington visit. “Trump (is) driving tectonic shifts in geopolitics. False malign paradigms (are) collapsing, giving way to common sense and values-driven solutions,” Mr Dmitriev said.

Moscow has likely tasked him with discussing the return of US companies to Russia, rare earths, energy prices, prisoner swaps and peace in Ukraine, among other topics.

Mr Dmitriev was sanctioned by the US as a “a known Putin ally”, but has not been sanctioned by the European Union. According to CNN, Washington has temporarily lifted the sanctions for the visit.

Visit to Washington by Putin envoy is ‘possible’, says Kremlin

10:56 , Alex Croft

A US visit by Vladimir Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev is “possible”, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.

Contacts between Moscow and Washington are continuing, a Kremlin spokesperson added.

Reuters reported that Dmitriev is expected in Washington this week for talks with Donald Trump’s administration.

Watch: Trump warns Zelensky of ‘big problems’ after accusing him of minerals deal u-turn

10:49 , Alex Croft

Two arrested in Russian plot to blow up Lviv police station

10:29 , Alex Croft

Two people have been arrested after allegedly plotting to blow up a police station in the western city of Lviv on Russian instructions, Ukrainian authorities said.

The suspects were carrying out the “instructions of a Russian representative in exchange for a monetary reward”, Ukrainian prosecutors said on Telegram.

They “arrived in Lviv and retrieved explosives hidden in a bag at specific coordinates”, authorities said. “The defendants were set to plant the concealed explosives in an administrative building at a Lviv police station as part of their prearranged plan.”

One of the perpetrators was a 22-year-old woman and resident of Kyiv who had been looking to ear “easy money” through Telegram channels.

After recruitment by Russian intelligence she was tasked with a “test” assignment, posting Russian propaganda leaflets around Kyiv, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

Black Sea ceasefire: Why crucial Ukraine-Russia deal may never work despite concessions made to Putin

10:15 , Alex Croft

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to stop attacking ships in the Black Sea after intense negotiations with the US in Saudi Arabia.

It is not the full ceasefire Donald Trump is continuing to push for three years into Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but the move is seen as progress by the White House.

A US delegation held separate talks with counterparts from Russia and Ukraine over three days into Tuesday.

The talks with Kyiv came on either side of a marathon 12-hour discussion with Kremlin representatives on Monday, which was described by a Russian official as “challenging” but “useful”.

Rachel Clun reports:

Black Sea ceasefire: Why crucial deal may never work despite concessions to Putin

More pictures from Russian drone attack on Kharkiv

10:03 , Alex Croft

At least eight people were injured, including three children, according to the State Emergency Service (EPA)

Volodymyr Zelensky said around 14 drones were fired at Kharkiv, of the 74 fired by Russia in total (EPA)

Ukrainian experts inspect a drone engine at the site of a shock drone strike in Kharkiv (EPA)

Mapped: Russia advance slows in Donetsk as Ukraine launches counterattacks

09:48 , Alex Croft

Action must be taken against Russia now, says Zelensky

09:35 , Alex Croft

More from Volodymyr Zelensky, who called for a global response following Russia’s overnight drone attack.

In a direct message to Western allies, Mr Zelensky says “new and tangible pressure” is needed on Moscow to bring the war to an end.

The US and European countries must not wait until April 11, when it will be a month since Russia rejected the US ceasefire proposal, he added.

“This systematic and constant nature of Russian strikes clearly indicates that Moscow despises the diplomatic efforts of partners,” Mr Zelensky wrote on X. “Putin does not even want to ensure a partial ceasefire.

“We should not wait until April 11, when it will be a month since Russia said ‘no’ to the American proposal for a ceasefire. Action must be taken as soon as possible.”

Kyiv is ready to work with partners from the US and Europe to achieve a “dignified and lasting peace”, he added.

Last night, the Russian army continued using attack drones against Ukraine. A total of 74 drones were launched, including 54 Shaheds. Kharkiv was deliberately targeted – at least 14 drones. Unfortunately, there were hits. There are wounded, including three children. All are… pic.twitter.com/PUk5tSlHMN — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 2, 2025

Three children injured in overnight Russian attacks – Zelensky

09:22 , Alex Croft

Three children were injured during the 74-drone attack on Ukraine by Russian forces, Volodymyr Zelensky added in his X post.

Kharkiv was the most heavily targeted area in the attack, facing at least 14 drones. The attack involved 54 Iran-made Shahed drones in total, the Ukrainian president added.

All the wounded are receiving the “necessary assistance” he said.

Russian attacks damage multiple energy facilities – Zelensky

09:16 , Alex Croft

Russian attacks damaged multiple energy facilities in Ukraine, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.

Facilities in the Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions were damaged, with electricity cut to nearly 4,000 consumers, Mr Zelensky wrote on X.

A drone hit a substation in the northeastern Sumy region andn artillery fire damaged a power line in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, he said.

Kyiv and Moscow had agreed with the US to a pause on energy infrastructure attacks, but both side has accused the other of violating this truce.

Russia also launched a drone attack in Kharkiv (AFP via Getty Images)

Ukrainian records 176 clashes with Russian troops, 64 near Pokrovsk

08:49 , Alex Croft

The Ukrainian military recorded 176 clashes with Russian forces over the past day, 64 of which took place on the eastern Pokrovsk front.

Vladimir Putin’s forces have been steadily advancing near Pokrovsk, a strategic Ukrainian town which serves as a supply hub for other areas of the frontline. Russia has aimed to cut supply lines to and from Pokrovsk to other Ukrainian-controlled areas.

Clashes were also recorded on the fronts in Kharkiv, Kupiansk, Lyman, Toretsk, Kursk and others.

The grinding war of attrition in eastern Ukraine has seen Russia send large masses of troops charging towards stretched Ukrainian defences, claiming incremental territorial gains at the cost of large manpower losses.

ICYMI: Moscow can’t accept US peace proposals in current form – Russian diplomat

08:26 , Alex Croft

Moscow cannot accept the current US proposals on ending the war in Ukraine, a Russian diplomat said on Tuesday, as Washington expresses the first signs of anger over Vladimir Putin’s stalling of a peace settlement.

Russia is giving serious consideration to the proposals but Washington must take into account what the Kremlin regards as the root causes of the conflict, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said according to state media.

“We take the models and solutions proposed by the Americans very seriously, but we can’t accept it all in its current form,” he said.

“As far as we can see, there is no place in them today for our main demand, namely to solve the problems related to the root causes of this conflict,” he told Russia’s International Affairs magazine.

“It is completely absent, and that must be overcome,” he was quoted as saying.

Recap: Why is Trump ‘very angry’ with Putin?

08:20 , Alex Croft

After weeks of working with Vladimir Putin to reach a peace deal in Ukraine, Donald Trump has now said he is “p***** off” with the Russian leader.

In and NBC interview, the US president said he was “very angry” with Putin for attacking Volodymyr Zelensky’s governence.

“You could say that I was very angry, pissed off, when… Putin started getting into Zelensky’s credibility, because that’s not going in the right location,” Trump told NBC.

Last week, the Russian president said Ukraine should be put under external UN governance as part of the ceasefire process.

His suggestion that Zelensky’s leadership was illegitimate was met with condemnation from leaders around the world.

“New leadership means you’re not gonna have a deal for a long time,” Trump added in his interview with NBC.

It is the first time Trump has appeared to express real anger towards Moscow since taking office in January (AFP/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

Putin envoy responds to reports of Washington visit

08:14 , Alex Croft

Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s international cooperation envoy, has responded to reports that he is set to visit Washington this week.

“Maybe. The resistance to US–Russia dialogue is real—driven by entrenched interests and old narratives,” he wrote on X.

“But what if improved relations are exactly what the world needs for lasting global security and peace?”

He later posted a poll, asking his followers: “Are good U.S.–Russia relations good for the world?”

Maybe.

The resistance to US–Russia dialogue is real—driven by entrenched interests and old narratives.

But what if improved relations are exactly what the world needs for lasting global security and peace 🕊️?#Geopolitics #USRussia #Peace #GlobalSecurity https://t.co/U3ungjB21Z — Kirill A. Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) April 1, 2025

Putin envoy to visit Washington for Witkoff meeting

08:03 , Alex Croft

Vladimir Putin’s envoy for international cooperation is reportedly set to visit Washington this week for a meeting with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff.

In what would be the first visit by a Russian official to Washington since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow’s presidential envoy for international cooperation Kirill Dmitriev will meet with Mr Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, two sources told Reuters.

A close advisor to Putin, Dmitriev has been involved in recent US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia amid warming relations between Washington and Moscow.

He worked with Mr Witkoff to secure the release of American teacher Marc Fogel, who was arrested in Russia for trying to enter the country with a small amount of medical cannabis.

Trump’s frantic week of peace brokering hints at what he really wants

16 May 2025 Share Save James Landale • @BBCJLandale Diplomatic correspondent Share Save

BBC

“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” So supposedly said the Russian revolutionary leader Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. The diplomatic whirlwind that has surrounded US President Donald Trump this week suggests the old Bolshevik might have been onto something. For the protectionist president, who promises always to put America First, has in recent days instead been busy bestriding the world stage. He and his team have done business deals in the Gulf; lifted sanctions on Syria; negotiated the release of a US citizen held by Hamas; ended military strikes on Houthi fighters in Yemen; slashed American tariffs on China; ordered Ukraine to hold talks with Russia in Turkey; continued quiet negotiations with Iran over a nuclear deal; and even claimed responsibility for brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan… The pace has been breathless, leaving allies and opponents alike struggling to catch up as the US diplomatic bandwagon hurtled from issue to issue. “Just, wow!” remarked one London-based ambassador. “It is almost impossible to stay on top of everything that’s going on.” So what is going on? What have we learned in this frantic week about the US president’s emerging foreign policy? Is there something approaching a Trump doctrine – or is this just a coincidental confluence of global events?

Pomp and flattery in Saudi

A good place to start, perhaps, is the president’s visit to the Gulf where he set out – in word and deed – his vision for a world of interstate relations based on trade, not war. In a speech in Riyadh, Trump said he wanted “commerce not chaos” in the Middle East, a region that “exports technology not terrorism”. His was a prospect of a breezy, pragmatic mercantilism where nations did business deals to their mutual benefit, a world where profit can bring peace.

Getty Images In Saudi Arabia, Trump signed deals the White House claimed represented $600bn of investment in the US

As he enjoyed the flattery of his Saudi hosts and the obeisance of visiting dignitaries, the president signed – with his fat felt tip pen – deals that the White House claimed represented $600bn of investment in the US. This was Trump in all his pomp; applauded and rewarded with immediate wins he could sell back home as good for American jobs. Some diplomats privately questioned the value of the various memorandums of understanding. But the show, they said, was more important than the substance.

A ‘none of our business’ approach

Absent from Trump’s speech was any mention of possible collective action by the US and other countries; no talk of multilateral cooperation against the threat of climate change, no concerns about challenges to democratic or human rights in the region. This was a discourse almost entirely without reference to ideology or values except to dismiss their significance. Rather, he used his speech to Saudi leaders to make his clearest argument yet against Western interventionism of the past, attacking what he called “the so-called nation-builders and neo-cons” for “giving you lectures on how to live or how to govern your own affairs”. To the applause of his Arab audience, he said these “Western interventionists” had “wrecked more nations than they built”, adding: “Far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it’s our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use US policy to dispense justice for their sins. “I believe it’s God’s job to sit in judgement. My job is to defend America.”

AFP via Getty Images ‘My job is to defend America,’ Trump told audiences this week

That reluctance to intervene was on show in recent days when it came to the fighting between India and Pakistan. In the past, the US has often played a key role seeking to end military confrontations in the subcontinent. But the Trump White House was initially cautious about getting involved. Vice-President JD Vance told Fox News the fighting was “fundamentally none of our business… We can’t control these countries”. In the end, both he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio did make calls, putting pressure on both nuclear powers to de-escalate. So too did other countries. When the ceasefire was agreed, Trump claimed US diplomacy had brokered the deal. But that was flatly dismissed by Indian diplomats who insisted it was a bilateral truce.

Pros of policy in one man’s hands

The centrality of Trump to US foreign policy has also become apparent this week. This is more than just a simple truism. On show was the lack of involvement of other parts of the US government that traditionally help shape US decision-making overseas. Take the president’s extraordinary decision to meet Syria’s new president and former jihadist, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and lift sanctions on Syria. This showed the potential advantage of having foreign policy in one man’s hands: it was a decisive and bold step. And it was clearly the president’s personal decision, after heavy lobbying by both Turkey and Saudi Arabia. It was seen by some diplomats as the quid pro quo for the diplomatic fawning and investment deals Trump received in Riyadh. Not only did the decision surprise many in the region but it also surprised many in the American government. Diplomats said the State Department was reluctant to lift sanctions, wanting to keep some leverage over the new Syrian government, fearful it was not doing enough to protect minorities and tackle foreign fighters. Diplomats say this pattern of impulsive decision-making without wider internal government discussion is common in the White House. The result, they say, is not always positive.

AFP via Getty Images A billboard in Damascus, thanking Saudi Arabia and the US, after sanctions were lifted

This is due, in part, to Trump’s lack of consistency (or put simply, changing his mind). Take the decision this week to do a deal with China to cut tariffs on trade with the US. A few weeks ago Trump imposed 145% tariffs on Beijing, with blood thirsty warnings against retaliation. The Chinese retaliated, the markets plunged, American businesses warned of dire consequences. So in Geneva, US officials climbed down and most tariffs against China were cut to 30%, supposedly in return for some increased US access to Chinese markets. This followed a now-familiar pattern: issue maximalist demands, threaten worse, negotiate, climb down and declare victory.

Limitations of his ‘art of a deal’

The problem is that this “art of a deal” strategy might work on easily reversible decisions such as tariffs. It is harder to apply to longer term diplomatic conundrums such as war. Take Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On this, Trump’s policy has been fluid, to put it mildly. And this week was a case in point. Last Saturday the leaders of the UK, France, Poland and Germany visited Kyiv to put on a show of support for Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. And in a group call with Trump on French President Emmanuel Macron’s phone, they spelled out their strategy of demanding Russia agree an immediate 30-day ceasefire or face tougher sanctions. This was Trump’s policy too. The day before he wrote on social media: “If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions.” But then on Sunday, President Vladimir Putin suggested instead there should be direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey on Thursday. Trump immediately went along with this, backtracking on the strategy he had agreed with European leaders a day earlier.

AFP via Getty Images Some diplomats say they are confused by Trump’s approach to the war in Ukraine. (Pictured with Putin in 2019)

“Ukraine should agree to (these talks) immediately,” he wrote on social media. “I am starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin.” Then on Thursday, Trump changed his position again, saying a deal could be done only if he and Putin were to meet in person. This puzzles some diplomats. “Does he genuinely not know what he wants to do about the war in Ukraine?” one remarked to me. “Or does he just grasp at what might offer the quickest resolution possible?”

A snub to Netanyahu?

Into this puzzling mix fell two other decisions this week. First, Trump agreed a ceasefire after a campaign bombing Houthi fighters in Yemen for almost two months. There have been questions about the effectiveness of the hugely expensive air strikes, and the president’s appetite for a long military operation. He repeatedly told his Arab hosts how much he disliked war. Second, Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, held his fourth round of talks with Iran over efforts to curb their nuclear ambitions. Both sides are hinting that a deal is possible, although sceptics fear it could be quite modest. Talk of joint US-Israeli military action against Iran seems to have dissipated.

Getty Images Netanyahu appears to have been snubbed by Trump this week, according to some onlookers

What unites both issues is that the United States was acting directly against the wishes of Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu may have been the first world leader invited to the Oval Office after Trump’s inauguration, but in recent days, he seems to have been snubbed. Trump toured the Middle East without visiting Israel; he lifted sanctions on Syria without Israel’s support. His Houthi ceasefire came only days after the group attacked Tel Aviv airport. Diplomats fear Netanyahu’s reaction. Could the spurned prime minister respond with a more aggressive military operation in Gaza?

Capitalism to overcome conflict

So after this week of diplomatic hurly burly, how much has changed? Perhaps less than might appear. For all the glitz of Trump’s tour through the Middle East, the fighting and humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues unresolved. A fresh Israeli offensive seems imminent. One of Trump’s chief aims – the normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia – remains distant. For all the talks about ending the war in Ukraine, there is no greater likelihood of the guns falling silent. Putin’s ambitions seem unchanged. And for all the deals to cut US tariffs, either with the UK or China, there is still huge global market instability.

Getty Images Despite deals to cut US tariffs, there is still huge global market instability

We do have a clearer idea of Trump’s global ideology, one that is not isolationist but mercantilist, hoping optimistically that capitalism can overcome conflict. We also have a clearer idea of his haste, his desire to clear his diplomatic decks – in the Middle East, Ukraine and the subcontinent – so he can focus on his primary concern, namely China. But that may prove an elusive ambition. If there are weeks when decades happen, there are also weeks when nothing happens.

Top picture credit: Getty Images

As Zelenskyy accused Putin of preparing to reject the ceasefire, Trump deemed Putin’s words ‘promising but incomplete’.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Moscow was in favour of the principle of a ceasefire in the war against Ukraine, as proposed by the Donald Trump administration in the United States, but raised questions he said the Kremlin needed answers to before it could commit to a truce.

He said Russia needed to discuss these questions and the terms of a peace proposal with the US.

His comments, the first on the proposed ceasefire, drew criticism from Ukraine and a muted response from Trump, who has oscillated between expressing confidence in Putin’s commitment to a peace deal and threatening Russia with new sanctions if it does not agree to a ceasefire.

Here is what Putin said, the conditions he laid out for Moscow to back a ceasefire, and how the US and Ukraine have reacted to his recent statement:

What is the US-Ukraine ceasefire deal?

On Tuesday, teams representing Washington and Kyiv met in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah to negotiate terms for peace in Ukraine.

After this meeting, the two countries released a joint statement, proposing an “immediate, interim” 30-day ceasefire on the war front.

The statement placed emphasis on “the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children” during the ceasefire period.

The document did not mention sanctions on Russia or security guarantees for Ukraine, but it did mention that Ukraine’s European allies would be “involved in the peace process”.

The document also did not specify what would happen with the Ukrainian soldiers in Russia’s Kursk.

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What did Putin say about the ceasefire?

Nothing, for almost two days.

Then, on Thursday, at a news conference alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Putin responded to the ceasefire proposal.

He said the idea of a ceasefire was “correct” and Russia supported it, in principle. “We agree with the proposals to cease hostilities,” he told reporters in Moscow.

But, he added, “there are issues that we need to discuss, and I think that we need to talk about it with our American colleagues and partners, and, perhaps, have a call with President Trump and discuss it with him.”

What ‘issues’ does Putin want resolved before a ceasefire?

The Russian president outlined three questions and suggested that resolving them in a manner satisfactory to Moscow would be preconditions for the Kremlin to accept a ceasefire.

How will the Kursk incursion play out?

The first question Putin posed pertains to Ukrainian troops in the Russian region of Kursk.

In August last year, the Ukrainian army launched a surprise incursion into Kursk, seizing territory.

While the Russian army has now reclaimed 1,100 square km (425 square miles) of Kursk – almost the whole area that Ukrainian forces had grabbed – Kyiv’s troops are still present.

“Will all those who are there come out without a fight? Or will the Ukrainian leadership order them to lay down arms and surrender?” Putin questioned.

Will Ukraine mobilise troops and receive new weapons during the ceasefire?

Putin also suggested that a 30-day ceasefire could be used by Ukraine to mobilise new forces at a time when its troops are facing setbacks not just in Kursk but also in eastern Ukraine, where Russia has made slow, grinding gains in recent months.

During the news conference, Putin said “Russian troops are advancing in almost all areas of the front… So how will these 30 days be used? For forced mobilisation to continue in Ukraine, for weapons to be delivered there, for the newly-mobilised units to be trained? … How can we and how will we be guaranteed that nothing like that will happen? How will control be organised?”

Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, also said on Thursday that the 30-day pause in fighting would only help Ukrainian troops regroup, deeming the ceasefire a “temporary respite” for the Ukrainian army.

In recent months, Ukraine has suffered manpower shortages. In January, Ukrainian troops retreated from Kurakhove, a town in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, when Russian troops claimed control.

Who will verify the ceasefire?

Putin also questioned how the ceasefire would be monitored and who would ensure that both parties are following the agreement.

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“We proceed from the fact that this cessation should be such that it would lead to long-term peace and eliminate the original causes of this crisis,” he said.

“Who will give orders to stop hostilities? … Who will determine where and who has violated a possible ceasefire agreement for 2,000 kilometres (1,243 miles)?”

How has the US reacted?

Putin’s comments came shortly after US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Russia to meet with Putin and other Russian officials. Although Witkoff is officially Trump’s Middle East envoy, he has also been involved in Russia relations.

Last month, he became the first high-level US official to travel to Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. During this visit, he secured the release of Marc Fogel, an imprisoned American, in exchange for the US releasing imprisoned Russian Alexander Vinnik. Witkoff was also part of the US team during negotiations with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia.

On Thursday, at the beginning of a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump said that Putin had released “a very promising statement, but it wasn’t complete”.

“Now we’re going to see whether or not Russia’s there. And if they’re not, it’ll be a very disappointing moment for the world.”

Also on Thursday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that Trump is “willing to apply maximum pressure on both sides”, including sanctions on Russia.

Since the beginning of the war in February 2022, the US and its allies have imposed at least 21,692 sanctions on Russia, targeting individuals, media organisations, the military sector, energy sector, aviation, shipbuilding and telecommunications, among other sectors.

Last week, the US temporarily suspended military aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine, after a White House meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spiralled into acrimony.

The aid and intelligence sharing were restored after the US and Ukraine jointly agreed on the 30-day ceasefire agreement in Jeddah.

How has Ukraine reacted?

In his nightly address posted on X on Thursday, Zelenskyy said that Putin is “preparing to reject” the ceasefire proposal.

“Putin is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war and keep killing Ukrainians,” said Zelenskyy.

Marina Miron, a post-doctoral researcher at the defence studies department of King’s College London, said it would make sense for Russia to stall on a decision about the ceasefire.

“Until the ceasefire is implemented and everybody is on the same page, time will pass, which will probably give the Russians the necessary time to at least get Kursk back so that it removes any potential negotiating bonuses for Ukraine,” Miron told Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

In his address, Zelenskyy added: “Now is the time to increase pressure on him [Putin]. Sanctions must be applied – ones that will work.” The Ukrainian leader said his country is willing to continue working with its US and European partners to further the peace process.

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Could the US and Ukraine accept Russia’s peace terms?

It’s unclear. But some experts believe that Trump’s track record suggests that the US could try to accommodate Putin’s concerns. If that happens, Ukraine might have no choice but to accept this.

“If past performance is any guide, [Russia’s] demands will be backed by the US,” Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at the London-based Chatham House think tank, told Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

“I think that the Trump administration has shown to Ukraine very clearly that Ukraine is not going to dictate the rules after the debacle in the Oval Office,” Miron added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that one of the reason why Russia is no longer providing assistance to the Iranians in the war is that “Israel is almost a Russian‑speaking country.”

Putin said on Friday during a news conference that the Kremlin “traditionally enjoys good and friendly relations with the Arab world. It has been said here that we must show a certain solidarity—and that is true. But in any case, every conflict is rather unique. I want to draw your attention to the fact that almost two million Russian speaking people live in Israel; it is almost a Russian‑speaking country today.”

2 View gallery Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin ( Photos: Dmitry Serebryakov / AP; Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP )

“Who said that we were supposed to do more: what else? Start combat operations?” Putin asked. “We defend Iran’s right to nuclear energy in the name of peace. We built a nuclear reactor in Iran and signed contracts for two more. We continue that work; we have not evacuated our people from there. Isn’t that support for Iran?”

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claims that among the bodies returned by Moscow in the recent repatriation between the two countries were 20 Russians—among them, “a Russian‑mercenary Israeli.”

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Ukrainian media quoted Zelensky as saying that the Russians “sent an Israeli citizen, with Israeli documents, who fought on their side. They told us they were Ukrainians. That means they don’t even check who they are sending.”

The repatriation of bodies is part of a prisoner‑and‑body exchange agreement reached in talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. The Ukrainians claimed that the Russians had deceived them by sending them the bodies of Russian soldiers under the guise of Ukrainians. The identity of the Israeli has not been released.

2 View gallery Released Ukrainian prisoners of war ( Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS )

In the talks, it was agreed to release at least 1,200 prisoners from each side and transfer thousands of bodies. This was the only concrete achievement of the second round of talks between Kyiv and Moscow earlier this month, held amid strong pressure exerted by U.S. President Donald Trump in hopes of ending the war.

Russia has placed extremely strict demands for a cease‑fire, including Ukrainian withdrawal from frontline territories; Kyiv and its Western allies contend that Putin currently is not interested in a cease‑fire because his forces enjoy momentum on the battlefield.

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Russia and the U.S. agreed Tuesday to start working toward ending the war in Ukraine and improving their diplomatic and economic ties, the two countries’ top diplomats said after talks that reflected an extraordinary about-face in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump.

In an interview with The Associated Press after the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two sides agreed broadly to pursue three goals: to restore staffing at their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow, to create a high-level team to support Ukraine peace talks and to explore closer relations and economic cooperation.

He stressed, however, that the talks — which were attended by his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and other senior Russian and U.S. officials — marked the beginning of a conversation, and more work needs to be done.

Lavrov echoed Rubio’s remarks and told reporters that “the conversation was very useful.”

“We not only listened, but also heard each other,” he said.

Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Waltz, and special Mideast envoy Steven Witkoff joined Rubio at the table, along with Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov.

No Ukrainian officials were present at the meeting, which came as the beleaguered country is slowly but steadily losing ground against more numerous Russian troops in a grinding war that began nearly three years ago.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country would not accept any outcome from the talks since Kyiv didn’t take part, and he postponed his own trip to the kingdom scheduled for Wednesday.

European allies have also expressed concerns that they are being sidelined.

Trump showed little patience for Ukraine’s objections to being excluded from the talks. He said repeatedly that Ukraine’s leaders never should have allowed the war to begin, suggesting the country should have been willing to make concessions to Russia before the 2022 invasion.

“Today I heard, ‘Oh, well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you been there for three years. You should have ended it three years” ago, Trump said during a news conference at his Florida residence. “You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”

Improving Russian-US relations

Ties between Russia and the U.S. have fallen to their lowest level in decades in recent years — a rift that has been widening ever since Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and only worsened after Moscow’s full-scale invasion.

The U.S., along with European nations, imposed a raft of sanctions on Russia in an effort to damage its economy. And embassies in Washington and Moscow have been hit hard by expulsions of large numbers of diplomats, as well as other restrictions.

Rubio said Tuesday that ending the war in Ukraine could “unlock the door” for “incredible opportunities” to partner with the Russians on issues of common interest “that hopefully will be good for the world and also improve our relations in the long term.”

His comments were further evidence of the remarkable U.S. reversal on Russia after years in which Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, led international efforts to isolate Moscow.

Tuesday’s meeting was meant to pave the way for a summit between Trump and Putin. After the talks ended, Ushakov and Waltz said no date has been set yet for that summit. Ushakov told Russian television that a meeting was “unlikely” to take place next week, while Waltz said he thought it could be arranged in the coming weeks.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Lavrov mentioned the same three goals as Rubio and said that Washington and Moscow agreed to appoint representatives to carry out “regular consultations” on Ukraine.

“I have reason to believe that the American side has started to better understand our position” the Russian foreign minister said.

The meeting marked the most extensive contact between the two countries since Moscow’s Feb. 24, 2022, invasion. Lavrov and then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken talked briefly on the sidelines of a G-20 meeting in India nearly two years ago, but tensions remained high.

Concerns from allies they are being sidelined

The recent U.S. diplomatic blitz on the war has sent Ukraine and key allies scrambling to ensure a seat at the table amid concerns that Washington and Moscow could press ahead with a deal that won’t be favorable to them.

Kyiv’s absence at Tuesday’s talks rankled many Ukrainians, and France called an emergency meeting of European Union countries and the U.K. on Monday to discuss the war. Kyiv’s participation in such talks was a bedrock of U.S. policy under Biden.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said the talks were aimed at determining how serious the Russians are about achieving peace and whether detailed negotiations can start.

Rubio said Tuesday that there would be “engagement and consultation with Ukraine, with our partners in Europe and others. But ultimately, the Russian side will be indispensable to this effort.”

Rubio also said ending the conflict would require concessions from all sides and that Washington “is not going to predetermine” what those concessions would be.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week that NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic and suggested Kyiv should abandon hopes of winning all its territory back from Russia — two key items on Putin’s wish list.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said he spoke by phone to Trump and Zelenskyy following Monday’s European meeting.

“We seek a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine,” Macron wrote on social media platform X. “To achieve this, Russia must end its aggression, and this must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees for the Ukrainians,” he said and vowed to “work on this together with all Europeans, Americans and Ukrainians.”

Saudi Arabia’s role

The meeting at the Diriyah Palace in the Saudi capital of Riyadh also highlighted de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s efforts to be a major diplomatic player, burnishing a reputation severely tarnished by the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Saudi state media described the talks as happening at the prince’s direction. Like the neighboring United Arab Emirates, the prince has maintained close relations to Russia throughout its war on Ukraine, both through the OPEC+ oil cartel and diplomatically as well.

Saudi Arabia has also helped in prisoner negotiations and hosted Zelenskyy for an Arab League summit in 2023.

But Zelenskyy postponed his own trip to Saudi Arabia scheduled for this week, suggesting that he wanted to avoid his visit being linked to the talks since Ukrainian officials weren’t invited. His visit was rescheduled for March 10.

War continues

Meanwhile, Russia continued to pummel Ukraine with drones, according to Kyiv’s military. The Ukrainian air force said Russian troops launched a barrage of 176 drones at Ukraine overnight, most of which were destroyed or disabled by jamming.

One Russian drone struck a residential building in Dolynska in the Kirovohrad region, wounding a mother and her two children and prompting an evacuation of 38 apartments, the regional administration reported.

___

Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia. Associated Press writers Baraa Anwer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.