Donald Trump is set to speak with Vladimir Putin in the next week to further discuss a ceasefire deal with Ukraine.
Speaking to CNN on Sunday, US envoy Steve Witkoff said the leaders will speak over the phone after what he described as a "positive" meeting with Putin in Moscow.
"I expect that there will be a call with both presidents this week, and we're also continuing to engage and have conversation with the Ukrainians," said Witkoff, who met with Putin on Thursday night, adding that he thought the talk between Trump and Putin would be "really good and positive."
Ukraine has confirmed its withdrawal from the biggest town it held in Kursk, as Russia battles the last of Kyiv’s troops out of the key region.
In early August 2024, Ukrainian troops staged an incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, capturing areas they hoped could be a crucial bargaining chip in peace negotiations.
But seven months later, Kyiv’s forces are rapidly losing ground amid a major Russian offensive to recapture land.
A battleground map shared by Ukraine’s general staff on Sunday seemingly confirmed they had retreated from Sudzha, the biggest town Ukraine controlled in Kursk, and the surrounding area.
Keir Starmer’s steady leadership offers the best chance of forcing Putin to make peace- Starmer says plans for military support for Ukraine now entering ‘operational phase’
Putin’s troops say they’re close to retaking Kursk from Ukrainian forces – here’s why it matters
Military chiefs to meet in London as ‘coalition of the willing’ talks continue
10,000 troops could be deployed for peacekeeping force - reports
Over 10,000 troops could be deployed as part of the ‘coalition of the willing’ peacekeeping force in Ukraine, reports have suggested.
Sir Keir Starmer reportedly won over a number of countries in his virtual summit on Saturday, which discussed plans for Western troops to be deployed to enforce a ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia.
A senior government source told The Times that Starmer has now received support from “considerably more” than the three countries that initially backed sending troops on the ground.
Around 35 countries have agreed to supply weapons, logistical and intelligence support, as military source told the paper that the force could be “comfortably north of 10,000”.
Italy rules out deploying peacekeeping forces in Ukraine - despite joining meeting
Italy has no plans to deploy peacekeeping forces on the ground in Ukraine to support a potential ceasefire, prime minister Giorgia Meloni's office announced on Saturday.
Despite joining Starmer’s ‘coalition of the willing’ meeting on Saturday, where members discussed sending troops in the event of a deal, Italy have ruled out sending their own forces.
“The Prime Minister confirmed that Italy intends to continue working with European and Western partners and with the United States to define credible and effective security guarantees, reiterating that national participation in a possible military force on the ground is not envisaged,” the statement said.
It was not certain whether Meloni would join Saturday’s meeting, as she had been critical of plans to deploy a peacekeeping force in the past.
Trump narrows envoy role to just Ukraine
Donald Trump has narrowed General Keith Kellogg's role from special envoy for Ukraine and Russia to only Ukraine.
The decision comes after Russian officials had sought to exclude him from talks aiming to end the war.
"General Kellogg, a Highly Respected Military Expert, will deal directly with President Zelensky, and Ukrainian leadership," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
"He knows them well, and they have a very good working relationship together."
Russia launches dozens of drones overnight
Russia launched 90 drones in an overnight attack on Ukraine overnight, Kyiv has said.
Ukraine’s air defence units said it shot down 47 of the 90 drones and that 33 drones were lost “in reference to the Ukrainian military using electronic warfare to redirect them”.
Damage was reported in four regions in the north, centre and south of the country, the air force said without providing details.
What are Putin and Zelensky’s demands for agreeing 30-day truce?
Russia has presented the US with a list of demands for a deal to end its invasion of Ukraine and reset relations with Washington, it has been reported.
The demands were submitted to Washington after Ukraine accepted a 30-day proposal discussed with the US during peace talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
It is unclear what was included in that letter, but former senior British officials who focus on Russia have suggested to The Independent that Moscow will try to extract maximal demands from Washington in exchange for a ceasefire.
What are Putin and Zelensky’s demands to agree 30-day Ukraine ceasefire?
Canada pledges almost £27 m to Ukraine energy fund
Canada has contributed an additional CA$50m (£26.8m) to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, Ukraine’s energy ministry announced on Saturday, according to The Kyiv Independent.
This follows Ukraine’s receipt of the first tranche of a $1.7bn loan, secured through frozen Russian assets from Canada, as confirmed by Ukraine’s finance ministry on 13 March.
“As Russia continues its ruthless attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, leaving millions without electricity, water, and heat, Canada is proud... to continue the important work it is doing to help Ukraine repair its critical infrastructure,” said Canadian foreign minister Mélanie Joly in a statement.
“Contributions to the Energy Support Fund are directed toward purchasing equipment necessary for restoring energy facilities after enemy attacks and ensuring the stable operation of Ukraine’s energy system,” said Ukraine’s minister of energy Herman Halushchenko.
Watch in full: Starmer gives Ukraine update after urging world leaders to keep pressure on Russia
Watch as Sir Keir Starmer held a press conference after hosting a meeting with world leaders to discuss peace in Ukraine on Saturday, 15 March.
The prime minister urged countries in his “coalition of the willing” to keep pressure on Moscow after he warned Vladimir Putin not to “play games” over a ceasefire deal.
Around 25 world leaders joined Sir Keir for a virtual call on Saturday, including Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte.
How Trump’s ‘America First’ MAGA movement turned the Republican Party into an ‘arm of the Kremlin’
Donald Trump’s Oval Office attack on Ukraine’s president last month appeared to mark a very public realignment of America’s sympathies - away from Europe and towards Russia in a manner that few could have imagined during the Cold War years.
The Republican Party, now dominated by Trump’s “America First” MAGA movement, once considered the former Soviet Union “the evil empire” under Ronald Reagan and relished its collapse.
Today, the GOP stands accused of parroting Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric and some even refuse to admit the plain fact that Moscow began the war by invading its neighbor.
.jpeg?trim=0,309,48,0&width=1200&height=800&crop=1200:800)
How ‘America First’ MAGA turned the Republican Party into an ‘arm of the Kremlin’
Putin’s troops say they’re close to retaking Kursk from Ukrainian forces – here’s why it matters
Ukrainian forces are rapidly losing ground in the Kursk region amid a major Russian offensive to recapture land which Kyiv hoped could be a crucial bargaining chip in peace negotiations.
In an attempt to divert Russian forces from the brutal frontlines in eastern Ukraine – and embarrass Vladimir Putin – Ukraine smashed across the border into the Kursk region in August, the biggest attack on Russian territory since the Nazi invasion of 1941.
Putin visited the western region for the first time since its seizure on Wednesday, in a sign of the confidence Moscow has that they will retake complete control of the region.
Russia, Ukraine trade drone strikes as ceasefire prospects remain uncertain
Three people, including a 7-year-old, were injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Belgorod border region, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram, according to a Reuters report.
Two of the victims were hurt when a drone struck their house, sparking a fire in the Gubkinsky district, while the third was injured in an attack on the village of Dolgoye, Gladkov said.Alexander Gusev, governor of Voronezh and acting governor of Russia's southern Rostov region both said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage in their regions.
Russia’s defence ministry reported on Sunday that its air defence units destroyed 31 Ukrainian drones—16 were downed over the southwestern Voronezh region, nine over Belgorod, and the remainder over the Rostov and Kursk regions.
Ukrainian authorities reported multiple Russian drone strikes, including an attack on the northern Chernihiv region, where firefighters were tackling a blaze at a high-rise building ignited by the assault, according to Ukraine's state emergency service.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
1Comments