Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky and Macron discuss French troops as Kim ‘oversees’ North Korean training
Zelensky seeks support from international community to force Putin to sit down at the negotiating table
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Your support makes all the difference.Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and French leader Emmanuel Macron have discussed the possibility of France sending troops to Ukraine.
Mr Macron became the first European leader to discuss the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine earlier this year.
“We continued working on President Macron’s initiative regarding the presence of forces in Ukraine that could contribute to stabilising the path to peace,” Mr Zelensky said.
It comes as South Korea suggested there were indications that North Korea is preparing to send more troops to Russia. Around 100 have been killed while fighting in Russia, according to South Korean intelligence, with roughly 1,000 more injured.
Member of the South Korean parliament Lee Seong-kweun said there was also intelligence that North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un was overseeing the training.
Ukraine and its allies estimate that North Korea has deployed between 10,000 and 12,000 troops so far to aid Russia’s war effort. The Pentagon said the soldiers were largely deployed to Russia’s Kursk region, where Moscow’s forces were battling a Ukrainian ground incursion since August.
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What's known about the brazen bombing that killed a top Russian general in Moscow
Moment Russian general is killed by scooter bomb in Moscow
Moment Russian general is killed by scooter bomb in Moscow
A senior Russian general was killed on Tuesday by a bomb hidden under an e-scooter outside his apartment in Moscow. A Ukrainian security service official has said it was responsible for the attack. The attack came a day after Ukraine’s security service levelled criminal charges against Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov for using chemical weapons during Russia’s invasion. Ukraine’s security services say it has recorded nearly 5,000 occasions when Russia used chemical weapons on the battlefield since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Igor Kirillov was the head of the Russian military’s nuclear, biological, and chemical protection forces. His assistant was also killed in the attack.
Who was Igor Kirillov, Russian general killed by bomb in Moscow?
Who was Igor Kirillov, senior Russian general killed by bombing in Moscow?
Igor Kirillov was charged by Kyiv over use of banned chemical weapons in war
Starmer speaks to Trump to discuss Ukraine and Middle East
Sir Keir Starmer spoke to US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday and “reiterated the need for allies to stand together with Ukraine”, Number 10 has said.
A Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement that the call opened with the Prime Minister congratulating Mr Trump on the recent appointments to his team.
The statement went on: “Both agreed on their joint ambition to strengthen the close and historic relationship between the UK and the US. They looked forward to working together on shared priorities, including international security and delivering economic growth and prosperity.
“Turning to global conflicts, the Prime Minister reiterated the need for allies to stand together with Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression and to ensure Ukraine is in the strongest possible position.
“On the Middle East, the Prime Minister underscored the need to work together to ensure peace and security in the region.
“They agreed to keep in touch and looked forward to seeing one another at the earliest opportunity.”
Nuclear bunker sales increase, despite warnings they won’t protect you
Nuclear bunker sales increase, despite expert warnings they won’t protect you
Global security leaders are warning nuclear threats are growing as weapons spending surged to $91.4 billion last year
China has expanded its nuclear force and strengthened ties to Russia, the Pentagon says
China has expanded its nuclear force and strengthened ties to Russia, the Pentagon says
A Pentagon report says China is expanding its nuclear force, has increased military pressure against Taiwan and has strengthened its ties with Russia over the past year
Russian minister says Moscow can definitely work with Trump administration
Russia can definitely work with the administration of Donald Trump after he is sworn in as U.S. president next month, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday.
Ryabkov reiterated accusations by Moscow that “reckless” actions by the West had raised the risk of nuclear war and described the global security as depressing. Russia, he said, wanted to reduce the potential for conflict.
“Managing this crisis and getting to less shaky ground than now should be put on the agenda of hypothetical discussions with the Americans,” Ryabkov told a panel discussion.
“Is it possible to work with the Trump administration? It’s definitely possible,” he replied when asked about the potential for cooperation.
His comments were the latest signal that Moscow, once Trump takes office, hopes for an improvement in bilateral ties which the Kremlin has said are currently “below zero”.
President Vladimir Putin said last month that Trump’s comments about ending the war in Ukraine - which the American has said repeatedly he could halt very quickly, but without saying how - were deserving of attention.
Ryabkov said he wanted to underline that no contacts of any kind had so far taken place between Russia and the incoming Trump team.
What's known about the brazen bombing that killed a top Russian general in Moscow
What's known about the brazen bombing that killed a top Russian general in Moscow
The killing of a senior Russian general in a bombing outside his apartment building in Moscow was the boldest assassination yet of a top military officer and it again brought the war in Ukraine to the streets of the capital
Watch: Two Russian tankers wrecked in Black Sea
Ukraine and Australia’s foreign minister meet in Kyiv
Russia ready to discuss ‘normal’ relations with US, says foreign ministry
Russia’s foreign ministry has said it is ready to consider US proposals to bring relations back to “normality”.
Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov made the comments on Wednesday, adding that Moscow has not yet received a response to its request asking Washington to approve Russia’s new ambassador to the United States.
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