Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump says negotiators ‘dividing up lands’ with full ceasefire coming ‘pretty soon’
It is not clear who is involved in the apparent negotiations, following comments by the US president
Donald Trump has said negotiators are “dividing up” Ukrainian lands with a full ceasefire set to come “pretty soon” - despite no hint of any upcoming direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow.
A contract to divide up land in Ukraine is being “negotiated as we speak”, the US president, who has spoken to presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky in the past week, told reporters on Friday.
It is not clear who is involved in the apparent negotiations, but US officials are set to meet with both Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia next week. Mr Zelensky said the US team would first meet Ukrainian experts on Monday before separate talks with Russian representatives.
It comes after Vladimir Putin’s forces were accused by Kyiv of bombing stations along their own crucial gas pipeline in an effort to sabotage any ceasefire deal.
A gas pumping station in Sudzha, in the Russian border region of Kursk was on fire on Friday morning after being rocked by a major explosion. Ukraine’s general staff has denied that its forces struck the pipeline and instead said it had been “repeatedly shelled by the Russians themselves”.
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Zelensky and Czech PM host joint press conference
Zelensky rejects UN mission as alternative to foreign peacekeeping troops
Ukraine does not consider a UN mission an alternative to the deployment of foreign troops or security guarantees to end the war with Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday.
"With all due respect, the UN will not protect us from the occupation or Putin's desire to come back," Zelenskiy said at a joint press conference with Czech President Petr Pavel in Kyiv.
His comments come after reports Emmanuel Macron is looking to the UN for alternatives to putting European troops on the ground.
The Telegraph reported that the French president was considering the possibility of a UN-led mission.
Ballistic missile interceptors and pamphlets dropping in France: How Europe is preparing for nuclear war
Homeland defence is not some abstract concept to the countries bordering Russia, nor is the nuclear threat, says defence analyst Francis Tusa.
So, if the US could use a ‘kill switch’ to stop the UK from using Trident should an attack happen, how ready would we be?
Read the In Focus article here:
Missile interceptors and pamphlets in France: How Europe is preparing for nuclear war
Ukraine still in talks with US about minerals deal, spokesman says
Ukraine is continuing to hold talks with the United States about a minerals deal, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Friday.
The White House said on Wednesday it had moved beyond "just the economic minerals deal framework" and was focused on peace between Ukraine and Russia.
It added Donald Trump said on Thursday that the US would sign the minerals and natural resources deal with Ukraine shortly.
Earlier, it was reported by the financial times that Trump was seeking to extend the terms of the mineral deal to include control over Kyiv’s nuclear power plants.
Polish PM: EU must be prepared for Russian attack by 2030
Poland’s prime minister has said the European Union has agreed it must be ready to defend itself against a Russian attack in five years.
Donald Tusk said EU countries currently spending less on defence were reluctant to accept the plan to be prepared by 2030.
“Behind the scenes... it stirred some emotions. Especially in countries that spend little on defence now. There are several large countries that still spend very little. And they don’t want to spend more. For now,” he told a press conference after an EU summit.
“By 2030 Europe must be, in terms of army, weapons, technology, clearly stronger than Russia. And it will be.”
William rides in tank on visit to British troops helping defend against Russian aggression
The Prince of Wales rode in a Challenge 2 tank defending Estonia against Russian aggression after telling British troops he hoped his visit would “keep everyone on their toes”.
William, wearing a camouflage military uniform, googles and a helmet, travelled in the commander’s turret of the tank as it sped across muddy terrain in Estonia less than 100 miles from the border with Russia.
German budget committee gives green light for 3bn euros in Ukraine aid
Germany's budget committee has cleared the way for another 3 billion euros in military aid for Ukraine, parliamentary sources said.
The green light on Friday comes after chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz pushed through reforms to ramp up investment in defence.
The 3 billion euros include 2.547 billion earmarked by the finance ministry for Ukraine this year, topped up by other contributions, including a reimbursement from the European Peace Facility.
Mapped: Where is key Russian gas pumping station hit by huge explosion
A fire has erupted at a gas pumping station in the Russian region of Kursk bordering Ukraine, after a huge explosion rocked the site.
Both Kyiv and Moscow have denied responsibility for the attack, with both sides accusing the other of targeting the key facility near the Russian town of Sudzha.
Kursk has been the focus of fierce fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces in recent weeks, as Vladimir Putin’s forces push to retake territory seized by Ukraine in a daring assault last year.
Read the full story:
Mapped: Where is key Russian gas pumping station hit by huge explosion
Czech President and Zelensky attend a commemorative ceremony for Ukrainian servicemen killed in battle
No10 not ruling out ground troops for Ukraine
Asked whether the focus of discussions had shifted away from the prospect of ground troops for Ukraine, a Number 10 spokesman said: "No, nothing is off the table on any of these fronts, so I wouldn't start ruling anything out.
"But clearly thousands of troops will be required to support any deployment, whether that is at sea, on land or in the air."
Any deployment will require significant support and the firming up of "basic logistics of ... moving people and ensuring deployment rotations, so as the PM said we need to be prepared for all eventualities," the official said.
"We've moved into an operational phase now and what that means is ... bringing together military planners to look at the potential design of force structures, interoperability and what capability is needed to ensure a sovereign Ukraine is able to defend itself for generations to come.
"Next week, we'll continue to accelerate the pace and scale of operational planning with further meetings at our Northwood headquarters as we look forward more closely at the details and structure of any future force."
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