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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would be willing to withdraw troops from the country's eastern industrial heartland as part of a plan to end Russia's war, if Moscow also pulls back and the area becomes a demilitarised zone monitored by international forces. The proposal offered another potential compromise on control of the Donbas region, which has been a major sticking point in peace negotiations. Zelenskyy said the US proposed the creation of a free economic zone," which he said should be demilitarised. But it was unclear what that idea would mean for governance or development of the region. A similar arrangement could be possible for the area around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently under Russian control, Zelenskyy said. He said any peace plan would need to be put to a referendum. Zelenskyy spoke to reporters Tuesday to describe an overarching 20-point plan that negotiators from Ukraine and the US hammered out in Florida in recent days, th
Initial drafts of US proposals for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia meet many of Kyiv's demands, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday, although he suggested that neither side in the almost four-year war is likely to get everything it wants in talks on reaching a settlement. Overall, it looks quite solid at this stage, the Ukrainian leader said of recent talks with US officials who are trying to steer the neighbouring countries toward compromises. There are some things we are probably not ready for, and I'm sure there are things the Russians are not ready for either, Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv. US President Donald Trump has for months been pushing for a peace agreement. However, the negotiations have run into sharply conflicting demands from Moscow and Kyiv. But US envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday he held productive and constructive talks in Florida with Ukrainian and European representatives. Zelenskyy said that nearly 90% of Ukraine's demands have been .
The icy ground crackling under their feet, members of an elite Ukrainian drone-hunting team set up for a long night. Antennas and sensors are clipped to a light stand. Monitors and controls are pulled from hard cases, and a game-changing new weapon is readied for deployment. The Sting, shaped like a flying thermos, is one of Ukraine's new homegrown interceptors. The unit's commander says the interceptors can effectively counter Russia's fast-evolving suicide drones, which are now flying faster and at higher altitudes. Every destroyed target is something that did not hit our homes, our families, our power plants, said the officer, known only by the call sign Loi, in line with Ukrainian military protocol. The enemy does not sleep, and neither do we. Nightly attacks on Ukrainian cities and power infrastructure have forced Kyiv to rewrite the air defense rule book and develop cut-price drone killers costing as little as $1,000. Interceptors went from prototype to mass production in j
Eight people were killed and 27 wounded in a Russian missile strike on port infrastructure in Odesa, southern Ukraine, late on Friday, Ukraine's Emergency Service said on Saturday morning. Some of the wounded were on a bus at the epicentre of the overnight strike, the service said in a Telegram post. Trucks caught fire in the parking lot, and cars were also damaged. The port was struck with ballistic missiles, said Oleh Kiper, the head of the Odesa region. Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces hit a Russian warship and other facilities with drones, Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement on Saturday. The nighttime attack on Friday hit the Russian warship Okhotnik, according to the statement posted to the Telegram messaging app. The ship was patrolling in the Caspian Sea near an oil and gas production platform. The extent of the damage is still being clarified, the statement added. A drilling platform at the Filanovsky oil and gas field in the Caspian Sea was also hit. The facility is .
European Union leaders are gathering Thursday for a summit aimed at agreeing on a massive loan to cover Ukraine's military and other financial needs for the next two years. The leaders will also discuss migration, the bloc's enlargement policy, trade and economies, but working out how to fund most of the 137 billion euros (USD 160 billion) the International Monetary Fund says war-ravaged Ukraine needs is top priority. It is up to us to choose how we fund Ukraine's fight. We know the urgency. It is acute. We all feel it. We all see it," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU lawmakers on the eve of the summit. European Council President Antonio Costa, who is chairing Thursday's meeting in Brussels, has vowed to keep leaders negotiating until an agreement is reached, even if it takes days. Many leaders will press for tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets held in Europe to be used to meet Ukraine's economic and military needs. Such a decision has neve
US President Donald Trump intensified criticism of Kyiv on Wednesday, saying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "has to be realistic" about the war and questioning when Ukraine intends to hold its next elections.Trump's comments followed his separate phone conversations with the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, discussions he said focused on Ukraine "in pretty strong terms." According to him, European leaders are seeking a joint meeting with both the United States and Ukraine as early as this weekend."They would like to have a meeting this weekend with both of us, and we'll make a determination depending on what they come back with," Trump told reporters.His remarks come after several days of urging Zelenskyy to consider a peace proposal aimed at bringing an end to the conflict that began with Russia's invasion in 2022.Speaking during a Q & A session, Trump suggested that Kyiv may have to reassess its expectations as the war continues."I think he has to be ..
Ukrainian officials were expected to hand their latest peace proposals to United States negotiators Wednesday, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who also said Ukraine would be ready for elections within three months if partners can guarantee a safe vote during wartime and if its electoral law can be altered. Zelenskyy was responding to comments by US President Donald Trump in which he questioned Ukraine's democracy and suggested the Ukrainian leader was using the war as an excuse not to hold an election. Zelenskyy told reporters late Tuesday that he is ready for an election but would need help from the US and possibly Europe to ensure security for a vote to happen. He suggested that Ukraine could be ready to hold balloting in 60 to 90 days if that proviso is met. To hold elections, two issues must be addressed: primarily, security how to conduct them, how to do it under strikes, under missile attacks; and a question regarding our military how they would vote, Zelenskyy .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Rome on Tuesday as he continued to rally European support for Ukraine while resisting the US pressure for a painful compromise with Russia. On Monday, Zelenskyy held talks in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to strengthen Ukraine's hand amid mounting impatience from US President Donald Trump. The Ukrainian president arrived at Castel Gandolfo, a papal residence outside Rome, for a meeting with Pope Leo XIV and is to have talks with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni later. Answering reporters' questions in a WhatsApp chat late Monday, Zelenskyy reaffirmed his firm refusal to cede any territory, saying that we clearly don't want to give up anything, even as "the Americans are looking for a compromise today, I will be honest. Undoubtedly, Russia insists that we give up territories, he said. According to the law, we don't have such a right. According to ...
The commander of sea-drone operations for Ukraine's military intelligence agency says more complex strikes against Russian forces are expected next year, after Kyiv's uncrewed fleet succeeded in curbing the movements of Russia's once-dominant Black Sea navy. In an interview with The Associated Press, the head of the specialised maritime drone unit, Group 13, said Ukraine's attacks have forced Russia to adapt, limiting opportunities for major Black Sea strikes seen earlier in the war. Today, we've likely reached a plateau, said the officer, who is identified only by the call sign 13th under Ukrainian military protocol. We are effectively limiting the enemy's movements, but those dramatic, high-profile strikes we saw earlier haven't happened for quite some time. That's because the enemy has adapted. Last month, Ukrainian officials said sea-attack drones were used in strikes against vessels in Russia's sanctions-evading shadow fleet of oil tankers. The commander declined to comment on