Page 5 - Latest Updates on Ukraine peace talks

US State Secy Rubio sees Ukraine deadline easing after 'productive' talks

Rubio's note of caution followed US-Ukrainian talks Sunday in Geneva that both sides described as making progress toward a deal

Ukraine holds talks with Western allies on peace plan proposed by US

Talks between Ukraine and its Western allies on a US-proposed peace plan to end Russia's invasion are underway in Geneva, Ukrainian officials said Sunday. The head of the Ukrainian delegation, presidential chief of staff Andrii Yermak, wrote on social media that they held their first meeting with the national security advisers from the UK, France and Germany. The next meeting is with the US delegation. We are in a very constructive mood, Yermak said. We continue working together to achieve a lasting and just peace for Ukraine. The 28-point blueprint drawn up by the US to end the nearly four-year war has sparked alarm in Kyiv and European capitals. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country could face a stark choice between standing up for its sovereign rights and preserving the American support it needs.

US, Ukraine, European officials hold talks on Trump's plan to end war

On Friday, US President Donald Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had until Thursday to approve the 28-point plan

US senators slam Trump's Russia-Ukraine peace plan as rewarding aggression

US senators critical of President Donald Trump's approach to ending the Russia-Ukraine war said Saturday that the peace plan he is pushing Kyiv to accept would only reward Moscow for its aggression and send a message to other leaders who have threatened their neighbours. The 28-point peace plan was crafted by the Trump administration and the Kremlin without Ukraine's involvement. It acquiesces to many Russian demands that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has categorically rejected on dozens of occasions, including giving up large pieces of territory. Trump says he wants Ukraine to accept the plan by late next week. The senators' opposition to the plan follows criticism from other US lawmakers, including some Republicans, none of whom have the power to block it. The senators, who spoke at an international security conference in Canada, included a Democrat, an Independent and a Republican who does not plan to seek reelection next year. It rewards aggression. This is pure and ..

European leaders to meet in S Africa to counter US plan on Russia's war

European leaders are set to meet in South Africa on Saturday to hash out alternatives to a US plan to halt Russia's war in Ukraine, seen as favouring Moscow, while a top Ukrainian delegation prepares for direct talks with Washington. The 28-point blueprint to end the Kremlin's aggression sparked alarm in Kyiv and European capitals, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Friday that his country could face a stark choice between standing up for its sovereign rights and preserving the American support it needs. The US plan foresees Ukraine handing over territory to Russia, something Kyiv has repeatedly ruled out, while reducing the size of its army and blocking its coveted path to NATO membership. It contains many of Moscow's long-standing demands, while offering limited security guarantees to Kyiv. Ukrainian envoys will meet a US delegation in Switzerland to discuss the proposal, a top official said Saturday, after US President Donald Trump said he wants Kyiv to respond b

European leaders scramble to buy Ukraine time as US sets ceasefire deadline

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and leaders in France, Germany and across Europe are rushing to respond to US demands that Ukraine agree to the 28-point plan circulated this week by next Thursday

Loss of US intelligence may harm Ukraine more than a halt in weapons

If the Trump administration makes good on its threat, the effects on Ukraine might not be immediate but could eventually be disastrous

US plan for Ukraine could form basis for final peace settlement, says Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday cautiously welcomed a US proposal to end Moscow's nearly four-year war in Ukraine, saying it could form the basis of a final peace settlement." Putin said Moscow had received the plan, which he called a new version and a modernised plan," which he said could form the basis for a final peace settlement. "But this text has not been discussed with us in any substantive way, and I can guess why, Putin said in Moscow. "The US administration has so far been unable to secure the consent of the Ukrainian side. Ukraine is against it. Apparently, Ukraine and its European allies are still under illusions and the dream of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield. Earlier Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address that his country is at a pivotal point in its four-year fight to defeat Russia's invasion, with Ukrainians potentially facing a choice between standing up for their sovereign rights or losing American

US sanctions risk leaving 48 million barrels of Russian oil stranded at sea

Washington's move last month to blacklist top oil producers Rosneft PJSC and Lukoil PJSC is arguably its most aggressive to date under the current administration

Trump's 28-point Ukraine peace plan would grant key Russian demands

Under the terms of the plan, the Ukrainian regions of Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk would be "recognised as de facto Russian, including by the United States

US threatens to cut intel, weapons to press Ukraine into peace deal: Report

Washington has presented Ukraine with a 28-point plan, which endorses some of Russia's principal demands in the war

US threatens to cut intel, weapons to press Ukraine into peace deal: Report

Washington has presented Ukraine with a 28-point plan, which endorses some of Russia's principal demands in the war

Zelenskyy faces growing pressure as corruption scandal, war crises deepen

The president of Ukraine is facing a confluence of crises testing his ability to lead an increasingly weary nation nearly four years into a devastating full-scale invasion by Russia. For more than a week, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has struggled to contain the fallout from a USD 100 million corruption scandal implicating top officials and other associates. The pressure on Zelenskyy has ratcheted up as the United States pushes a proposal it drew up with Russia that would require major concessions from Ukraine and seemingly few from Russia to bring an end to the war. All this is playing out as Russia makes slow but steady advances across parts of the 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line and relentlessly bombs Ukraine's power plants, causing severe electricity shortages as colder weather sets in. Here are 5 things to know about the growing pressures confronting Zelenskyy: Facing a rebellion Zelenskyy has been facing a rebellion from lawmakers in his own party since the country's corrupti

Lawmakers pass bill raising taxes for Russians branded as foreign agents'

Russian lawmakers approved a new bill Thursday boosting taxes for those labelled foreign agents by the government. The bill, which passed its third and final reading in the lower house of parliament, outlines an income tax rate of 30 per cent for individuals with the designation and takes away their right to government tax breaks. Income tax for most residents ranges between 13 per cent and 22 per cent, depending on their earnings. The 30 per cent tax rate previously only applied to nonresidents who were working for foreign companies. The bill also bars organisations labelled as foreign agents from applying for reduced corporate income tax rates. Those who betrayed our country should not receive tax breaks, lawmaker Vyacheslav Volodin said in a social media post announcing the bill's passage. They will pay higher taxes to the state budget. The legislation must be approved by the upper house and then signed by President Vladimir Putin before it becomes law. The changes are just on

Trump's Ukraine envoy Kellogg to step down as US pursues new peace plan

President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has informed the White House he'll leave his post in January, according to two senior administration officials. The move comes as the White House is working on a new peace plan aimed at bringing an end to Russia's war in Ukraine that is being largely coordinated by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev, an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin. That plan calls for major concessions by Kyiv, including ceding territory to Russia and abandoning certain weaponry. The officials were not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity about Kellogg's expected departure from the administration. They declined to comment on why Kellogg was departing. News of Kellogg's expected exit was first reported by Reuters. Kellogg was initially named special envoy for Ukraine and Russia during Trump's presidential transition. But his role shrunk as Witkoff, a real estate developer turned diplomat, ..

Corruption scandal pressures Zelenskyy to show greater accountability

Pressure is mounting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to take stronger action to show accountability in the face of a corruption scandal presenting the greatest threat to his government since Russia's full-scale invasion. Last week, Zelenskyy dismissed two top officials and imposed sanctions on close associates after government investigators revealed that USD 100 million had been embezzled from the country's energy sector through kickbacks paid by contractors. But that hasn't quieted the political storm. After more than three years of war in which Ukrainians face regular power outages as a result of Russia's fierce bombardment, corruption in the energy sector isn't sitting well with the public. Calls are growing for Zelenskyy to remove his longtime chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, who many consider to be Ukraine's de facto vice president. Neither Zelenskyy nor Yermak have been accused of any wrongdoing by those leading the corruption investigation. Yet Zelenskyy's political

Trump working on '28-point' Russia-Ukraine peace roadmap: What's in it?

Russian officials say they are 'hopeful' about the 28-point plan being developed with Moscow, while Ukraine and its allies await clarity as Washington pushes renewed diplomacy

'Trying to help an alcoholic': Hungary slams EU plan for Ukraine aid

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban sharply criticised EU chief Ursula von der Leyen for asking member states to send more financial aid to Ukraine, as Russia steps up attacks in the war's fourth year

Ukraine signs letter of intent to buy up to 100 France's Rafale warplanes

Ukraine signed a letter of intent to buy up to 100 Rafale warplanes from France, the Ukrainian Embassy and the French president's office said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron signed the document on Monday stating that Ukraine is considering the possibility of buying French defence equipment, including Rafale jet fighters, Macron's office said. It did not provide further details. Zelenskyy is on his ninth visit to Paris since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. His talks are meant to strengthen Ukraine's defences as the country enters another winter under Russian bombardment of its energy infrastructure and other targets.

Ukraine seeking exchange of 1,200 prisoners with Russia: Zelenskyy

Security chief Rustem Umerov, said that he had held consultations in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, with the support of Kyiv's partners, on resuming the process of exchanges