The key condition that the Kremlin has spelt out is a complete cessation of foreign military aid and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv
Russia and Ukraine said Wednesday they had each swapped 175 prisoners in one of the largest exchanges of the war. Severely wounded soldiers and fighters whom Russia had prosecuted on fabricated charges were among those released, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. We are bringing back soldiers, sergeants, and officers warriors who fought for our freedom in the ranks of the Armed Forces, the Navy, the National Guard, the Territorial Defence Forces, and the Border Guard Service, he said. Russia's Defence Ministry said it had released an additional 22 severely wounded Ukraine captives as a goodwill gesture. Zelenskyy said they were returned through a separate negotiation process There was no immediate comment on why the number was one fewer than the 23 wounded POWs that Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised to release Tuesday when he spoke with US President Donald Trump about a potential partial ceasefire. Prisoner exchanges have happened throughout the three-year
Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrap up call day after talks with Russia about possible ceasefire
Kommersant said that Putin wanted the US to formally recognise the four regions - Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson - as part of Russia along with Crimea
Despite efforts to repel the attack, several strikes hit civilian infrastructure, including a direct drone strike on a hospital in Sumy and attacks on cities in Donetsk region
He however clarified that he believes only United States President Donald Trump holds any leeway with President Putin
During this conversation, Putin agreed to a proposal by Trump for Russia and Ukraine to stop hitting each other's energy infrastructure for 30 days
Following the Trump-Putin call, the Kremlin announced that Ukraine and Russia will exchange 175 prisoners of war each
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor Tuesday conceded that he was left with "an egg on his face" in opposing India's stance when the Russia-Ukraine war broke out and said due to the policy that was adopted, the country is now in a position where it can make a difference to lasting peace. Tharoor had criticised India's stance when the Russia attacked Ukraine and called for condemnation of the aggression. During an interactive session at the Raisina Dialogue here, the former minister of state for external affairs said, "I am still wiping the egg of my face because I am one person in the parliamentary debate who actually criticised the Indian position at the time back in February 2022." The Thiruvananthapuram MP said his criticism was based on the "well-known grounds that there was a violation of the UN charter, there had been a violation of the principle of inviolability of borders, of the sovereignty of a member state namely Ukraine, and we had always stood for the inadmissibility of the u
Kyiv and its European allies are worried that Trump will try to force them into a deal on Russia's terms, leaving Ukraine weakened and vulnerable to the Kremlin in the future
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Monday that Putin would speak with Trump by phone but declined to comment on Trump's remarks about land and power plants
President Donald Trump said he would speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday as he pushes to end the war in Ukraine. The US leader disclosed the upcoming conversation to reporters while flying from Florida to Washington on Air Force One on Sunday evening. We will see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I will be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday, Trump said. "A lot of work's been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end. Although Russia failed in its initial goal to topple Ukraine with its invasion three years ago, it still controls large swaths of the country. Trump said land and power plants are part of the conversation around bringing the war to a close. We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants, he said. Trump described it as "dividing up certain assets.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a virtual meeting with world leaders from 25 countries on Saturday to bolster a so-called Coalition of the Willing against Russia in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine. We can't allow President Putin to play games with President Trump's deal, said Starmer from 10 Downing Street in London. Leaders representing Ukraine, the European Union (EU) Commission, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Canada, Australia and New Zealand were expected to have joined the meeting to discuss the peace deal being negotiated by US President Donald Trump. The call comes ahead of a military planning session next week when these countries will decide on the nature of troop deployments to support peace in the region. If Putin is serious about peace, it's very simple: he has to stop his barbaric attacks on Ukraine and agree to a ceasefire; and the world is watching, he said. Starmer accused the Russian administration at the Kremlin of a complete disregard fo
Russia and Ukraine traded heavy aerial blows overnight Saturday, with both sides reporting more than 100 enemy drones over their respective territories. The attack comes less than 24 hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with US envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss details of the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine. Volgograd regional Gov Andrei Bocharov confirmed that falling drone debris had sparked a fire in the Krasnoarmeysky district of the city close to a Lukoil oil refinery, but provided no further details. Nearby airports temporarily halted flights, local media outlets reported. No casualties were reported. The Volgograd refinery has been targeted by Kyiv's forces on several occasions since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, most recently in a drone attack on February 15. Russia's Defence Ministry said that it had shot down 126 Ukrainian drones, 64 of which were destroyed over the Volgograd region
Putin calls for Ukrainian troops in Kursk to surrender, as Trump urges a ceasefire, warning of a humanitarian crisis
Trump said that he "strongly requested" Putin to spare the lives of thousands of Ukrainian troops, or else it would be a "horrible massacre"
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with US envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss details of the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine, asking him to convey Moscow's thoughts to Washington, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. Putin asked Witkoff late Thursday to give additional messages to US President Donald Trump, Peskov told reporters, after the Russian leader said at a news conference that he supported a truce in principle but set out a host of details that need to be clarified before it is agreed. Ukraine, under severe military pressure on parts of the front line three years after Russia's full-scale invasion, has already endorsed the proposal. Russia's army has gained battlefield momentum, and analysts say Putin likely will be reluctant to rush into a ceasefire while he feels he has an advantage. The Russian army, backed by North Korean troops, are now close to completely driving Ukrainian forces from their foothold in Russia's Kursk border regio
Vladimir Putin conditionally backed the US ceasefire plan, saying Russia agreed in principle but sought clarifications and conditions, stressing the need to address the conflict's root causes
He also referred to the recent US-Ukraine discussions in Saudi Arabia, suggesting that Ukraine's willingness for a ceasefire was likely influenced by American pressure
Russian forces have been advancing since mid-2024 and control nearly a fifth of Ukraine's territory, three years into a war that US President Donald Trump has said he will halt