Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump says US officials going to Russia ‘right now’ and he hopes Putin agrees ceasefire

US President Donald Trump said a peace deal is “up to Russia now”, but Moscow sources say Russian president Vladimir Putin finds the 30-day ceasefire agreement between Washington and Kyiv and “difficult to accept”.

Officials from Ukraine and the US yesterday agreed on the ceasefire, alongside a restoration of US military aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine, during talks in Saudi Arabia.

Moscow would need to hash out the terms of the ceasefire and obtain some form of security guarantees, a senior source told Reuters. "It is difficult for Putin to agree to this in its current form,” the source said, adding that “Putin has a strong position because Russia is advancing."

Speaking in a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday, Mr Zelensky said he has “no trust” in Russia. “I have emphasised this many times, none of us trust the Russians,” he said.

Kyiv supports the Trump administration’s push for peace as soon as possible, Mr Zelensky added, and sees the resumption of US military aid and intelligence sharing as very positive.

It comes after US secretary of state Marco Rubio - who was part of the delegation in Saudi Arabia - told reporters in Ireland that US and Russia will discuss the agreement today.

Putin visits western Kursk as Ukraine withdraws

Trump says US has 'people going to Russia right now'

Rubio: Deterrence against Russia is vital for peace

US urges Russia: end 'all hostilities'

Russia will not comment on ceasefire until it speaks to US, Kremlin says

19:46 , Barney Davis

President Vladimir Putin has visited the western Russian region of Kursk for the first time since Ukrainian forces seized some territory in the region.

Appearing on Russian state television dressed in a pixilated military uniform, Putin visited a control centre in Kursk region used by Russian troops.

"Indeed, in the shortest possible time is to finally defeat the enemy entrenched in the Kursk region and still conducting defensive actions here," Putin said, addressing Russia's top military brass.

Putin heard a report from Valery Gerasimov, head of the Russian General Staff, who told him that Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region were now surrounded.

"Its systematic destruction is underway," Gerasimov said.

Putin said Russian forces should completely liberate the region from the Ukrainian troops as soon as possible, the news agencies reported.

Putin said Russia should treat Ukrainian soldiers captured as prisoners of war in Kursk Region as terrorists.

"People who are in the Kursk region, who commit crimes against civilians here, who oppose our armed forces, law enforcement agencies and special services, ... are the people we should certainly treat as terrorists," Putin said, adding that Russia does not intend to extend the Geneva Conventions to foreigners fighting on Ukraine's side.

19:30 , Barney Davis

Ukraine's top army commander said on Thursday that Kyiv's troops will continue operation in Russia's Kursk region "as long as appropriate and necessary" and added that fighting continued in and around town of Sudzha.

"(Ukrainian) defence forces units manoeuvre to more favourable positions, if necessary," Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Facebook adding that saving soldiers lives is a priority.

19:08 , Barney Davis

Ukrainian troops appeared on the point of losing their hard-won foothold inside Russia's Kursk region on Wednesday as Moscow claimed further advances there and military bloggers on both sides said Kyiv's forces were withdrawing.

Ukraine sprang one of the biggest shocks of the war on August 6 last year by storming across the border and grabbing a chunk of land inside Russia, boosting citizens' morale and gaining a potential bargaining chip.

Vladimir Putin says Russian troops should defeat enemy in Kursk and completely liberate the region. He added any captured soldiers will be treated as terrorists, according to Interfax.

19:01 , Barney Davis

A total of 66 clashes were recorded on the frontline today, the Russian army is actively attacking Pokrovsk and Torets, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) said on Wednesday.

"The Defense Forces... repelled 17 enemy attacks, ten clashes are still ongoing," the General Staff said in a summary on Telegram.

In Pokrovsk, the Russian forces s have already carried out 27 attacks on Ukrainian positions.

Nine enemy attacks took place in Toretsk axis, four clashes are currently ongoing.

19:00 , Barney Davis

The European Parliament (EP) has strongly condemned the executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian troops.

"[The EP] strongly condemns the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces; calls for the EU, its Member States and international partners to increase pressure on Russia to comply with its international obligations, particularly the Geneva Convention, and allow international organisations access to prisoners," according to a resolution in support of Ukraine, which was voted in the European Parliament on Wednesday.

The EP also condemned "devastating impact of Russia’s war on children; calls for increased EU support for children's education, healthcare, mental health services, and for child protection, including trauma recovery and safe learning environments."

18:55 , Barney Davis

Increasing the ability of Ukrainian weapons to overcome Russian electronic warfare and air defense remains a key issue to winning the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an evening address on Wednesday.

"First of all – regarding our drones and long-range strikes by Ukrainian drones… We managed to discuss many technical details today. The key thing is to increase the ability of our weapons to overcome Russian electronic warfare and air defence," he said.

"Our Ukrainian drone production and the constant modernisation of drones is one of the key parts of the Russian deterrence system, which is needed to guarantee Ukraine's security in the long term, and it will also be our international advantage – how we will be able to export security after this war.”

He said there is already international interest in Ukrainian developments, capabilities and technology production.

"Ukrainians have shown in this war how much drones can do to protect positions and save people's lives, they have shown how important it is to constantly develop the unmanned component. Of course, this will be our, in particular, economic advantage in relations with other partners. But after the war. Now we need to significantly increase the effectiveness of the use of Ukrainian weapons, and everything that will be achieved for Ukrainian security now will work for Ukraine for years and decades.”

18:37 , Barney Davis

Two Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bombers carried out a scheduled flight over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea, state-run RIA news agency reported on Wednesday, quoting the defence ministry.

Fighter jets from foreign countries accompanied the Russian planes during certain stages of their flight, which lasted more than four hours, the ministry said, though it did not specify which countries.

Other Baltic littoral states including Finland, Sweden, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are all NATO members.

18:29 , Barney Davis

A drone squad team leader in the Ukrainian army has told the BBC the ceasefire plan is "a good idea," but he is worried about the deal's conditions.

Anton, who is currently fighting in the Donbas region, told the BBC: "It seems like we are being forced to give up on our territories, which is unacceptable to me".

"We will never trust Russia to respect a ceasefire,

"To put it as a boxing analogy, this is the tenth round. Both of the boxers are worn out, but we still have the 11th and 12th round in front of us. Everybody is so tired, but we know that we have to carry on just to get to the finish."

18:12 , Barney Davis

French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Wednesday that about 15 countries had expressed interest in discussing a new security architecture for Ukraine.

He was speaking after a meeting in Paris with the defence ministers of Britain, Germany, Italy and Poland.

18:02 , Rachel Clun

People wait at a traffic light to cross a street with a news ticker in the background reporting on possible phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, on the facade of TASS news agency building in Moscow on Wednesday.

17:46 , Rachel Clun

Ukraine’s foreign affairs minister has accused Russia for attacking a civilian ship transporting wheat to Africa.

In a post on social media, Andrii Sybiha said the attack was an assault on global food security, not just Ukraine.

“In Odesa port, Russia struck a civilian vessel with wheat for Algeria. Condolences to the families of Syrian citizens killed in the attack,” he wrote on X.

“This is an attack on global food security and maritime safety. It demonstrates how close this war is to Algeria, Syria, and other countries.”

17:45 , Barney Davis

The Defence Ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Britain discussed support for Ukraine following the Russian military invasion and European defence.

17:25 , Rachel Clun

UK Defence Secretary John Healey is due to speak shortly alongside the defence ministers of France, Germany, Poland and Italy following a meeting in Paris today to discuss ongoing defence support for Ukraine.

The meeting followed peace talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, where the US and Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire. The US will discuss the plan with Russia today, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

The defence minister meeting was expected to discuss a potential European peacekeeping force.

17:23 , Barney Davis

Kyiv’s deputy head of the presidential office Ihor Zhovkva has outlined whether the proposed 30-day ceasefire applies only to the frontline and whether it is expected to reduce shelling of Ukraine's rear.

“We are talking about the so-called complete truce. First and foremost, it means the cessation of aerial attacks with any type of weapon, whether ballistic and cruise missiles, guided bombs, or UAVs, including long-range drones. The first aspect is a complete ceasefire in the air,” he told Ukrinform.

According to Zhovkva, the second aspect of the truce proposed by the Russian Federation is “silence” at sea.

He said he needed to protect existing transportation routes adding there are many threats in the Black Sea in areas where Ukrainian and foreign vessels pass.

17:02 , Rachel Clun

US Vice President JD Vance said talks with Russia over the peace deal were happening through multiple channels.

"Well, we've got some conversations that are happening on the phone and in person with some of our representatives over the next couple of days,” he said.

“As the President said, we think that we're in a very good place where the Ukrainians have agreed to a ceasefire, and we're now going to see whether we can get the Russians to agree to a ceasefire too and we'll certainly have news on that when we when we find out that news."

16:54 , Rachel Clun

The Foreign Office said it was expelling a Russian diplomat and a diplomatic spouse in a tit-for-tat response to actions taken in Moscow earlier this week.

The Foreign Office said it has summoned Russian ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin today following an “increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats”.

Yesterday Moscow ordered two British diplomats to leave Russia within a fortnight after accusing them of spying, further straining UK-Russia relations.

Britain said the accusations were “malicious and baseless”.

16:45 , Rachel Clun

Following a proposed immediate 30-day ceasefire agreed to by Ukraine during peace talks yesterday, US President Donald Trump said American officials were on their way to speak with Russia about a halt to fighting.

“People are going to Russia right now as we speak. And hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia,” he said.

16:27 , Rachel Clun

US President Donald Trump said the peace talks in Saudi Arabia were a “great success” and a final deal was “up to Russia now”.

Asked whether he had a meeting planned with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said: "But we had a great success yesterday. We have a full ceasefire when it if it kicks in.”

He continued: “And we have to see it's up to Russia now, but we've had a good relationship with both parties, actually, and we'll see ... people are going to Russia right now as we speak. And hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia.

“And if we do, I think that would be 80 per cent of the way to getting this horrible blood bath. Blood is taking place over there. On average, two to 3000 young people a week are being killed, and that stupid war that would have never happened if I were president. So we have people going over there."

16:18 , Rachel Clun

Ukrainians who have suffered “uncertainty and anguish” over the unknown fate of missing loved ones who have disappeared during the war with Russia can now make claims of compensation.

As of today, the Council of Europe has launched a new category under which Ukrainians can claim compensation over damage caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The council said parents, children, spouses and civil partners of people who have gone missing since February 24, 2022 can now file claims.

Executive Director of the Register, Markiyan Kliuchkovskyi, said the launch of a new claims category was “a crucial step in recognising the immense suffering endured by families of those who have gone missing due to Russia’s aggression”.

“The uncertainty and anguish of not knowing the fate of a loved one is a profound hardship, and while no compensation can erase that pain, this process offers a path towards acknowledgment and redress.”

16:02 , John Rentoul

Chief political commentator John Rentoul writes:

Jonathan Powell, the UK national security adviser, was “intimately involved” in helping Ukraine and the US reach a ceasefire deal to put to Russia, according to government sources reported by the BBC, travelling to Kyiv at the weekend to talk to Volodymyr Zelensky and to help the Ukrainian team draft a written proposal.

This was the basis of the deal agreed by the US on Tuesday. It led to the US resuming intelligence sharing and military support for Ukraine, and it “puts the ball in Putin’s court”.

The prime minister told the Commons today that his team started work the moment Donald Trump suspended military support for Ukraine: “a huge amount of hard work, discussions and diplomacy was used with all of our allies and others to ensure that we could get yesterday [in Jeddah] to go as well as we hoped it would.” Powell was central to that effort.

When Starmer turned to Powell, 68, as one of several retreads from the Blair government, some people had their doubts. But Powell has already proved his worth – and he is a large part of the prime minister’s growing confidence on the international stage.

Read the full analysis here.

15:48 , Rachel Clun

French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu has greeted UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey ahead of the E5 Defence ministers' meeting on Ukraine in Paris this afternoon.

The Defence ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Britain are meeting to discuss support for Ukraine following the Russian military invasion and European defence.

15:34 , Rachel Clun

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has outlined the country’s three key demands following peace talks with the US in Saudi Arabia.

In a video posted on social media after the talks ended yesterday, he listed Kyiv’s main priorities: a ceasefire in the air, a ceasefire in the sea, and the release of prisoners of war and detainees.

15:20 , Rachel Clun

The US and Ukraine peace talks have wrapped up with a 30-ceasefire agreement between Washington and Kyiv, but fighting on the ground has continued.

In an update from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine this afternoon, the Ukrainian army said Russia was continuing its efforts to advance into Ukrainian territory.

“So far, the enemy has attacked the positions of the Defense Forces 66 times,” the army said in a post on social media, adding the attacks were most active in the Pokrovsk and Toretsky areas.

“The border areas of our country were affected by Russian artillery shelling, in particular the settlements of Oleksandrivka, Baranivka, Starikove, Komarivka of the Sumy region; Archipivka of the Chernihiv region,” the post continued.

15:05 , Rachel Clun

UK Defence Secretary John Healey has joined his European counterparts in Paris this afternoon to discuss ongoing support for Ukraine.

The defence leaders will use the meeting to discuss security arrangements including potential European peacekeepers should a ceasefire take place.

There will be a press conference following the meeting at 5.30pm.

14:53 , Rachel Clun

So far the Kremlin has declined to comment on a potential ceasefire with Ukraine following peace talks between Ukraine and the US in Jeddah.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US would be reaching out to Russia to discuss “ending all hostilities” soon.

“We all eagerly await the Russian response and urge them strongly to consider ending all hostilities,” he said.

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to head to Moscow later this week for a meeting with Russia.

The Kremlin is yet to confirm any meeting, but a spokesperson said Russia expected US officials to reach out “through various channels” in coming days to explain what understandings were reached with Ukraine.

14:39 , Rachel Clun

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington urges Russia to end “all hostilities” to end the war, adding that neither Russia nor Ukraine would achieve all their goals.

Earlier today, Rubio said the conflict would only end through negotiation.

“That's the only way you're going to have peace, is through negotiation,” he said on a refueling stop in Ireland.

“And so we need to start that process, and it is hard to start a process when people are shooting at each other and people are dying.

He continued: “And so our hope is that we can stop that, all these hostilities, and get to a negotiating table where both sides, over some period of time, with a lot of hard work, can find a mutually acceptable outcome that, in the case of Ukraine, obviously secures their long-term prosperity and security."

14:24 , Rachel Clun

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the makeup of a potential European peacekeeping mission in Ukraine was still under discussion.

Asked in Ireland whether Washington backed the prospect of European peacekeepers, he said: "We'll see. I mean, there's different ways to construct a deterrent on the ground that prevents another war from starting in the future.

"We're not going to go in with any sort of preconceived notion. The bottom line is it needs to be something that makes Ukraine feel as if they can deter and prevent a future invasion.

"How that looks and how that's put together, that's what we're going to be talking about if we can get to that stage."

14:12 , Alex Croft

Steve Bannon loves talking. In fact, he can’t stop. The Trump whisperer has laid out a plan behind the abandonment of Ukraine, namely for the United States to make a deal with Russia and turn to its real enemy, China. While Beltway think-tankers apply their fine minds to the puzzle of the Trump administration’s diplomacy, Bannon has cheerfully taken to the airwaves, most recently on the podcast of Tim Dillon, a stand-up comedian, to explain it to the little guy.

The short version goes like this. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is at war with the United States. Elites in Silicon Valley and Wall Street sold out the working class and handed the Chinese the keys to wealth. Now, the only way to stop China is to cut it off from all capital and technology. It’s called decoupling.

Michael Sheridan writes:

Has Steve Bannon revealed the real reason Trump is siding with Putin over Ukraine?

13:56 , Alex Croft

13:42 , Alex Croft

Ukrainian forces appear to no longer be in control of the town of Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk region, according to an open-source intelligence map.

The DeepState battlefield map appeared to show that Kyiv’s forces had left the town, amid a Russian offensive to recapture its territory in Kursk.

But DeepState afterwards confirmed that fighting is continuing on the outskirts of the town on Wednesday.

A Ukrainian military spokesperson for the Kursk front declined to comment.

Sudzha is the largest settlement in a piece of Russian territory which Ukraine seized last August to act as a bargaining chip in any future negotiations regarding Moscow's invasion of its neighbour.

13:32 , Alex Croft

13:21 , Alex Croft

Asked where Ukraine will draw red lines in future peace negotiations, Mr Zelensky said Kyiv will never recognise the territories occupied by Russia.

“This is our fight for independence. We are not going to recognise any territories occupied by Russia,” he said.

“Our people were fighting for it, our heroes fought for that, wounded, killed, many of them, no-one will forget about that.

“This is the most important red line, we will never let anyone forget about this crime against Ukraine.”

13:14 , Alex Croft

Volodymyr Zelensky says his allies in the US should have visited Ukraine more often, in order to better understand the situation it was in.

“I always said to our colleagues from the United States to come out here to see where there are complexities, where people are living, how they're fighting our kids, you know, to visit underground schools during the war,” he said.

“It is not easy to understand everything with wealth of different information floating [around] the world, particularly Russian information. “

12:57 , Alex Croft

12:55 , Alex Croft

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said the 30-day ceasefire with Russia could be used to draft a broader peace deal.

Hailing this week’s meeting in Saudi Arabia between US and Ukrainian officials, he said in a briefing that Kyiv supported Washington’s effort to end Russia’s three-year invasion as soon as possible.

The resumption of US military aid and intelligence sharing was very positive, he added.

"Everything depends on whether Russia is willing to do so, to install a truce, or if it is willing to continue killing people,” Mr Zelensky said.

12:35 , Alex Croft

Political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

Sir Keir Starmer has said the US is an “indispensable ally”, insisting that the two countries are working closely to secure peace in Ukraine.

Despite fallout from Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on the UK overnight on Tuesday, the prime minister said he is “committed to strengthening... relations” between Britain and the US.

“The US is an indispensable ally. We are working together to try to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and I’ve spoken to the president on a number of occasions, including this week,” he added.

12:34 , David Maddox, Political Editor

Political editor David Maddox reports:

SNP MP Dave Doogan had a closed question on the UK’s relationship with the US.

His follow up PMQ was to point out that when he had asked Starmer last week about whether Trump would cancel military aid to Ukraine, the prime minister said it was “nonsense” and would not happen.

As we know now, Trump did exactly that within a few hours of that answer and cancelled aid and intelligence to Ukraine.

It made the prime minister look foolish, especially as he had said he had received assurance over the phone with the US president.

The issue of trust going forward is also being tested with the latest US tariffs - and clearly Doogan hit a sore point for the PM.

12:28 , Alex Croft

European countries will have to rethink sanctions on Russia amid ceasefire efforts in Ukraine, US secretary of state Marco Rubio told reporters in Ireland.

Speaking during a fuel stop in Shannon Airport, he said: “I would imagine that in any negotiation, if we get there, hopefully with the Russians, that they will raise the European sanctions that have been imposed upon them.

“I think that the issue of European sanctions are going to be on the table, not to mention what happens with the frozen assets and the like,” he added.

“It's self evident that for there to be a peace in Ukraine at the end of that process, there's going to have to be some decision made by the Europeans about what they're going to do with these sanctions.”

12:10 , Millie Cooke, Political Correspondent

Russian abductions of Ukrainians must be dealt with, Sir Keir Starmer has said, as Ukraine and the US move towards agreeing a peace deal.

Addressing the prime minister at PMQs, Lib Dem MP Mike Martin noted Russia had abducted at least 19,000 Ukrainian children and taken them to Russia.

Mr Martin said: “I note the prime minister’s previous fulsome support for the ICC, and I also note his comments just last night about the support that the Ukraine would offer to the UK in achieving a just and lasting peace.

“Will the prime minister confirm to the House that British peacekeeping will only be deployed to Ukraine if the peacekeeping deal includes both the return of Ukraine’s children and Putin’s prosecution?”

Responding, Sir Keir said: “Firstly I thank him for raising this issue because it is an absolutely terrible case of abduction and kidnapping.

“And when we say a lasting or just peace in Ukraine it must of course involve dealing with this issue and we are as he would expect raising it continuously with our allies.”

12:04 , Millie Cooke, Political Correspondent

British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is speaking now at prime minister’s questions.

He opened the session with a statement on proposals for a 30 day ceasefire in Ukraine, saying he “welcomes the progress in talks between Ukraine and the US”.

“We must now redouble our efforts to get a lasting secure peace”, he told the Commons.

He added: “On Saturday, I’ll convene international leaders to discuss how we can make further progress.”

We’ll bring you all the key lines relating to peace efforts in Ukraine.

11:52 , Alex Croft

Deterrence against future Russian aggression is needed for long-term peace, US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said.

Asked on whether the US will commit to security guarantees, he said: “Ukraine wants their long term security, that they want to make sure that this doesn't happen.

“What is the point of spending all this time to get a ceasefire, and then a negotiated end of the war, only to see it spark up again in about six years, four years, three years.

“So I think the question really is more about a deterrence. Can Ukraine create a sufficient deterrent against future aggression, against future attack, against future invasion?

“Because every country in the world has a right to defend themselves, and no one can dispute that, so that will most certainly have to be part of the conversation.

“There's no way to have a enduring peace without the deterrence piece being a part of that.”

11:47 , Alex Croft

Marco Rubio has said that negotiations towards peace are not “just about ending the war” for Ukraine.

“The Ukraine has been very clear that this isn't just about ending a war. They need to get their prisoners of war back. They need to get the children back,” he told reporters in Ireland.

11:45 , Alex Croft

US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said that neither side will achieve their “maximalist goals”.

“I think the first step in all this is the acceptance that there is no military solution to this conflict,” he said. “Neither side can militarily achieve their maximalist gains, their maximalist goals, neither side can achieve them through the military side.

“The only way this conflict can end is through negotiation.”

11:43 , Alex Croft

US secretary of state is speaking to reporters during a visit to Ireland.

“We’ll have contact with [the Russians] today”, he says. “As far as the Russian reaction to it that's really the question here.

“We're going to bring it to them directly. We're going to say that Ukraine is prepared to stop all battlefield activity, and begin the immediate process in negotiating our enduring end of the war,” he added.

He repeated his statement yesterday that the “ball is truly in their court”.

11:29 , Alex Croft

Ukraine’s huge drone strike on Russia overnight on Monday, in which Moscow and its surrounding regions were hit, is a “significant embarrassment” for Russian president Vladimir Putin, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

Fires were reported in Moscow and the city’s four airports were all temporarily closed in the attack. Russia said that 337 drones had been launched by Ukraine, including 91 over the Moscow region.

The MoD said the attack proves the Russian leadership needs to protect infrastructure and strategic facilities in its own territory along with the protection of operations on the front line.

"Putin and the Russian senior leadership almost certainly consider Ukraine's ability to both target and cause disruption within Moscow to be a significant embarrassment,” it wrote in the update on X.

“It also undermines the Russian leadership's narrative of the conflict as a localised operation as opposed to a war.”

11:14 , Alex Croft

World affairs editor Sam Kiley reports from Ukraine:

Ukraine’s agreement to accept a 30 day ceasefire in its war with Russia, which will now be taken as an offer to the Kremlin, is likely to be seized with glee by Vladimir Putin.

It gives his troops a breather, undermines Ukraine’s morale, and can be used to drive a further wedge into relations between Kyiv and Washington.

The agreement has been forced on Ukraine by the US after the Trump administration cut military aid and intelligence sharing with its former allies in Kyiv.

The intelligence taps will be turned back on as part of the “deal” which also says the two countries will work towards a mineral exploitation agreement.

Ukraine’s acceptance of a 30-day ceasefire will be seized with glee by Vladimir Putin

11:05 , Alex Croft

Russian forces have taken control of the villages of Dniproenerhiia and Novomarkove in eastern Ukraine, the defence ministry said according to state news agency RIA.

Russia’s troops continue to advance in Ukraine’s east, as it looks to seize as much land as possible before potential peace negotiations are pushed forward by the White House.

DeepState, an open-source intelligence map of the war in Ukraine, shows the villages as still under Ukrainian control - but the map has not yet been updated for Wednesday.

10:49 , Alex Croft

Four people have been killed in a Russian ballistic missile attack on the Black Sea port of Odesa, Ukrainian authorities have said.

The missile struck a bulk carrier which was loading wheat for Algeria, killing four Syrian nationals and injuring one other Syrian and a Ukrainian, deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram.

"Russia is attacking Ukraine’s infrastructure, including ports, which are involved in ensuring the world's food security," Mr Kuleba wrote.

He said another vessel was also damaged, without giving further details.

Ukraine is a major grain exporter and has managed to re-establish large-scale maritime exports during the war, despite Russian strikes on ports.

10:41 , Alex Croft

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Elon Musk was hailed as one of Kyiv’s staunchest allies. A Russian malware attack crippled satellite communications across Ukraine, and officials frantically pleaded with the SpaceX founder to help.

Three years later, Musk has warned that Ukraine’s “entire front line would collapse” without SpaceX’s satellite terminals, highlighting their critical role in the country’s defence against Russia. He has also used his platform X to repeatedly attack Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, sharing false claims and calling for elections to replace him.

Jabed Ahmed and Alicja Hagopian report:

How Elon Musk weaponized X against Ukraine’s president Zelensky

10:26 , Alex Croft

Russian forces retook five settlements held by Ukrainian troops in Russia's western Kursk region, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.

After Ukraine seized land in a lightning incursion last August, Russia has been reclaiming territory rapidly in a recent offensive.

Russia’s claims to have retaken five villages have not yet been independently verified.

One of the retaken villages, Kazach'ya Loknya, lies just north of Sudzha, which Russian forces have been storming since the weekend as they try to eject Ukrainians who have been clinging onto a slice of Kursk since last August.

10:08 , Alex Croft

Russia will not comment on whether the US-Ukrainian proposals for a 30-day ceasefire are acceptable until it hears from Washington, the Kremlin has said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow expects to be briefed in the coming days by secretary of state Marco Rubio and White House national security adviser Mike Waltz on Tuesday's talks between Washington and Kyiv in Saudi Arabia.

A phone call between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump could be organised very quickly if needed, Peskov told reporters.

When asked to comment on the proposed truce, Peskov said: “You are getting a little ahead of yourself. Yesterday, when talking to the press, both Rubio and Waltz said that they would pass on detailed information to us through various channels about the essence of the conversation that took place in Jeddah.

“First, we must receive this information."

Contacts with the US are planned in the coming days, "during which we expect to receive complete information”, he added.

It comes after Russian sources told Reuters that Putin is unlikely to agree to the deal in its current form.

09:52 , Alex Croft

Sir Keir Starmer’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell helped to broker the 30-day ceasefire proposal accepted by Volodymyr Zelensky, as Britain attempts to act as a bridge between the US and Ukraine.

The No 10 fixer travelled to Kyiv over the weekend to meet with Mr Zelensky and help draft the proposal, which included a temporary pause in fighting before confidence building measures such as a prisoner-of-war exchange.

It comes amid a concerted European effort, led by Sir Keir, over the last week to restore good working relations between the US and Ukraine.

Political correspondent Millie Cooke with the full report:

Number 10 fixer helped broker Ukraine ceasefire talks

09:33 , Alex Croft

Moscow is unlikely to agree to the US-Ukraine agreement for a 30-day ceasefire as Russia’s concerns must first be addressed, Russian sources have said.

Russia would need to hash out the terms of the ceasefire and obtain some form of guarantees, a senior source told Reuters.

"It is difficult for Putin to agree to this in its current form," the source said. "Putin has a strong position because Russia is advancing."

Without guarantees alongside a ceasefire Russia’s position could swiftly become weaker, the source said.

Another source said the proposal appeared to be a trap from Moscow’s perspective - because Putin would find it hard to halt the war without concrete guarantees or pledges.

A third source said the US had simply agreed to resume military aid and intelligence sharing, and decorated that move with a ceasefire proposal.

Putin has repeatedly ruled out a short-term ceasefire, calling instead for a long-term peace with security guarantees for Russia.

09:12 , Noopur Jambhekar