It’s Jakub Krupa here, taking over from Charlie Moloney.
Good morning/afternoon, depending where you are.
As we’ve been reporting, the Kremlin has yet to publicly confirm that Putin has agreed to meet Zelenskyy face-to-face. Without confirming whether planning has begun for a summit, the Kremlin issued only a vague statement that it was “considering the possibility” of holding high-level “direct talks” with Ukraine following Trump’s phone call with Putin yesterday.
According to the Moscow Times, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said today that Putin is open to it (the Russian president has previously outright rejected talks with Zelenskyy), but Lavrov also stressed that preparations for high-level summits take time. He told state broadcaster Russia 24:
We’re not refusing any kind of work format, neither bilateral nor trilateral. The president [Putin] has said that repeatedly … Any contacts involving top leaders must be prepared with the utmost care.
Despite European leaders’ optimistic suggestions yesterday that the meeting could take place within a fortnight, Moscow’s language appears to signal that it’s stalling on anything concrete for the proposed bilateral meeting.
Updated
The day so far
Donald Trump has “definitively” ruled out American boots on the ground as part of any peace deal for Ukraine, the White House confirmed, but has directed his national security team to coordinate with Europe to continue discussing security guarantees for Ukraine. Earlier in the day, Trump told Fox News that he was ruling out the deployment of American troops to defend Ukraine against another Russian incursion and said Europe would have to “front load” Ukraine’s security.
Instead, the US president is considering air support for Ukraine. He earlier appeared to hint at the possibility, saying: “We’re willing to help them with things, especially probably if you could talk about by air, because there’s nobody has the kind of stuff we have.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt then confirmed that this “is an option and a possibility”.
On trilateral talks between Trump, Zelenskyy and Putin, the White House is planning for the summit to be held in Budapest, Politico reports citing a Trump administration official and a person close to the administration. The White House declined to confirm this or other reports that Putin had suggested having the meeting in Moscow. Hungary would probably be an uncomfortable choice for Zelenskyy given that prime minister Victor Orbán is a longtime Putin ally. Earlier, French president Emmanuel Macron had proposed Geneva, with the Swiss foreign minister promising “immunity” to Putin despite an indictment by the international criminal court. It’s worth noting that the Kremlin has yet to confirm that Putin has agreed to meet with Zelenskyy face-to-face.
Earlier today Trump repeated his warning that Putin would face a “rough situation” if he did not cooperate in the peace process, while Zelenskyy had to “show some flexibility”, PA reported. “I hope President Putin is going to be good and if he’s not, that’s going to be a rough situation,” Trump said. “And I hope that Zelenskyy, President Zelenskyy, will do what he has to do. He has to show some flexibility.”
We’re ending our live coverage for now. You can read our latest full report here:
Updated
Turkey’s president Tayyip Erdoğan and Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte discussed feasible and sustainable security guarantees for Ukraine in a phone call on Tuesday, Erdoğan’s office has said.
Erdoğan and Rutte discussed the latest developments on the peace process between Russia and Ukraine and agreed on close coordination as well as Turkey’s contribution to the peace process, according to a statement by the Turkish presidency.
Asked what Article 5-style security guarantees the US is considering for Ukraine if not boots on the ground, Leavitt says only that the discussions are sensitive and ongoing.
Updated
White House eyeing Budapest for peace talks with Zelenskyy and Putin - report
Leavitt has been asked several times about the location of a meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy and Putin but wouldn’t divulge anything, refusing to comment on reports about Budapest and that the Kremlin had even suggested Moscow.
Politico is now reporting that the White House is planning for the summit to be held in Budapest, citing a Trump administration official and a person close to the administration.
This would probably be an uncomfortable choice for Zelenskyy given the Hungarian prime minister Victor Orbán is a longtime Putin ally. Earlier, French president Emmanuel Macron proposed Geneva, with the Swiss foreign minister promising “immunity” to Putin despite an indictment by the international criminal court.
Updated
Asked if Putin has firmly agreed to have a sit-down with Zelenskyy (as the Kremlin has not confirmed if that’s the case), Leavitt says the Trump administration is working with both countries to make the bilateral meeting happen.
Updated
Asked how long Trump is willing to “wait in good faith” for Putin to set up a meeting with Zelenskyy before he intervenes, Leavitt just says Trump wants to end the war as quickly as possible.
US air support for Ukraine 'an option and possibility', says White House
Asked if the US president is considering US troops in the air if not on the ground as part of security guarantees for Ukraine, Leavitt says that “is an option and a possibility”.
Trump earlier appeared to hint at the possibility of US air support for Ukraine: “We’re willing to help them with things, especially probably if you could talk about by air, because there’s nobody has the kind of stuff we have.”
Updated
Asked about the change of plan – moving from a trilateral meeting to a one-on-one meeting with Putin and Zelenskyy first - Leavitt says: “Both leaders have expressed a willingness to sit down with each other.”
She adds that Donald Trump “wants these two countries to engage in direct diplomacy. He said that from the very beginning.”
Putin has previously resisted a one-on-one meeting with Zelenskyy, and while Trump and European leaders touted yesterday that he had agreed to face-to-face talks with the Ukrainian president, the Kremlin hasn’t confirmed this.
However, Politico reported this morning, citing a senior administration official, that when Trump called the Russian president yesterday to offer his presence at a meeting between him and Zelenskyy, Putin said: “You don’t have to come. I want to see him one on one.” Trump’s team “started working on that”, the official told Politico. “Steve Witkoff has the assignment to get it figured [out].”
But as my colleague Pjotr Sauer writes in this analysis, the claim that Putin has agreed to meet Zelenskyy is one that “Moscow has conspicuously declined to confirm, instead saying that any such meeting would need to be ‘prepared extremely carefully’”.
It’s notable that Leavitt was asked about the Russian response to all this in the briefing just now and she very much skirted around the question.
Updated
Trump has 'definitively' ruled out American boots on the ground but US to help coordinate security guarantees for Ukraine, White House confirms
Asked for the current status of talks regarding security guarantees for Ukraine and what the US’s red lines, Leavitt reiterates that Donald Trump has “definitively” ruled out American boots on the ground.
The president has definitely stated US boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine, but we can certainly help in the coordination and perhaps provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies.
She adds that Trump has directed his national security team to coordinate with Europe, and continue to discuss these matters with Ukraine and Russia.
Earlier, Trump told Fox News that he was ruling out the deployment of American troops to defend Ukraine against another Russian incursion and said Europe would have to “front load” Ukraine’s security.
Updated
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is due to hold a news briefing shortly where she’ll no doubt be asked about Ukraine. I’ll bring you any relevant lines here, my colleague Shrai Popat will also be covering it in full over on our US politics blog:
Summary
I’m now handing the blog over to Lucy Campbell, but before I go, here is a quick roundup of today’s headlines so far:
The US president, Donald Trump, has ruled out the deployment of American troops in Ukraine, but appeared to hint at possibility of US air security guarantees.
Trump today repeated his warning that Vladimir Putin would face a “rough situation” if he did not cooperate in the peace process, while Volodymyr Zelenskyy had to “show some flexibility”, PA reported. “I hope President Putin is going to be good and if he’s not, that’s going to be a rough situation,” Trump said. “And I hope that Zelensky, President Zelensky, will do what he has to do. He has to show some flexibility.”
Vladimir Putin has agreed to face-to-face talks with Zelenskyy, according to Trump and European leaders, and the Ukrainian president has welcomed the news, calling a “big step forward” towards securing a peace deal.
The “Coalition of the Willing” met virtually today to debrief after last night’s talks at the White House, it emerged.
British prime minister Keir Starmer described the European leaders’ talks at the White House as “good and constructive” and said they produced “real progress”.
The trilateral meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy, Putin ‘can bring breakthrough on path to peace,’ Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said.
On the back of last night’s meeting with Trump and European allies at the White House, Zelenskyy confirmed that the allies were “already working on the concrete content of the security guarantees.”
Geneva is emerging as a potential location for a peace summit between Putin and Zelenskyy, as first floated by the French president, Emmanuel Macron. Speaking to reporters after his White House visit, Macron said the summit should be hosted by “a neutral country, maybe Switzerland – I’m pushing for Geneva – or another country.”
Military planners to meet in US to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, UK said. The UK prime minister’s office released a short statement after the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing on Ukraine, co-chaired by Starmer and Macron.
Ukraine need to be open to discuss territorial changes, not join Nato, the Slovak PM, Robert Fico, said. Fico, who repeatedly clashed with Ukraine in the past and sought to block or delay some EU sanctions on Russia, insisted that “the first basic prerequisite for ending the conflict is the understanding that Ukraine cannot become a member state of Nato.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said the EU would continue targeting Russia’s war economy and that the next sanctions package against Moscow should be ready by next month.
Nato military chiefs to hold video meeting Wednesday on Ukraine
The military chiefs of staff of Nato’s 32 member countries will hold a video meeting tomorrow to discuss developments concerning Ukraine, the head of the alliance’s military committee has said.
Italian admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone posted that the military head of Nato’s forces in Europe, US General Alexus Grynkewich, would give an update “on the current security environment” as “diplomatic efforts to secure peace in Ukraine progress”, AFP reports.
EU to unveil new Russia sanctions package next month
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said the EU would continue targeting Russia’s war economy and that the next sanctions package against Moscow should be ready by next month.
She was speaking after a virtual European Council summit of about the war in Ukraine, a day after an extraordinary meeting of Ukrainian and several EU leaders with U.S. president Donald Trump in Washington.
Kallas said “unity among EU leaders in today’s virtual summit was palpable” and that she had placed the topics of Ukraine security and Russia sanctions at the top of the agenda for talks next week among EU foreign and defence ministers.
“[Vladimir] Putin cannot be trusted to honour any promise or commitment. Therefore, security guarantees must be strong and credible enough to deter Russia from re-grouping and re-attacking,” Kallas said in a post on X.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has given Donald Trump a golf club belonging to a wounded serviceman during his visit to Washington this week, Kyiv said on Tuesday.
Trump, an avid golfer who owns several courses, accepted the gift and presented Zelenskyy with symbolic keys to the White House in return, the Ukrainian leader’s office said.
The warm exchange marks a turnaround from February, when Zelenskyy left the White House early after a televised shouting match with Trump and US vice-president JD Vance. Since then, Zelenskyy has sought to repair ties, praising Trump’s efforts to secure peace.
“The president of Ukraine presented the president of the United States with a golf club,” Zelenskyy’s office said. The club belonged to Kostiantyn Kartavtsev, a soldier who “had lost a leg in the first months of Russia’s full-scale invasion while saving his brothers-in-arms”, it added. Zelenskyy also showed Trump a video of Kartavtsev.
Later on Tuesday, Ukrainian veteran organisation United by Golf published a video of Trump holding the club and thanking Kartavtsev. “I just watched your swing. I know a lot about golf and your swing is great,” Trump said. “You’re an amazing person, and you just keep playing golf and doing all of the other things. Your country is a great country. We’re trying to bring it back to health.”
Zelenskyy also brought a letter for Melania Trump from his wife, Olena, thanking the US first lady for writing to Vladimir Putin and urging him to save children’s lives.
The EU has dropped its calls for a “ceasefire” in Ukraine and is instead demanding that Russia “stop the killing”, in a semantic shift that aims to grab the ear of US President Donald Trump, according to AFP.
European Commission spokesperson Arianna Podestà told reporters: “The message for us is: stop the killing. Anything that stops the killing is welcome.”
Her remarks echoed EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, who stood alongside Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels on Sunday. “The effect must be stop the killing,” she said. “That’s the most important part. Whether we call it a ceasefire or a peace deal, stop the killing.”
European sources said Trump now disliked the term “ceasefire”, and the intention was to avoid antagonising the US president on a matter of form as high-stakes negotiations on Ukraine and European security were under way.
Yet at the White House summit on Monday, European leaders made clear their basic demands had not changed.
“I can’t imagine that the next meeting would take place without a ceasefire, so let’s work on that and let’s try to put pressure on Russia,” said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
French President Emmanuel Macron summed it up by saying that “a truce, a ceasefire or at least, to stop the killings” was “a necessity”.
Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan and US secretary of state Marco Rubio discussed potential steps to end the Ukraine war in a phone call on Tuesday, a Turkish foreign ministry source said.
The source said the two also discussed the outcomes of talks between the U.S. and Russian presidents in Alaska and a meeting in Washington involving European leaders, Ukraine and the US, according to Reuters.
Fidan and Rubio also discussed ceasefire efforts in Gaza and the latest situation in Syria, the source said, adding Fidan had called for an immediate truce in Gaza and unhindered access of humanitarian aid.
Trump rules out US ground troops in Ukraine, says Europe to 'front load' security
Donald Trump has ruled out the deployment of American troops in Ukraine in his first interview since yesterday’s White House meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders.
“You have my assurance, and I’m president,” Trump told Fox News talkshow Fox & Friends in a phone interview on Tuesday, when pressed on whether US forces could be sent to defend against another Russian incursion.
The US president reiterated that Ukraine would not be admitted into Nato under his watch, but said that Kyiv would still receive security guarantees. These, he suggested, European allies would “front load”. Trump said France, Germany and the UK were among the countries considering sending their own troops to bolster Ukraine’s defences.
Vladimir Putin suggested holding a possible meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, in Moscow, according to two sources familiar with a phone call between US president Donald Trump and Putin.
“Putin mentioned Moscow” during their call on Monday, one of the sources told AFP, adding that Zelensky had said “no” in response.
What security guarantees might Ukraine get in return for a peace deal?
As western leaders meet, four key questions remain about the steps they could take to prevent any future Russian aggression:
What security guarantees might Ukraine get?
How might the US contribute?
What does Russia say?
What does history tell us?
Guardian foreign correspondent Luke Harding breaks down each one in this explainer:
I’m handing the blog over to Matthew Pearce, who will guide you through the late afternoon in Europe.
Ukraine need to be open to discuss territorial changes, not join Nato, Slovak PM says
Slovak prime minister Robert Fico, who repeatedly clashed with Ukraine in the past and sought to block or delay some EU sanctions on Russia, also spoke in the last few minutes.
In a three-minute video posted on his social media channels, recorded after his participation in the European Council meeting on Ukraine, he insisted that “the first basic prerequisite for ending the conflict is the understanding that Ukraine cannot become a member state of Nato.”
He noted that he expressed this view before, and faced heavy criticism.
He also said:
“Equally important is the factual understanding that without a discussion about territorial changes in Ukraine, no progress can be made,” he said.
He added that he was disappointed that the EU “had to wait for Donald Trump to show us the path towards peace,” praising the US president’s initiative as “enormous personal success.”
Fico also rejected the suggestion that EU countries could take part in buying €100bn-worth of military equipment for Ukraine, saying it sounded “like a bad joke.”
He said he could not imagine a siutation in which Slovakia spends money on US weapons to send them to Ukraine for free.
Unsuprisingly, he’s also “sceptical” about the idea of further sanctions against Russia.
But he said he hoped for peace “as soon as possible” and was ready to support Ukraine’s ambitions to join the European Union instead.
Nato military leaders to discuss Ukraine on Wednesday
We are just getting a line from Reuters that a meeting between Nato military leaders on Ukraine is provisionally expected to take place tomorrow.
We will bring you a confirmation once we have it.
EU united in support for Ukraine, committed to put pressure on Russia, Costa says
European Council president António Costa told Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the EU was united in its “unwavering support for Ukraine” when the pair spoke on the phone this afternoon.
The former Portuguese prime minister added the bloc was also committed to maintaining pressure on Russia to get it to discuss and agree to ending the war in Ukraine.
“Our top priorities are to stop the killing, advance the exchange of prisoners, and secure the return of the thousands of children abducted by Russia,” he said.
He added:
“We will work together with the United States on concrete and essential security guarantees. Together with President Zelenskyy and the US, we will prepare the next steps to achieve a just and lasting peace.
We must continue to support the Ukrainian people and move forward with the enlargement process. Ukraine’s future also lies in the prosperity and stability that EU membership can provide.”
Updated
Military planners to meet in US to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, UK says
The UK prime minister’s office has just released a short statement after the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing on Ukraine, co-chaired by Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron.
It looks like the focus was on planning the next steps on security guarantees and potential sanctions to push Putin’s Russia even further.
The statement said the participating countries agreed on a meeting of planning teams with their US counterparts “in the coming days to further strengthen plans to deliver robust security guarantees and prepare for the deployment of a reassurance force if the hostilities ended.”
The leaders also talked about “how further pressure – including through sanctions – could be placed on Putin until he showed he was ready to take serious action to end his illegal invasion.”
The coalition gathered over 30 international leaders, No10 said.
'Takes two to tango,' Trump says as he discusses Putin-Zelenskyy talks
Trump also spoke about the challenges of the negotiation with Putin and Zelenskyy, saying:
“I told him [Putin] that we’re going to set up a meeting with President Zelenskyy and you and he will meet and then after that meeting if everything works out, okay, I’ll lead and we’ll wrap it up.
But, you know, it takes, in this case, two to tango.
They have to have somewhat of a relationship. Otherwise, we’re just wasting a lot of time. I don’t want to be doing that.
I just want to end it. I want to end it. You know, we’re not losing American lives. We’re not losing American soldiers. We’re losing Russian and Ukrainian … mostly soldiers. Some people, as missiles hit wrong spots or get lobbed into cities like Kyiv and towns.
But you know, if I can save 7,000 people a week from being killed, I think that’s… I want to try and get to heaven if possible.”
Trump appears to hint at possibility of US air security guarantees for Ukraine
Trump also offered a bit of an insight on his thinking about security guarantees for Ukraine, saying that while Europeans were “willing to put people on the ground,” the US focus was on air operations, PA reported.
Trump said:
“We’re willing to help them with things, especially probably if you could talk about by air, because there’s nobody has the kind of stuff we have.”
Updated
Putin will face 'rough situation' if he doesn't move on Ukraine, Trump says
The US president also repeated his warning that Vladimir Putin would face a “rough situation” if he did not co-operate in the peace process, while Volodymyr Zelenskyy had to “show some flexibility”, PA reported.
Ahead of a hoped-for meeting by the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, Trump told Fox News:
“I hope President Putin is going to be good and if he’s not, that’s going to be a rough situation.
“And I hope that Zelensky, President Zelensky, will do what he has to do. He has to show some flexibility.”
Updated
Trump also spoke about his conversations with European leaders, telling them to move towards a deal as they they wouldn’t necessarily get similar security guarantees on Ukraine from any future administration.
PA reported that Trump told Fox News:
“We talked about it. You know, it is what it is.
“I could say the same thing about them. Supposing you got a terrible leader in UK or France or, you know, we had Ursula (von der Leyen) there who runs the whole gamut, you know, we just made the biggest trade deal in the world with.
“She’s in charge of the Commission, the European Commission. And she’s the boss. She was there too.”
Trump also praised the leaders, saying they were “very good people” and repeating the claim that “they want to get back to leading their country” instead of resolving the war.
Trump said that “we have an ocean that’s separating us [...] a big, beautiful ocean, and they don’t, you know, they’re right there”.
It’s a different kind of a thing for them.
Updated
Trump hopes Putin moves on Ukraine, but says possible he won't
US president Donald Trump appeared on Fox News in the last half hour, talking about the prospects for a peace settlement in Ukraine.
He said he hoped Russian president Vladimir Putin would move forwards towards ending the war in Ukraine, but conceded it was possible the Russian leader didn’t want to make a deal, Reuters reported.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem, to be honest with you. I think Putin is tired of it. I think they’re all tired of it, but you never know,” Trump said in an interview with the Fox News “Fox + Friends” program.
“We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks ... It’s possible that he doesn’t want to make a deal,” Trump said, adding that Putin faced a “rough situation” if that was not the case.
Updated
European Council debrief after White House talks under way
The virtual informal summit of the European Council is now also under way to debrief the leaders of the 27 on last night’s talks in Washington DC and the next steps.
European Council president António Costa posted a picture of himself taking part in the call, confirming it was on-going.
He said:
“The EU firmly supports the Ukrainian people and President @ZelenskyyUa.
Ukraine has been – and will remain – at the top of Leaders’ agendas in the weeks and months ahead, as we continue to support efforts toward a just and sustainable peace.
As a first step, Russia must immediately end the violence.”
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who took part in last night’s talks, said:
“In Washington DC. talks advanced on strong security guarantees for Ukraine, ending the bloodshed, sanctions and the return of the abducted children. Our work and close cooperation continues.”
Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk also offered an update after his earlier participation in the “Coalition of the Willing” meeting online.
He said:
“The leaders of Canada, Japan, Turkey, New Zealand, and European countries assessed the outcomes of the Alaska meeting very realistically. We all confirmed the need for continued support for Ukraine in the war with Russia. A good introduction to the European Council that is just beginning.”
Updated
Geneva emerges as potential location for Putin-Zelenskyy summit
Geneva is emerging as a potential location for a peace summit between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as first floated by the French president, Emmanuel Macron.
Speaking to reporters after his White House visit, Macron said the summit should be hosted by “a neutral country, maybe Switzerland – I’m pushing for Geneva – or another country.”
He told LCI/TF1 that “it’s more than a hypothesis, it’s the collective will” of the leaders.
And the Swiss foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis, confirmed this morning that the country could organise the summit.
In comments reported by the Swiss public broadcaster SRF, Cassis said that Switzerland could host the talks despite the outstanding arrest warrant on Putin, using its special role and Geneva’s status as the European headquarters of the UN.
As a signatory of the Rome Statute, Switzerland would be technically obliged to arrest Putin on his arrival to Switzerland, but Cassis appeared to suggest there is a way around it with temporary immunity to facilitate the peace talks.
Updated
'Dynamics have accelerated,' Poland's defence minister says as 'Coalition of the Willing' call gets under way
The call in the “Coalition of the Willing” format appears to be under way, at least according to Poland’s deputy prime minister and defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
He is leading the Polish government’s cabinet meeting today, filling in for PM Tusk, who is on the call.
In his opening remarks for media, Kosiniak-Kamysz revealed the call was on going, and stressed the importance of Poland’s role on providing support and infrastructural security for all deliveries to Ukraine.
“The prime minister’s participation is important because the dynamics have accelerated, and the last hours and days show how crucial a moment this is for the world and for Europe – and the government is active,” he argued.
He also repeated the aim of “negotiating peace, a truce that offers a chance for durability and fair outcomes.”
'Pressure on Russia must increase,' Swedish PM says ahead of debrief calls
Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson also posted about getting ready for the series of calls – first in the “Coalition of the Willing” format and then in the EU format.
In a post on X, he stressed that Sweden was the fifth largest donor to Ukraine, and remained acutely aware of the direct consequences of how the war ends for its security.
“The pressure on Russia must increase, and I emphasise this in every conversation,” he said.
European political group leaders got briefed on last night's talks
European political group leaders’ have briefed by the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on last night’s talks in Washington, Ireland’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Simon Harris revealed.
Posting on social media, he said von der Leyen spoke with leaders of the centre-right EPP grouping earflier today.
“Attending an @EPP briefing for Leaders from President @vonderleyen this morning on the White House talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
Important work in the days and the weeks ahead.
There must be a just, lasting and enduring peace.”
Updated
Ukraine and allies 'already working on security guarantees,' Zelenskyy says
On the back of last night’s meeting with Trump and European allies at the White House, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just confirmed that the allies were “already working on the concrete content of the security guarantees.”
Giving a bit more detail on the meetings planned later today, he said:
“Today, we continue coordination at the level of leaders. There will be discussions, and we are preparing the relevant formats. We will also continue working tomorrow. National security advisers are also in constant contact now. There will be security guarantees.”
He added:
“I thank all our partners for their determination and support. Ukraine feels this strength. And we will do everything to make the path to peace a reality – through partnership, through security guarantees, and through the courage of the Ukrainian people.”
We now have a further confirmation of the meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” this morning, coming from the German government and the Élysée Palace in France.
The meeting will be co-chaired by UK prime minister Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron, Élysée said.
Trilateral meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy, Putin 'can bring breakthrough on path to peace,' Ukraine's foreign minister says
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has just responded to overnight Russian attacks on Ukraine, saying they show “how criticial it is to end the killing, achieve a lasting peace, and ensure robust security guarantees.”
“While hard work to advance peace was underway in Washington DC., led by Presidents @ZelenskyyUA and @POTUS, with the participation of European and Nato leaders, Moscow continued to do the opposite of peace: more strikes and destruction.”
He also confirmed earlier reports that “there has been damage to the energy infrastructure and injured civilians” (9:41).
Ending on a hopeful note, he said:
“The future meeting of leaders of Ukraine, the US, and Russia can bring a breakthrough on the path to peace. We are grateful to the United States and President Trump for the peacemaking.”
'Coalition of the Willing' debriefs after White House talks
The “Coalition of the Willing” will meet virtually today to debrief after last night’s talks at the White House, it emerged.
A spokesperson for the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, said he would take part in the midday call (11am BST)
Later today, EU leaders are also set to take place in a virtual European Council, at 1pm Brussels time (midday BST).
Updated
'Putin does not want peace,' Ukrainian mayor says after another night of attacks
Russia attacked the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk with drones overnight, the city mayor said in comments reported by Reuters, calling it a sign that Russian president Vladimir Putin does not want peace.
“At the very same time when Putin was assuring Trump over the phone that he seeks peace, and when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was holding talks at the White House with European leaders about a just peace, Putin’s army launched yet another massive attack on Kremenchuk,” Vitalii Maletskyi, mayor of the city that lies in the Poltava region, said on the Telegram.
“Once again, the world has seen that Putin does not want peace – he wants to destroy Ukraine,” he said.
Reuters added that Maletskyi said scores of blasts shook the city, targeting energy and transport infrastructure, leaving hundreds of people in the Poltava region without power.
Poltava governor Volodymyr Kohut said that the attack damaged administrative buildings of a local energy infrastructure operation.
“Fortunately, there were no casualties,” Kohut said on Telegram. He said that in the Lubny district nearly 1,500 residential and 119 commercial customers were left without power.
It’s Jakub Krupa here, taking over from Jane Clinton.
Good morning.
Zelenskyy’s new outfit was not a response to difficult first White House visit, says designer
On Monday evening the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, garnered compliments from Donald Trump and the White House press pool for his formal jacket and trousers.
But for the ensemble’s designer, Viktor Anisimov, the outcome of the meeting, not the verdict on the outfit, was of more concern.
“It’s not about the suit – it’s about what happens to Ukraine,” Anisimov told Womenswear Daily (WWD), speaking through an interpreter before the meeting.
Zelenskyy has largely eschewed formalwear since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, opting instead for military-style clothing as a gesture of solidarity with his country’s citizens.
In February, he was criticised by the pro-Trump TV reporter Brian Glenn for his decision to wear a long-sleeve polo shirt emblazoned with the Ukrainian trident, from the Ukrainian menswear brand Damirli.
“Why don’t you wear a suit? You’re at the highest level in this country’s office, and you refuse to wear a suit. Do you own a suit? A lot of Americans have problems with you not respecting the dignity of this office,” Glenn said at the time.
“I will wear [a suit] after the war is finished,” Zelenskyy replied.
Trump, too, noted the casual outfit in February, greeting Zelenskyy with a sarcastic: “You’re all dressed up.”
Read the full report here:
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that European leaders had failed to “outplay” Donald Trump, but that it was unclear how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would present the issues of territory and a security guarantee, Reuters reports.
“The anti-Russian warmongering Coalition of the Willing failed to outplay @POTUS on his turf,” Medvedev said in English on X. “Europe thanked & sucked up to him.”
Medvedev said the question was “what tune” Zelenskyy would play “about guarantees & territories back home, once he’s put on his green military uniform again.”
Trump told Zelenskyy on Monday that the United States would help guarantee Ukraine’s security in any deal to end the war in Ukraine, though the extent of any assistance was not immediately clear.
Ukraine’s air force said on Tuesday that Russia launched 270 drones and 10 missiles overnight in one of its largest attacks this month, Reuters reports.
The air force said it downed 230 drones and six missiles. It recorded strikes at 16 locations with four missiles and 40 drones.
A Russian morning drone attack on Ukraine’s Chernihiv region damaged infrastructure and power cuts were reported in parts of the northern region, the governor said.
“Some settlements are experiencing problems with electricity supply,” Viacheslav Chaus said on Tuesday on Telegram, cited by Reuters.
“Energy workers and rescuers are already working on restoration.”
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy navigated Monday’s meeting more successfully than his Oval Office encounter in February, which ended abruptly when Donald Trump and JD Vance publicly upbraided him for not being grateful enough.
In his opening remarks to the media on Monday, the Ukrainian president repeated his thanks at least eight times, the Associated Press reports.
Zelenskyy also had reinforcements this time, with the leaders from around Europe travelling to Washington on short notice to demonstrate solidarity with Kyiv and push for strong security guarantees for the country in any post-war settlement.
Trump greeted Zelenskyy warmly on his arrival outside the White House, expressing admiration for his black suit – a departure from the Ukrainian leader’s typical military clothes, which media reports said irritated Trump in February.
When a reporter asked Trump what his message was to the people of Ukraine, he said: “We love them.”
Zelenskyy thanked him, and Trump put his hand on Zelenskyy back in a show of affection before the two men went inside to the Oval Office.
Donald Trump’s hosting of European leaders has been part of a flurry of diplomacy to find a path to peace in Ukraine. Coming just days after his summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, the pressure was on to make headway in a years-long conflict that the US president once said he could solve in 24 hours.
In a fresh explainer we look at four key takeaways arising from the US president’s range of bilateral and multilateral talks with the leaders of Ukraine, Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and Nato. The four are:
A meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin ... could it finally happen?
The need for security guarantees agreed – but details unclear
Trump believes he is very good at solving conflicts
A potential boost for the US arms industry
You can read the context around each takeaway here:
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Russian attack on Ukraine shows Putin doesn't want peace, says mayor
An overnight Russian attack on the Kremenchuk and Lubny districts of central Ukraine’s Poltava region cut power to hundreds of customers and damaged administrative buildings of a local power infrastructure operation, the regional governor said on Tuesday.
“Fortunately, there were no casualties,” Volodymyr Kohut said on Telegram.
He also said that in the Lubny district nearly 1,500 residential and 119 commercial customers were left without power, Reuters reports.
Kremenchuk’s mayor, meanwhile, said the Russian attack showed Vladimir Putin did not want peace.
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Vladimir Putin has agreed to face-to-face talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Donald Trump and European leaders, and the Ukrainian president has welcomed the news, calling a “big step forward” towards securing a peace deal.
But French president Emmanuel Macron said he had “serious doubts” about Putin’s desire for peace and German chancellor Friedrich Merz also expressed doubt, saying he didn’t know whether the Russian president would have “the courage to attend such a summit”.
Here’s footage of the leaders setting out their reservations:
The leaders of five European countries as well as the European Commission and Nato joined Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the summit with Donald Trump at the White House.
A selection of images from the talks have been been curated here and include these:
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If there was a sign that Volodymyr Zelenskyy wasn’t going to be immediately voted off the island of the Donald Trump diplomacy show, it came early on when a familiar voice commended his choice of attire, writes Andrew Roth in his sketch of how the White House meeting unfolded.
“President Zelenskyy, you look fabulous in that suit,” said Brian Glenn, a pro-Trump pundit and member of the White House press corps, who had attacked him for wearing military fatigues during the infamous Oval Office meeting in February. “I said the same thing,” Trump added.
“You are in the same suit,” Zelenskyy shot back, earning smiles and laughter from the room including the US president. “I changed, you did not.”
Thus did Zelenskyy survive his first media appearance at the White House with Trump on Monday as the US president focused less on belittling the leader of a wartime ally than boasting – and in many cases exaggerating – his exploits as a peacemaker in world conflicts.
You can read all of Roth’s piece here:
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Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy both said they hoped Monday’s gathering would eventually lead to three-way talks with Vladimir Putin, whose forces have been slowly grinding forward in eastern Ukraine.
In a social media post late on Monday, Trump said he had called the Russian leader and begun arranging a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, to be followed by a trilateral summit among the three presidents.
Trump told European leaders that Putin suggested that sequence, Reuters cites a source in the European delegation as saying.
The Kremlin has not publicly announced its agreement, but a senior Trump administration official said the Putin-Zelenskyy meeting could take place in Hungary.
The pair will meet within the next two weeks, according to German chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The last direct talks between Russia and Ukraine took place in Turkey in June. Putin declined Zelenskyy’s public invitation to meet him face-to-face there and instead sent a low-level delegation.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after his Washington meeting with Donald Trump and European leaders that security guarantees for Ukraine would likely be worked out within 10 days, adding that they would include the purchase for Ukraine of a package of US weapons.
“There indeed is a package with our proposals worth $90bn,” the Ukrainian president said. “And we have agreements with the US president that when our export opens, they will buy Ukrainian drones. This is important for us.”
As Warren Murray writes in our latest Ukraine war briefing, reports earlier suggested that Ukraine would promise to buy $100bn of US weapons financed by Europe – lucrative for US suppliers – as part of a deal to get guarantees from the US for its security if there is a peace settlement with Russia.
The Financial Times added that Ukraine and the US would also strike a $50bn deal to produce drones with Ukrainian companies. The drone news may partly repeat recent similar announcements.
You can read the full briefing here:
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Starmer says 'real progress' made at Trump summit
British prime minister Keir Starmer has described the talks at the White House as “good and constructive” and said they produced “real progress”.
Speaking after the summit, Starmer said: “There was a real sense of unity between the European leaders that were there and President Trump and President Zelenskyy.”
Starmer highlighted “two material outcomes” from the talks – first, that the coalition of the willing “will now work with the US” on security guarantees.
“That’s really important for security in Ukraine, for security in Europe, and for security in the UK,” the prime minister said.
Starmer continued:
The other material outcome was the agreement that there will now be a bilateral agreement between President Putin and President Zelenskyy, that was after a phone call between President Trump and President Putin during the course of this afternoon, followed by a trilateral that will add in Trump.
That is a recognition of the principle that on some of these issues, whether it’s territory or the exchange of prisoners, or the very serious issue of the return of children, that is something where Ukraine must be at the table.
These were the two outcomes that were the most important coming out of today. They’re positive outcomes, there was a real sense of unity. We’ve made real progress today.
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Opening summary
Welcome to our live coverage of the latest diplomatic efforts to find an end to the war in Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin has agreed to face-to-face talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Donald Trump and European leaders, although the Kremlin has yet to confirm a meeting will take place.
After talks at the White House with the leaders of Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and Nato, the US president said he would coordinate security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a deal and claimed that arrangements were under way for a Zelenskyy-Putin meeting. He said a trilateral meeting would happen between the two, along with Trump, after that.
Finnish president Alexander Stubb said the main agreement from the White House meeting was that the killing had to end and that it remained to be seen if Putin had the courage to meet Zelenskyy. “Putin is rarely to be trusted,” Stubb said.
The Russian president has previously resisted a one-on-one meeting with Zelenskyy. Ukraine’s president said it was ready to meet with Russia in “any format” and that territorial issues are “something we will leave between me and Putin”.
Here are some of the latest developments:
German chancellor Friedrich Merz said Putin told Trump in a call during the White House meeting that he was ready to meet Zelenskyy “within the next two weeks”. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin and Trump only discussed the “idea” of direct Russia-Ukraine talks in Monday’s phone call.
Trump told Zelenskyy the US would help guarantee Ukraine’s security in any deal to end the war, though the extent of any assistance was not immediately clear. “I believe this is a major step forward,” Zelenskyy said, also saying security guarantees for Ukraine would probably be worked out within 10 days.
The US president ruled out a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war during a meeting with Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House, despite last week warning Moscow of “very severe consequences” if Vladimir Putin didn’t agree to halt the fighting. Trump said while sitting with the leaders on Monday: “All of us would obviously prefer an immediate ceasefire while we work on a lasting peace. Maybe something like that could happen. As of this moment, it’s not happening.”
Trump described his meeting with Zelenskyy and the leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and Nato as “a very good, early step for a war that has been going on for almost four years”. He also said on social media that vice-president JD Vance, secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff were “coordinating with Russia and Ukraine”. “Everyone is very happy about the possibility of peace for Russia/Ukraine,” Trump said.
French president Emmanuel Macron called for stepping up sanctions against Russia if Putin does not move forward on peace with Ukraine. Merz said Ukraine should not be forced to surrender its Donbas region to Russia in talks, likening it to the US giving up Florida.
Trump, however, seemed clearly swayed by Putin from their talks in Alaska last Friday and echoed the Russian president’s talking points, saying several times on Monday that ending the war was “up to” both Zelenskyy and Putin – rather than just Putin, who invaded Ukraine. Trump also said: “We also need to discuss the possible exchanges of territory, taking into consideration the current line of contact – that means the war zone.”
Ukraine will promise to buy $90bn of US weapons financed by Europe as part of a deal to get guarantees from the US for its security if there is a peace settlement with Russia, Zelenskyy said. “There indeed is a package with our proposals worth $90bn,” the Ukrainian president said. “And we have agreements with the US president that when our export opens, they will buy Ukrainian drones. This is important for us.”
In stark contrast to the heated exchange during Zelenskyy’s first trip to Trump’s White House in February, the Ukrainian president’s charm offensive this time around looked to pay off, allowing him to emerge unscathed. Zelenskyy – who wore a black military-style suit and presented a letter from his wife, Olena Zelenska, for Melania Trump in response to her letter to Putin – said this meeting with Trump was his “best” so far.
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