Russia has sunk Donald Trump’s hope that a peace deal in Ukraine can be achieved by Thanksgiving after the Kremlin said Europe’s counterproposal was not constructive and did not work for Moscow.
In a sign that both sides remain far apart, the Kremlin said that Europe’s demands for Ukraine would not be accepted by Vladimir Putin but said that an earlier proposal by the US seemed “quite acceptable to us”.
Trump claimed on Monday that progress was being made in peace talks in Geneva between US and Ukrainian officials. Washington and Kyiv said in a joint statement that they were working to narrow the gaps in the 28-point peace plan revealed by the US last week.
The US president had given Ukraine until Thanksgiving, this Thursday, to agree to the plan - but US officials later indicated the deadline could change.
Some EU leaders met to discuss Ukraine on the sidelines of an EU-African Union summit in Luanda on Monday, with others dialling in via video conference.
Key Points
- Russian drones trigger fires in Kyiv apartment buildings
- Russia dashes Trump’s hope of quick peace deal in Ukraine after rejecting European proposal
- Zelensky says sensitive issues to be discussed with Trump
- Zelensky wlecomes amendments from Europe on Trump's peace plan
- Some disagreements still on Trump’s peace plan, says White House
Russia dashes Trump’s hope of quick peace deal in Ukraine after rejecting European proposal
04:01 , Arpan RaiHopes of reaching a breakthrough in the war with Russia this week were quashed on Monday after a European proposal discussed by the United States and Ukraine was described by Moscow as “completely unconstructive”.
Washington and Kyiv said in a joint statement they had drafted a “refined peace framework” after talks in Geneva on Sunday. Although there were no specifics, the dialogue received a cautious welcome from some of Ukraine's allies.
However, the Kremlin said that the European counterproposal to a 28-point US peace plan for Ukraine was not helpful.
"The European plan, at first glance ... is completely unconstructive and does not work for us," Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters in Moscow.
Russia dashes Trump’s hope of quick peace deal after rejecting European proposal
Zelensky says sensitive issues to be discussed with Trump
03:42 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky has said a proposed peace plan now under discussion with the United States and Europe has incorporated "correct" points, but sensitive issues were to be discussed with US president Donald Trump.
"As of now, after (talks in) Geneva, there are fewer points, no longer 28, and many correct elements have been incorporated into this framework," Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
"Our team has already reported today on the new draft of steps and this is truly the right approach. The sensitive issues, the most delicate points, I will discuss with President Trump,” he said.
Zelensky said the process of producing a final document would be difficult and Ukraine appreciated the assistance offered by other countries and the "constructive" US approach.
He said it was in Russia's interests to disrupt the peace process and warned Ukrainians to pay particular attention to air raid alerts in the days and weeks to come "as we fully understand who we are dealing with".
Zelensky said that if negotiations proceeded on resolving the war "there must be no missiles, no massive strikes on Ukraine and our people. This is something that those who are strong in the world can ensure.”
Watch: Zelensky says Ukraine peace deal has fewer than 28 points after Geneva talks
03:32 , Arpan RaiZelensky wlecomes amendments from Europe on Trump's peace plan
03:25 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has reacted positively to the changes proposed by his European allies to the contentious 28-point peace plan being pushed by Donald Trump.
Washington's 28-point plan presented last week caused alarm by heavily aligning with Moscow's demands in the nearly four-year war caused by its invasion.
The plan pressed Ukraine to hand over some territory to Russia and reduce its army. It also sought Europe's agreement that Ukraine will never be admitted into the Nato military alliance.
The proposed European changes included advocating for EU membership for Kyiv, saying Ukraine’s Nato membership is up to the alliance, and forcing no territorial concessions on Ukraine.
The European allies said any ceasefire should be along the current line of contact, there should be no cap on the Ukrainian military and the cost of reconstruction in war-ravaged Ukraine should be covered by Russia.
“Now the list of necessary steps to end the war can become doable..." Zelensky said on Telegram. "Many correct elements have been incorporated into this framework,” he said.
Today our delegation returned from Geneva after negotiations with the American side and European partners. Now the list of necessary steps to end the war can become doable. As of now, after Geneva, there are fewer points – no longer 28 – and many of the right elements have been… pic.twitter.com/bsaKyNXHQH
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 24, 2025
Some disagreements still on Trump’s peace plan, says White House
03:15 , Arpan RaiWhite House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said there were a couple of points of disagreement remaining on the peace plan but said "we're confident that we'll be able to work through those”.
She said US president Donald Trump wanted a deal as quickly as possible, answering a question on whether he stands by his deadline for Ukraine on Thursday to reach a deal.
“There is a sense of urgency. The president wants to see this deal come together, and to see this war end,” she told reporters outside the White House yesterday.
Leavitt said Trump has been putting pressure on both leaders, however added that there is no meeting scheduled between the US president and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky this week.
Four injured as Ukrainian drones strike Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk
03:00 , Arpan RaiAt least four people were injured in an overnight Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, officials said.
The Operational Headquarters in southern Krasnodar Region said on Telegram that five high-rise residences and two private homes had sustained damage in different districts of the city.
Falling debris from drones had triggered fires at two sites and emergency services were bringing them under control.
Earlier, fragments from downed drones had smashed windows and damaged buildings in Krasnodar, the region's administrative centre. Drones also damaged buildings and injured one person in a village south of Novorossiysk.
Russian air defences had earlier shot down 10 drones en route to Moscow, the defence ministry said, a day after a Ukrainian strike on a power plant cut off heating in a town near the capital.
Russian drones trigger fires in Kyiv apartment buildings
02:57 , Arpan RaiRussian drones swarmed the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in the early hours today, striking and triggering fires in at least two residential buildings, officials said.
Officials said four people were injured. Air defence units were in action around the capital.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital's military administration, said on Telegram that a high-rise residential building had been hit in a district on the east bank of the Dnipro River.
He said four people had been treated for injuries and at least eight rescued from the building. Pictures posted on unofficial Telegram channels showed apartments on fire on upper floors.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said a high-rise building was being evacuated after being hit in the Pechersk district in the city centre. Pictures posted on unofficial channels showed parts of a building ablaze.
Unofficial channels reported that drone fragments had also fallen in an open area in an eastern district of the city.
Klitschko also reported disruptions to the city's power and water supplies.
Russian air defences halt fresh drone attack on Moscow
02:30 , Tom AmbroseRussian air defences intercepted multiple drones targeting Moscow and surrounding regions on Monday, just a day after a Ukrainian strike on a power station left thousands without heating outside the capital.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that eight drones were shot down en route to the city, with emergency services deployed to the sites.
This followed an earlier statement from the Russian Defence Ministry, which claimed ten Ukrainian drones had been downed across three regions – Moscow, Kaluga, and Bryansk, which borders Ukraine.
The Monday attacks occurred in the wake of a Ukrainian drone strike on Sunday against the Shatura Power Station, located approximately 120 km (75 miles) east of Moscow.
This assault resulted in heating being cut off for thousands of residents in the town of some 33,000 people, where temperatures were near freezing.
EU vows to keep supporting Ukraine with cash and weapons as peace talks continue
01:01 , Tom AmbroseEuropean Council president Antonio Costa pledged on Monday that the European Union will keep on supporting Ukraine, as he hailed "new momentum" in peace negotiations to end the war triggered by Russia's invasion.
"The European Union is committed to continue providing president Zelenskiy with all the support he needs - diplomatic support, military support, economic support," he told reporters in the Angolan capital Luanda, after chairing a meeting of EU leaders on Ukraine on the sidelines of a summit with the African Union.
"This concerns in particular, financial support to Ukraine," Costa added, recalling that EU leaders agreed last month to cover Ukraine's financial needs for the next two years.
"We committed to deliver ... and we will deliver at the December European Council," he said.
Russian power plant reopens after major strike by Kyiv
Monday 24 November 2025 23:59 , Jane DaltonA heating and power plant in Russia's Moscow region has resumed operations after shutting down due to a fire caused by a Ukrainian drone strike, regional governor Andrei Vorobyov says.
The attack on the facility in Shatura, a town of about 33,000, cut heating for residents. It marked one of Kyiv's most significant strikes to date on a power station deep inside Russia.
Russia has been pummelling Ukraine's electricity and heat infrastructure, while Kyiv has until now mostly focused on trying to knock out Russia's oil refineries, crude terminals and pipelines.
Ukraine looking for compromises that will 'strengthen not weaken' it, says Zelensky
Monday 24 November 2025 23:00 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has outlined his expectations for Ukraine as negotiations appear to advance ahead of EU talks on a peace deal with Russia on Monday.
“We all continue working with partners, especially the United States, to look for compromises that will strengthen but not weaken us,” he said.
He added that the use of frozen Russian assets was crucial to talks and accountability was necessary.
“Right now, we are at a critical moment,” he said.
“There is a lot of noise in the media, and all the political pressure, and even greater responsibility for the decisions ahead.”
Trump’s Ukraine peace plan will make it a ‘juicy target’
Monday 24 November 2025 21:55 , Tom AmbroseUkraine will be reduced to Russia’s “tethered goat” if a peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump is implemented, according to the former head of MI6.
Sir Alex Younger said the US president’s proposal was "lopsided" in favour of Russia and would "almost guarantee" another invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin.
The 28-point proposal would see Kyiv give up land while compensating the US for upholding peace. It would also see a formal end to Ukraine’s ambitions to join Nato and the European Union.
US peace plan will make Ukraine a ‘juicy target’ for new invasion, says ex-MI6 chief
Draft includes correct points but I need to talk to Trump, says Zelensky
Monday 24 November 2025 21:07 , Jane DaltonUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says a proposed peace plan under discussion with the United States and Europe has incorporated "correct" points, but sensitive issues were to be discussed with US president Donald Trump.
"As of now, after (talks in) Geneva, there are fewer points, no longer 28, and many correct elements have been incorporated into this framework," President Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
"Our team has already reported today on the new draft of steps and this is truly the right approach. The sensitive issues, the most delicate points, I will discuss with President Trump."
'Only a couple of points of dispute' after US and Kyiv talks
Monday 24 November 2025 21:02 , Jane DaltonThe United States and Ukraine have had productive talks on a potential deal to end Russia's war in the country, the White House Press Secretary says, adding that there remained just "a couple of points of disagreement".
US President Donald Trump is optimistic a deal can be struck to end the war, said Karoline Leavitt.
UK PM Starmer says more work needed for 'just and lasting peace' in Ukraine
Monday 24 November 2025 19:40 , Tom AmbroseBritish prime minister Keir Starmer said on Monday there was more work to do to establish a "just and lasting peace" in Ukraine, but progress was being made.
Starmer said a group of countries supporting Ukraine, known as the coalition of the willing, would discuss the progress being during a virtual meeting on Tuesday.
"Everybody is absolutely focused on what we need to get out of this, and that is a just and lasting peace," Starmer told broadcasters.
He added that matters for Ukraine should be determined by Ukraine.
"So progress, yes, more work to do," Starmer said.
Key players in Ukraine-Russia peace talks
Monday 24 November 2025 18:55 , Tom AmbrosePresident Donald Trump has claimed that “big progress” is being made in negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
The US and Ukraine sought on Monday to narrow gaps in a peace plan proposed by Washington on Friday that was criticised as pro-Russian. European leaders have responded with a counter-proposal that reasserts Ukraine’s demands.
It includes respect for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, freedom to advance its Nato ambitions and EU membership aspirations and maintain a large military to deter the threat of future Russian aggression.
Several countries and high-profile individuals are involved in the discussions, which have resulted in public disagreements. The Independent looks at some of the key characters:
From blacklisted businessman to ex-film producer: Key players in Ukraine peace talks
Daughter of ex-South African leader Zuma accused of luring men to fight in Ukraine
Monday 24 November 2025 18:20 , Tom AmbroseSouth African police say they are investigating allegations that former President Jacob Zuma 's daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla lured 17 men who are now trapped in Russia into fighting in that country's war with Ukraine without their consent.
According to police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe, an affidavit filed by Zuma-Sambudla's sister Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma-Mncube alleges that Zuma-Sambudla and two other people lured the men by claiming they would receive security training in Russia.
Details about the two others were not immediately clear.
The affidavit alleges they were handed over to a Russian mercenary group and forced to fight in the war. It also says eight of the 17 men were members of the sisters' family.
Mathe said Sunday that any police charges “are still to be determined through a thorough investigation.”
Daughter of ex-South African leader Zuma is accused of luring men to fight in Russia-Ukraine war
Russian air defences halt fresh drone attack on Moscow
Monday 24 November 2025 17:45 , Maira ButtRussian air defences intercepted multiple drones targeting Moscow and surrounding regions on Monday, just a day after a Ukrainian strike on a power station left thousands without heating outside the capital.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that eight drones were shot down en route to the city, with emergency services deployed to the sites.
This followed an earlier statement from the Russian Defence Ministry, which claimed ten Ukrainian drones had been downed across three regions – Moscow, Kaluga, and Bryansk, which borders Ukraine.
UK urges Putin to attend talks
Monday 24 November 2025 17:20 , Jane DaltonYvette Cooper has urged Russia to now come to the table as she welcomed progress in the peace talks.
The UK’s foreign secretary said: "This morning I co-chaired a meeting with European foreign ministers and with the Ukrainian foreign minister, and we reaffirmed our support for a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, that upholds Ukraine's sovereignty and also protects Europe's security.
"That is why this work is so important and why the intensive work is still ongoing."
She added: "Of course, there is a lot more work still to do but the key thing is that Russia now needs to come to the table, to stop the bombardment of Ukraine as we saw again last night.
"We need that just and lasting peace for the people of Ukraine."
Trump’s Ukraine peace plan will make it a ‘juicy target’ for a fresh invasion by Russia, says ex-MI6 chief
Monday 24 November 2025 16:45 , Maira ButtUkraine will be reduced to Russia’s “tethered goat” if a peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump is implemented, according to the former head of MI6.
Sir Alex Younger said the US president’s proposal was "lopsided" in favour of Russia and would "almost guarantee" another invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin.
The 28-point proposal would see Kyiv give up land while compensating the US for upholding peace. It would also see a formal end to Ukraine’s ambitions to join Nato and the European Union.
In addition, European allies would agree not to station troops in the country, and limits would be placed on Ukraine’s military capabilities, according to the deal.
US peace plan will make Ukraine a ‘juicy target’ for new invasion, says ex-MI6 chief
Comment: Peace deal or not, this must be Europe’s next brave move to counter Russian aggression
Monday 24 November 2025 16:34 , Tom AmbroseEurope is taking baby steps towards walking away from America and ending the Russian threat against its democracies. But the time has come to take giant leaps for mankind.
The first move is immediate Nato membership for Ukraine, for Georgia and for Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The idea would probably be vetoed immediately by the US, along with Hungary and Slovenia which are run by pro-Putin autocrats.
But a non-Nato, Nato-style alliance of the West would be a powerful entity that would give Putin pause for thought if it acted together and with the sort of confidence the Kremlin has shown on the world stage.
Peace deal or not, this must be Europe’s next move to counter Russian aggression
European officials welcome progress in talks on US proposals to end Russia-Ukraine war
Monday 24 November 2025 16:15 , Maira ButtEuropean officials said Monday they were comforted by the outcome of discussions on U.S. peace proposals for Ukraine that they had viewed as tilted in Russia's favor, but they didn’t disclose details of the weekend talks and warned of a long road to peace.
“The negotiations were a step forward, but there are still major issues which remain to be resolved,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb wrote on social platform X about Sunday’s meeting in Switzerland between U.S. and Ukrainian officials.
European officials welcome progress in talks on US proposals to end Russia-Ukraine war
Reform breaks silence on ‘treacherous’ Nathan Gill over taking Russia bribes
Monday 24 November 2025 15:45 , Maira ButtA key ally of Nigel Farage has broken Reform UK’s silence on its former party leader in Wales who was jailed last week for taking bribes from Russia.
Zia Yusuf, the party’s former chair and key member of Reform’s leadership, claimed that it was “unreasonable” to link Gill’s crime with the softer stance that the party and Mr Farage have taken on Vladimir Putin’s Russia and its criticism of the Ukraine war.
Mr Yusuf described Gill as “treasonous, horrific, awful” in an interview with Sir Trevor Phillips on his Sunday morning political show on Sky News.
Reform breaks silence on ‘treacherous’ Nathan Gill over taking Russia bribes
Xi urges all parties to 'reduce differences' in call with Trump
Monday 24 November 2025 15:31 , Tom AmbroseXi Jinping urged “all parties to reduce [their] differences” during a call with US president Donald Trump today.
A White House official confirmed the Chinese president had spoken with Trump by phone.
'We are making progress' says Starmer as he calls for 'just' and 'lasting' peace
Monday 24 November 2025 15:15 , Maira ButtPrime Minister Keir Starmer has outlined the UK’s priorities when supporting a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
“Talks in Geneva are ongoing, and we are making progress, and that is a good thing,” he said on Monday.
“Everybody is absolutely focused on what we need to get out of this, and that is a just and lasting peace.
“Both of those words matter. It's got to be just, and obviously matters for Ukraine have to be determined by Ukraine, but it's also got to be lasting, and it's got to endure.
“So that's the focus. There’s more work to do.”
He added that a “coalition of the willing” would meet virtually on Tuesday, led by Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron.
Kremlin says European counter-proposal for Ukraine peace does not work for Russia
Monday 24 November 2025 15:01 , Tom AmbroseThe Kremlin on Monday said that a European counter-proposal to a US 28-point peace plan for Ukraine was not constructive and that it simply did not work for Moscow.
The publication of the 28-point draft US peace plan last week deepened concerns in Ukraine and among European powers that Russia's core demands on NATO, territory and the chronology of any peace deal had been accepted by Washington, Reuters reported.
The European plan significantly changes the meaning and significance of key points on NATO and territory, according to a copy seen by Reuters.
"The European plan, at first glance... is completely unconstructive and does not work for us," Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters in Moscow.
President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that US proposals for peace in Ukraine could be the basis of a resolution of the conflict but that if Kyiv turned down the plan then Russian forces would advance further.
Poland charges Ukrainian with Russia-backed railway sabotage
Monday 24 November 2025 14:45 , Maira ButtA Ukrainian man has been charged over allegedly assisting in a Russia-backed operation targeting Polish railways.
Poland previously called the attack, which took place on a track 80 miles from the Polish-Ukrainian border used to deliver aid to Ukraine, an “unprecedented act of sabotage”.
Two others were previously charged earlier this month.
Zelensky ‘could visit US this week’ as Trump races to seal Ukraine peace deal by Thanksgiving
Monday 24 November 2025 14:15 , Maira ButtVolodymyr Zelensky may travel to the US in the coming days as Ukrainian and American officials work to secure a peace deal before Thanksgiving on Thursday.
The trip is dependent on how negotiations between US officials and their Ukrainian counterparts in Geneva are perceived to have gone, Ukrainian and US officials told CBS News.
The US secretary of state Marco Rubio said the talks in Switzerland had been “meaningful” but warned the two sides were still apart in terms of reaching a final agreement.
Tom Ambrose reports:
Zelenskiy could visit US later this week in attempt to seal peace agreement
Thousands without heating as Ukraine launches drone attack deep inside Russia
Monday 24 November 2025 13:45 , Maira ButtThe Shatura Power Station, located approximately 120 km (75 miles) east of the Kremlin, was hit early on Sunday, Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov confirmed.
Video footage on Telegram showed balls of flames and black smoke rising into the night sky from the power station. Reuters was able to confirm the location, though not the date of the video.
Thousands without heating as Ukraine launches drone attack deep inside Russia
As Trump bends to Putin’s will again on Ukraine, it is time for Europe to go it alone
Monday 24 November 2025 13:15 , Maira ButtIt may feel like a rip in the time-space continuum. On one side of the tear, there’s a universe in which America is run by a wannabe king who uses the invasion of an ally as an opportunity for profit, who lies, cheats and backstabs his friends. On the other stand America’s closest comrades, insisting that Washington’s a force for good.
There is only one reality, and it is time to confront it.
America is no longer the leader of the West, let alone the rest of the world. It’s got the biggest armed forces. It has the biggest economy and the widest cultural reach the world has ever seen. But its democracy is collapsing, and it has been captured by a cult of ignorant grifters.
The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley reports:
As Trump bends to Putin’s will again on Ukraine, it is time for Europe to go it alone
In pictures: Aftermath of a Russian drone stroke on Kharkiv
Monday 24 November 2025 12:45 , Maira Butt
Only Trump wants Putin in G8, says Germany's Merz
Monday 24 November 2025 12:40 , Maira ButtGermany’s chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that only President Donald Trump would like to see Russia in the G8.
“At the moment, I cannot see that among the six members of today’s G7 who are not America, there is a willingness to readmit Russia to this group,” Merz said on Monday.
Russia was excluded from the group in 2014 following its annexation of Crimea.
How Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine has been entirely dictated by Putin
Monday 24 November 2025 12:15 , Maira ButtHe let the performance play out. Donald Trump would give the impression of independence from the Kremlin, threatening sanctions on Russian fuel importers and muttering insults, but, in the end, Vladimir Putin has snapped the puppet strings tight, and the US president is again dancing the Moscow jig.
It is a desperate but effective move by Moscow to dominate the terms of discussion over a war Russia cannot win.
Sam Kiley reports:
How Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine has been entirely dictated by Putin
This is Europe’s counter-proposal for peace in Ukraine – with several key changes to Trump’s plan
Monday 24 November 2025 11:45 , Maira ButtDonald Trump’s latest plan to end the war in Ukraine came as a shock to Kyiv’s international backers after 10 months of trying to negotiate careful compromise.
The 28-point plan seems to cater to Russia’s hardline positions, offering Ukraine very few of the security guarantees it says it needs to ensure a lasting peace.
Britain, France and Germany were left out of the conversations that produced the US proposal for peace but within hours, the E3 nations had pulled together a counteroffer.
James C Reynolds reports:
This is Europe’s counter-proposal for peace in Ukraine – with changes to Trump’s plan
Trump hints at 'big progress' in Ukraine-Russia peace talks update
Monday 24 November 2025 11:20 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump has issued an update on peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
In a post on Truth Social, the American leader wrote on Monday: “Is it really possible that big progress is being made in Peace Talks between Russia and Ukraine? Don’t believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
United Europe key to 'good outcome' for Ukraine, says Costa after speaking with Zelensky
Monday 24 November 2025 10:52 , Maira Butt"Spoke with Zelensky ahead of this morning's informal EU leaders' meeting on Ukraine peace efforts, to get his assessment of the situation,” Antonio Costa, president of the European Council wrote in a statement on X/Twitter on Monday.
“A united and coordinated EU position is key in ensuring a good outcome of peace negotiations - for Ukraine and for Europe.”
Moscow lifts restrictions on flights after downed drone
Monday 24 November 2025 10:45 , Maira ButtRussia has lifted temporary flight restrictions on Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports after air defences downed a Ukrainian drone en route to Moscow on Monday.
Three airports serving the capital were forced to restrict all incoming and outgoing flights in response.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said emergency services were working at the scene of the downed drone, in a statement.
The restrictions were introduced and quickly lifted after the operation.
Ukraine looking for compromises that will 'strengthen not weaken' it, says Zelensky
Monday 24 November 2025 10:30 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has outlined his expectations for Ukraine as negotiations appear to advance ahead of EU talks on a peace deal with Russia on Monday.
“We all continue working with partners, especially the United States, to look for compromises that will strengthen but not weaken us,” he said.
He added that the use of frozen Russian assets was crucial to talks and accountability was necessary.
“Right now, we are at a critical moment,” he said.
“There is a lot of noise in the media, and all the political pressure, and even greater responsibility for the decisions ahead.”
Sweden says Ukraine's borders cannot be changed 'by force' for peace deal
Monday 24 November 2025 10:05 , Maira ButtUkraine’s borders cannot be changed by force if a lasting peace is to be achieved, Swedish foreign minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said on Monday ahead of EU talks on a potential peace deal.
Stenergard said that limitations could not be imposed on Ukraine’s military capacities, preventing it from defending itself against the threat of any future Russian aggression, according to Reuters.
Trump’s Ukraine peace plan will make it a ‘juicy target’ for a fresh invasion by Russia, says ex-MI6 chief
Monday 24 November 2025 09:48 , Maira ButtDonald Trump’s peace plan to end Russia’s war with Ukraine would reduce Ukraine to Russia’s "tethered goat", according to the former head of MI6.
Sir Alex Younger said the US president’s proposal was "lopsided" in favour of Russia and would "almost guarantee" another invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin.
It was time for European countries stop “dithering” and stand shoulder to shoulder with Volodymyr Zelensky to prevent this happening.
Sir Alex, head of MI6 from 2014 to 2020, told Radio 4's Today programme: "We should be under no illusion: the original proposals are lopsided, essentially Moscow talking points, that would render Ukraine a tethered goat, a juicy target with little chance of defending itself."
The plans would "almost guarantee the war would restart because Russia would have engineered weakness that it would be bound to try to exploit".
Sir Alex said it was "obvious" that Zelensky could not agree to such terms, instead it should be used as a "negotiating framework".
Trump’s plan was "an attempt to stop the killing, and that is good, but we have to make it less lopsided," he argued.
“In the end it is about an Ukraine that is sovereign and can defend itself and that is much more important. The idea that Ukraine’s army is limited to the point that it cannot defend itself is an absolute non starter.”
It was “Europe’s moment to stand up and show some leadership,” said Sir Alex.
“There is a critical weakness in the US approach: it appears to uncritically accept that Russia is winning,” he said.
This analysis was wrong, he claimed. “The answer is more pressure on Russia not less.”
Kremlin says 'no plans' for US-Russia talks this week
Monday 24 November 2025 09:45 , Maira ButtThe Kremlin has said that there are no plans for US delegates to meet Russian officials to discuss a potential peace plan with Ukraine this week.
The response comes after US secretary of state Marco Rubio said “tremendous progress” had been made over the weekend.
It said it had no information from talks taking place in Geneva and did not wish to discuss negotiations with the media.
Ukraine will stand by its red lines as negotiations intensify
Monday 24 November 2025 09:30 , Maira ButtUkraine has again reiterated its red lines as negotiations towards a peace deal appear to be accelerating.
They include formal recognition of occupied territories, demands on limits to Ukraine’s military capacities and restrictions on future alliances, Ruslan Stefanchuk, speaker of Ukraine’s parliament said on Monday.
Speaking at the Crimea Platform summit in Sweden, Stefanchuk said that membership of the EU and Nato must be considered as part of security guarantees for Ukraine.
EU leaders to meet shortly to discuss Ukraine-Russia peace deal
Monday 24 November 2025 09:10 , Maira ButtEU leaders will meet to discuss a possible US-brokered peace deal between Ukraine and Russia on Monday at 0930 GMT.
The discussions will take place on the margin of an EU-African Union summit, which is taking place in Luanda.
It comes after Europe made demands
Leaders not present at the meeting have been invited to join by video link, said spokesperson for European Council President Antonio Costa.
Major issues with peace plan remain unresolved, says Finnish prime minister
Monday 24 November 2025 08:48 , Maira ButtFinland’s president Alexander Stubb said that major issues with a 28-point peace plan proposed by the US remain unresolved.
“The negotiations were a step forward, but there are still major issues which remain to be resolved,” he said in a statement on X/Twitter.
Hungary says Europe has 'duty' to support peace plan 'fully and unconditionally'
Monday 24 November 2025 08:33 , Maira ButtHungary’s foreign minister has thrown his support behind a 28-point peace plan proposed by the US – and urged fellow European leaders to do the same.
In a statement on X/Twitter on Monday Peter Szijjarto wrote: “The 28-point peace plan is a major chance to end the war in Ukraine. Still, some Western European leaders are trying to block it.
“Our position is clear: every European politician has a duty to support this plan fully and unconditionally, as this is the rational and humane choice.”
The US peace deal for Ukraine is just setting the scene for Putin’s next war
Monday 24 November 2025 08:00 , Maira ButtOccasionally, I look back with curiosity at articles I wrote as a young foreign correspondent. One in particular from November 1994 caught my eye recently. I’d just spent four years living in Ukraine, and I was warning of what might go wrong.
I didn’t get it all right. But I did warn even then of the danger that Russia “relapses into imperial adventure”. Tragically, for a million people now dead and injured in the Russo-Ukraine war, and for wider European peace, that risk has become an appalling reality.
Bob Seely reports:
The US peace deal for Ukraine is just setting the scene for Putin’s next war
Trump accuses Zelensky of ‘ingratitude’ but agrees to change ‘pro-Russian’ peace plan
Monday 24 November 2025 07:07 , Arpan RaiThe United States agreed to make “some changes” to its contentious peace proposal to end the war in Ukraine on Sunday, following crunch talks both parties appraised as a success.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said that talks with Ukrainian diplomats in Geneva had been “the most productive and meaningful’ of the process, and that the US would make amendments to its plan, seemingly based on the Ukrainian input. The details were not immediately clear.
Talks in Geneva are ongoing as Donald Trump’s provisional deadline to agree to a deal by Thursday closes in.
Trump accuses Zelensky of ‘ingratitude’ but agrees to change ‘pro-Russian’ peace plan
German foreign minister says Geneva talks produced 'decisive success' for Europeans
Monday 24 November 2025 07:02 , Arpan RaiGerman foreign minister Johann Wadephul said talks between the US and Ukraine in Geneva on amending a 28-point plan to end the war with Russia had produced a "decisive success" for Europeans.
"All issues concerning Europe, including those concerning Nato, have been removed from this plan – this is a decisive success that we achieved yesterday," Wadephul told Deutschlandfunk radio.
"It was clear from the outset, as we have repeatedly said, that any agreement must not be reached over the heads of Europeans and Ukrainians," he added.
What is in Europe’s peace plan for Ukraine and how does it differ from Trump’s proposal?
Monday 24 November 2025 06:45 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump’s latest plan to end the war in Ukraine came as a shock to Kyiv’s international backers after 10 months of trying to negotiate careful compromise.
The 28-point plan seems to cater to Russia’s hardline positions, offering Ukraine very few of the security guarantees it says it needs to ensure a lasting peace.
Britain, France and Germany were left out of the conversations that produced the US proposal for peace but within hours, the E3 nations had pulled together a counteroffer.
The clock is ticking for Ukraine to come to some agreement by Thursday. Europe’s response needed to come soon, and it needed to show that they were still playing on Mr Trump’s terms.
By Sunday, a revision had emerged. It took the US plan as its basis and made steady amends, with several notable differences.
What is in Europe’s plan for Ukraine and how does it differ from Trump’s proposal?
US senator Warner calls Trump's truce plan 'a historically bad deal'
Monday 24 November 2025 06:35 , Arpan RaiThe 28-point peace plan drafted by the Trump administraion for Ukraine and Russia will be a ‘historically bad deal’ and a list of Russian “talking points”.
The top Democrat on the US Senate Intelligence Committee, senator Mark Warner, told ABC's “This Week” that the peace plan appeared to be "almost a series of Russian talking points," had made Europeans "feel like they've been totally left high and dry" and had led to "ferocious pushback."
The senator said the plan “would go down, frankly, as a historically bad deal, rivaling Neville Chamberlain giving in to Hitler before World War II.”
Warner also said that he fears the plan could embolden Chinese leader Xi Jinping to pursue an invasion of Taiwan if accepted, blasting the proposal as “a total capitulation by Ukraine.”
“Clearly this plan was at least initially laid out as simply Russian input and no Ukrainian input,” Warner said.
“Now they’re saying there has been Ukrainian input. Now the president is changing his mind again about whether this is a final offer or not. At the end of the day, we all want to see peace, but we don’t want to see a peace that rewards Vladimir Putin,” he said.
Watch: Zelensky says Ukraine being heard by US at fast-paced negotiations in Switzerland
Monday 24 November 2025 06:21 , Arpan Rai'Optimistic' Rubio says Ukraine peace plan still needs to be worked out
Monday 24 November 2025 06:14 , Arpan RaiUS secretary of state Marco Rubio said high-stakes talks in Geneva were "very worthwhile" and constituted the most productive day in "a very long time”.
"I feel very optimistic that we can get something done," Rubio said.
“This is a very delicate moment,” Rubio said of what still needed to be worked out.
“Some of it is semantics, or language. Others require higher-level decisions and consultations. Others, I think, just need more time to work through,” he said.
But he offered very little information on what was discussed. He also downplayed a Thursday deadline set by president Donald Trump for Ukraine to respond to the plan, saying simply that officials want to see fighting stop as soon as possible and that officials could keep negotiating Monday and beyond.
He said that higher-level officials may eventually have to get involved.
Kirill Dmitriev: The blacklisted Kremlin official behind Trump’s ‘pro-Russia’ peace plan for Ukraine
Monday 24 November 2025 06:10 , Arpan RaiAs Volodymyr Zelensky faces a difficult choice, US officials and lawmakers have expressed their concern about Russian involvement in the plan after it was revealed the administration had held meetings with a blacklisted Kremlin official beforehand.
Kirill Dmitriev, a close ally of Putin, is the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and assumed the office of the special presidential envoy on Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation on 23 February this year despite little diplomatic experience.
Dmitriev and his fund have been under US sanctions, which effectively bar American citizens and companies from dealing with them, since 2022.
But that did not stop Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner from meeting with Dmitriev in Miami at the end of October, it has emerged. Witkoff has met with Dmitriev several times this year and the Trump administration has issued a special waiver to allow his entry, a US official told Reuters.
The blacklisted Kremlin official behind Trump’s ‘pro-Russia’ peace plan for Ukraine
European leaders seek Ukraine's sovereignty in peace negotiations
Monday 24 November 2025 05:51 , Arpan RaiGerman chancellor Friedrich Merz said that he had spoken to Donald Trump and made clear there were some parts of the plans key European nations could agree on but others where they could not.
“I told him that we are fully in line with Ukraine, that the sovereignty of this country must not be jeopardised," Merz said in an interview with DW.
Alice Rufo, France's minister delegate at the defence ministry, told broadcaster France Info before the talks began that key points of discussion would include the plan's restrictions on the Ukrainian army, which she described as "a limitation on its sovereignty”.
“Ukraine must be able to defend itself," she said. "Russia wants war and waged war many times in fact over the past years,” she said.
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk yesterday said that Warsaw was ready to work on the plan with the leaders of Europe, Canada and Japan, but also said that it "would be good to know for sure who is the author of the plan and where was it created."
Four killed in massive Russian drone attack on Kharkiv
Monday 24 November 2025 05:36 , Arpan RaiRussian forces staged a "massive" drone attack yesterday on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, killing four people and injuring several others, officials said.
"There is a massive attack on Kharkiv," mayor Ihor Terekhov said.
Terekhov said four people had been killed, including one person whose body was recovered from under rubble. Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said 12 people were injured, including two children aged 11 and 12.
At least 15 strikes were recorded in six areas of the city in northeastern Ukraine.
Kharkiv, located 30km (18 miles) from the Russian border, withstood Russian attempts to capture it early in the war and has since been a frequent target of attacks.
The governor of Dnipropetrovsk region farther south said two people were killed in a Russian strike on the town of Marhanets.
Russia downs 93 Ukrainian drones overnight
Monday 24 November 2025 05:27 , Arpan RaiRussia's defence ministry said its air defence systems had intercepted and destroyed 93 Ukrainian drones overnight.
The drones were downed over four regions, including 45 over the border Belgorod region, and over the Black sea and the Azov sea.
On Ukraine, Starmer sees what Trump refuses to: appeasement never works
Monday 24 November 2025 05:10 , Arpan RaiThe prime minister has been criticised in some quarters for being overseas again. Sir Keir Starmer is in South Africa for a G20 summit meeting. This means he is, briefly, not in the United Kingdom. But in doing so, he has the chance to meet world leaders face to face and tackle urgent problems in which the UK has a direct national interest.
Sir Keir has spoken to Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, and Friedrich Merz, chancellor of Germany, in Johannesburg, with Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, taking part by phone.
They have discussed Donald Trump’s 28-point peace plan, which Mr Zelensky says presents Ukraine with “one of the most difficult” choices in the country’s history.
On Ukraine, Starmer sees what Trump refuses to: appeasement never works
A close look at all 28 points in Trump's pro-Russia peace plan
Monday 24 November 2025 05:06 , Arpan RaiHere is Trump’s proposal, verbatim:
1. Ukraine’s sovereignty will be confirmed.
2. A comprehensive non-aggression agreement will be concluded between Russia, Ukraine and Europe. All ambiguities of the last 30 years will be considered settled.
3. It is expected that Russia will not invade neighbouring countries and Nato will not expand further.
4. A dialogue will be held between Russia and Nato, mediated by the United States, to resolve all security issues and create conditions for de-escalation in order to ensure global security and increase opportunities for cooperation and future economic development.
5. Ukraine will receive reliable security guarantees.
6. The size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be limited to 600,000 personnel.
7. Ukraine agrees to enshrine in its constitution that it will not join Nato, and Nato agrees to include in its statutes a provision that Ukraine will not be admitted in the future.
8. Nato agrees not to station troops in Ukraine.
9. European fighter jets will be stationed in Poland.
Read the other 19 conditions of Trump’s peace plan here:
Russia back in G8, no Nato for Ukraine: What is in Trump’s 28-point plan to end war?
Reform breaks silence on ‘treacherous’ Nathan Gill over taking Russia bribes
Monday 24 November 2025 04:55 , Arpan RaiA key ally of Nigel Farage has broken Reform UK’s silence on its former party leader in Wales who was jailed last week for taking bribes from Russia.
Zia Yusuf, the party’s former chair and key member of Reform’s leadership, claimed that it was “unreasonable” to link Gill’s crime with the softer stance that the party and Mr Farage have taken on Vladimir Putin’s Russia and its criticism of the Ukraine war.
Mr Yusuf described Gill as “treasonous, horrific, awful” in an interview with Sir Trevor Phillips on his Sunday morning political show on Sky News.
Reform breaks silence on ‘treacherous’ Nathan Gill over taking Russia bribes
Watch: Marco Rubio appraises Ukraine peace talks in Geneva
Monday 24 November 2025 04:42 , Arpan RaiFrance, UK and Germany work on response to Trump's peace plan – ISW
Monday 24 November 2025 04:20 , Arpan RaiEuropean leaders are reportedly working on a counterproposal to the initial US-proposed 28-point peace plan, the Institute for the Study of War said.
“Western outlets reported that France, the United Kingdom, and Germany drafted a counterproposal ahead of their talks with Ukrainian and American delegations in Geneva on November 23,” it said.
“The 24-point counterproposal reportedly includes calls for an immediate ceasefire to precede discussions about territorial issues; for the cap on Ukraine’s military to be 800,000 'in peacetime'; for Ukraine to receive a security guarantee from the United States similar to North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (Nato) Article 5," they said.
The counterproposal also includes calls "for the use of frozen Russian assets to fully reconstruct and financially compensate Ukraine; for Ukrainian membership in Nato to depend on consensus from alliance members; and for Ukraine to decide on the presence of foreign troops from guarantor states on Ukrainian territory”, the US-based think tank monitoring the war said.
How Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine has been entirely dictated by Putin
Monday 24 November 2025 04:00 , James ReynoldsThe ‘deal’ being briefed out by Washington and Moscow is really just a blueprint for Russian conquest.
World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley explains why it doesn’t have to be that way:
How Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine has been entirely dictated by Putin
Rubio hails tremendous progress in Ukraine talks despite tensions from Kyiv
Monday 24 November 2025 03:24 , Arpan RaiThe main talks between US and Ukrainian officials got under way in a stiff atmosphere at the US mission, soon after Donald Trump complained in a Truth Social post that Ukraine's leadership had shown "zero gratitude" to the US for its efforts and Europe continued to buy Russian oil.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio interrupted the meeting to speak to reporters, saying the talks had been probably the best the US had held with Ukraine since Trump returned to power.
"Obviously this will ultimately have to be signed off with our presidents, although I feel very comfortable about that happening given the progress we've made," said Rubio.
Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian delegation, was at pains to thank Trump for his commitment to Kyiv during the brief interlude. Minutes later, Zelensky also thanked Trump.
Yermak did not reappear with Rubio when the talks ended.
Rubio has departed Geneva en route back to Washington, a senior State Department official said.
What changes has Europe sought in Trump's skewed peace plan?
Monday 24 November 2025 03:14 , Arpan RaiEuropean officials joined the US and Ukrainian delegations for talks after crafting a modified version of the US plan that pushes back on proposed limits to Kyiv's armed forces and mooted territorial concessions.
The European plan proposes that Ukraine be granted a larger military than under the US plan and that talks on land swaps should start from the frontline rather than a pre-determined view of which areas should be considered Russian.
Trump has said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has until Thursday to approve the plan, which calls on Ukraine to cede territory, accept limits on its military and renounce ambitions to join Nato.
US and Ukraine say they have an 'updated and refined' peace framework
Monday 24 November 2025 03:03 , Arpan RaiThe United States and Ukraine said they had created an "updated and refined peace framework" to end the war with Russia that apparently modified an earlier plan drafted by the Trump administration which Kyiv and its allies saw as too sympathetic to Moscow.
In a joint statement released after talks in Geneva between US and Ukrainian delegations, the two sides said their discussion was "highly productive" and said they would continue in coming days.
They did not provide specifics about a host of issues that must be resolved, including how to guarantee Kyiv's security from the threat posed by Russia.
In a separate statement, the White House said the new version included strengthened security guarantees, and that the Ukrainian delegation had said it "reflects their national interests."
Ukrainian officials did not provide a separate statement of their own and were not immediately available for comment.
What's in the European counter proposal?
Monday 24 November 2025 02:47 , James ReynoldsA counter-proposal, drafted by Europe's E3 powers of Britain, France and Germany, emerged on Sunday as an alternative to the US plan. The 28-point counter is structurally based on the original proposal, with several caveats and amendments to the wording.
- The basis for territory swaps is markedly different. The original US proposal would see Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk recognised as de facto Russia. The counter proposal says Ukraine should commit to not taking back “occupied sovereign territory” through force. Negotiations on territory swaps would start from existing lines, it says.
- Ukraine’s standing military would be larger than that originally proposed, at up to 800,000 personnel from 600,000.
- Ukraine would also hold elections “as soon as possible” after the signing of the peace agreement, rather than in 100 days.
- Ukraine would also be compensated financially, including through frozen Russian sovereign assets.
- Point 3, that there would be an expectation Russia would not invade its neighbours and NATO will not expand further, had been deleted.
UK navy intercepts Russian corvette and tanker as Moscow steps up naval activity
Monday 24 November 2025 02:00 , James ReynoldsA U.K. patrol ship has intercepted a Russian corvette and a tanker after shadowing them through the English Channel, the Defense Ministry said Sunday, adding that Russian naval activity around U.K. waters had increased by 30% over the past two years.
With the past two weeks, the patrol ship HMS Severn intercepted the Russian corvette RFN Stoikiy and tanker Yelnya as they sailed through the English Channel, the ministry said.
Read the full story:
Royal Navy intercepts Russian warship and tanker off UK coast
Trump accuses Zelensky of ‘ingratitude’ but agrees to change ‘pro-Russian’ peace plan
Monday 24 November 2025 01:00 , James ReynoldsThe United States agreed to make “some changes” to its contentious peace proposal to end the war in Ukraine on Sunday, following crunch talks both parties appraised as a success.
Read the full story:
Trump accuses Zelensky of ‘ingratitude’ but agrees to change ‘pro-Russian’ peace plan
What is in Trump’s 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine?
Sunday 23 November 2025 10:20 , Bryony GoochRussia back in G8, no Nato for Ukraine: What is in Trump’s 28-point plan to end war?
