Emmanuel Macron has said that he believes that a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine could be struck as early as next year, as he announced that Kyiv had purchased 100 fighter jets in a landmark deal.
Speaking to reporters at the Elysee Palace at a press conference with Volodymyr Zelensky, the French President said he hoped that an agreement could be reached before the French presidential election in April 2027.
The Ukrainian president touched down in Paris on Monday morning, where he was greeted by his French counterpart to seal deals on the supply of air-defence capabilities, warplanes and missiles.
Within hours of his touch down, Mr Zelensky announced that Kyiv would order the twin-engined jets, with the news later confirmed by Élysée Palace.
The Rafale is a twin-engine jet built by Dassault Aviation, and typically used for a wide range of missions including air superiority, nuclear deterrence and close air support.
Ukrainian attack damages power plants in Russian-controlled Donetsk
05:01 , Arpan RaiAn "unprecedented" overnight attack by Ukraine has damaged two thermal power plants in Russian-occupied Donetsk, leaving many settlements without electricity, a Moscow-installed local official said this morning.
Russia-backed governor Denis Pushilin said boiler houses and water filtration plants at the Zuivska and Starobesheve thermal power plants had shut down and that emergency crews were working to restore supplies.
On Monday, Pushilin said that an attack by Ukrainian strike drones on energy infrastructure had left roughly 500,000 people without power across several districts.
Kyiv has stepped up long-range drone and missile strikes against power plants and infrastructure in Russian-controlled parts of Donetsk in recent weeks, seeking to disrupt military logistics and undermine Moscow's ability to sustain its war.
‘Russia attacking Nato’ warning after Romanian border village evacuated
04:33 , Arpan RaiOfficials in Romania’s Tulcea border village were forced to evacuate the local population yesterday after a Russian attack destroyed a tanker carrying gas.
A vessel carrying liquefied natural gas was damaged during a Russian attack in Ukraine's southern Odesa region, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said.
At least 50 people and their animals were evacuated from the Tulcea village, just 1,600 feet away from the Ukrainian port city, Romania’s department for emergency situations said.
The Romanian authorities also held an emergency meeting and decided to carry out the evacuation to “eliminate potential risks and to protect the population”.
Two other villages – Ceatalchioi and Plauru – were also evacuated.
“On-site, forces from the ministry of internal affairs structures, along with local and county authorities, continue to monitor the situation and intervene to prevent or manage any emergency developments,” the officials said.
Former security minister Tom Tugendhat said the incident was tantamount to Russia "attacking Nato".
He shared footage of the scene on Twitter and added: “Russia is attacking Nato. Putin is expanding his Ukrainian war to dissuade us from defending European freedom.
“Some have begun serious preparations to defend ourselves; others, including Britain, are behaving as if this is our choice and our timeline. The enemy gets a vote."
Russia is attacking NATO. Putin is expanding his Ukrainian war to dissuade us from defending European freedom.
— Tom Tugendhat (@TomTugendhat) November 17, 2025
Some have begun serious preparations to defend ourselves, others, including Britain, are behaving as if this is our choice and our timeline.
The enemy gets a vote. https://t.co/v3uU4kKMsj
Rafale jets will be ‘significant’ in long-term Russia deterrence, says military expert
04:15 , Arpan RaiThe purchase of 100 French Rafale fighter jets will be “significant” in Ukraine’s long-term deterrence of Russia, an expert on the Russian military has told The Independent.
Volodymyr Zelensky and the French presidential palace have confirmed that Kyiv’s air force will purchase the jets, the latest in a Ukrainian drive to boost its air capabilities.
“Ukraine’s current round of purchasing high-end systems like Rafale and Gripen combat aircraft are to do with establishing long-term deterrence of Russia,” said Keir Giles, senior consulting fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House and author of Who Will Defend Europe? An Awakened Russia and a Sleeping Continent.
“Ukraine knows that whatever the outcome of the current war, its existence depends on being able to persuade Russia that the costs of future attacks will be too high.”
He says that Rafale’s “multi-role capabilities, including carrying air to ground weapons”, will be “significant for the relationship with Russia in the long run”.
Kyiv may be thinking forward to a time when it can “dominate the Russian Air Force to such an extent that it can strike deep into Russia with a much wider range of weapon systems than it currently has”, therefore making clear to Moscow the damage the country would suffer if it were to attack again, Mr Giles added.
Watch: Greece and Ukraine sign US gas supply deal as Zelensky visits Athens
03:54 , Arpan RaiEurope needs to keep 'cool heads', says Finnish leader Stubb
03:35 , Arpan RaiFinland's president Alexander Stubb said European nations need to keep "cool heads”, after Poland called an attack on its railway network “an unprecedented act of sabotage”.
He warned about overreacting to incidents of alleged Russian disruption, warning that "this is unfortunately the new normal".
“What Russia is trying to do is to destabilise our societies through information and other campaigns,” he said.
In an interview at a Finnish military base, Stubb said Moscow is conducting "two types of warfare" – a kinetic war in Ukraine and a hybrid war in Europe.
“The line between war and peace has been blurred," Stubb said.
Western officials have accused Russia and its proxies of staging dozens of attacks and other incidents across Europe since the invasion of Ukraine three years ago, according to data collected by the Associated Press.
Moscow's goal, Western officials say, is to undermine support for Ukraine, spark fear and divide European societies.
EU chief proposes three options to finance Ukraine
03:10 , Arpan RaiEuropean Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in a letter to European Union governments that there are three options for meeting Ukraine's financing needs, including a loan using frozen Russian assets.
“We have identified three main options, i.e. support to be financed by Member States via grants, a limited recourse loan funded by the Union borrowing on the financial markets, or a limited recourse loan linked to the cash balances of immobilised assets," von der Leyen said in the letter, seen by Reuters.
In an options paper attached to the letter, von der Leyen added that "the three options are not mutually exclusive. They can be combined or sequenced".
“Given the urgency of the situation, varying complexity of the options, and the need to start disbursements by the second quarter of 2026, any selected option could be designed as transitional and time limited," she said in the paper.
Her letter comes after EU leaders agreed last month to fulfil Ukraine’s urgent financial needs for the next two years. However, they did not endorse a plan to use frozen Russian assets after Belgium objected to it being used to fund a giant loan to Kyiv.
Leaders from all EU countries except Hungary asked the Commission to come up with options for financially supporting Ukraine.
Putin ally Viktor Orban claims Ukraine has ‘no chance’ of winning war
02:56 , Arpan RaiViktor Orban has claimed that Ukraine has “no chance” of winning against Russia’s invasion in a pointed attack on EU leaders he accused of prolonging the conflict.
The Hungarian prime minister argued that European leaders “would like to continue the war” by diverting aid to Kyiv, a move he said “kills” the EU and derided as “financially... crazy”.
“The situation and the time is better for the Russians than for us. Don’t continue. Stop it as soon as we can,” he told Mathias Dopfner on the MD Meets podcast, aired on Saturday.
Orban said Europe was “totally wrong” to continue to support Ukraine under the belief that the situation on the frontline would improve, creating better circumstances for negotiation.
Putin ally Viktor Orban claims Ukraine has ‘no chance’ of winning war
Trump would back Russia sanctions bill if he retains final authority
02:52 , Arpan RaiPresident Donald Trump is willing to sign legislation to impose sanctions on Russia as long as he retains ultimate decision-making authority over any such measures, a senior White House official said.
Trump told reporters late on Sunday that it was "OK with me" that Republicans were working on legislation to impose sanctions on countries doing business with Russia over Moscow's failure to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine.
These comments from the US president could clear the way for the legislation to move forward in Congress.
Leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives have held off bringing the legislation to a vote as Trump has preferred instead to impose tariffs on goods imported from India, the world's second-leading buyer of Russian oil after China.
Asked if Trump was now ready to back the legislation, the White House official said: "He would sign it. He signalled that last night.
“But the White House will insist on specific language ensuring that Trump retains control over the sanctions, the official said.
"It's always been important to the White House and the president that there's a carve-out in the sanctions package that ensures the president has the ultimate decision-making authority on the sanctions," they said. “So as long as that is included, I think the president would entertain signing the bill.”
‘Foreign state’ behind explosion on Polish railway track used to send weapons to Ukraine, says minister
02:45 , Arpan RaiAn explosion that damaged a Polish railway track en route to Ukraine was the work of a “foreign state”, a Polish minister said on Monday.
Poland’s security services minister, Tomasz Siemoniak, said the attack on a section of the track near Mika village marked “a new stage of threatening the railway infrastructure”.
Earlier on Monday, prime minister Donald Tusk said the track was “crucially important for delivering aid to Ukraine” and branded the attack “an act of sabotage”.
A train driver had reported damage on the railway line on Sunday, local police said. The damaged stretch was some 80 miles from the Polish-Ukrainian border.
‘Foreign state’ behind explosion on Polish railway track, says minister
Russia has dealt with consequences of Ukrainian attack on Black Sea port, says Kremlin
02:00 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin said on Monday that Russia had the capacity to quickly deal with the consequences of a Ukrainian attack on its port of Novorossiysk and to resume export activities.
Two industry sources said and LSEG data showed that the port resumed oil loadings on Sunday after a two-day suspension triggered by the Ukrainian attack.
Sources from Ukraine’s SSU security service told Ukrainska Pravda that it had destroyed four launchers for an S-400 Triumph air defence missile system and two radars in the Russian Black Sea port city on 14 November.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joins advisory board of Ukraine’s leading defense company amid probe
01:00 , Alex CroftFormer US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has joined the advisory board of Ukraine’s leading defence company, renowned for its long-range drones capable of striking targets deep inside Russia, as a corruption investigation continues.
In an effort to enhance its international reputation, Fire Point, which produces the Ukrainian Flamingo cruise missile, is establishing a new factory in Denmark and bringing prominent industry figures on board. It also aims to expand its operations to produce battle-tested cruise missiles, with plans to more than double its current capacity.
However, public scrutiny remains intense during an ongoing corruption investigation. Fire Point’s executives insist they have nothing to hide and are operating under strict martial law protocols, even commissioning an independent audit to appease investigators.
Read more about Mr Pompeo’s new role here.
Rafale fighter jet deal part of 10-year agreement - Reuters
00:00 , Alex CroftReuters is reporting that France’s provision of multi-role Rafale fighter jets will be part of a 10-year strategic aviation agreement, citing two people briefed on the batter.
Some could come directly from French stocks, although the bulk would be longer-term and part of Ukraine's efforts to increase its long-term fleet to 250 warplanes, including the US F-16 and Sweden's Gripen, they said.
Operating the advanced jets would take time given the rigorous training programme for pilots.
There have been talks for several weeks to see how France could provide more military support for Ukraine's air defences, although Macron's government is grappling with political and budgetary instability, raising questions over how much France can actually do.
Macron pledged last month to offer more Mirage fighter jets, after initially promising to deliver six, and a new batch of Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles, produced by European group MBDA, for the SAMP/T air-defence batteries operated by Ukraine.
Kremlin says it is hoping for Putin-Trump meeting soon
Monday 17 November 2025 23:00 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin said on Monday that it hoped another summit between Russian president Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump could take place soon.
The pair last met in August at highly-anticipated summit in Alaska, where they failed to reach a resolution on the war in Ukraine.
Last month they announced plans for a summit in Budapest but Trump cancelled it soon afterwards.
Briefing reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said on Monday that Moscow took a very negative view of a bill that Trump said US Republicans were working on that would impose sanctions on any country doing business with Russia.
Kremlin says a discussion is on POW exchanges with Ukraine
Monday 17 November 2025 22:03 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin said on Monday that there was an ongoing conversation about a possible prisoner-of-war exchange with Ukraine, but declined to provide further details.
The warring sides have conducted multiple POW swaps since Russia sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Drone strikes Turkish tanker in Ukraine's Odesa, where US natural gas will go
Monday 17 November 2025 21:02 , Alex CroftA drone struck a Turkish-flagged tanker and set it ablaze on Monday in southern Ukraine’s Odesa region, officials said, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a deal to import U.S. liquefied natural gas through the area.
The MT Orinda was hit during the offloading of liquefied petroleum gas at Izmail port, Turkey’s Directorate for Maritime Affairs said. All 16 crew on board evacuated and no one was hurt, it said.
Russia has used drones, missiles and artillery to repeatedly batter the Odesa region, especially its Black Sea ports, since its full-scale invasion of its neighbor nearly four years ago. There was no immediate Russia comment Monday.
Read more here:
Drone strikes Turkish tanker in Ukraine's Odesa, where US natural gas will go
Rafale jets will be ‘significant’ in long-term Russia deterrence, says military expert
Monday 17 November 2025 20:00 , Alex CroftThe purchase of 100 French Rafale fighter jets will be “significant” in Ukraine’s long-term deterrence of Russia, an expert on the Russian military has told The Independent.
As we reported earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky and the French presidential palace have confirmed that Kyiv’s air force will purchase the jets, the latest in a Ukrainian drive to boost its air capabilities.
“Ukraine’s current round of purchasing high-end systems like Rafale and Gripen combat aircraft are to do with establishing long-term deterrence of Russia,” said Keir Giles, senior consulting fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House and author of Who Will Defend Europe? An Awakened Russia and a Sleeping Continent.
“Ukraine knows that whatever the outcome of the current war, its existence depends on being able to persuade Russia that the costs of future attacks will be too high.”
He says that Rafale’s “multi-role capabilities, including carrying air to ground weapons”, will be “significant for the relationship with Russia in the long run”.
Kyiv may be thinking forward to a time when it can “dominate the Russian Air Force to such an extent that it can strike deep into Russia with a much wider range of weapon systems than it currently has”, therefore making clear to Moscow the damage the country would suffer if it were to attack again, Mr Giles added.
EU chief: There are three options to finance Ukraine - and they could be combined
Monday 17 November 2025 19:28 , Alex CroftEuropean commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said in a letter to EU governments that there are three options for meeting Ukraine’s financing needs in its war against Ukraine.
One of these options is a loan using frozen Russian assets, she said.
"We have identified three main options, i.e. support to be financed by Member States via grants, a limited recourse loan funded by the Union borrowing on the financial markets, or a limited recourse loan linked to the cash balances of immobilised assets," Ms von der Leyen said in the letter, seen by Reuters.
In an options paper attached to the letter, von der Leyen added that "the three options are not mutually exclusive” and can be “combined”.
European Union leaders agreed at a summit last month to meet Ukraine's "pressing financial needs" for the next two years but stopped short of endorsing a plan to use frozen Russian assets to fund a giant loan to Kyiv due to concerns raised by Belgium.
Latest images from Russian attack on Kharkiv
Monday 17 November 2025 19:01 , Alex CroftWe’re getting images through of Russia’s missile attack on Kharkiv, which killed three and injured 10.
Here is a selection:
Moscow says it has seized three more villages across Ukraine
Monday 17 November 2025 18:30 , Alex CroftRussian troops captured three villages across three Ukrainian regions, the RIA news agency cited the defence ministry as saying on Monday.
The villages are Hai in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Platonivka in the Donetsk region, and Dvorichanske in the Kharkiv region.
The Independent could not verify the reports from the frontline.
Watch: Trump backs bill to sanction Russian trade partners
Monday 17 November 2025 18:01 , Alex CroftTwo injured in Russian strike on Kherson ambulance
Monday 17 November 2025 17:29 , Alex CroftTwo people have been injured after a Russian attack in the city of Kherson, the city’s military administration said.
"An enemy drone attacked an ambulance on the evening [of 16 November],” it said in a statement on Wednesday morning.
“The 64-year-old driver suffered blast injuries and shrapnel wounds to both legs. The 32-year-old paramedic suffered concussion, blast injuries and a closed head trauma."
The patients received medical treatment and will be treated on an outpatient basis, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
It comes days after two ambulances hit alleged Russian Lepestok (Petal) mines in the Dniprovskyi district of Kherson, with the vehicles damaged but no one injured.
Russian air defences destroy 36 Ukrainian drones overnight
Monday 17 November 2025 16:55 , Alex CroftRussian air defence forces destroyed 36 Ukrainian drones over seven Russian regions overnight on Monday, the defence ministry said.
Denis Pushilin, the top Russian-backed official in Donetsk, said an attack by Ukrainian strike drones on energy infrastructure had left roughly 500,000 people without power across several districts.
Work was continuing to restore the electricity supply, Pushilin wrote on Telegram.
The governor of the Ulyanovsk region east of Moscow said an attack by a Ukrainian drone on a substation there had been repelled. There were no casualties and the power supply was unaffected, Alexei Russkikh wrote on Telegram.
Iraqi PM meets with CEO of Lukoil to discuss solutions after US sanctions
Monday 17 November 2025 16:24 , Alex CroftIraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met with the former CEO of Russia's Lukoil to discuss ways of resolving disruptions to the oil company's operations in the wake of US sanctions, the prime minister's office said on Monday.
Lukoil has declared force majeure - a notification that an uncontrollable event has occurred - at its West Qurna-2 field in southern Iraq, sources told Reuters news agency last week.
It marks the biggest fallout yet from sanctions imposed on Russian oil companies last month as US president Donald Trump pushes to end the war in Ukraine.
Sudani told Vagit Alekperov that Iraq remained committed to stable global oil markets, his office said in a statement. The West Qurna-2 operations are continuing to produce around 480,000 barrels per day, it added.
The field, Lukoil's most prized foreign asset, produces roughly 9 per cent of Iraq’s oil output.
The statement incorrectly described Alekperov as "head of Russia's Lukoil".
Alekperov, Russia's richest person, resigned as Lukoil boss in 2022 after Britain imposed sanctions against him. It was not clear in what capacity he was speaking on behalf of the company.
Moscow adds former prime minister to list of 'extremists and terrorists'
Monday 17 November 2025 15:52 , Alex CroftRussia's financial watchdog has added former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov and leading economist Sergei Guriev to its list of "extremists and terrorists" in its latest moves against prominent exiled critics of the Kremlin.
The watchdog, Rosfinmonitoring, added the two men to a list that now comprises 19,131 people and 823 organisations, according to its website.
The list, which has expanded sharply during Russia's war in Ukraine, provides a public vehicle for the authorities to highlight individuals and entities they regard as engaged in subversion against the state.
Rosfinmonitoring, which is responsible for countering money-laundering and terrorist financing, can freeze the bank accounts of those on the list.
Kasyanov served as prime minister for the first four years of President Vladimir Putin's rule and was sacked in February 2004, weeks before Putin was elected to a second term.
Vessel carrying gas damaged in Russian attack on Odesa
Monday 17 November 2025 15:21 , Alex CroftA vessel carrying liquefied natural gas was damaged during a Russian attack in Ukraine's southern Odesa region, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Monday.
Writing on X, he said the attack had forced Romania to evacuate a border village, but offered no further details.
“Russia’s brutal escalation of terror threatens not only Ukraine but also our neighbors. This underscores the urgency of collective pressure on Moscow to end the war,” the post added.
More pictures from Zelensky-Macron meeting in Paris
Monday 17 November 2025 14:51 , Alex CroftWe’re getting more pictures through of the meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron, in which they finalised a deal for Ukraine to order 100 French fighter jets.
Here is a selection of them...
France's Macron confident Zelensky can improve Ukraine's corruption track record
Monday 17 November 2025 14:30 , Alex CroftFrench president Emmanuel Macron on Monday said he was confident Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky can improve Ukraine's anti-corruption track record.
The path to EU membership for Ukraine requires reforms on the rule of law in the country, Mr Macron said during a joint press conference with Mr Zelensky whom he hosted in Paris on Monday.
Mr Zelensky last week had called for the dismissal of two cabinet ministers amid a probe into an alleged $100 million corruption scheme that has fuelled fresh public anger at the country's government.
Mr Macron reiterated the agreement to sell 100 Rafale fighter jets made by French manufacturer Dassault Aviation.
He also said French train maker Alstom signed a contract worth around 475 million euro ($551.05 million) to supply locomotives to the Ukrainian railways operator. ($1 = 0.8620 euros).
Paris says Rafale deal puts ‘French excellence at service of Ukraine’s defence’
Monday 17 November 2025 14:08 , Alex CroftIn a media briefing ahead of Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Paris, French president Emmanuel Macron's office said the aim was to "put French excellence in the arms industry at the service of Ukraine's defence".
The deal also enables Kyiv to “acquire the systems it needs to respond to Russian aggression".
Mr Zelensky attended a briefing by various manufacturers, including Dassault, on Monday morning before signing the letter of intent.
A separate forum in the afternoon will bring together Ukrainian and French firms working in the drone sector to see how they can combine their efforts.
France, along with Britain, has pushed for the creation of a coalition of about 30 countries willing to send troops and assets to Ukraine or along its western borders once a peace deal with Russia is agreed.
Full report: Polish PM says explosion on railway track used to send weapons to Ukraine was ‘act of sabotage’
Monday 17 November 2025 13:45 , Alex CroftAn explosion that damaged a Polish railway track en route to Ukraine was an “unprecedented act of sabotage”, prime minister Donald Tusk said on Monday.
Mr Tusk said that an explosive device had destroyed a section of the track near Mika village, part of a route he said was “crucially important for delivering aid to Ukraine”.
A train driver had reported damage on the railway line on Sunday, local police said. The damaged stretch was some 80 miles from the Polish-Ukrainian border.
The Polish prime minister vowed to catch those responsible for an incident he said could have ended in tragedy. Two passengers and several staff were on the train but no injuries were reported, officials said.
The Independent’s foreign affairs reporter James Reynolds brings the news:
Polish PM says explosion on railway track near Warsaw was ‘act of sabotage’
Latest images from Russian attack on Kharkiv
Monday 17 November 2025 13:24 , Alex CroftWe’re getting images through of Russia’s missile attack on Kharkiv, which killed three and injured 10.
Here is a selection:
Russia has dealt with consequences of Ukrainian attack on Black Sea port, says Kremlin
Monday 17 November 2025 13:03 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin said on Monday that Russia had the capacity to quickly deal with the consequences of a Ukrainian attack on its port of Novorossiysk and to resume export activities.
Two industry sources said and LSEG data showed that the port resumed oil loadings on Sunday after a two-day suspension triggered by the Ukrainian attack.
Sources from Ukraine’s SSU security service told Ukrainska Pravda that it had destroyed four launchers for an S-400 Triumph air defence missile system and two radars in the Russian Black Sea port city on 14 November.
Watch: Trump backs bill to sanction Russian trade partners
Monday 17 November 2025 12:44 , Alex CroftZelensky and Macron hold joint news conference
Monday 17 November 2025 12:41 , Daniel KeaneEmmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky have been speaking at a joint news conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris.
It comes after Ukraine signed a letter of intent with France to obtain 100 Rafale warplanes over the next 10 years.
"It will be the greatest air defence, one of the greatest in the world," Zelensky told reporters.
Rafale fighter jet deal part of 10-year agreement - Reuters
Monday 17 November 2025 12:23 , Alex CroftWe’re seeing a report from Reuters that France’s provision of multi-role Rafale fighter jets will be part of a 10-year strategic aviation agreement, citing two people briefed on the batter.
Some could come directly from French stocks, although the bulk would be longer-term and part of Ukraine's efforts to increase its long-term fleet to 250 warplanes, including the US F-16 and Sweden's Gripen, they said.
Operating the advanced jets would take time given the rigorous training programme for pilots.
There have been talks for several weeks to see how France could provide more military support for Ukraine's air defences, although Macron's government is grappling with political and budgetary instability, raising questions over how much France can actually do.
Macron pledged last month to offer more Mirage fighter jets, after initially promising to deliver six, and a new batch of Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles, produced by European group MBDA, for the SAMP/T air-defence batteries operated by Ukraine.
