Emmanuel Macron warned that Donald Trump could “betray Ukraine” by offering territory to Russia without security guarantees, according to a leaked transcript of a call between fellow European leaders.
The French president told Kyiv’s allies that Washington could attempt to force Ukraine to give up territory “without clarity on security guarantees”, German newspaper Der Spiegel reported.
Details of the call - which involved Macron along with German chancellor Friedrich Merz and Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte - were published by the German newspaper on Thursday.
Macron’s remarks lay bare the rift that remains between Europe and Washington on how to end the near four-year-old conflict. A previous US-drafted peace plan caused consternation in Europe as it appeared to accept Russia’s demands for territory and a significant reduction in the size of the Ukrainian army.
Trump has insisted that Putin is serious about seeking peace in Ukraine, but Kyiv has accused Russia of feigning interest. Ukrainian officials will meet with Witkoff in Miami on Thursday.
Key Points
- Trump may betray Ukraine, warns Macron in leaked call with European leaders
- Drones were spotted near Zelensky flight path to Dublin
- Putin in Delhi, to hold summit talks with India's Modi
- Putin doubles down on threat to take Donbas by force
Putin challenges US tariffs on Indian goods over Russian oil purchases
04:50 , Arpan RaiRussian president Vladimir Putin challenged heavy US pressure on India not to buy Russian fuel if the US could do so as he began a two-day state visit, where he was embraced on arrival by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.
Putin spoke in comments to Indian broadcaster India Today, aired hours after landing in New Delhi for a visit during which both countries are seeking to boost mutual trade and expand the variety of items in transactions.
"The United States itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants. That is also fuel," Putin told India Today.
"If the US has the right to buy our fuel, why shouldn't India have the same privilege? This question deserves thorough examination, and we stand ready to discuss it, including with president Trump," he said.
Macron risks row after saying US will ‘betray Ukraine’ in leaked call
04:44 , Arpan RaiEmmanuel Macron risked sparking a fresh diplomatic row between Europe and Washington after claiming that Donald Trump may “betray” Ukraine during peace negotiations, according to a leaked transcript of a conference call of European leaders.
The French president told Kyiv’s European allies that the Trump administration could attempt to force Ukraine to give up territory “without clarity on security guarantees”, Germany’s Der Spiegel newspaper reported.
“There is a possibility that the US will betray Ukraine on the issue of territory without clarity on security guarantees,” Mr Macron is said to have told fellow European leaders, including the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte.
Alex Croft reports:
Macron risks row with Trump after saying US will ‘betray Ukraine’ in leaked call
Watch: Putin’s alleged secret daughter confronted by Ukrainian whose brother was killed by Russia
04:15 , Arpan RaiUkraine seeks 'real peace, not appeasement' with Russia, says minister
04:01 , Arpan RaiUkraine wants "real peace, not appeasement" with Russia, its foreign minister said at the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the security and rights body seeking a role for itself in a post-war Ukraine.
The path ahead for peace talks is currently unclear, US president Donald Trump said on Wednesday, after what he called "reasonably good" talks between Russian president Vladimir Putin and US envoy and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
"We still remember the names of those who betrayed future generations in Munich. This should never be repeated again. Principles must be untouchable, and we need real peace, not appeasement," Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha told the OSCE's annual Ministerial Council.
He was referring to a 1938 agreement with Nazi Germany in which Britain, France and Italy agreed to Hitler's annexation of the Sudetenland in what was then Czechoslovakia. The agreement is widely used as shorthand for failing to confront a threatening power.
"Europe had too many unfair peace deals in the past. All of them only led to new catastrophes," Sybiha said while thanking the United States for advancing peace efforts and pledging that Ukraine would "use every opportunity to try to end this war".
Ukraine military says it hit large chemical plant in southern Russia
03:46 , Arpan RaiUkraine's military said late night yesterday its forces had struck a large chemical plant in Stavropol region in southern Russia, triggering a fire.
The military's General Staff, writing on Telegram, said the Nevinnomyssky Azot plant was hit overnight on Thursday and added the facility produced components for explosives. It described it as one of the largest such plants in Russia.
There was no immediate reaction from Russian officials.
Trump may betray Ukraine, warns Macron in leaked call with European leaders
03:31 , Arpan RaiFrench president Emmanuel Macron warned European leaders that the US may “betray” Ukraine during peace negotiations, according to a bombshell report revealing an alleged transcript of the multi-party call.
“There is a possibility that the US will betray Ukraine on the issue of territory without clarity on security guarantees,” Macron said according to Der Spiegel, adding that there was “great danger”.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz said Volodymyr Zelensky had to be “extremely careful” in the coming days. In comments likely referring to Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, he said: "They are playing games, both with you and with us.”
Finnish president Alexander Stubb, who enjoys warm relations with Trump, said: We mustn't leave Ukraine and Volodymyr alone with these guys.” Nato secretary general Mark Rutte concurred, reportedly saying: “I agree with Alexander, we must protect Volodymyr.”
Mr Merz also discussed the issue of frozen Russian assets, warning that the US must be clear that the issue was Europe’s to deal with alone.
Europe could not "leave the decision to other, non-European states regarding what happens to the financial resources of an aggressor that have been legally frozen within the jurisdiction of our rule of law and in our own currency”, he said.
Nato must be ready to respond to hybrid threats, top commander says
03:18 , Arpan RaiNato must be ready to respond to increasing hybrid threats in order to defend its member states' territory, the alliance's top military commander said.
Hybrid threats refer to both military and non-military tactics designed to undermine an adversary's security and typically include cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, sabotage of key infrastructure and use of drones or irregular armed groups.
"Hybrid threats are a real issue, and I do think that we can anticipate more of that happening," Alexus Grynkewich, a US Air Force general serving as Nato's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, told reporters at the alliance’s military headquarters outside the Belgian city of Mons.
Speaking of recent incidents in Europe, Grynkewich said some were reckless and some intentional. He said it was important to say who was behind hybrid incidents and that the alliance knew Russia was behind some of them.
"We also do think about being proactive... If Russia is attempting to provide dilemmas to us, then maybe there are ways that we could provide dilemmas to them," he said, adding that Nato was a defensive alliance and "there's nothing offensive about this".
Drones were spotted near Zelensky flight path to Dublin
03:10 , Arpan RaiAn Irish navy ship spotted up to five drones operating near the flight path of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's aircraft as he arrived for a state visit to Ireland on Monday, local media reported.
The sighting triggered a major security alert amid fears it was an attempt to interfere with the flight path, the Irish Times reported. It quoted unnamed sources as saying the aircraft, which arrived slightly early, was not in any danger.
The Ukrainian delegation arrived late on Monday and departed late the next day as part of a trip to help drum up support in Europe for Kyiv as Russia presses on with its war in Ukraine.
Drone flights, the origin of which are mostly unknown, have recently disrupted airspace operations in Europe. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has called the incursions "hybrid warfare".
The Journal website, which first reported the spotting of the drones at Dublin airport, said they reached the location where Zelensky's plane was expected to be at the exact moment it had been due to pass.
It said enquiries were being carried out to determine whether the drones took off from land or from an undetected ship. They were first spotted northeast of Dublin, around 20 km (12 miles) from the airport, both news outlets reported.
Watch: Putin’s alleged secret daughter confronted by Ukrainian whose brother was killed by Russia
03:00 , Alex CroftPutin in Delhi, to hold summit talks with India's Modi
02:47 , Arpan RaiRussian president Vladimir Putin will hold summit talks with prime minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi today, aiming to boost trade with the top buyer of Russia's arms and seaborne oil as Western sanctions squeeze their decades-old ties.
Putin is on his first visit to India in four years at a time when New Delhi is engaged in talks with the US for a trade deal to cut punitive tariffs imposed by president Donald Trump on its goods over India's Russian oil purchases.
Modi and Putin are also expected to discuss other topics including labour and civil nuclear energy, with the sides expected to announce new agreements to showcase resilience of their relations.
Moscow has been India's top arms supplier for decades and has said that it wants to import more Indian goods in an effort to grow trade to $100bn by 2030 that so far has been skewed in its favour due to New Delhi's energy imports.
Since European countries cut back their reliance on Russian energy after Russia invaded Ukraine nearly four years ago, India has ramped up its purchases of discounted Russian crude.
"India faces a conundrum; by taking steps to strengthen ties with Moscow or Washington, New Delhi risks setting back ties with the other," Michael Kugelman, senior fellow at Washington's Atlantic Council think tank, wrote in Foreign Policy magazine this week.
Macron proposes moratorium of strikes on critical infrastructure
02:00 , Alex CroftFrench president Emmanuel Macron has called on China to back a moratorium on strikes against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure through winter.
Mr Macron, who was speaking at a press conference with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, said it is vital to do everything possible to find compromises and adhere to international law, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
"I hope that China will join our call and our efforts to reach at least a ceasefire in the form of a moratorium on strikes on critical infrastructure as soon as possible," he said.
It is crucial for the coming winter, with energy facilities still under Russian attack.
Keep energy infrastructure out of war, Turkey tells Russia and Ukraine
01:01 , Alex CroftTurkey is telling Russia, Ukraine, and all other parties to keep energy infrastructure out of their conflict and wants energy flows to continue uninterrupted, energy minister Alparslan Bayraktar said after a series of attacks off Turkey's Black Sea coast.
Ukraine, which is targeting Russia's oil exports as Moscow bombards its power grid, has taken responsibility for an attack by sea borne drones on two empty tankers heading towards a Russian port last week.
But it denied any link to another incident on Tuesday in which a Russian-flagged tanker loaded with sunflower oil said it had come under drone attack.
"Hopefully, this horrible war will end. But as of today also, we say to all the parties - Russia and Ukraine - to keep the energy infrastructure out of this war," Bayraktar told journalists in embargoed comments.
"We need to keep the energy flows uninterrupted," he said, adding that routes like the Caspian Pipeline Consortium pipeline should be kept safe.
Watch: We are no closer to peace in Ukraine, says Kremlin after US talks
00:01 , Alex CroftUkraine still holds northern Pokrovsk, says military chief
Thursday 4 December 2025 23:01 , Alex CroftUkrainian units continue to hold the northern part of the city of Pokrovsk, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces has said.
An "extremely difficult stage" in the defence of the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad urban area is ongoing, Oleksandr Syryskyi said, adding that Kyiv’s troops are still holding designated areas inside the two cities
"In the area of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad we are using active operations to block the enemy's attempts to build up assault infantry groups and to advance around these settlements,” Mr Syrskyi said according to Ukrainska Pravda.
“Within the cities, our soldiers are continuing to hold the areas assigned to them.
“While the occupiers show no regard for their manpower losses, Ukrainian commanders have a clear understanding of how important it is to preserve the lives and health of their personnel."
Kyiv denies Russian troops control southern village
Thursday 4 December 2025 22:02 , Alex CroftUkraine's military denied on Thursday that Russian troops were in control of the southern village of Dobropillia, which is located near a part of the frontline where Moscow's forces have recently advanced.
"An enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group infiltrated the outskirts of the village, taking advantage of the weather conditions," Ukraine's General Staff said on Telegram, adding that the village currently is under the control of Kyiv's troops.
Putin doubles down on threat to take Donbas by force
Thursday 4 December 2025 21:00 , Alex CroftPresident Vladimir Putin said in an interview published on Thursday that Russia would take full control of Ukraine's Donbas region by force unless Ukrainian forces withdraw.
"Either we liberate these territories by force of arms, or Ukrainian troops leave these territories," Putin told India Today ahead of a visit to New Delhi, according to a clip shown on Russian state television.
Ukraine says it does not want to gift Russia its own territory that Moscow has failed to win on the battlefield, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Moscow should not be rewarded for a war it started.
Putin says Russia will take Donbas by force or Ukraine troops will 'eventually withdraw'
Thursday 4 December 2025 20:25 , Maryam Zakir-HussainVladimir Putin has said Russia will fulfill the goals it set and take all of the eastern Donetsk region.
Speaking to the India Today TV channel before he landed Thursday in New Delhi for a state visit, Putin said his five-hour talks Tuesday with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner were “necessary” and “useful,” but also “difficult work,” and some proposals were unacceptable.
“All this boils down to one thing: Either we take back these territories by force, or eventually Ukrainian troops withdraw,” he said.
Russia issues strong warning against EU's plan to freeze assets
Thursday 4 December 2025 19:59 , Alex CroftRussia has said that any "illegal action" by the European Union in relation to its frozen assets would elicit "the harshest reaction".
Under the proposal, around £123 billion of Russian state assets held in Belgium would be transformed into a “reparations loan”.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters: "Any illegal actions involving our assets will not go unanswered... Preparations for a package of countermeasures in the event of actual theft and seizure of Russian Federation assets are already under way."
Watch: King Charles warns of ‘threat of Russian aggression’ in state banquet speech
Thursday 4 December 2025 19:25 , Alex CroftRecap: Putin says meeting with Witkoff was 'useful' but 'difficult'
Thursday 4 December 2025 18:52 , Alex CroftVladimir Putin has said that talks on Ukraine with Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were “very useful” but failed to yield a breakthrough.
Speaking to India Today, Putin said: "I think it is too early to say, but this meeting was necessary."
He went on: "We had to go over every point, which is why it took so on... So it was a necessary conversation, a very concrete one... Somewhere we said, yes, we can discuss this, but we can't agree on that. That's precisely the tone of the conversation."
Russia moves to limit FaceTime
Thursday 4 December 2025 18:19 , Alex CroftRussia has introduced restrictions against FaceTime after the government restricted WhatsApp and Telegram call services, Russian news agencies reported on Thursday.
Russia’s state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, earlier threatened to completely block WhatsApp if the messaging service doesn’t comply with national laws, news agencies reported.
In Focus | Ukraine is changing the pattern of war in one of the most important ways
Thursday 4 December 2025 17:48 , Alex CroftDespite being in the middle of a bloody war, with part of its land occupied by enemy forces, Ukraine is building a unique system that could transform global conflicts – and the response to them – in the years to come.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, there have been widespread reports of sexual assaults carried out by Russian troops against civilians, including women, men and children. Survivors describe attacks ranging from rape to abduction and humiliation. These acts are not random: sexual violence has long been used as a weapon of war, intended to terrorise communities, destabilise societies, and punish those resisting occupation. As part of a systematic campaign of intimidation and control, wartime sexual violence has been seen throughout history, from Bangladesh to Bosnia, from Syria to Stalin’s Soviet Union.
From the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia to documentation of Isis crimes against the Yazidis, a familiar pattern emerges: atrocities occur, and justice – if it comes at all – arrives years, if not decades, later.
Jack Straw writes:
Ukraine is changing the pattern of war in one of the most important ways
Melania Trump says 7 more children have been reunited with family in Ukraine
Thursday 4 December 2025 17:15 , Alex CroftFirst lady Melania Trump has said seven children have been reunited with their families in Ukriane.
The children are six boys and one girl, she said.
That brings to at least 15 children who've been reunited with their families after they were separated by the Russia-Ukraine war.
Melania Trump announced in October that eight children were back with family following ongoing talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
She had written Putin a letter and had her husband, president Donald Trump, hand delivered it when the leaders met in Alaska in August.
Vladimir Putin ordered Skripal novichok poisonings in show of ‘Russian power’, Dawn Sturgess inquiry finds
Thursday 4 December 2025 16:56 , Alex CroftVladimir Putin ordered the “astonishingly reckless” attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal as a "public demonstration of Russian power", a major inquiry into the Salisbury novichok poisonings has concluded.
The inquiry laid the blame for the attack on the Russian president, saying he was "morally responsible" for the death of Dawn Sturgess, an innocent bystander who died after being exposed to the chemical weapon after it was left in a discarded perfume bottle in Amesbury, Wiltshire, in July 2018.
Her death came four months after the attempted murder of Mr Skripal, a former spy, his daughter Yulia and then-police officer Nick Bailey, who were all harmed when members of a Russian GRU military intelligence squad smeared the nerve agent on Mr Skripal’s door handle.
The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Putin ordered novichok poisonings in show of ‘Russian power’, inquiry finds
Analysis | A war with Europe has never looked so tempting to Putin
Thursday 4 December 2025 16:44 , Alex CroftMark Almond writes:
With no peace deal, and Trump’s US distancing itself from clearly backing allies, the risk that Russia will see an opening to intimidate or even attack countries like Romania or Denmark is growing. Denmark, of course, straddles the exit from the Baltic Sea to the world’s oceans for Russia’s navy and its oil exports, but the country is also building a factory to manufacture rocket fuel for Ukraine’s own missiles, creating a potential target for sabotage.
The recent frenzy of drone sightings across northern Europe might be a classic war psychosis, but sadly, they could be a prelude to actual Russian sabotage attacks. The Kremlin has been gauging Western European reactions.
It knows European deterrence has always rested on the expectation that Washington would stand by its allies on this side of the Atlantic if Russian forces rolled westwards.
Without a credible US guarantee to every European Nato ally, the temptation for Russia to probe the defences of numerically-weak Baltic States – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, all members of Nato – could be realised.
Putin 'is dragging his feet', says Starmer
Thursday 4 December 2025 16:15 , Alex CroftSir Keir Starmer said Vladimir Putin "is dragging his feet, not wanting to come to the table, not wanting to reach an agreement".
Conservative MP for Harwich and North Essex Sir Bernard Jenkin asked the prime minister at Prime Minister's Questions: "Could the Prime Minister give his assessment of the latest news that President Putin has again turned down terms for peace in Ukraine, and in the light of his extraordinary outburst designed to destabilise our understanding of the truth, he did say Russia is ready for war with Nato. How ready are we?"
Sir Keir said: "Can I thank him for raising this and I updated the House last week on the attempts to get a lasting peace. We all know that Putin is the aggressor here.
"We all know that Putin is dragging his feet, not wanting to come to the table, not wanting to reach an agreement.
"We have to continue to put pressure on in every conceivable way. That is in supporting Ukraine with capability and resource, but also ensuring that our sanctions, acting with allies, do as much damage to the economy in Russia as we can, and pressure that we can put on, will continue to do so, but he's absolutely right to raise it. I thank him for doing so."
Keep energy infrastructure out of war, Turkey tells Russia and Ukraine
Thursday 4 December 2025 15:39 , Alex CroftTurkey is telling Russia, Ukraine, and all other parties to keep energy infrastructure out of their conflict and wants energy flows to continue uninterrupted, energy minister Alparslan Bayraktar said after a series of attacks off Turkey's Black Sea coast.
Ukraine, which is targeting Russia's oil exports as Moscow bombards its power grid, has taken responsibility for an attack by sea borne drones on two empty tankers heading towards a Russian port last week.
But it denied any link to another incident on Tuesday in which a Russian-flagged tanker loaded with sunflower oil said it had come under drone attack.
"Hopefully, this horrible war will end. But as of today also, we say to all the parties - Russia and Ukraine - to keep the energy infrastructure out of this war," Bayraktar told journalists in embargoed comments.
"We need to keep the energy flows uninterrupted," he said, adding that routes like the Caspian Pipeline Consortium pipeline should be kept safe.
Putin accused of 'wasting the world's time' after Trump's peace plan stalls
Thursday 4 December 2025 15:17 , Alex CroftSenior Ukrainian and European officials have accused Russia of not pursuing "any kind of peace" and wasting the world’s time.
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said the Russian president Vladimir Putin "should end the bluster and the bloodshed and be ready to come to the table and to support a just and lasting peace".
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha called on the Russian leader to "stop wasting the world's time".
“Russia must end the bloodshed it has started. If this doesn’t happen and Putin just spits into the world’s face once again, there must be consequences. Russia must stop wasting the world’s time, which must be the time for peace,” he said.
Estonian foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said Putin "has not changed course", adding: "It's pretty obvious that he doesn't want to have any kind of peace."
Trump may betray Ukraine, warns Macron in leaked call with European leaders
Thursday 4 December 2025 15:06 , Alex CroftFrench president Emmanuel Macron warned European leaders that the US may “betray” Ukraine during peace negotiations, according to a bombshell report revealing an alleged transcript of the multi-party call.
“There is a possibility that the US will betray Ukraine on the issue of territory without clarity on security guarantees,” Macron said according to Der Spiegel, adding that there was “great danger”.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz said Volodymyr Zelensky had to be “extremely careful” in the coming days. In comments likely referring to Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, he said: "They are playing games, both with you and with us.”
Finnish president Alexander Stubb, who enjoys warm relations with Trump, said: We mustn't leave Ukraine and Volodymyr alone with these guys.” Nato secretary general Mark Rutte concurred, reportedly saying: “I agree with Alexander, we must protect Volodymyr.”
Mr Merz also discussed the issue of frozen Russian assets, warning that the US must be clear that the issue was Europe’s to deal with alone.
Europe could not "leave the decision to other, non-European states regarding what happens to the financial resources of an aggressor that have been legally frozen within the jurisdiction of our rule of law and in our own currency”, he said.
Watch: Putin’s alleged secret daughter confronted by Ukrainian whose brother was killed by Russia
Thursday 4 December 2025 14:33 , Alex CroftPutin declares Russia will take all of Ukraine’s Donbas region by force
Thursday 4 December 2025 14:12 , Alex CroftRussian President Vladimir Putin has declared that Moscow intends to seize full control of Ukraine's Donbas region through military force, unless Ukrainian troops withdraw – a demand Kyiv has unequivocally rejected.
The declaration, made in an interview published on Thursday in India Today, follows Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which escalated an eight-year conflict between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces across the Donbas, comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Speaking ahead of a planned visit to New Delhi, Mr Putin stated: "Either we liberate these territories by force of arms, or Ukrainian troops leave these territories," according to footage broadcast on Russian state television.
Ukraine has consistently maintained it will not cede territory that Moscow has failed to secure militarily. President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously asserted that Russia should not be rewarded for initiating the conflict.
Putin declares Russia will take all of Ukraine’s Donbas region by force
Macron proposes moratorium of strikes on critical infrastructure
Thursday 4 December 2025 13:49 , Alex CroftFrench president Emmanuel Macron has called on China to back a moratorium on strikes against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure through winter.
Mr Macron, who was speaking at a press conference with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, said it is vital to do everything possible to find compromises and adhere to international law, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
"I hope that China will join our call and our efforts to reach at least a ceasefire in the form of a moratorium on strikes on critical infrastructure as soon as possible," he said.
It is crucial for the coming winter, with energy facilities still under Russian attack.
Ukraine still holds northern Pokrovsk, says military chief
Thursday 4 December 2025 13:27 , Alex CroftUkrainian units continue to hold the northern part of the city of Pokrovsk, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces has said.
An "extremely difficult stage" in the defence of the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad urban area is ongoing, Oleksandr Syryskyi said, adding that Kyiv’s troops are still holding designated areas inside the two cities
"In the area of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad we are using active operations to block the enemy's attempts to build up assault infantry groups and to advance around these settlements,” Mr Syrskyi said according to Ukrainska Pravda.
“Within the cities, our soldiers are continuing to hold the areas assigned to them.
“While the occupiers show no regard for their manpower losses, Ukrainian commanders have a clear understanding of how important it is to preserve the lives and health of their personnel."
Kyiv denies Russian troops control southern village
Thursday 4 December 2025 13:05 , Alex CroftUkraine's military denied on Thursday that Russian troops were in control of the southern village of Dobropillia, which is located near a part of the frontline where Moscow's forces have recently advanced.
"An enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group infiltrated the outskirts of the village, taking advantage of the weather conditions," Ukraine's General Staff said on Telegram, adding that the village currently is under the control of Kyiv's troops.
Watch: We are no closer to peace in Ukraine, says Kremlin after US talks
Thursday 4 December 2025 12:44 , Daniel KeaneRussia issues strong warning against EU's plan to freeze assets
Thursday 4 December 2025 12:24 , Daniel KeaneRussia has said that any "illegal action" by the European Union in relation to its frozen assets would elicit "the harshest reaction".
Under the proposal, around £123 billion of Russian state assets held in Belgium would be transformed into a “reparations loan”.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters: "Any illegal actions involving our assets will not go unanswered... Preparations for a package of countermeasures in the event of actual theft and seizure of Russian Federation assets are already under way."
