Ukraine-Russia war live: Trump U-turn as he says Putin attacked Kyiv

Europe must be at the negotiating table for any peace talks with Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Mr Zelensky said “Ukraine’s security is inseparable from Europe’s security” after having a “productive talk” with British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer.

“We coordinated our military cooperation, joint steps, and engagements for the coming week, which will be very active,” Mr Zelensky said.

“The UK and its people are among Ukraine’s biggest supporters, and we deeply appreciate this.”

The US has so far only sat down with Russia in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for talks.

US president Donald Trump has dismissed the idea of Kyiv joining peace talks, claiming Zelensky “held no cards” and would only be obstacle to peace.

Volodymyr Zelensky is not ready to sign a “problematic” rare earth minerals deal with the US, according to Sky News.

“The agreement is not yet ready to be signed, there are a number of problematic issues, and in the current form of the draft, the president is not ready to accept it,” a Ukrainian source told Sky News.

“Today, the drafts do not reflect a partnership in the agreement and contain only unilateral commitments by Ukraine.”

It comes after Mr Trump claimed an agreement between Kyiv and Washington was close.

It emerged earlier this week that Mr Trump was demanding access to around $500bn of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as repayment for Washington’s military support for Kyiv over the last three years.

Mr Zelensky rejected the bid as “not serious” and said it offered no security guarantees in the event of a peace deal with Russia.

Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a “comprehensive strategic partnership” pact in Pyongyang on 19 June, 2024, including a mutual defence clause in case of aggression against either country.

Kim expressed “unconditional support” for “all of Russia’s policies”, including “a full support and firm alliance” for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Putin has said Russia would help North Korea build satellites.

The US and South Korea say North Korea has shipped ballistic missiles, anti-tank rockets and millions of rounds of ammunition for Russia to use in the war. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied weapons transfers.

Ukraine, South Korea and the US say Kim has sent more than 11,000 troops to fight for Russia in its western Kursk region, part of which has been held by Ukraine since August. Ukraine says many North Korean soldiers have been killed and wounded. Moscow has never confirmed or denied their presence.

A second meeting between representatives of Russia and the United States is planned for the next two weeks, the RIA state news agency reported on Saturday, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

Moscow and Washington held their first talks on ending the nearly three-year war in Ukraine on Tuesday, aimed at restoring relations and preparing to conclude the conflict.

The meeting will take place in a third country and the specific location is being agreed upon, Ryabkov told RIA in an interview, without naming who would attend from the Russian or American sides.Ryabkov said there was “principled agreement” on both sides to hold consultations to work out “the entire block of so-called irritants.”

President Donald Trump reversed course yesterday and said Russia did in fact invade Ukraine after facing backlash for saying that Ukraine “should have never started” the war three years ago.

“Russia attacked, but they shouldn’t have let him attack,” Mr Trump said, adding that Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and then-US president Joe Biden should have taken steps to avert the invasion.

Claims that the Trump administration’s stance towards Russia is “appeasement” have been rebutted by US Vice President JD Vance.

“We are negotiating to end the conflict. It is ‘appeasement’ only if you think the Ukrainians have a credible pathway to victory. They don’t, so it’s not,” he said in a post on X.

“Well, the president believes to conduct diplomacy, you actually have to speak to people. This used to be called statesmanship,” he added.

Vance also said there is a false idea that the US has “given the Russians everything they want”.

The European Union is preparing a package of about €20bn (£16.5bn) in military support for Ukraine, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

The bloc has been racing to secure assistance for Kyiv in the face of US president Donald Trump’s push to reach a quick peace settlement with Russia.

The initiative would aim to deliver artillery ammunition, air defense systems, deep-precision strike missiles, drones as well as other weapons, according to the report.

Nuclear disaster in Ukraine is only a “matter of time” as long as the international community fails to take tougher action against Russian recklessness, an expert has warned.

“We’re getting closer and closer to possible disaster as attacks now continue on Chernobyl, and the war is going on in the vicinity of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” says historian Serhii Plokhy, who tells the story of the occupation of Chernboyl in his 2024 book Chernobyl Roulette.