Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin minister accuses Kyiv’s allies of ‘aggressive escalation’ after Trump summit

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said Russia believes Ukraine’s security guarantees should be ensured on an equal basis with participation from China among other countries.

“Russia agrees that Ukraine’s security guarantees should be ensured on an equal basis with the participation of countries such as China, the USA, Britain, and France,” a report from Ria Novosti read.

Russia is again provoking NATO countries, Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Wednesday, after an official said the object that landed overnight in a cornfield in eastern Poland may have been a Russian version of the Shahed drone.

“Once again, we are dealing with a provocation by the Russian Federation, with a Russian drone. We are dealing in a crucial moment, when discussions about peace (in Ukraine) are underway,” he told journalists.

At least three people were killed in a Russian artillery attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka, local officials said on Wednesday, as Moscow’s troops advance to encircle the strategic hub in Ukraine’s industrialised Donbas region.

Another four people were wounded in the attack, which Governor Vadym Filashkin said involved eight strikes from a multiple rocket launch system and targeted a local market.

He called on residents to evacuate the city, which has come increasingly under attack as Russian forces close in from three sides.

On Tuesday alone, Filashkin added, Russian forces dropped 10 guided bombs on Kostiantynivka, which has long served as a crucial logistics hub for Ukrainian troops defending a key swath of the front line.

“The Russians are deliberately striking to kill and maim as many civilians as possible,” he said in a statement.

Russia has denied targeting civilians, but thousands have been killed since its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The United Kingdom has cracked down on Russia’s attempts to avoid sanctions by exploiting Kyrgyz financial systems and crypto networks, building on over 2,700 existing UK sanctions against Russia.

“Today’s action closes in on the Kyrgyzstan-based Capital Bank, and its director Kantemir Chalbayev, which Russia uses to pay for military goods.

“Sanctions also hit the Grinex and Meer cryptocurrency exchanges, the infrastructure behind a new rouble-backed cryptocurrency token A7A5, which has moved $9.3bn on a dedicated crypto exchange in just four months and is specifically designed as an attempt to evade western sanctions. “

Russia said on Wednesday it was barring entry to 21 individuals it accused of working with “the destructive British media” to promote anti-Russian narratives.

The list includes journalists, experts and members of NGOs.

Their names were added to those of many hundreds of other Western nationals whom Russia has placed on its “stop list” since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Britain on Wednesday said it was imposing new sanctions on cryptocurrency networks it said were exploited by Russia.

World leaders gathered in Washington on Monday for a summit billed as a potential turning point in efforts to end the Ukraine war.

In the Oval Office, Donald Trump hosted Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and senior European figures to thrash out what security guarantees for Ukraine might look like if a peace deal with Russia can be reached.

The meeting was described as “historic” by British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, who has emerged as one of the driving forces behind Europe’s response. Nato military leaders are meeting on Wednesday to discuss Ukraine and the way forward.

But even as the talks took place, Moscow dismissed the plans as dangerous and warned against any Western military presence in Ukraine.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Moscow must be involved in any discussions about security guarantees for Ukraine

“Seriously discussing security issues without Russia is a road to nowhere,” Lavrov said, adding that the UK, US, France and China could provide equal security guarantees for the country.

“As for reports that the U.K., France, and Germany want to develop collective security guarantees, we support making these guarantees truly reliable,” Lavrov claimed.

“Our delegation then agreed to work out security guarantees involving all permanent members of the UN Security Council — Russia, China, the US, France, and the UK,” he said. “Germany and Turkey were mentioned, as well as others that may be interested in joining this group.”

Nato military leaders were due to meet today to discuss creating effective security guarantees for Ukraine.