Ukraine-Russia conflict newest: Trump says negotiators ‘dividing up lands’ with full ceasefire coming ‘fairly quickly’

The military accused Russia of searching for to pin the blame on Ukraine with “groundless” accusations its army was concerned – all to undermine any truce and longer peace deal at the moment being negotiated by Donald Trump and the US.

“The Russian federation is intensifying its discrediting marketing campaign in opposition to Ukraine,” it mentioned.

Volodymyr Zelensky visited the location of one of many preliminary battles within the conflict with Russia right now, alongside the president of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel.

Heavy combating in Moshchun lasted for many of March 2022 earlier than Ukraine efficiently repelled Russian forces, lower than 30 kilometres from Kyiv. Zelensky mentioned the village was a symbolic and “deeply memorable” place for Ukrainians.

“The battles for Moshchun in opposition to the Russian occupiers performed an important position within the protection of Kyiv, and subsequently the defence of our whole nation,” Zelensky mentioned on X

“Collectively, we honoured the reminiscence of our fallen warriors who fought for Ukraine’s freedom, and expressed our gratitude to all of the heroes — because of whom we’re right here right now – in Ukrainian Kyiv, in our impartial state. And it’ll at all times be this manner – we will certainly protect Ukraine’s independence.”

Some £25 billion value of Russian property have been frozen by the UK Authorities because the begin of the Ukraine conflict, newly-released figures have revealed.

A report launched by the Treasury on Friday revealed the whole, which accounts for all property which have been sanctioned by the UK since February 2022 when the invasion of Ukraine started.

Some 2,001 people and entities have been sanctioned underneath the regime as of March 2024, in accordance with the Treasury.

France has restored its gunpowder manufacturing, which it scrapped in 2007.

Explosives producer Eurenco is ready to provide some 1,200 tonnes of gunpowder pellets a yr, rising to 1,800 tonnes, which might feed into about 100,000 artillery shells,

Most of those French-made artillery shells will head to Ukraine.

Backed by the federal government and with an funding of 100 million euros of which half got here from an EU programme to help the bloc’s defence trade, the agency put collectively new infrastructure in lower than a yr.

France has a convention of manufacturing gunpowder relationship again to the 14th Century, and a protracted historical past of delight in being independent in arms manufacturing.

Eurenco produced gunpowder way back to World Battle One. However after the top of the Chilly Battle, weapons manufacturing and provide chains had been now not a precedence and governments scaled again.

Kyiv has accused Russia of illegally pressuring Ukrainians in occupied territories to vary their authorized standing, in an obvious transfer to implement Russian nationality on Ukraine’s occupied residents.

It comes after Moscow issued a presidential decree ordering Ukrainian residents residing “in Russia with out authorized grounds” to “regulate” their standing.

Whereas there was no clear rationalization on what it meant by “regulate”, Moscow has been urgent Ukrainians in these areas to acquire Russian citizenship.

Holding a Russian passport within the occupied territories has been made mandatory for Ukrainians who need to entry healthcare, retirement earnings, social companies, or show property possession. A Russian legislation stipulated that anybody within the occupied territories who didn’t have a Russian passport by 1 July 2024 was topic to imprisonment as a “international citizen”.

Kyiv’s international ministry spokesman, Heorhii Tykhyi, mentioned the transfer was a “despicable act”.

“It’s one more step in Russia’s marketing campaign of discrimination, persecution and compelled displacement of Ukrainian residents from their homeland, or forcing them to accumulate foreigner standing,” he instructed a briefing in Kyiv.

Russia, which usually denied accusations of finishing up abuses, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark despatched to its international ministry.

An enormous fireplace has broke out earlierat a Russian gasoline and pumping station after it was rocked by a significant explosion.

The power in Sudzha is in Russia’s Kursk area close to the border with Ukraine.

It was as soon as utilized by Gazprom to export gasoline to Europe from Russia visa Ukraine, till Kyiv determined to finish the settlement in January this yr.

The Kursk area has been a key space within the conflict between Russia in Ukraine.

In August 2024, Ukraine launched an incursion into the area and captured an estimated 1,300 sq. kilometers of land, together with the city of Sudzha.

Nonetheless in latest weeks, Putin’s troops have re-captured a lot of the area.

The separate tracks of European and US approaches to ending the Ukraine conflict have barely been clearer. Exemplifying the excessive floor that the prime minister has taken since Mr Trump re-established ties with Moscow, Sir Keir set the tone – earlier than visiting Barrow-in-Furness and laying the keel for the subsequent era of UK nuclear-armed submarines. There, he made clear that nuclear deterrence was each mandatory and efficient.

Vladimir Putin, he mentioned, feared Britain’s nuclear weapons as a “credible functionality”. In different phrases, there was no cause for both the UK – or, by extension, the European members of Nato – to be intimidated by Russia. Or, he may also have mentioned, by america threatening to depart Europe to rely by itself assets.

The British prime minister’s ethical readability on help for Kyiv, and the necessity for it to proceed, has been quietly appreciated by his fellow European leaders, and extra loudly by Ukraine. It has additionally contributed to a way of European solidarity as america has more and more seen to be on a special monitor.

Russia’s Safety Council secretary Sergei Shoigu thanked Kim Jong Un for North Korea’s ongoing help in its conflict in opposition to Ukraine throughout a go to right now, Russian state-owned information company Tass reported.

In late February, South Korea’s spy company mentioned North Korea appeared to have despatched further troops to Russia. South Korean media put the variety of newly despatched North Korean troopers at about 1,000 to three,000.

Sir Keir Starmer has accused Vladimir Putin of trying to “delay and add circumstances” to any ceasefire in Ukraine, a Downing Road spokesperson has mentioned.

The prime minister spoke to EU chiefs together with the leaders of Turkey, Norway and Iceland, the spokesperson mentioned.

“The Prime Minister started by updating on his latest name with President Zelenskyy, and mentioned it was clear President Putin was attempting to delay and add circumstances to any significant ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

“The Prime Minister additionally outlined the brand new army sub-planning teams, throughout land, sea, air, regeneration and reconstruction, which might proceed discussions throughout three intensive planning days subsequent week,” they added.

The leaders mentioned the significance of maintaining funding in army gear to outpace any European threats.