Ukraine war latest: Moscow launches deadly strikes on Kharkiv as US says it will cut aid to Kyiv | World News

By Yalda Hakim, lead world news presenter

It is nearly 150 days since Donald Trump took office for the second time, promising peace in the Middle East and Ukraine.

For the latter, the war grinds on, with reports last week that Russia passed the grim milestone of one million deaths.

Ukraine continues to be bombarded, with Russia launching its biggest drone attack against the country since the start of the war. 

Most likely in retaliation to Ukraine’s audacious ‘Operation Spider’s Web’ at the beginning of the month, which saw remote controlled drones launched deep into Russia, blowing up billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment. 

Russia saw this as a significant escalation, as Moscow’s ambassador to the UK told me in a sit-down interview last week. 

Peace feels a long way off right now. But does President Trump have a plan? Ex-CIA director John Brennan does not think so.

On this week’s The World podcast, he called Trump’s understanding of both Ukraine and Vladimir Putin “naive” and “unsophisticated”.

I asked him what he thinks the president may do and, in no uncertain terms, he told me: “I think that Donald Trump doesn’t know what he will do.”

It is no secret that the former director holds a low estimation of the president. For what it’s worth, the feeling is mutual…