The Kremlin has welcomed a meeting with US president-elect Donald Trump just days after he claimed Vladimir Putin wanted to sit down with him.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there could be progress on setting up the meeting after Trump is sworn in as US president on 20 January.
Trump claimed Putin wanted to meet with him as he spoke with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, earlier this week.
“President Putin wants to meet. He has said that even publicly and we have to get that war over with. That’s a bloody mess,” he said.
On Thursday, Trump pushed back his campaign pledge to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours and said six months was a more realistic target.
“The whole [Trump] team is obsessed with strength and looking strong, so they’re recalibrating the Ukraine approach,” a European official told the Financial Times.
Meanwhile, Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out a missile strike on a supermarket in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk with US-supplied weapons.
Dashcam footage posted by a driver nearby appeared to show the moment the supermarket was struck, with an ensuing large explosion and flames soaring into the sky.
Key points
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Kremlin welcomes Trump meeting
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Ukraine strikes ‘supermarket in Donetsk’
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Putin’s forces launch fresh drone assault
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Trump says Putin wants to meet him
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Zelensky urges Trump not to abandon Ukraine to Putin
Britain must learn from Ukraine and use AI for warfare, MPs say
12:26 , Alexander Butler
North Korea benefiting from troops fighting in Russia, US warns
12:00 , Alexander Butler
North Korea benefiting from troops fighting alongside Russia, US issues grave warning
Ukraine expects Trump-Zelensky meeting after Trump inauguration
10:56 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine expects high level contacts with the new US administration immediately after Donald Trump takes office, including an eventual meeting between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky, Kyiv’s foreign ministry said on Friday.
“We are waiting for a meeting between our presidents because for us the main thing is to work together with America… we are preparing for contacts at the highest and high levels immediately after the inauguration,” ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said.
Kremlin welcomes Trump meeting
10:29 , Alexander Butler
The Kremlin has welcomed a meeting with US president-elect Donald Trump just days after he claimed Vladimir Putin wanted to sit down with him.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there could be progress on setting up the meeting after Trump is sworn in as US president on 20 January.
Trump claimed Putin wanted to meet with him as he spoke with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, earlier this week.
“President Putin wants to meet. He has said that even publicly and we have to get that war over with. That’s a bloody mess,” he said.
On Thursday, Trump pushed back his campaign pledge to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours and said six months was a more realistic target.
“The whole [Trump] team is obsessed with strength and looking strong, so they’re recalibrating the Ukraine approach,” a European official told the Financial Times.
Pictured: Damaged cars after Russian strike on Ukraine
09:18 , Alexander Butler
Putin’s forces launch fresh drone assault
08:45 , Alexander Butler
Vladimir Putin’s forces have launched a fresh drone assault on Ukraine as Donald Trump revealed the Russian leader wants to meet him.
Russian troops fired up to 72 drones at Ukraine overnight, hitting various buildings in the northern region of Chernihiv, as Kyiv’s airforce was scrambled to down 33 of them, it said.
Pictured: Zelensky meets Meloni in Rome
08:23 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine strikes ‘supermarket in Donetsk’
08:15 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine’s army struck a supermarket on Friday in the Russian-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine in an attack that used US-supplied missiles and wounded two people, a senior Russian-backed official said.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine and Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.
Unverified photos posted on social media showed a burnt out car in front of a shattered two-storey circular building surrounded by debris.
Dashcam footage posted by a driver nearby appeared to show the moment the supermarket – called Moloko (Milk) – was struck, with an ensuing large explosion and flames soaring into the sky.
Russia says its watching Trump’s plans to acquire Greenland
08:04 , Arpan Rai
Moscow is alarmed at the incoming US president-elect Donald Trump’s plans to acquire Greenland, according to a senior Russian official and close aide of Vladimir Putin.
Mr Trump on Tuesday said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, as he declared US control of both to be vital to American national security.
“The Arctic is a zone of our national interests, our strategic interests,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, responding to Mr Trump’s remarks.
He added: “We are watching the rather dramatic development of the situation very closely, but so far, thank God, at the level of statements.”
Greenland, home to a large US military base, is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a longtime US ally and a founding member of Nato. Mr Trump cast doubts on the legitimacy of Denmark’s claim to Greenland.
Europe’s aviation regulator issues new warning for Russian airspace
08:00 , Arpan Rai
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued a new alert yesterday warning non-European carriers not to fly within western Russia airspace due to the risk of being unintentionally targeted by its air defence systems.
“The ongoing conflict following the Russian invasion of Ukraine poses the risk of civil aircraft being unintentionally targeted in the airspace of the Russian Federation due to possible civil-military coordination deficiencies, and the potential for misidentification,” EASA said.
EASA said the crash last month in Kazakhstan of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane, after Russian air defences fired against Ukrainian drones, demonstrated the high risk at play. At least 38 people died in the crash.
“EASA recommends not to operate within the affected airspace of the Russian Federation located west of longitude 60° East at all altitudes and flight levels.”
The warning was for third-country operators authorised by EASA, given Russian airspace has been closed to European Union airlines since the bloc imposed Ukraine-related sanctions targeting Russia’s aviation sector.
Four sources with knowledge of the preliminary findings of Azerbaijan’s investigation told Reuters last month that Russian air defences had mistakenly shot the airliner down. Passengers said they heard a loud bang outside the plane.
North Korea benefiting from troops fighting alongside Russia, US issues grave warning
07:48 , Arpan Rai
North Korea is “significantly benefiting” from its troops gaining battlefield experience fighting alongside Russian forces as it makes them more capable of waging war against rivals South Korea and Japan, a US official warned the UN.
Nearly 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been training in Russia and fighting to repel the Ukrainian incursion in the Kursk region, deputy US ambassador Dorothy Camille Shea told the UN Security Council, which was meeting to discuss Pyongyang’s launch of a new intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile on Monday.
North Korea “is significantly benefiting from receiving Russian military equipment, technology and experience, rendering it more capable of waging war against its neighbours”, Ms Shea said.
North Korea benefiting from troops fighting alongside Russia, US issues grave warning
Russia dropped over 51,000 guided bombs since start of war
07:30 , Arpan Rai
Russia has launched more than 51,000 guided aerial bombs against Ukraine since the start of its full-blown invasion nearly three years ago, the Ukrainian air force said yesterday.
Regions in proximity to the frontlines as well as those bordering Russia are most regularly targeted with these weapons, Ukrainian officials say.
Guided, or glide, bombs are highly destructive and very hard to intercept. The air-launched weapons are conventional, often Soviet-era ordnance that have been fitted with wings and satellite-aided navigation to extend their range and precision.
Zelensky and Austin use their final meeting to press Trump to keep supporting Ukraine
07:18 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky and Lloyd Austin used their final meeting yesterday to press the incoming Trump administration not to give up on Kyiv’s fight, with the US defence secretary warning that to cease military support now “will only invite more aggression, chaos and war”.
“We’ve come such a long way that it would honestly be crazy to drop the ball now and not keep building on the defense coalitions we’ve created,” Mr Zelensky said. “No matter what’s going on in the world, everyone wants to feel sure that their country will not just be erased off the map.”
Mr Austin doubled down on the Ukrainian president’s appeal, saying “no responsible leader will let Putin have his way”.
President-elect Donald Trump’s remarks about pushing for a quick end to the war, his relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin and uncertainty over whether he will support further military aid to Ukraine have triggered concern among allies.
The Biden administration has worked to provide Ukraine with as much military support as it can, including approving a new $500m package of weapons and relaxing restrictions on missile strikes into Russia, with the aim of putting Ukraine in the strongest position possible for any future negotiations to end the war.
Zelensky urges Trump not to abandon Ukraine to Putin
07:04 , Tom Watling
Zelensky urges Trump not to abandon Ukraine as US pledges $500m in military aid
Ukrainian family learns son is alive after nearly 3 years of captivity
04:05 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian family learns son is alive after nearly three years of captivity in Russia
Starmer and Macron discuss Ukraine and Middle East ahead of Trump’s inauguration
03:59 , Arpan Rai
Prime minister Keir Starmer welcomed the French president Emmanuel Macron to Chequers yesterday evening for wide-ranging discussions over dinner.
Sir Starmer said it was a “privilege” to host Mr Macron, the second world leader to meet the prime minister at his official country retreat since he took office in July.
Describing the meeting as “further evidence of our ability to work well together”, Sir Keir said the pair planned to discuss “a number of issues of concern”, including the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East, while Downing Street has previously indicated that illegal migration, tech and growth would also be on the agenda.
Starmer and Macron discuss Ukraine and Middle East at UK meeting
Zelensky says meeting of allies pledges $2bn in aid
03:20 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky said the latest in a series of meetings with Kyiv’s Western allies in Germany had resulted in pledges of an additional $2bn in military assistance to help it fight the war against Russia.
Mr Zelensky, speaking to My-Ukraina television channel after yesterday’s meeting, gave few details of the assistance, but that 34 countries had pledged support in different aspects of the 34-month-old war.
“We had a very good meeting, a very good result. There was $2bn in additional packages of support to Ukraine,” he said in a video posted on the television channel’s Telegram account.
The aid covered air defence, information technology, demining, naval forces, air forces and artillery.
“And all this will strengthen Ukraine,” he said. The president gave no details on which countries had made the pledges.
Trump says Putin wants to meet him, meeting being fixed
03:16 , Arpan Rai
Donald Trump said a meeting was being set up between him and Russian president Vladimir Putin, but the Republican offered no timeline for talks between the two leaders.
“He wants to meet, and we are setting it up,” Trump said in remarks before a meeting with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
“President Putin wants to meet. He has said that even publicly and we have to get that war over with. That’s a bloody mess,” Trump said about the Russia-Ukraine war.
Mr Trump’s return to the White House on 20 January has sparked hope of a diplomatic resolution to end Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022, but it has also led to fears in Kyiv that a quick peace deal could come at a high price for Ukraine.
Ukraine is right to stop the flow of Russian gas – whatever the cost
03:06 , Tom Watling
Ukraine is right to turn off the flow of Russian gas – whatever the cost
What happens now Ukraine has ended Russian gas to Europe?
02:05 , Tom Watling
Ukraine ends Russian gas pipeline to Europe – but how much will it cost Moscow?
Ukraine-Russia war map: Where are Putin’s forces making gains?
01:04 , Tom Watling
Ukraine-Russia war map 2025: Where are Putin’s forces making gains on the frontline?
Ukraine attacks Russia’s Kursk from multiple directions
00:05 , Tom Watling
Ukraine attacks Russia’s Kursk from multiple directions in surprise assault
What does Ukraine stand to gain with latest Kursk counterattack?
Thursday 9 January 2025 23:02 , Tom Watling
What Kyiv stands to gain and lose in surprise counter-attack on Russian soil
Mapped: Ukraine’s Kursk attack
Thursday 9 January 2025 22:09 , Tom Watling
Mapped: Ukraine-Russia frontline
Thursday 9 January 2025 21:04 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian family learns son is alive after nearly 3 years of captivity
Thursday 9 January 2025 20:08 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian family learns son is alive after nearly three years of captivity in Russia
North Korea benefiting from troops fighting in Russia, US says
Thursday 9 January 2025 19:04 , Tom Watling
North Korea benefiting from troops fighting alongside Russia, US warns
Ukraine fighting for eastern town despite Russian claims of capture
Thursday 9 January 2025 18:04 , Tom Watling
Ukraine still fighting for eastern town despite Russian claims of a takeover
Zelensky urges Trump not to abandon Ukraine to Putin
Thursday 9 January 2025 17:03 , Tom Watling
Zelensky urges Trump not to abandon Ukraine as US pledges $500m in military aid
In their final meeting, Zelenskyy and Austin say military aid to Ukraine must continue under Trump
Thursday 9 January 2025 16:01 , Tom Watling
In their final meeting, Zelenskyy and Austin say military aid to Ukraine must continue under Trump
Russia dropped more than 50,000 glide bomb on Ukraine since Feb 22, says Kyiv
Thursday 9 January 2025 15:32 , Tom Watling
Russia has launched over 51,000 of guided aerial bombs on Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine‘s air force said on Thursday.
About 40,000 of the total number was used in 2024, it said on Telegram.
In pictures: Zelensky attends 25th Ramstein meeting in Germany
Thursday 9 January 2025 15:06 , Tom Watling
German defence minister: will consider changing Ramstein format if US withdraws
Thursday 9 January 2025 14:30 , Tom Watling
German defence minister Boris Pistorius has said that a regular gathering of allies aimed at speeding up and synchronising arms deliveries to Ukraine was best kept under US leadership, with an eye to the new Trump administration.
“And if those in the United States now decide not to maintain this format any longer, then we will have to make our own decisions,” said Pistorius at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG).
He added that it was too early to speculate on what could happen to the format after US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on 20 January.
The group, comprised of about 50 allies who usually meet every few months at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, was started in 2022 by outgoing US defense secretary Lloyd Austin.
Pistorius said Germany would be providing further guided missiles to Ukraine for the IRIS-T systems, initially intended for the German army, at short notice, and would stick to its schedule for delivering the systems it promised.
Slovakia will adopt measures against Ukraine if gas transit problem not solved, PM Fico says
Thursday 9 January 2025 14:04 , Tom Watling
Slovakia will adopt harsh reciprocal measures against Ukraine if the problem with halted gas transit through the country is not solved, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Thursday after talks with EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen.
Fico has accused Kyiv of damaging Slovakia by not extending a gas transit deal with Russia to carry gas through Ukraine, and has threatened to retaliate by cutting emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine or reducing aid for refugees.
Mapped: Russia’s advance towards Pokrovsk
Thursday 9 January 2025 13:29 , Tom Watling
In pictures: More than 100 wounded or killed in Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia
Thursday 9 January 2025 13:02 , Tom Watling
Europe expects Trump to stay engaged with Ukraine, says Meloni
Thursday 9 January 2025 12:30 , Tom Watling
Europe expects US president-elect Donald Trump to continue supporting Ukraine and strike a balance between diplomacy with and deterrence against Russia, Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni has claimed.
Ms Meloni says she does not expect Mr Trump to disengage from Ukraine despite concerns he could sacrifice Ukrainian interests to push for an end to its war with Russia.
But she added that security guarantees are needed for Ukraine to prevent another Russian invasion.
Biden set to push new Russia sanctions before Trump era begins
Thursday 9 January 2025 12:05 , Tom Watling
President Joe Biden is expected to unveil new sanctions targeting Russia’s economy this week, according to a US official, as part of measures to bolster Kyiv’s war effort against Moscow before Donald Trump takes office.
The steps come as the Biden administration was also readying $500 million (£407m) in new military aid for Ukraine on Thursday that was set to include air defense missiles, air-to-ground munitions and support equipment for F-16 fighter jets, a US official who declined to be named said.
President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House on 20 January has sparked hope of a diplomatic resolution to end Moscow’s invasion but also fears in Kyiv that a quick peace could come at a high price.
Advisers to Trump have floated proposals to end the Ukraine war that would effectively cede large parts of the country to Russia for the foreseeable future.
Biden aides say they want to put Ukraine in the strongest position on the battlefield to give them leverage for possible negotiations with Russia this year.
There were no immediate details on the sanctions Biden would levy in his final days but Biden aides are briefing Trump’s aides on the steps they are taking, the official said.
Zelensky says allies’ deployment in Ukraine one of best ways to bring peace closer
Thursday 9 January 2025 11:47 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the potential deployment of partners’ contingent in Ukraine “is one of the best instruments” to force Russia into peace.
“Let’s be more practical in making it possible,” he said in an address to allies at the Ramstein military base in Germany.
French president Emmanuel Macron remains the only European leader to have spoken openly about the possibility of Paris’ troops being sent to Ukraine.
Ukraine defence meeting begins
Thursday 9 January 2025 11:29 , Tom Watling
A meeting of Ukraine’s top allies has begun today to discuss future support for Kyiv.
It is the 25th meeting since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, involving around 50 countries discussing how best to help Kyiv continue to defend itself against Moscow.
“We are grateful to our friends from about 50 partner countries for their unwavering support and commitment to the values of freedom,” the Ukrainian defence ministry wrote in a statement.
Polish officials earlier this week expressed concern that this could be the final meeting, which have been held at the Ramstein air base in Germany, given the return of Donald Trump to the White House off the back of promises to end the war.
The 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group has begun.
We are grateful to our friends from about 50 partner countries for their unwavering support and commitment to the values of freedom.#UDCG
🇺🇦— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) January 9, 2025
Russian drones cross into Belarusian airspace
Thursday 9 January 2025 11:04 , Tom Watling
Four Russian drones fired at Ukraine have misfired into Belarusian airspace, a monitor has reported.
At least 4 Russian Shahed drones flew into Belarus from Ukraine on the night of January 8-9.
The drones flew in via the “Belarusian corridor,” Homiel and Brahin districts. The first entrance was recorded at 23:21, when the UAV flew into Asarevichy. Further flights: 23:22,… pic.twitter.com/j3Ncs8HWXA
— Belarusian Hajun project (@Hajun_BY) January 9, 2025
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
Thursday 9 January 2025 10:30 , Tom Watling
As Ukraine reports that Russia has fired dozens of glide bombs over the last 24 hours, some of which killed 13 and wounded 113 more in one attack in southeastern Zaporizhzhia, below is an explainer on what these munitions are.
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
Thursday 9 January 2025 10:06 , Tom Watling
Russian firefighters were on Thursday still battling a fire reported to have broken out at an oil depot near an air base for strategic bombers in the Volga region, more than 24 hours after a Ukrainian drone attack.
“It takes a certain amount of time to complete the burnout process. The situation is under control,” regional governor Roman Busargin said in a Telegram post.
A state of emergency was in effect in Engels, a city of 200,000 people some 730 km (450 miles) southeast of Moscow, after the blaze spread and two firefighters died trying to put it out.
Busargin said the fire had broken out at an industrial site, which he did not name, after a mass drone attack. The Ukrainian military said on Wednesday that it had set fire to an oil depot that serves an air base for Russian nuclear-capable bombers.
Engels is hundreds of kilometres from Ukraine. In December 2022, three Russian air force personnel were killed when a drone was shot down there.
Ukraine-Russia war map: Where are Putin’s forces making gains?
Thursday 9 January 2025 09:29 , Tom Watling
Ukraine-Russia war map 2025: Where are Putin’s forces making gains on the frontline?
