Ukraine war briefing: Germany to fund $500m in arms for Kyiv as Zelenskyy says Putin ‘bluffing' about peace
Germany's move came as Donald Trump said there would be 'very severe consequences' if Vladimir Putin did not agree to stop his war in Ukraine after the summit between the US and Russian presidents in Alaska this Friday. The US president's comment came after a virtual meeting with European leaders including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who told the group that Putin 'is bluffing' about seeking peace. 'He is trying to apply pressure before the meeting in Alaska along all parts of the Ukrainian front,' Zelenskyy said, amid a sharp thrust from Russian forces into eastern Ukraine in recent days. 'Russia is trying to show that it can occupy all of Ukraine,' he said. German chancellor Friedrich Merz said the leaders had a 'constructive and good' discussion with Trump.
Keir Starmer is to welcome Zelenskyy to London on Thursday, the British prime minister's office has said. On Wednesday, the prime minister said there was now a 'viable' chance for a Ukraine ceasefire, and that Ukraine's military backers – the so-called coalition of the willing – had drawn up workable military plans in case of a ceasefire, but were also ready to add pressure on Russia through sanctions. 'For three and a bit years this conflict has been going, we haven't got anywhere near ... a viable way of bringing it to a ceasefire,' Starmer told the European meeting. 'Now we do have that chance, because of the work that the [US] president has put in.'
Trump suggested he would push for a second summit if his meeting with Putin went well – this time including Zelenskyy, reports Patrick Wintour. 'If the first one goes OK, we'll have a quick second one,' Trump told reporters in Washington. 'I would like to do it almost immediately, and we'll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself, if they'd like to have me there.' Trump's remarks followed what he described as a very good call with the European leaders in which he consulted about the goal and strategy for his summit. He pleased Europe's leadership by giving reassurances that a ceasefire was his priority and he would not make any territorial concessions without Kyiv's full involvement.
Russia wants to include the topic of a reduction in Nato troops' presence in any conversations about the future of Ukraine, the Polish prime minister said. Donald Tusk told reporters on Wednesday: 'That is why it is so important that we build such a strong and united group of states, both in relation to Russia but also in relation to other allies, like the United States.'
Fallen debris from Ukrainian drones caused a fire at an oil refinery in the Russian city of Volgograd, the governor said on Thursday. 'Firefighters quickly began extinguishing the fire,' Andrey Bocharov, the governor, said on Telegram. 'According to preliminary data, there were no casualties.' Russia's defence ministry said air defence systems had intercepted and destroyed 44 Ukrainian drones overnight, including nine over the Volgograd region.
Russian hackers briefly took control of a dam in Norway earlier this year, the country's counter-intelligence agency chief said on Wednesday, the first time Oslo has officially attributed the cyberattack to its neighbour. While in command of the dam in Bremanger, western Norway, on 7 April, the hackers opened a flood gate and released 500 litres (132 gallons) of water a second for four hours before the attack was detected and stopped, authorities previously said. No one was injured. The UK's spy chief accused Russia in September last year of waging a 'staggeringly reckless campaign' of sabotage in Europe, partly to scare European countries from helping Ukraine. Moscow denies the allegation.
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The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Can Zelensky the warrior cut it as a peacetime leader?
Short, sweet and largely symbolic might be a reasonable summary of Volodymyr Zelensky's Downing Street visit on the eve of the US-Russia summit in Alaska. There will be those who take issue with Zelensky's swanning around foreign parts at such a time. There will also be those – some, if not many of them, in Russia – who hope that the coming days will, one way or the other, spell the end of Zelensky's power. For all the mis-steps and failings on the part of his Kyiv government, Zelensky is likely to be the person who has to try to shepherd Ukraine from war to peace, and needs to be supported as maybe the only one who can. In retrospect, the catastrophic Oval Office press conference where Zelensky was humiliated by the US president and his team, can be seen as a turning point of a kind, which rallied European officialdom and opinion behind him, just as popular enthusiasm for Ukraine's cause was starting to fade. Surprisingly, perhaps, what the Trump administration appears not to have done is ever to have broached replacing Zelensky. There were certainly names in the frame, in late Biden and early Trump weeks, that included Petro Poroshenko, Zelensky's predecessor as president, and the man he soundly defeated at the ballot box; Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's former commander in chief, now ambassador to London; former Zelensky security adviser Oleksiy Arestovych; and the people-friendly mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko. Ukraine's former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, has also recently made a return to Western media prominence. But there are good reasons why the bouts of speculation have now died down, both in Ukraine and abroad. In personal authority and political charisma, Zelensky puts all of these potential rivals in the shade. By any standards, he has shown himself time and again an individual of great personal courage and an exemplary champion of his country. Boris Johnson was not wrong about this, and it would appear that Trump has come around to recognising this – which is why he became a lot less dismissive of Zelensky after their fence-mending meeting at the Vatican after the death of Pope Francis. I would even venture that Trump sees in Zelensky something of the same quality he professed to admire in Vladimir Putin before his first term – a leader unafraid to stand up for the interests of his country. Zelensky has also proved himself a convincing leader and manager of people. These abilities shone through during the presidential campaign he fought and won, as a rank outsider, in 2019. But he could have won simply by virtue of his profile as the acclaimed star of his Servant of the People television satire. What he demonstrated in the months thereafter was that he could actually form a team and use the political system to produce results, and that his undoubted communication skills were transferable to the political domain – and, alas, also to war. The promise of his two first years makes it all the more tragic that he found himself a war leader rather than the architect of a new Ukraine and a pioneer for the durable peace with Russia that had been a significant plank of his election campaign. As someone from a Ukrainian Jewish family whose first language was Russian and who had spent some of his early career performing on Russian TV, Zelensky had a profile that was almost as much of a unifying gift to Ukraine at the time as was Angela Merkel's appearance as a centre-right politician from the East in German politics. It is here that in these early months, I would argue, that most of the West made a crucial mistake: the US, the EU and the UK simply failed to take Zelensky seriously as a political leader. They dismissed him as a small-time comedian (ignoring his law degree and his highly successful career as a writer and producer), and apparently gambled that he would to fail, so smoothing the way for their reliable client, Poroshenko, to return to office, after a defeat they had totally failed to anticipate. That year of lost Western support weakened Zelensky's position both at home vis-a-vis the nationalist right and vis-a-vis Russia. His peace project – which might have averted all that led up to the Russian invasion on 24 February 2022 – faltered and failed. That Johnson, then the US and the EU soon sprang to Ukraine's aid, welcomed refugees and supplied ever more weapons, has enabled Ukraine to continue fighting to this day. And Zelensky has played the tireless war leader, wearing his fatigues, broadcasting nightly to his people, travelling the war zones and the world to defend Ukraine's cause. Even those who eventually tired of Zelensky's ubiquity cannot deny that he has set a formidable example of how to fulfil such a role. As for the charges that he should have held elections this spring – as some of his critics complain, and the Kremlin uses as an argument to deny his legitimacy – this holds no water. Ukraine is under martial law regulations, which rules out elections. They can wait. As for the decree, passed early in the war, that bans talks with Putin; it was passed at Zelensky's initiative; and he can choose to disregard it. Recent ructions over anti-corruption institutions may be a harbinger of latent domestic dissent, but some judicious politicking on Zelensky's part showed who was in charge. None of this is to say that Zelensky is the ideal leader, in peace or in war. Hagiography has to be avoided, and elevating Zelensky from national leader to standard bearer for all Europe and the West, as the Biden administration and some Europeans have done, may come to be seen as a cardinal mistake. But Zelensky has never, so far as I can recall, shirked responsibility for his decisions, unlike so many in his business. The next days and weeks may determine whether, in the future, his name is emblazoned on streets, squares and statues, or whether it becomes a byword for loss. As of now, and perhaps nearing the war's end, Ukrainians should look back with pride that they elected Zelensky as their president in a free and fair election that now seems many, many years ago.
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Turkey to provide weapons and support to Syria under new defense agreement
Turkey will provide weapons, military equipment, and logistical support to Syria under a newly signed defense cooperation agreement, Turkish Defense Ministry officials said Thursday. The announcement came a day after Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and Syria's Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation on military training and consultancy, reinforcing Turkey's support to Syria's interim government. Syria last month requested Turkey's support to strengthen its defense capabilities following sectarian violence in the country that also drew intervention by Israel. Under the agreement, Turkey would share its 'knowledge and experience' and supply military equipment, weapons systems and logistical materials to help strengthen the country's capabilities, Turkish Defense Ministry officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be quoted by name. Syria's newly formed interim government has faced mounting challenges in restoring orde r and addressing the deep scars left by nearly 14 years of civil conflict, following the ouster of former President Bashar Assad by Islamist-led rebel forces in December. Most recently, hundreds were killed in clashes in the southern province of Sweida between government forces and local Bedouin tribesmen on one side and fighters from the Druze minority on the other. Turkey has been supportive of Syria's new administration, which is formed largely by rebels that Ankara backed during the civil war. Also Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned Israel and Kurdish fighters to cease actions threatening Syria's stability, accusing them of undermining the country's efforts to reestablish itself after more than a decade of civil war. Speaking during a joint news conference Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in Ankara, Fidan accused the U.S.-allied and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, of stalling the implementation of an agreement that was reached in March to merge with the Syrian army. Last week, representatives of Syria's various ethnic and religious groups held a conference in the northeastern Syrian city of Hassakeh — which is under the SDF's control — and called for the formation of a decentralized state and the drafting of a new constitution that guarantees religious, cultural and ethnic pluralism. The Syrian government criticized the meeting, and alleged that among the attendees were some with secessionist ambitions. It said that as a result it long longer intends to join planned talks with the SDF in Paris that had been agreed upon in late July. No date had yet been set for the Paris talks.
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
DC's homeless pack up as sweeps are expected. What we know about Trump's plan to clear encampments
Some of the District of Columbia's homeless residents were packing their belongings Thursday before expected sweeps to clear out remaining encampments around the nation's capital, part of President Donald Trump 's federal takeover of policing in the city. Trump said this week that homeless people will be moved far from the city in his crackdown on crime. But details of the plan to do so are unclear. Washington's status as a congressionally established federal district gives Trump the opportunity to push his tough-on-crime agenda. It's prompted concern from advocates and others who say there are better ways to address homelessness than clearing encampments and leaving their occupants worrying about where they go. Here's a look at what we know and what questions remain about how Trump's actions will affect the city's homeless population: What's happening to encampments? Near the Institute of Peace on Thursday morning, AP journalists saw about a dozen homeless D.C. residents packing their belongings. Items weren't being forcibly thrown out by law enforcement, but an earth mover dug out and scooped away the remains of encampments, depositing them into the bed of an idling truck. Yards away, several protesters held signs, some critical of the Trump administration. Volunteers from some of the agencies around the city that help homeless people were on hand, and advocates said they expected law enforcement officers to fan out across D.C. later Thursday to take down any remaining homeless encampments, Amber W. Harding, executive director of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, said she believed that 'federal law enforcement will begin systematically rounding up and arresting unhoused people." She believed officers would ask people to move on or would 'offer shelter,' arresting people if they refused either directive. 'We do not have enough shelter beds for everyone on the street,' Harding said. 'This is a chaotic and scary time for all of us in D.C., but particularly for people without homes.' Lucho Vásquez, executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless, said his group was 'focusing all energies on opening and operating temporary facilities' for anyone in need of emergency shelter, food or other resources after the removals. Where will the city's homeless people be taken? It's not entirely clear. Trump wrote on his social media site before Monday's news conference announcing the takeover that homeless people will have to leave immediately. 'We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital,' he posted. Asked this week where homeless people would be relocated, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said local police and federal agencies would 'enforce the laws that are already on the books,' which, she said, 'have been completely ignored.' Citing a city regulation that she said gives local police 'the authority to take action when it comes to homeless encampments,' Leavitt said homeless people 'will be given the option to leave their encampment, to be taken to a homeless shelter, to be offered addiction or mental health services.' Those who refuse 'will be susceptible to fines or to jail time.' In the past five months, U.S. Park Police have removed 70 homeless encampments, giving the people living in them the same options, she said. As of Tuesday, Leavitt said only two homeless encampments remained in district parks maintained by the National Park Service and would be removed this week. How many homeless people are in Washington? It is difficult to obtain accurate counts of homeless populations. On one day at the end of each January, municipal agencies across the United States perform a 'point-in-time' count aimed at capturing the total number of people in emergency shelters, transitional housing or without any housing. The 2025 count in the district put the total at 5,138 adults and children, a 9% decrease compared with the year before, according to Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser. What are city officials doing for the homeless? District officials said Tuesday they were making additional shelter space available. Kevin Donahue, the city administrator, said outreach workers were visiting homeless encampments and the city has a building available that could house as many as 200 people, if needed. Donahue made the comments during a conversation with community advocates and Bowser. The conversation was broadcast on X. He said the outreach would continue through the week with a 'greater level of urgency.' Bowser said that when Trump sees homeless encampments in the city it 'triggers something in him that has him believing our very beautiful city is dirty, which it is not.' What are people in Washington saying? Washington residents emphasized reductions in crime in recent years and concerns over the removal of homeless encampments in interviews Tuesday criticizing the federal takeover of the city's police department. Jeraod Tyre, who has lived in the city for 15 years, said 'crime has been slowing down lately' and argued that federal troops would only escalate tensions because they do not have 'relationships with the people in the community' like local police do. Sheiena Taylor, 36, said she is more fearful as a result of the presence of federal forces in the city where she was born and raised. Taylor said she has seen federal officers around her home and on the subway and worries about their targeting of young people and people experiencing homelessness. 'Being homeless isn't a crime,' she said, emphasizing the need for solutions to the root causes of homelessness or crime rather than policing. In several spots across the city, AP journalists talked to homeless people who were being told either by federal law enforcement officials or advocacy groups to pack up tents and belongings from parks and other public spaces before more official removal measures. Some expressed fear and anxiety about what might be coming. ___ Associated Press writers Christine Fernando in Chicago, Mike Balsamo and Darlene Superville; video journalists River Zhang and Nathan Ellgren; and photographer Jacquelyn Martin contributed to this report. ___
