Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump says he wants US to take over Ukraine's nuclear power plants
Recap: What happened in Trump and Zelensky's call yesterday?
Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump held what they described as a positive phone call yesterday, the latest development in the pair's highly volatile relationship.
Soon after the call, Mr Trump took to Truth Social to hail the 'very good' discussion - the first time he had spoken with the Ukrainian president since booting him out of the Oval Office nearly three weeks ago.
Mr Zelensky echoed the US president's sentiment, praising the 'positive, very substantive and frank conversation' and reaffirming Kyiv's willingness to end strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure.
It threw the ball back into Russian president Vladimir Putin's court, after he agreed to the partial ceasefire before Kyiv accused Moscow of striking on Ukraine's energy infrastructure hours later.
Also discussed in the call was the battlefield situation in Kursk, where Ukrainian troops lost large swathes of land reclaimed by Russia, and the provision of air defence systems and missiles to Ukraine, which Mr Trump committed to continue assisting with.
The White House also proposed US control of Ukraine's electrical supply and nuclear power plants. US control of these plants, it said in a readout after the call, would be 'the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Alex Croft20 March 2025 07:25
Ukraine targets Russian airbase housing strategic bombers
An airfield is on fire deep inside Russia after Ukrainian drones targeted a base housing strategic bombers, according to Russian officials and state media.
The base in Engels, about 700km (435 miles) from the frontlines in Ukraine, hosts Russia's Tupolev Tu-160 nuclear-capable heavy strategic bombers.
Roman Busargin, the governor of Saratov, said there had been a Ukrainian drone attack on the town of Engels that had left an airfield on fire and that nearby residents had been evacuated.
He did not specifically mention the Engels base, but it is the main airfield in the area.
A plume of black smoke rising above cottages and what appears to be a major fire rising into the dawn sky, according to the unverified footage on Russian Telegram channels.
Russia's defence ministry said air defences had shot down 132 Ukrainian drones overnight over six different regions in southern Russia, including 54 in the Saratov region where the Engels base is located.
Arpan Rai20 March 2025 07:06
Why does Trump want Ukraine's power plants?
Donald Trump suggested to Volodymyr Zelensky that he should consider giving the US ownership of Ukraine's power plants to ensure their long-term security, according to a White House statement.
Mr Trump told Zelensky yesterday that the US could be 'very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise,' according to a statement from secretary of state Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz.
Mr Trump suggested that 'American ownership of those plants could be the best protection for that infrastructure,' according to White House officials.
The idea was floated even as the Trump administration looks to finalise an agreement to gain access to Ukraine's critical minerals as partial repayment for US support for Ukraine during the war.
In Kyiv, Mr Zelensky said the conversation focused on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — which is the largest of its kind in Europe and has been under Russian control since early in the war.
He said Mr Trump posed the idea of 'an understanding' in which 'the United States can recover' the plant.
Arpan Rai20 March 2025 06:40
Airfield on fire in Russia's Saratov region after Ukrainian drone attack
An airfield is on fire in Russia's Saratov region after a Ukrainian drone attack, governor Roman Busargin said this morning.
The Russian official said they are evacuating the nearby region for safety of residents living close to the airfield.
The scale of the fire at the airfield was not immediately clear.
Arpan Rai20 March 2025 06:11
White House says intelligence sharing with Ukraine will continue after Trump call with Zelensky
The White House has said America's intelligence community would continue to share information with the Ukrainian government to bolster Kyiv's defensive efforts.
The announcement came after president Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky had a phone call yesterday.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the two leaders reviewed the situation in Kursk and agreed to share information closely between their defence staffs as the battlefield situation evolved.
'President Zelensky asked for additional air defence systems to protect his civilians, particularly Patriot missile systems, and president Trump agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe,' Ms Leavitt said.
White House will continue intelligence sharing with Ukraine after call
Trump floated having the United States take ownership of Ukraine's energy infrastructure during the hour-long call
Arpan Rai20 March 2025 05:33
Putin showing 'true face' with energy grid attack, says Finnish president
Finnish president Alexander Stubb has said the only real solution to put off Moscow was to 'militarise Ukraine to its teeth'.
Talking to Politico, Mr Stubb said the Russian president Vladimir Putin has revealed his real intentions in Ukraine by bombing civilian energy infrastructure just hours after claiming to Donald Trump that Moscow would stop such attacks.
'As someone who's mediated the ceasefire in Georgia in 2008, I can say this is a fairly typical Putin tactic,' Mr Stubb told Politico.
'We have an aggressor who says he wants a ceasefire and peace, but refuses to commit,' he said.
'And I think yesterday's phone conversation between Trump and Putin was a step in the right direction, but we are now seeing the true face of Putin,' Mr Stubb said.
Ukraine has an undeniable right to defend itself on its own and supported by partners, he said after his meeting with Mr Zelensky in Helsinki.
Arpan Rai20 March 2025 05:09
Hundreds of prisoners of war exchanged
Russia and Ukraine have each swapped 175 prisoners, in one of the largest exchanges since the Russian full-scale invasion three years ago.
Moscow also handed over 22 badly wounded Ukrainian prisoners, the Russian defence ministry added, in what it says was a goodwill measure.
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said: 'We are bringing back soldiers, sergeants, and officers — warriors who fought for our freedom in the ranks of the Armed Forces, the Navy, the National Guard, the Territorial Defence Forces, and the Border Guard Service.'
The Ukrainian leader said releasing all prisoners of war as well as captured civilians would be an important step toward peace and could help build trust between the two countries. He has repeatedly called for an 'all-for-all' prisoner exchange.
In case you missed it:
Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds of prisoners in one of the war's largest exchanges
Russia and Ukraine say they have each swapped 175 prisoners in one of the largest exchanges of the war began
Jane Dalton20 March 2025 05:00
Zelensky says 'lasting peace' could be agreed this year after call with Trump
Volodymyr Zelensky has said 'lasting peace' in Ukraine could be achieved this year by working together with US president Donald Trump.
His remarks came shortly after speaking to Mr Trump yesterday, where he said Mr Trump also shared the details of his call with Vladimir Putin.
'We agreed that Ukraine and the United States should continue working together to achieve a real end to the war and lasting peace. We believe that together with America, with President Trump, and under American leadership, lasting peace can be achieved this year,' he said.
Mr Zelensky described his call with Mr Trump as 'positive, very substantive, and frank conversation'.
Arpan Rai20 March 2025 04:26
Zelensky says energy strike ceasefire could be established quickly
Volodymyr Zelensky has said that a halt on energy strikes in the war with Russia could be established quickly, but warned Ukraine will respond in kind if Moscow violated the terms of the limited ceasefire.
The Ukrainian war-time president said Kyiv would draw up a list of facilities that could be subject to a partial ceasefire brokered by Washington, after a phone call with US president Donald Trump.
This list could include not only energy, but also rail and port infrastructure, he said, a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin spoke to Mr Trump and claimed to agree to pause attacks on energy infrastructure.
"I understand that until we agree (with Russia), until there is a corresponding document on even a partial ceasefire, I think that everything will fly," Mr Zelensky said, referring to drones and missiles.
Arpan Rai20 March 2025 03:53
Opinion: Putin's attacks make mockery of Trump deal
Putin's drone attacks make mockery of Trump peace deal for Ukraine
In 'fantastic' phone call with Zelensky, Trump confirms a partial ceasefire on energy is part of plan to bring 'real end to the war' – despite Putin breaking agreement to stop targeting energy grid in mass drone strike hours after promising not to
Jane Dalton
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
6 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump withdraws nomination of Musk ally to lead NASA
Donald Trump has dashed Elon Musk's hope that one of his close allies would run NASA by reneging on his nomination days before he was due to face the confirmation vote. The president maintains he backflipped on billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman's appointment after learning of his past donations to the Democrats. But MAGA loyalists suspect Trump may have been set up to make the call by insiders who have it out for Elon Musk and are looking to hurt him by punishing his friend. Trump ally Laura Loomer wrote: 'There is reason to believe that Isaacman may be facing retaliation because of his friendship with Elon Musk. If so, this would suggest there is a coordinated hit job on Isaacman in an effort to damage ties between President Trump and Elon Musk before the 2026 midterms. Is President Trump aware of the ulterior motives by some individuals in the administration who have an interest in seeing Isaacman's nomination pulled?' The New York Times revealed on Sunday that Trump reportedly knew about Isaacman's donations from the moment he chose to nominate him to run NASA. Isaacman (Pictured) had reportedly disclosed that over the years he had donated to prominent Democrats, including in the past two campaign cycles. Musk has also donated to Democrats in the past, before going on to become the single largest benefactor to the MAGA movement during the last campaign in his push to see Trump return to the White House. Isaacman was selected by Trump at the height of his bromance with Musk, who has a long and storied connection with the fellow billionaire. It is understood that Musk lobbied for Isaacman's appointment and that Trump deferred to the SpaceX founder for the final decision. At the time, Trump described Isaacman as 'an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot and astronaut.' He had been approved by a Senate committee and was headed to a confirmation vote this week when Trump suddenly pulled his nomination. The president gave Musk a heads up on Friday - his last day at the White House - that he intended to do so. Musk's time in the White House was fraught with tension and pushback from some of Trump's closest advisors, some of whom didn't like the access Musk had to the president and the power he wielded over departments with his Department of Government Efficiency. This has sparked rampant speculation that in the wake of his official departure as a Special Government Employee, that some of his foes are exacting revenge by getting in Trump's ear about Isaacman's nomination. Republican Senator and Trump ally Tim Sheehy wrote on X: 'Astronaut and successful businessman @RookIsaacman was a strong choice by President Trump to lead NASA. I was proud to introduce Jared at his hearing and strongly oppose efforts to derail his nomination.' It is understood that some of Trump's allies had been pressing him about Isaacman's donations to the Democrats in recent days, prompting Trump to renege on his offer. Loomer said despite his liberal ties, Isaacman was an ideal candidate to lead NASA, with 'unmatched credentials.' 'Isaacman was on track to get over 70 Senate votes. So why the sudden reversal and talks to pull his nomination?' she asked. 'Because the Deep State doesn't want President Trump to have allies like this in his administration.' White House assistant press secretary Liz Huston pushed back against any suggestion that the decision was not Trump's. 'The Administrator of NASA will help lead humanity into space and execute President Trump's bold mission of planting the American flag on the planet Mars,' she said. 'It's essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump's America First agenda and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon.' And Trump himself appeared to quell concerns that he and Musk were on the outs on Sunday night, sharing a new picture to Truth Social of him with the former First Buddy and one of Musk's sons. Musk left his role less than a week ago and just days ahead of schedule, signing off with a warm X post praising Trump. But days earlier, he had openly criticized Trump's landmark 'big, beautiful bill' and lamented the treatment of his baby-faced DOGE henchmen during his time in the White House. He said: 'I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it.' And in the days since his departure, a laundry list of allegations have surfaced about the simmering tensions between Musk and a handful of Trump's other allies. Former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon told that Musk's turbulent time in the White House was marred when he physically 'shoved' 62-year-old Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent after he was confronted over wild promises to save the administration 'a trillion dollars'. 'Scott Bessent called him out and said, 'You promised us a trillion dollars (in cuts), and now you're at like $100 billion, and nobody can find anything, what are you doing?'' the prominent MAGA figure revealed. 'And that's when Elon got physical. It's a sore subject with him. 'It wasn't an argument, it was a physical confrontation. Elon basically shoved him.' Bannon said the physical altercation came as the two billionaires moved from the Oval Office to outside Chief of Staff Susie Wiles' office, and then outside the office of the then National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz. 'Trump 100%' sided with Bessent after the clash, he added. 'I don't think Bessent has any bad blood, but he's got a job to do and he's going to do it.' The revelations of the Musk-Bessant clash follow an explosive New York Times report that alleged Musk was using a cocktail of drugs on the campaign trail including ketamine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms. Bannon added that Musk also lost status in Trump's orbit when it was leaked to the New York Times in March that the billionaire was preparing to receive top-secret military briefings on China, which Trump abruptly stopped. 'People in the administration and the White House realized he didn't have any idea what he's doing,' Bannon said. 'They cauterized the damage.' Separately, reports claimed Musk insulted Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, by accusing him in front of Trump, of not cutting back on his staff and clashed with Transport Secretary Sean Duffy for not firing enough air traffic controllers. He also called Peter Navarro, the architect of Trump's trade policy, 'a moron.'
The Guardian
10 minutes ago
- The Guardian
White House insists Trump tariffs to stay despite court ruling
Update: Date: 2025-06-02T09:46:32.000Z Title: White House: Tariffs to stay despite legal setback Content: Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. I'm Tom Ambrose and I will be bringing you the latest news lines over the next few hours. We start with news that president Trump's top economic advisers have said they would not be deterred by a court ruling that declared many of the administration's tariffs illegal. They cited other legal options the White House could use to pressure China and other countries into trade talks. They also indicated that Trump had no plans to extend a 90-day pause on some of the highest tariffs, making it more likely those duties will take effect in July. 'Rest assured, tariffs are not going away,' Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Fox News Sunday. Asked about the future of the suspended reciprocal tariffs first announced in April, Lutnick added: 'I don't see today that an extension is coming.' It comes as China accused the US of 'seriously violating' the fragile US-China detente that has been in place for less than a month since the two countries agreed to pause the trade war that risked upending the global economy. China and the US agreed on 12 May to pause for 90 days the skyrocketing 'reciprocal' tariffs that both countries had placed on the others goods in a frenzied trade war that started a few weeks earlier. Tariffs had reached 125% on each side, which officials feared amounted to virtual embargo on trade between the world's two biggest economies. In other news: The US veterans agency has ordered scientists not to publish in journals without clearance. The edict, laid down in emails on Friday by Curt Cashour, the VA's assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, and John Bartrum, a senior adviser to VA secretary Doug Collins, came hours after the article published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Russell Vought, the director of the office of management and budget (OMB), on Sunday cast doubt on the constitutional obligation of the White House to ask Congress to sign off on Donald Trump's massive cuts to the federal workforce spearheaded by Elon Musk. Vought indicated the White House preferred to rely on 'executive tools' for all but a 'necessary' fraction of the cuts instead of submitting the whole package of jobs and agency slashing that took place via the so-called 'department of government efficiency' (Doge), to the congressional branch for its official approval. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) removed a list of 'sanctuary' states, cities and counties from its website following sharp criticism from a sheriffs' association that said a list of 'noncompliant' sheriffs could severely damage the relationship between the Trump administration and law enforcement. The White House budget director Russ Vought on Sunday dismissed as 'totally ridiculous' fears expressed by voters that cuts to benefits in the huge spending bill passed by the House will lead to premature deaths in America. Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, now awaiting debate in the US Senate, will slash two major federal safety net programs, Medicaid, which provides healthcare to poor and disabled Americans, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), which helps people afford groceries, which will affect millions of people if it becomes law.
Scottish Sun
30 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Nato must be ready for war with Russia by 2029 – Putin is ALREADY planning attack, Germany warns as Starmer pledges subs
NATO must be ready for war in the next four years, Germany's defence chief warned, as he claimed Russia is gearing up to attack more European nations. Keir Starmer meanwhile announced 12 new nuclear submarines to combat the "immediate and pressing threat" from Putin. 7 Flames and destruction after a Russian attack in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine on Monday morning Credit: Getty 7 A huge crater blown into the ground by a Russian ballistic missile on Monday Credit: EPA 7 Russian Belaya Air Base in Irkutsk region, Siberia, was ablaze after a major Ukrainian drone strike over the weekend Credit: East2West 7 General Carsten Breuer said Nato is facing a "very serious threat" from Russia - the most severe he has seen in his 40 years of service. Breuer explained that Russia is producing weaponry at a rapid pace - with around 1,500 battle tanks and four million rounds of artillery each year. Crucially, not all of this is being directed to Ukraine - possibly indicating munitions are being stockpiled for use against Nato countries. He said: "There's an intent and there's a build up of the stocks." Breuer doubled down on his warning that "analysts are assessing 2029" as Russia's potential timeframe for an assault, concluding: "We have to be ready by 2029". "If you ask me now, is this a guarantee that's not earlier than 2029? I would say no, it's not. So we must be able to fight tonight," he said. In April, the general warned that Putin will have amassed a 3million-strong army by next year, and that he wants to "weaken and destroy Nato as an alliance and discredit our Western form of society". The Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are particularly vulnerable, he said. Breuer said: "The Baltic States are really exposed to the Russians, right? "And once you are there, you really feel this [...] in the talks we are having over there." At least seven killed & dozens injured after bridge collapses and crushes passenger train in Russia The Estonians reportedly use the analogy of being close to a wildfire and being able to "feel the heat, see the flames and smell the smoke". Germany and other European nations "probably see a little bit of smoke over the horizon and not more," Breuer said. The general added a call to action, urging fellow Nato nations to rebuild their militaries. He said: "What we have to do now is really to lean in an to tell everybody: 'Hey, ramp up [...] get more into it because we need it. "We need it to be able to defend ourselves and therefore also to build up deterrence." Recognising this need, the British government announced that the UK will build a dozen new nuclear submarines armed with Tomohawk missiles. The UK's nuclear warhead programme will also be bolstered, with Defence Secretary John Healey saying the deterrent is 'what Putin fears most'. The government is in talks with US officials over the move, which would be the UK's biggest deterrent development since the Cold War. The news came as part of the strategic defence review, designed to get Britain moving "to war-fighting readiness". 7 General Carsten Breuer, Germany's Chief of Defence, said Europe must be ready to defend against Russia by 2029 Credit: Rex 7 Pictures show a huge stockpile of FPV drones hidden inside a secret compartment in a container Credit: 24 TV/SBU 7 Russian Tu-95 bombers burning 'en masse' during Ukraine's drone sting Credit: Ukraine's Security Service Starmer will say during a trip to Scotland: 'From the supply lines to the front lines, this government is four-square behind the men and women upholding our freedom and security.' Up to 12 nuclear-powered subs will be built under the AUKUS security partnership with the US and Australia. They are conventionally-armed with Tomahawk missiles and are mainly used as intelligence gatherers, lurking off hostile coastlines to intercept communications. They can also deploy special forces and drones. Russia's weapon stocks took a hit over the weekend when a daring Ukrainian drone plot blitzed 34 percent of Putin's cruise missile carriers, according to Volodymyr Zelensky. And a raging Putin is now said to be preparing for a terrifying revenge attack. What was 'Operation Spiderweb'? OVER the weekend, Ukraine launched a highly-sophisticated, meticulously-planned drone attack inside Russia. It marks Kyiv's longest-range operation of the conflict so far. The plot involved 117 drones which had been smuggled into Russia inside trucks. President Zelensky revealed it took over 18 months to pull off the masterful attack and hailed it as one for the "history books". Over 100 drones were involved, each with their own pilot. Zelesnsky also revealed the headquarters of the operation were "right next to the FSB", Russia's security service. At least 40 aircraft were attacked, and Zelensky claimed that 34 percent of Putin's cruise missile carriers at the targeted airfields were blasted. A £260million AWACS aircraft and bombers capable of dropping nuclear weapons were also struck. Ukrainian sources say that more than £1.5billion worth of damage has been inflicted on the Russian air force.
