UK plans ‘more realistic' Ukraine deployment after larger plan dropped
This revised plan involves a force providing logistical support, armament, and training, rather than contributing to a larger 30,000-strong coalition that was planned earlier.
Military chiefs have since reportedly dropped that plan, instead favouring a smaller, 'more realistic' operation.
Sir Keir Starmer is meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Downing Street on Thursday.
A historic summit between US President Donald Trump and Russia 's President Vladimir Putin is set for Friday in Alaska to discuss the future of the war.
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The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump-Putin summit live: Zelensky to meet US president in Washington after Alaska talks end with no deal
Volodymyr Zelensky is due to head to Washington DC on Monday to meet with Donald Trump in the wake of the U.S. President's meeting with Vladimir Putin, to discuss details of ending the war. The highly anticipated summit between Trump and the Russian President has ended without a ceasefire deal or an agreement on pausing Moscow 's war in Ukraine, despite both leaders describing the talks as productive. A nearly three-hour summit in Alaska on Friday saw both leaders stating they had made progress on unspecified issues, with Trump adding that 'we didn't get there' on one of the 'most significant' sticking points. Putin said the negotiations were 'held in a constructive atmosphere' suggested they meet again in Moscow, with Trump adding he'd 'get a little heat on that one, but I could see it possibly happening.' The warm greeting and praise heaped on each other is likely to have sparked concern amongst Zelenskyy and European allies, with Putin repeating Moscow 's long-held position that what Russia claims to be the "root causes" of the conflict must be eliminated to achieve peace.. This is likely to include his demands for Ukraine 's formal renunciation of Nato membership, as well as agreeing to demilitarisation, new elections, no foreign military involvement and recognition of Russian sovereignty over the occupied Ukrainian regions. Trump hails 'great and very successful day' in bid for peace agreement Donald Trump has taken to Truth Social to hail the Alaska summit as a 'great and very successful day'. He added that he had spoken to Zelensky and European allies, and that it had been agreed that a peace agreement was the way forward, rather than a ceasefire deal. He wrote: 'It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.' Holly Evans16 August 2025 09:51 Putin only interested in comprehensive agreement not ceasefire, source says Axios reporter Barak Ravid said, citing a source, that Trump told Zelensky and European leaders during the phone call that Putin was not interested in a ceasefire but in a comprehensive agreement to end the war. "I think a fast peace deal is better than a ceasefire," Trump said in the call, according to Ravid, who cited a source on the call without identifying that person. The report has not been verified. Holly Evans16 August 2025 09:33 Hungarian PM Orban says world is safer after Trump-Putin summit The world is a safer place following the meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban said on Saturday. "For years, we have watched the two largest nuclear powers eliminate the framework of their cooperation and send messages to each other," Orban wrote on Facebook. "It's over now. The world is a safer place today than it was yesterday." Holly Evans16 August 2025 09:14 Russian politicians hail Alaska summit as victory for Moscow In the early hours of Saturday morning following a summit in Alaska between the leaders of Russia and the United States, senior politicians in Moscow were quick to trumpet the meeting as a win for Russia and its narrative of the war in Ukraine. "The meeting in Alaska confirmed Russia's desire for peace, long-term and fair," said Andrei Klishas, a senior lawmaker from President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party. He portrayed the summit as a coup for Russia and a loss for Ukraine and its European allies, who have been pushing for an unconditional ceasefire. "The tasks of the SMO will be accomplished either by military or diplomatic means," Klishas wrote, using the acronym for Special Military Operation, the Kremlin's term for the war. "A new architecture for European and international security is on the agenda, and everyone must accept it." Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president known for his hawkish views, said the summit proved that it was possible to hold talks without conditions - as Moscow has insisted - while the fighting in Ukraine rages on. Russia's flagship Channel One morning state news bulletin on Saturday stressed the pageantry around the summit, its global profile, and the warm welcome extended to Putin, who had been ostracized by Western leaders since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Holly Evans16 August 2025 09:01 Trump and European leaders had a one hour phone call following Alaska summit French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump and European partners on Saturday morning following the meeting between Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska, the Elysee office said in a statement on Saturday. The phone conversation lasted for one hour and other there were seven other European leaders present, including Volodymyr Zelensky, Freidrich Merz, Keir Starmer, Giorgia Meloni, Alezander Stubb and Karol Nawrocki, as well as the secretary general of NATO, the statement said. Holly Evans16 August 2025 08:48 Zelenskyy planning to meet Trump in Washington Volodymyr Zelensky has announced he will visit Donald Trump in Washington DC on Monday, after an hour-long call with the U.S. president following his meeting with Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian president reaffirmed his 'readiness to work with maximum effort' to achieve a peace deal. He stressed: ' We support President Trump's proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia. Ukraine emphasizes that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.' Holly Evans16 August 2025 08:36 British personnel ready to arrive in Ukraine once fighting on hold, says UK government British personnel are ready to arrive in Ukraine just 'days' after Moscow and Kyiv agree to put fighting on hold, the Ministry of Defence has said. The UK Government earlier this summer backed international efforts to set up a 'Multinational Force Ukraine', a military plan to bolster Ukraine's defences once the conflict eases, in a bid to ward off future Russian aggression. 'Planning has continued on an enduring basis to ensure that a force can deploy in the days following the cessation of hostilities,' an MoD spokesperson said. According to the Government, 'along with securing Ukraine's skies and supporting safer seas, the force is expected to regenerate land forces by providing logistics, armaments, and training expertise'. It 'will strengthen Ukraine's path to peace and stability by supporting the regeneration of Ukraine's own forces', the spokesperson added. Early designs for the Multinational Force Ukraine were originally drafted last month, after military chiefs met in Paris to agree a strategy and co-ordinate plans with the EU, Nato, the US and more than 200 planners. British personnel ready to arrive in Ukraine once fighting on hold – Government Russian President Vladimir Putin has met his US counterpart Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska. Holly Evans16 August 2025 08:26 Pressure on Russia must be maintained and increased over Ukraine war, Norway says Russia must face more pressure over the war in Ukraine, Norway's foreign minister said on Saturday, following a summit in Alaska between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. "We must continue to put pressure on Russia, and even increase it, to give the clear signal to Russia that it must pay the price (for its invasion of Ukraine)," Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told reporters in Oslo. Following the meeting, the U.S. president spoke to his European counterparts, including Zelensky and Sir Keir Starmer. Holly Evans16 August 2025 08:14 Holly Evans16 August 2025 08:07 Trump's awkward response to Putin's invite to Moscow at Alaska summit Donald Trump gave a somewhat awkward response to Vladimir Putin's invite to Moscow following their meeting in Alaska. The US president and Russian leader held a brief press conference following their crunch Ukraine peace talk meetings on Friday (15 August). After revealing certain agreements had been met, but no deal put in place, Trump said: 'We had some good meetings over the years and we hope to have that in the future. But let's do the most productive one right now.' Putin replied: 'Again, Mr President, thank you very much. And we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon. Next time in Moscow. Trump returned: 'Oh, that's an interesting one. I'll get a little heat on that one.' Oliver O'Connell16 August 2025 08:00
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Chilling sight of Putin shaking his head and shouting over journalists as they demanded to know when he would 'stop killing civilians' in Ukraine
As the two leaders sat down for peace talks, a wall of reporters hurled questions over the din - asking when Putin would end his war in Ukraine. But what followed was a chilling sight. The Kremlin strongman shook his head defiantly, as aids could be heard ushering journalists out of the room, saying 'Thank you, press'. Putin appeared to make a confused expression as multiple journalists bombarded the two with questions, including what seemed to be a series of bewildered looks, before seemingly shouting over their questions. Trump, meanwhile, said nothing. He simply thanked reporters before being led out, in stark contrast to his heated Oval Office exchange with Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this year. It wasn't the only time that Putin's actions raised eyebrows at this summit, as some Ukrainians have noticed the Russian leader weirdly twitching during his interaction with the US president. Kremlin footage captured the Russian leader's knee jolting repeatedly as he stood alongside his US counterpart at the end of their brief exchange following a joint press conference. The pair, flanked by security teams and aides, spoke for a short time, with a translator stepping in to assist their conversation. Video clips shared online showed the Russian leader repeatedly dipping one knee as he stood beside the 6ft 3in former president at Elmendorf-Richardson air base in Anchorage - before departing without agreeing to a ceasefire in Ukraine. It seemed to be a series of bewildered looks, before seemingly shouting over their questions But the unusual movements was seized by eagle-eyed Ukrainians, who ridiculed the 72-year-old's fidgeting and speculated about the state of his health. They even claimed he wore a 'light exoskeleton' as well as thick-platform shoes to overcome his 'Napoleon complex' and minimise his height difference with the US president. An exoskeleton is wearable robotic device designed to assist or augment the posture of the person wearing it. Observers also noted the striking difference in stature, with Trump's 6ft 3in frame towering over the 5ft 7in Russian leader despite Putin's visibly elevated footwear. Despite no deal being reached during after two-and-half hours of talks, Trump was upbeat, saying there were 'many, many points that we agreed on' but admitted there was one issue — 'the most significant' — that remained unresolved. 'We didn't get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there,' he added, without giving details. Following the summit, Trump has been calling Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO and European allies to update them. Zelensky has now said he will travel to Washington on Monday. He closed by thanking Putin once more, saying: 'We'll speak to you very soon, and probably see you again very soon. Thank you very much, Vladimir.' Putin then appeared to catch Trump off guard, responding in English: 'Next time in Moscow?' A visibly stunned Trump replied: 'Oh, that's an interesting one… I'll get a little heat on that one, but I can see it possibly happening. Thank you very much. Thank you all.' There was no mention of a ceasefire from either Mr Trump or Putin during the press conference which followed after their near three-hour meeting. And despite speaking in a room filled with the world's press, no questions were taken before both presidents shook hands, briefly posed for pictures and sauntered out of the room.
Reuters
30 minutes ago
- Reuters
Zelenskiy to travel to Washington on Monday for talks with Trump
KYIV, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he would travel to Washington on Monday for talks with Donald Trump, after the U.S. president's summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin failed to bring an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. "On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C., to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war. I am grateful for the invitation," Zelenskiy said on X. He said he spoke to Trump on Saturday in a call that lasted for more than an hour and a half, and that they were joined after an hour by European and NATO officials. Zelenskiy has repeatedly said that a trilateral meeting with the Russian and U.S. leaders is crucial to finding a way to end the full-scale war launched by Russia in February 2022. Trump this week voiced the idea of such a meeting, saying it could happen if his bilateral talks with Putin were successful. "Ukraine emphasizes that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this," Zelenskiy said on X. The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly underlined the importance of security guarantees for Kyiv as part of any deal, to deter Russia from launching a new invasion at some point in the future. "We also discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraine's security," Zelenskiy said after his call with Trump.
