US president Donald Trump reversed course and said Russia did invade Ukraine after facing backlash for previously claiming that Kyiv “should have never started” the war three years ago.
“Russia attacked, but they shouldn’t have let him attack,” Mr Trump told Fox News, adding that Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and then-US president Joe Biden should have done more to deter the invasion.
Mr Trump later said Ukraine had no cards to play with as Washington pursues talks on ending the war with Russia.
“I’ve been watching for years, and I’ve been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards. And you get sick of it. You just get sick of it. And I’ve had it,” the president said.
Mr Trump also claimed a minerals deal would be reached soon. Mr Zelensky said that Ukrainian and US teams were working on a draft agreement.
Earlier this week, it emerged Mr Trump was demanding access to around $500bn of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as repayment for Washington’s military support for Kyiv over the last three years.
Mr Zelensky rejected the bid as “not serious” and said it offered no security guarantees in the event of a peace deal with Russia.
Donald Trump acknowledges Russia invaded Ukraine
President Donald Trump reversed course yesterday and said Russia did in fact invade Ukraine after facing backlash for saying that Ukraine “should have never started” the war three years ago.
“Russia attacked, but they shouldn’t have let him attack,” Mr Trump said, adding that Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and then-US president Joe Biden should have taken steps to avert the invasion.
Alexander Butler22 February 2025 11:30
Vance hits back at claims of Trump ‘appeasement’ towards Putin
Claims that the Trump administration’s stance towards Russia is “appeasement” have been rebutted by US Vice President JD Vance.
“We are negotiating to end the conflict. It is ‘appeasement’ only if you think the Ukrainians have a credible pathway to victory. They don’t, so it’s not,” he said in a post on X.
“Well, the president believes to conduct diplomacy, you actually have to speak to people. This used to be called statesmanship,” he added.
Vance also said there is a false idea that the US has “given the Russians everything they want”.
Alexander Butler22 February 2025 11:00
EU preparing £16.5bn military aid package for Ukraine – report
The European Union is preparing a package of about €20bn (£16.5bn) in military support for Ukraine, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.
The bloc has been racing to secure assistance for Kyiv in the face of US president Donald Trump’s push to reach a quick peace settlement with Russia.
The initiative would aim to deliver artillery ammunition, air defense systems, deep-precision strike missiles, drones as well as other weapons, according to the report.
Alexander Butler22 February 2025 10:30
‘Russia is not winning’: Ukraine frontline soldiers say ‘weak’ Moscow should be negotiating with its back to the wall
Alexander Butler22 February 2025 10:15
Chernobyl expert warns nuclear disaster in Ukraine ‘only matter of time’
Nuclear disaster in Ukraine is only a “matter of time” as long as the international community fails to take tougher action against Russian recklessness, an expert has warned.
“We’re getting closer and closer to possible disaster as attacks now continue on Chernobyl, and the war is going on in the vicinity of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” says historian Serhii Plokhy, who tells the story of the occupation of Chernboyl in his 2024 book Chernobyl Roulette.
Alexander Butler22 February 2025 10:01
Russian forces capture another village in eastern Ukraine, Moscow claims
Russian forces have captured the village of Novolyubivka in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region, the Kremlin claimed.
It comes after Putin’s troops seized the three villages of Nadiivka, Novosilka and Novoocheretuvate, according to Russia’s defence ministry.
Moscow has previously been premature in claiming the capture of Ukrainian towns and villages.
Alexander Butler22 February 2025 09:56
Mike Waltz insists Ukraine will sign mineral deal — and Trump will get a Nobel Peace Prize when war’s over
Alexander Butler22 February 2025 09:45
Editorial: Why The Independent will not be silent in the face of Trump’s assault on truth and democracy
Alexander Butler22 February 2025 09:22
UK ‘massively vulnerable’ to threat of Russia after decades of military cuts, ex-Army chief warns
Jabed Ahmed22 February 2025 09:00
Why after three years of Ukraine war the bloodiest battles may be still to come
Alexander Butler22 February 2025 08:55
