Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky ‘ready’ for wartime election after Trump parrots Putin criticism – UK Times

Volodymyr Zelensky has been told by Donald Trump that Ukraine has until Christmas to accept his deal to end the war with Russia.

The latest deadline was relayed to the Ukrainian president by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner during a two-hour phone call, reported The Telegraph.

The Trump administration has resumed its efforts to pressure Ukraine into ceding territory to Russia in exchange for undefined security guarantees, Ukrainian officials were quoted as saying.

Ukrainian negotiators have said they feel like they have not been offered sufficient details about potential security guarantees from Washington in order to decide on the matter of giving up territory, which they have always held as a non-negotiable in the peace talks.

Sir Keir Starmer has led tributes to a member of the British armed forces who has been killed in Ukraine.

The prime minister expressed his “deepest sympathy and condolences” for the services member, who died as he watched the testing of a new defensive capability, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The ministry said: “It is with deep regret that we must announce that a member of the UK armed forces died in Ukraine this morning, Tuesday December 9.

“He was injured in a tragic accident while observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability away from the front lines.

“The family has been notified and our thoughts are with them at this sad and difficult time.”

A member of the UK armed forces in Ukraine has died in an accident, the Ministry of Defence said yesterday.

“It is with deep regret that we must announce that a member of the UK Armed Forces died in Ukraine this morning, Tuesday 9 December,” the MoD said in a statement.

“He was injured in a tragic accident whilst observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability, away from the front lines.

“The family has been notified and our thoughts are with them at this sad and difficult time.”

The UK has sent a “small number of personnel” to Ukraine to train local forces, according to the government’s previous reports, and they do not perform frontline roles.

Donald Trump has called Europe a “decaying” group of nations led by “weak” people who failed to end the war in Ukraine and control migration.

“I think they’re weak,” Trump said, refering to Europe’s political leaders in an interview with Politico. “But I also think that they want to be so politically correct.”

“I think they don’t know what to do,” he added. “Europe doesn’t know what to do,” Trump said in an interview given at the White House on Monday.

Trump offered no reassurance to Europeans on backing Ukraine and declared that Russia was obviously in a stronger position than its smaller neighbour.

Trump also said that he put little stock in the role of European leaders in seeking to end the war: “They talk, but they don’t produce, and the war just keeps going on and on.”

Pope Leo XIV has called for Europe to have a role in any Ukraine peace deal and criticised what he said was the Trump administration’s effort to “break apart” the long-standing US-European alliance.

Leo spoke to reporters after meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who is on another tour to rally European support for Kyiv. The American pope said they discussed the need for a ceasefire and the Vatican’s efforts to facilitate the return of Ukrainian children taken by Russian authorities.

Leo was asked about the US peace proposal and the seeming sidelining of European powers in the process.

Speaking as he left his vacation home in Castel Gandolfo, Leo insisted that Europe’s role was crucial to any deal.

“Seeking a peace agreement without including Europe in the talks is unrealistic, given the war is in Europe,” he said.

“Guarantees are also being sought for security today and in the future. Europe must be part of this, and unfortunately not everyone understands this, but I think there is a great opportunity for European leaders to unite and seek a solution together,” he said.

The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had no time to hold a traditional news conference during a 36-hour trip across Europe this week, so he improvised.

Whilst the president usually answers reporters’ questions in person, he communicated with the news media via Whatsapp group chat.

Whilst flying between London and Brussels, he responded to a long list of questions from Ukrainian and international reporters by relaying voice notes on WhatsApp.

His unprecedented chosen mode of communication was extremely rare for a world leader.

The prime minister expressed his “deepest sympathy and condolences” for the services member, who died as he watched the testing of a new defensive capability, according to the Ministry of Defence.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had reiterrated his refusal to cede any territory to Russia, resisting pressure from the U.S.

This comes as the president is rallying to gain more European support during the war efforts.

President Zelensky told reporters: “Undoubtedly, Russia insists for us to give up territories. We, clearly, don’t want to give up anything. That’s what we are fighting for.”

“Do we consider ceding any territories? According to the law we don’t have such right,” he said.

“According to Ukraine’s law, our constitution, international law, and to be frank, we don’t have a moral right either.”

Oil prices fell on Tuesday after lowering 2 per cent in the previous session, as investors keep a close eye on peace talks to bring an end to the war.

Ukraine are set to share a revised peace plan with the U.S after conducting talks in London between President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of France, Germany and Britain.