Ukraine-Russia war live: Trump ‘doesn’t think Kyiv will win’ after demanding Zelensky cede land to Putin – UK Times

European troops are “ready to deploy” to Ukraine in the coming weeks if Vladimir Putin agrees to a ceasefire, defence secretary John Healey said.

“If President Trump can broker a peace then we will be ready to help secure that peace,” Healey said, answering a question on if troops could be deployed if a deal is reached in the next two weeks.

However, Ukrainians must be the “people who will decide how and what” is negotiated in any peace talks, he said.

A Ukrainian drone attack has hit one of the world’s largest gas plants, the Orenburg in Russia, impacting neighbouring country’s Kazakhstan production in the process.

The Orenburg was forced to halt its intake of gas from Kazakstan, according to the Kazakhstan’s energy ministry report on Sunday.

Production at Karachaganak oil and gas has been reduced by 25 to 30 per cent (down to between 25,000 and 28,000 metric tons) as a result , industry sources told Reuters on Monday.

Ukraine claimed responsibility for the gas plant attack, which took place approximately 1,700km east of the Russian border and at an oil refinery in the Samara region.

Kyiv has increased its attacks on Russian energy facilities since August in attempt to impede fuel supplies and funding in Moscow.

Orenburg might resume some gas intake from Karachaganak on Monday, sources said, but they declined to comment on when the supply levels would be restored to the normal level of 35,000-35,500.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has labelled his meeting with Donald Trump last Sunday a “success” making progress on new air defence systems, despite reports that Trump insulted him at The White House.

The meeting ended with Trump calling for a ceasefire with forces in place.

Zelensky on Monday described Trump’s message as “positive”.

Three sources confirmed that Trump’s meeting with Zelensky was tense and involved repeated profanities.

“It was pretty bad,” one of the sources said of the meeting. “The message was, ‘Your country will freeze, and your country will be destroyed'” if Ukraine doesn’t make a deal with Russia.

Previously Trump has said Ukraine must give up territory to make peace, but seems to have recently shifted his opinion. Last month he characterised Russia as a “paper tiger” and said Ukraine could potentially win back all its land.

Donald Trump said the idea of a Putin-Trump rail tunnel linking the US and Russia was “interesting” after it was floated by a Russian envoy late on Thursday night.

But when asked about it in Washington on Friday, Zelensky said “I’m not happy with this idea,” prompting laughter from the US side.

The idea envisions a rail tunnel built under the Bering Strait, connecting the two countries, and allowing for joint exploration of natural resources.

Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, suggested the idea after Trump’s call with Putin on Thursday.

“Imagine connecting the US and Russia, the Americas and the Afro-Eurasia with the Putin-Trump Tunnel – a 70-mile link symbolising unity,” he posted on X.

He suggested the project could be taken on by Elon Musk’s Boring Company, at a cost of $8bn (£6bn).

Defence minister, John Healey will announce on Monday that Britain is drafting new powers which will allow troops to shoot down unidentified drones above military bases, following a growing threat posed by Russia.

“Last month, we saw 19 drones cross the Polish border. Days later, Russian jets violated Estonia’s airspace, while at the same time, Russia mounted a concerted campaign to subvert Moldova’s election,” Healey will say, according to an excerpt of his speech shared with Reuters.

“As we speak, we are developing new powers – to be put into law through our Armed Forces Bill – to shoot down unidentified drones over UK military sites,” he will tell defence officials.

Ukraine cannot win its war with Russia and should negotiate peace terms with the Kremlin, according to Britain’s most senior army officer.

Field Marshal Lord Richards said Kyiv will not be able to drive Vladimir Putin’s soldiers out of Ukraine without the help of Nato forces – who won’t get involved on the ground.

Lord Richards, who was promoted to UK military’s most senior “five star” rank earlier this year and led Nato forces in during its troops surge in Afghanistan, said Ukraine’s allies have failed Kyiv.

“What we have done in the case of Ukraine is encourage Ukraine to fight, but not given them the means to win,’ the former chief of the defence staff told The Independent’s podcast World of Trouble.

Belarus is looking to “find a consensus” with Ukraine, after enduring diplomatic isolation for supporting Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Ivan Tertel, head of Belarus’ State Security Committee, said on Sunday that the country was ready to engage in dialogue with Ukraine.

“Our President works as much as possible in order to stabilize the situation in the region, and we’ve managed to balance interests of the parties in this extremely complicated situation with a tendency towards escalation,” he said on Belarus One state TV.

“I am convinced that only via quiet and calm negotiations, by looking for a compromise we will be able to resolve this situation”.

He added that “a lot depends on the Ukrainian side.”

French president Emmanuel Macron has confirmed news we earlier reported that Volodymyr Zelensky was due to attend a meeting of Ukraine’s allies known as the “coalition of the willing” in London on Friday,.

“This Friday, we will have a meeting of the coalition of the willing – partly virtual and partly in-person – in London, and President Zelensky will be there,” Mr Macron said on Monday, speaking to journalists in Slovenia.

The so-called “coalition of the willing” – put together by France and Britain in February – has held talks for months at various levels to try to define plans for what they could contribute militarily for Ukraine and to deter Russia from attacking it again once there is a final truce.

Mr Zelensky on Monday painted his meeting last week with President Trump as a success that yielded progress on acquiring new air defence systems, in contrast to other reports that Trump had berated him with obscenities in the White House.

For a man who prides himself on conducting diplomacy by instinct and through personal relationships, Donald Trump’s susceptibility to Vladimir Putin has long puzzled observers – and rightly caused extreme distress to those who stand to lose the most from it. He really doesn’t seem to be able to see Vladimir Putin for what he is: a cunning, ruthless and cruel imperialist, and a danger to the West.

Some speculate that the Kremlin has explosive “kompromat” on the president – but, if so, Mr Trump has hinted that he doesn’t care. The possibility has, in fact, not prevented Mr Trump from occasionally standing up to the Russians.

Were the US president’s predilections more consistent, they might be easier for his allies to manage. But, capricious as he is, President Trump never quite seems to make his mind up about his Russian counterpart. He even openly says that he thinks his Russian counterpart might be playing him along. Any such impatience is, however, usually resolved with a conversation, face-to-face or over the hotline to the Kremlin, and Mr Trump starts spouting Kremlin talking points again. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, seems equally hopelessly in thrall.

Read The Independent’s full editorial here:

Reuters news agency is reporting that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Brussels to attend a summit of the European Council on Thursday.

The summit is expected to discuss Ukraine and European defence, among other things, the European Union says.

Mr Zelensky is then expected to travel to London on Friday to attend a meeting of Kyiv’s allies known as the “coalition of the willing”.