Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump lashes out at ‘boasting’ Zelensky after claiming US peace deal is close
‘He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country,’ US president claims
Donald Trump has hit out at Volodymyr Zelensky for saying Ukraine would not recognise Russia's occupation of Crimea.
"This statement is very harmful to the peace negotiations with Russia," the US president said in a social media post, adding that a US brokered peace deal is on the horizon.
“He has nothing to boast about! The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” Mr Trump wrote.
It comes as high-level peace summit in London to discuss the terms of a Ukraine peace deal on Wednesday was abruptly downgraded after Mr Trump’s most senior diplomat snubbed the meeting.
Foreign ministers from France and Germany abandoned plans to travel to the UK for the talks after US secretary of state Marco Rubio announced he would not attend, citing “scheduling issues”.
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Ukraine war latest: Trump says Zelensky is blocking peace
Zelensky hits back at Trump, citing US Crimea Declaration
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has sought to hit back at Donald Trump’s attack on him, by reminding the US president of Washington’s historic commitment to the principle of opposing countries seizing territory by force.
Mr Zelensky published a screenshot of the Crimea Declaration of 2018, which upholds UN Charter, pledging to refrain from “the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state”.
The states of the world, including Russia, agreed to this principle in the charter, the US Crimea Declaration says.
Posting the screenshot of the declaration, Mr Zelensky wrote on social media: “Emotions have run high today.
“But it is good that 5 countries met to bring peace closer. Ukraine, the USA, the UK, France and Germany. The sides expressed their views and respectfully received each other’s positions. “
Trump administration reverses efforts to hold Russia accountable for Ukraine war crimes
The Trump administration has been actively dismantling a series of measures designed to hold Russia and its allies responsible for alleged war crimes committed during the invasion of Ukraine.
One of the most significant steps taken by the administration was its decision to pull out of an international task force led by the European Union, established to respond to Russia's breaches of international law, reported the Washington Post.
This group had been formed to coordinate accountability for crimes linked to Moscow's military actions in Ukraine.
In addition to the withdrawal, the White House has scaled back the role of the US Justice Department’s War Crimes Accountability Team. The team, which had focused on investigating and building cases against individuals involved in war crimes, has seen its operations significantly reduced.
Further, the administration has dismantled a programme that was designed to seize the assets of Russian oligarchs who were sanctioned in response to the war.
This initiative had aimed to target the financial networks of individuals close to the Kremlin.Congressman Jason Crow criticised the administration’s actions, stressing the importance of a robust approach to accountability.
“The atrocities coordinator position is ... tasked with holding Putin responsible for the crimes he’s committed against the Ukrainian people,” Mr Crow told The Post.
“This position was created by Congress on a bipartisan basis, and the administration must empower whoever serves in this position to carry out their duties as required by law.”
The dismantling of these mechanisms has raised concern among lawmakers and human rights advocates who view the moves as undermining international efforts to seek justice for victims of the conflict in Ukraine.
Ukraine claims to inflict 1,210 casualties upon Russia in past day of fighting
Ukraine’s military claims to have inflicted 1,210 casualties on Vladimir Putin’s forces over the past 24 hours, as it reported a total of 144 combat clashes along the front line.
The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said in its daily update that Russia had launched 125 air strikes, while firing more than 6,000 artillery shells and deploying some 2,800 kamikaze drones.
As has been consistently the case in recent months, the heaviest fighting came in the direction of Pokrovsk, as Mr Putin’s forces seek to advance towards the key Donetsk city.
In addition to the casualties inflicted, Ukraine claimed to have destroyed eight Russian tanks, 11 armoured vehices, and 85 artillery systems.
Analysis | Why Zelensky swerved an American ambush in London
The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Actor turned statesman Volodymyr Zelensky may have only ever played a soldier, but as a war time leader he knows an ambush when he sees one.
Having been trapped in the Oval Office and eviscerated by Donald Trump and JD Vance, he has avoided an enfilade from a crack team of American diplomats in the London kill zone by not turning up at all.
Tipped off that his intended target was not going to wander into his sights, the US team leader, secretary of state Marco Rubio, called off the operation altogether and stayed in Washington along with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy to Vladimir Putin.
Keith Kellog, Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, who was already in London, has been left to observe peering through the privet while foreign secretary David Lammy squires the Ukrainian foreign minister for much downgraded “talks”.
At least the British hosts were not saddled with what could have been an historic mess in which Zelensky was presented with a US-Russian ultimatum and then painted as a rejectionist war monger when he said “nemaye” (no).
Why Zelensky swerved an American ambush in London
Kremlin says there are 'many nuances' around Ukraine talks
The Kremlin has said there are “many nuances” around talks on finding a way to end the conflict in Ukraine and that the positions of different sides involved in the talks had yet to be narrowed.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia was continuing dialogue on a possible settlement with the US, but was not in contact with Europe or Ukraine.
He claimed that Vladimir Putin remained open to talks with all parties and that Moscow welcomed the US mediation efforts.
Scores injured in Russian attack on Marhanets, prosecutors say
A total of 43 people have been injured after a Russian drone hit a bus carrying workers in the Ukrainian city of Marhanets, Ukraine's general prosecutor's office has said.
Nine people were killed in the attack and most of those injured required hospital treatment, Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Serhiy Lysak said.
Condemning the attack, Ukraine’s foreign ministry said: “Ukraine's proposal to implement a ceasefire on civilian objects remains in place. What is missing is Russia's willingness to accept it.”
What is Trump’s reported seven-point peace plan?
With Donald Trump’s vice president JD Vance repeating threats that the US will abandon its efforts to secure an end to the war in Ukraine, details of Washington’s seven-point peace plan have begun to emerge.
According to The Telegraph, the seven-point plan goes as follows:
- An immediate ceasefire in Ukraine
- Direct talks to start between Ukraine and Russia
- Ukraine to be barred from joining Nato
- US to formally recognise Russian sovereignty over annexed Crimea
- US to effectively recognise Russian grip on four occupied Ukrainian territories along current lines of control
- Ukraine to sign minerals deal to share profits on natural resources with US companies
- All US sanctions to be lifted on Russia and both countries to co-operate on energy
The Financial Times also reported that Washington had suggested a settlement which included the US recognising Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and acknowledging Moscow’s de facto control over territory it holds in four Ukrainian regions.
According to The Telegraph, Mr Trump’s envoy Keith Kellogg was hoping to secure Ukrainian backing for the plan in London today, after which his fellow Trump envoy Steve Witkoff would then present the deal to Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
But a Ukrainian government source told Sky News: “Look, we have a few fundamental points.
“The first is that while people are dying every day, it is extremely strange to focus on anything other than an immediate full and unconditional ceasefire. Especially since Easter showed that this is possible, because the intensity of the fighting decreased and there were no air strikes when Putin ordered it.
“Second, we are ready to discuss everything else in any format after the ceasefire,” the source said, adding that it was against Ukraine’s constitution to recognise Crimea as Russian.
Zelensky says Chinese citizens working at drone production site in Russia
Volodymyr Zelensky has alleged that Chinese citizens were working at a drone production site in Russia and suggested that Moscow may have “stolen” drone technology from Beijing.
The Ukrainian president made the comment at a news conference in Kyiv days after he said China was supplying weapons and gunpowder to Russia – which marked the first time he has accused Beijing of directly providing military aid to Moscow.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said it had summoned Chinese ambassador Ma Shengkun and expressed Ukraine's “serious concerns” over alleged Chinese involvement in Russia’s war.
Asked about Mr Zelensky’s claims, China’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that China is firmly opposed to “groundless accusations and political manipulation”.
Ukraine is ready to negotiate – but not to surrender, warns deputy PM
Ukraine is ready to negotiate but not to surrender, Ukraine's deputy prime minister Yuliia Svyrydenko has said, as details emerged of Donald Trump’s peace proposals, suggesting the US could recognise Russia’s annexation of Crimea and acknowledge Moscow’s control of territory in four Ukrainian regions.
“There will be no agreement that hands Russia the stronger foundations it needs to regroup and return with greater violence,” Ms Svyrydenko wrote on social media.
“A full ceasefire – on land, in the air, and at sea – is the necessary first step,” she said, adding that if Moscow instead opted for a limited pause, Kyiv would respond in kind.
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