Russian president Vladimir Putin congratulated Donald Trump on winning the US election and said Moscow was ready for dialogue with the president-elect.
In his first public remarks since Mr Trump’s historic win, Mr Putin said yesterday Mr Trump had acted “like a real man” during an assassination attempt on him while he was speaking at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July.
Mr Trump’s win has raised tensions, especially in Ukraine, where Moscow’s forces have made swift advances, supported by North Korean troops stationed in Russia’s Kursk region.
Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky praised Mr Trump’s election victory and described a recent phone conversation with him as “excellent”.
He however denounced calls for a ceasefire without firm security guarantees, calling it “nonsense”.
The Biden administration has reaffirmed its commitment to ramping up support for Ukraine ahead of the 2024 US presidential election, ensuring continued aid even if Mr Trump assumes office in January.
“That’s not going to change,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre as she clarified that there would be no disruption in the flow of assistance. “We’re going to surge and get that out there to Ukraine.”
Key Points
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Putin hails ‘courageous’ Trump and says Russia ready for dialogue president-elect
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Trump’s victory increases uncertainty for Ukraine amid Russian advances
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Biden administration pledges continued aid to Ukraine
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Zelensky rejects ceasefire proposal as ‘nonsense’
Pentagon responds to claims North Korean troops in Russia ‘gorging on pornography’
07:00 , Rachel Hagan
Pentagon responds to claims North Korean troops in Russia ‘gorging on pornography’
What funds could Biden send to Ukraine before Trump takes office?
06:30 , Rachel Hagan
What funds could Biden send to Ukraine before Trump takes office?
Could South Korea send troops to fight for Ukraine?
06:29 , Namita Singh
The alleged deployment of North Korean soldiers to aid Russia’s war effort in Ukraine has prompted South Korea to warn that it could send military monitors as well as weapons to Kyiv.
South Korean foreign minister Cho Tae Yul said earlier this week that all options were on the table, but experts noted that Seoul was more likely to send a variety of military support short of soldiers.
The alleged presence of around 12,000 North Korean troops in Russia, reportedly under a defence treaty that Russian president Vladimir Putin signed with Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier this year, has set off alarm bells on the Korean peninsula.
Report:
Could South Korea send troops to fight for Ukraine?
Europe must take more responsibilty for defence and support for Ukraine, says EU chief
06:00 , Rachel Hagan
In the wake of Donald Trump’s re-election in the US, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has called on the European Union to take more responsibilty for it’s defence and for support of Ukraine.
EU officials have reportedly expressed concern privately that a second Trump administration could see the US withdraw at least some of it’s support from the continent.
Pentagon responds to claims North Korean troops in Russia ‘gorging on pornography’
05:45 , Namita Singh
The Pentagon has responded to claims that North Korean troops sent to Russia to bolster Vladimir Putin’s forces are consuming online pornography as they now have less restricted internet access.
US department of defence spokesperson Major Charlie Dietz said he couldn’t verify “any North Korean internet habits or virtual ‘extracurriculars’” taking place in Russia.
He continued: “As for internet access, that’s a question best directed to Moscow. Right now, our attention remains on supporting Ukraine and addressing the more significant regional security concerns”.
Report:
Pentagon responds to claims North Korean troops in Russia ‘gorging on pornography’
Starmer says allies must ‘step up’ Ukraine support in meeting with Zelensky
05:32 , Namita Singh
Sir Keir Starmer said allies must “step up” support for Ukraine, as he met the country’s president amid uncertainty about the future of US backing for Kyiv after Donald Trump’s election victory.
The prime minister told Volodymyr Zelensky the UK had an “unwavering” commitment to help the country defend itself against Russia’s invasion during bilateral talks at a European Political Community summit in Hungary.
Sir Keir also said the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia was “proof of Putin’s increasing desperation” and that the UK would stand with Ukraine “for as long as it takes for Russia to withdraw”.
The gathering of European leaders on Thursday was largely overshadowed by Mr Trump’s historic win at the US polls which puts him on course for a second term in the White House.
But figures including Sir Keir used the summit to insist international partners “see this through” and strengthen their resolve to offer continued support for Ukraine.
Europe must make clear to US its continued backing for Ukraine, Finnish PM says
05:30 , Rachel Hagan
European countries need to send a clear message to the United States and the incoming Trump administration that they will support Ukraine as much as needed, Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Thursday.
“Our message needs to be clear and strong,” Orpo told reporters ahead of a meeting of European leaders in Budapest.
Orpo added that Ukraine was fighting for a “model” that included membership of the European Union and NATO. Finland, which is an EU member, joined NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Ukraine had ‘good conversations’ with Donald Trump, says Zelensky
05:00 , Namita Singh
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky revealed his country has had “good conversations” with Donald Trump, following the latter’s election victory in the US.
Mr Zelensky congratulated Trump on his victory over Kamala Harris in a new video address on Wednesday evening (6 November).
The Ukrainian president said: “I congratulate him on this victory. In general, it was extremely important for us in Ukraine and for all of Europe to consistently hear the words of the then-45th President of the United States about “peace through strength.”
“And if this becomes the policy principle of the 47th President of the United States, America and the whole world will undoubtedly benefit from it.”
During his election campaign, Trump has threatened both a withdrawal of NATO commitments and a fundamental shift of support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Zelensky rejects ceasefire proposal as ‘nonsense,’ citing security concerns for Ukraine
04:43 , Namita Singh
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has denounced calls for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict without firm security guarantees for Kyiv, arguing that such proposals ultimately serve Russian interests. At a recent summit, Mr Zelensky sharply criticised the notion of halting hostilities without measures to prevent a future Russian escalation, calling it a “very scary challenge” for Ukrainians.
“A ceasefire is being proposed, for instance, by a leader who is against having Ukraine in Nato. Imagine… this is nonsense and disharmony,” Mr Zelensky said.
He also noted that similar appeals for a ceasefire have been voiced by other countries, including Brazil and China, and argued that such suggestions align with Moscow’s objectives rather than prioritising Ukraine’s security needs.
Trump’s victory increases uncertainty for Ukraine amid Russian advances
04:42 , Namita Singh
Volodymyr Zelensky was among the first leaders to congratulate Donald Trump, who on the campaign trail criticised the scale of US military and financial support for Kyiv and vowed to end the war quickly, without saying how.
The United States has been Kyiv’s most important ally in the war and Mr Zelensky has pointedly praised Mr Trump’s election victory in his statements.
He spoke by telephone with the Republican late on Wednesday and described the conversation as “excellent”.
“I believe President Trump really wants a quick decision. Wants – it does not mean that it will happen. And I’m (talking) here without any reproach, I am just saying that we are where we are,” he told reporters.
In Russia, whose troops control around a fifth of Ukrainian territory, president Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he was ready to speak to Trump, as any ideas on facilitating an end to the Ukraine crisis merited attention.
Mr Zelensky said: “We must be preparing for any decision. We want a fair end to the war. I am sure that the imminent end of the war means losses.”
Gaza, Ukraine, and beyond: What a second Trump term means for the world
04:30 , Rachel Hagan
Gaza, Ukraine, and beyond: What a second Trump term means for the world
Biden administration pledges continued aid to Ukraine ahead of Trump’s potential presidency
04:20 , Namita Singh
The Biden administration has reaffirmed its commitment to ramping up support for Ukraine ahead of the 2024 US presidential election, ensuring continued aid even if Donald Trump assumes office in January.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre clarified that there would be no disruption in the flow of assistance, emphasising the critical importance of providing Ukraine with the resources it requires.
“That’s not going to change. We’re going to surge and get that out there to Ukraine. We understand how important it is to make sure they have what they need,” Ms Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
Zelensky unaware of Trump’s plan to end Ukraine war quickly
04:15 , Namita Singh
President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday said he was not aware of any details of US president-elect Donald Trump’s plan to end the Ukraine war quickly and he was convinced a rapid end would entail major concessions for Kyiv.
The Ukrainian leader told a news conference at the European Political Community summit in Budapest that he believed Mr Trump wanted to end the war with Russia quickly, but that he had not discussed a plan with him.
“If it’s just fast, it means losses for Ukraine. I just don’t yet understand how this could be in any other way. Maybe we do not know something, do not see,” he said.
Mr Trump’s election victory this week has escalated a sense of great uncertainty for Ukraine’s war effort at a perilous moment with Moscow’s troops making their most rapid advances in months and North Korean troops deployed in Russia’s Kursk region.
Europe must make clear to US its continued backing for Ukraine, Finnish PM says
04:00 , Rachel Hagan
European countries need to send a clear message to the United States and the incoming Trump administration that they will support Ukraine as much as needed, Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Thursday.
“Our message needs to be clear and strong,” Orpo told reporters ahead of a meeting of European leaders in Budapest.
Orpo added that Ukraine was fighting for a “model” that included membership of the European Union and NATO. Finland, which is an EU member, joined NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Putin says Ukraine must remain neutral for there to be peace
03:19 , Namita Singh
Vladimir Putin said yesterday Ukraine should remain neutral for there to be a chance for peace, adding that the borders of Ukraine should be in accordance with the wishes of the people living in Russian-claimed territories.
“If there is no neutrality, it is difficult to imagine the existence of any good-neighbourly relations between Russia and Ukraine,” Mr Putin said.
He said Russia had recognised Ukraine’s post-Soviet borders based on the understanding that it would be neutral. The US-led Nato military alliance has repeatedly said that Ukraine would one day join.
If Ukraine was not neutral, it would be “constantly used as a tool in the wrong hands and to the detriment of the interests of the Russian Federation,” Mr Putin said.
Russia controls about a fifth of Ukraine after more than two and a half years of war.
Putin says he doesn’t want Russia to go back to pre-2022 path
03:05 , Namita Singh
Russian president Vladimir Putin said yesterday that he did not want Russia to go back to the path it was on until 2022 before the Ukraine war, when he said other countries were trying to subordinate it to their interests.
The Kremlin leader was asked at the close of a marathon question-and-answer session if Russia would return to its former path once the Putin era was over.
“Russia goes its own way. I hope it will not turn away from its national interests. But of course, it needs to be integrated, we have never refused this, but I would not like Russia to return to the path it was on before 2022,” he said.
“This was a path that was associated with a hidden, veiled intervention in relation to our country, aimed at subordinating it to the interests of some other countries that believed that they had the right to do this. Russia cannot exist in such a subordinate or semi-subordinate state.”
Two hurt in Russian drone attack on Kyiv, city officials say
03:00 , Rachel Hagan
Fragments from downed Russian drones injured at least two people and damaged several buildings in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight, city officials said on Thursday.
Ten buildings were damaged by drone debris, including a medical facility and a business centre, said Serhiy Popko, head of the city’s military administration.
The attack also caused a fire in a restaurant on the 33rd storey of a building in the wealthy central Pechersk district, and three residential buildings were also damaged in other areas, Popko said.
Photos posted by the city authorities showed burnt-out vehicles in ruined garages, and shattered windows and charred walls in another location.
Popko said more than 30 drones had been brought down in and around the capital in the latest overnight attack.
“Currently, there is no air raid alert in Kyiv. But there are drones in the airspace of Ukraine that may move towards Kyiv,” he warned in a message on the Telegram app on Thursday morning.
Air raid sirens sounded again in Kyiv shortly after 9.00 a.m. (0700 GMT).
Large-scale drone attacks have become a nightly danger for Kyiv residents over the past month as Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, increased the number of drones launched against Ukraine.
Russia hits Ukrainian energy facility in drone attack, officials say
02:30 , Rachel Hagan
Russia hit an energy facility in northern Ukraine during overnight drone strikes that injured at least three people across the country, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.
Ukraine’s power distribution company Ukrenergo said the energy facility that was hit was located in the northern Zhytomyr region but gave no further details apart from saying the attack resulted in power cuts.
Ukraine’s air force said it had downed 74 of 106 drones launched by Russia across the country and another 25 were “locationally lost”, indicating they did not hit their target.
Fragments from downed drones injured at least two people in the capital Kyiv and damaged 10 buildings, including a medical facility, a business centre and apartment blocs, said Serhiy Popko, head of the city’s military administration.
Photos posted by the city authorities showed burnt-out vehicles in ruined garages, and shattered windows and charred walls in another location.
A man was also slightly hurt in the southern city of Odesa, where an 11-storey building, cars and a gas pipe were damaged in the Russian drone attack, regional governor Oleh Kiper said.
Large-scale drone attacks have become a nightly danger for Kyiv residents over the past month as Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, increased the number of drones launched against Ukraine.
‘Our survival depends on American aid’ Ukrainians on Trump’s election
02:00 , Rachel Hagan
Trump’s victory comes at a precarious moment in the conflict for Kyiv as Putin advances bolstered by some 10,000 North Korean soldiers
‘Our survival depends on American aid’ Ukrainians react to election of Donald Trump
Zelensky tells European summit ‘peace through strength’ is needed now
01:30 , Rachel Hagan
An approach of “peace through strength” is needed urgently as Europe confronts the danger posed by Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told leaders at the European Political Community summit in Budapest on Thursday.
Zelenskiy said that concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin were unacceptable for Ukraine and suicidal for Europe.
Russia’s Shoigu says West should negotiate end to Ukraine war based on current realities
01:00 , Rachel Hagan
Top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu has claimed that the situation in the combat zone in Ukraine is not in Kyiv’s favour and that the West should accept this and negotiate an end to the conflict, the Interfax news agency reported.
“Now, when the situation in the theater of military operations is not in the favour of the Kyiv regime, the West is faced with a choice – to continue financing it and destroying the Ukrainian population or to recognise the current realities and start negotiating,” Shoigu was cited as telling a meeting of secretaries of Commonwealth of Independent States countries’ security councils in Moscow.
His comments came as Donald Trump became president-elect in the US for a second time, only months after vowing to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. His vice-president, JD Vance, has also talked about ceding Ukrainian territory to Russia to secure a deal.
Russia claims town in eastern Ukraine, state media reports
00:00 , Rachel Hagan
Russian forces captured the village of Kreminna Balka in Ukraine‘s eastern Donetsk region, the Tass state news agency has claimed , citing the defence ministry.
The Independent could not independently confirm the battlefield report, though DeepState, a Ukraine-based organisation that tracks developments on the frontline, and is known to have close ties to the military, has updated it’s map to include Kreminna Balka in Russian-occupied territory.
We remember Trump’s words on trying to find peace in Ukraine, Kremlin says
Thursday 7 November 2024 23:30 , Rachel Hagan
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Russia’s leadership remembered Donald Trump’s words about trying to resolve the Ukraine crisis even if he exaggerated the speed at which he could do it.
“If the new administration is going to look for peace, not for the continuation of the war, it will be better in comparison with the previous one,” Peskov told reporters.
Asked about Kamala Harris’s warning that Putin would eat Trump for lunch, Peskov said with a chuckle: “Putin does not eat people.”
Kremlin doesn’t rule out Putin-Trump contact before Trump’s inauguration, Interfax says
Thursday 7 November 2024 23:00 , Rachel Hagan
The Kremlin said on Thursday it did not rule out the possibility that some form of contact could take place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President-elect Donald Trump before the latter’s inauguration in January, Interfax news agency reported
Putin has not yet commented on Trump’s election win but is due to speak and take questions at a conference later on Thursday.
The Kremlin reacted cautiously on Wednesday after Trump was elected US president, saying the US was still an unfriendly state and that only time would tell if Trump’s rhetoric on ending the Ukraine war translated into reality.
Four billion budgeted for Ukraine in 2025
Thursday 7 November 2024 22:30 , Rachel Hagan
Germany will be able to provide most of the 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion) pledged to Ukraine even if the 2025 budget cannot be approved on time following the collapse of the coalition government, sources from the budget committee told Reuters.
The funds are largely committed appropriations and can therefore be disbursed under provisional budget management if the budget is not passed, four sources said.
German aid to Ukraine was cut to 4 billion euros in 2025 from around 8 billion euros in 2024, according to the draft of the 2025 budget.
Putin hails ‘courageous’ Trump and says Russia ready for dialogue president-elect
Thursday 7 November 2024 22:23 , Joe Middleton
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday congratulated Donald Trump on winning the U.S. election, praised him for showing courage when a gunman tried to assassinate him, and said Moscow was ready for dialogue with the Republican president-elect.
In his first public remarks since Trump’s win, Putin said Trump had acted like a real man during an assassination attempt on him while he was speaking at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July.
“He behaved, in my opinion, in a very correct way, courageously, like a real man,” Putin said at the Valdai discussion club in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi. “I take this opportunity to congratulate him on his election.”
Putin said remarks Trump had made during the election campaign about Ukraine and restoring relations with Russia deserved attention.
“What was said about the desire to restore relations with Russia, to bring about the end of the Ukrainian crisis, in my opinion this deserves attention at least,” said Putin.
Two hurt in Russian drone attack on Kyiv, city officials say
Thursday 7 November 2024 22:00 , Rachel Hagan
Fragments from downed Russian drones injured at least two people and damaged several buildings in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight, city officials said on Thursday.
Ten buildings were damaged by drone debris, including a medical facility and a business centre, said Serhiy Popko, head of the city’s military administration.
The attack also caused a fire in a restaurant on the 33rd storey of a building in the wealthy central Pechersk district, and three residential buildings were also damaged in other areas, Popko said.
Photos posted by the city authorities showed burnt-out vehicles in ruined garages, and shattered windows and charred walls in another location.
Popko said more than 30 drones had been brought down in and around the capital in the latest overnight attack.
“Currently, there is no air raid alert in Kyiv. But there are drones in the airspace of Ukraine that may move towards Kyiv,” he warned in a message on the Telegram app on Thursday morning.
Air raid sirens sounded again in Kyiv shortly after 9.00 a.m. (0700 GMT).
Large-scale drone attacks have become a nightly danger for Kyiv residents over the past month as Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, increased the number of drones launched against Ukraine.
Russian shelling kills two, injures five in Ukraine’s Donetsk region
Thursday 7 November 2024 21:30 , Rachel Hagan
Russian shelling of Ukraine‘s frontline Donetsk region on Thursday killed two people and injured five more, the regional governor said.
A five-storey residential house in the town of Mykolaivka was hit in the attack and four more buildings were damaged, Donetsk regional governor Vadym Filashkin said on Telegram.
Chris Stevenson: A Trump presidency won’t necessarily be the gift for Putin that Moscow thinks it is…
Thursday 7 November 2024 21:00 , Rachel Hagan
Read analysis from our foreign editor here.
A Trump presidency won’t necessarily be the gift for Putin that Moscow thinks it is
Ukraine is not considering scenarios of US cutting military aid, foreign ministry spokesman says
Thursday 7 November 2024 20:30 , Rachel Hagan
Ukraine is not considering scenarios of the United States cutting its military aid and welcomes the Biden administration’s efforts to use all allocated aid as fast as possible, Ukraine‘s foreign ministry spokesman said.
“We are not looking into scenarios of the U.S. cutting its military aid because … we don’t think it is in the best interest of the United States to take such a step in the first place,” Heorhiy Tykhyi told journalists on Thursday.
“There are voices around the world who suppose that if you cut military supplies to Ukraine, Ukraine will be forced to negotiate … This is not true, this is simply not what is going to happen even if such a scenario is taken,” he added, saying such a move would lead to the war’s expansion instead.
Trump ‘to call Putin’ as EU urges US president-elect to keep supporting Kyiv
Thursday 7 November 2024 20:00 , Rachel Hagan
Donald Trump is now likely to call Russia’s Vladimir Putin and tell him to “stop the war”, a former American diplomat has said.
The incoming US president is “going to make a phone call to Putin as quickly as possible and tell Putin that he needs to stop the war, that the fighting has to stop, and that there has to be peace,” Kurt Volker, former US special representative for Ukraine negotiations, said.
Mr Trump does not want to see the Ukraine war continue once he is actually in office, he said, while emphasising that Putin would inevitably have “demands” and that this would only be the start of the conversation.
Russian attack on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia damages oncology ward, kills four
Thursday 7 November 2024 19:30 , Rachel Hagan
A Russian guided bomb attack on Ukraine‘s southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia on Thursday killed four people and wounded 33, destroying houses and damaging an oncology centre, officials said.
A four-month-old girl and two boys, aged one and 10, were among the wounded, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on the Telegram messaging app. Two people were in severe condition, he added.
Russia launched six bombs at the city, all of which hit civilian infrastructure, including private houses and a five-storey residential building, according to Fedorov.
A rescue operation was ongoing, with more people likely trapped under the rubble, officials said.
Blood trails and broken glass were visible on the stairs inside the medical facility, according to Reuters.
What does North Korea stand to gain from sending troops to Russia?
Thursday 7 November 2024 19:00 , Rachel Hagan
What does North Korea stand to gain from sending troops to Russia to fight Ukraine?
‘We want to back Ukraine’, says UK minister
Thursday 7 November 2024 18:30 , Rachel Hagan
Sir Keir Starmer’s first phone call with President-elect Trump was a “congratulations on your win”, Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden has said.
Asked if the Prime Minister discussed Ukraine in his call with president elect Trump, Mr McFadden told Sky News: “I’m not sure. To be honest, I think it was more a ‘congratulations on your win’ call.
“We’ve just been through a election campaign a few months ago here. So we know how stressful these things can be. There’s always a relief if you get to the end of it.”
He added: “(Ukraine) is very important. It’s very important we back Ukraine in its fight to decide its own destiny, in its fight against Russian aggression, and in the Budget last week, the Chancellor reiterated the support and the aid that the UK gives to Ukraine. That hasn’t changed with the election result in the United States.
“We want to back Ukraine, back Ukraine fully in the fight that they’re having, because it’s also in our interests, in our defence and security interests for Russian aggression not to go unanswered.”
Russian state TV gloats over Trump victory, hails Putin
Thursday 7 November 2024 18:00 , Rachel Hagan
Russian leaders and media figures responded with a mix of jubilation and caution after Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election.
“There is only one place in the world where the mood is worse than it is at Kamala Harris’s campaign headquarters: Bankova Street, the office of the president of Ukraine in Kyiv,” the host of the Russian TV show The Big Game, Dmitry Suslov, said after the election, according to a translation from Russia analyst Julia Davis.
“Trump now has 24 hours to end the war in Ukraine. Donald, the clock is ticking! This is what Trump has promised,” presenter Olga Skabeeva said of Trump’s “resounding” victory, according to Davis.
Russian state TV gloats over Trump victory and hails Putin for fake Harris support
The UK announces 56 new sanctions against Russia
Thursday 7 November 2024 17:30 , Rachel Hagan
The UK has announced 56 new sanctions against Russia, including against Salisbury poisoning suspect Denis Sergeev.
These sanctions will directly target the supply of goods to Russia’s military and constrain vital resources crucial to conduct Vladimir Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine, the Foreign Office has said.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “Today’s measures will continue to push back on the Kremlin’s corrosive foreign policy, undermining Russia’s attempts to foster instability across Africa and disrupting the supply of vital equipment for Putin’s war machine. And smashing the illicit international networks that Russia has worked so hard to forge.
“Putin is nearly 1,000 days into a war he thought would only take a few. He will fail and I will continue to bear down on the Kremlin and support the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom.
“Today’s sanctions further build on the UK’s mission to combat Russian malign activity globally.
“Over the last month the UK has directly targeted Russia’s illicit shadow fleet, condemned the abhorrent use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, cracked down on malicious Russian cyber gangs and sanctioned the Kremlin’s mouthpieces who recklessly spread Putin’s lies across the world.”
Mapped: Where has Russia made advances on the frontline in Ukraine?
Thursday 7 November 2024 17:00 , Rachel Hagan
Russian forces are making swift and “significant tactical advances” into the eastern Ukrainian city of Selydove, war monitors have said.
Open source data suggests Russian forces advanced in September at their fastest rate since March 2022, despite Ukraine taking a part of Russia’s Kursk region.
Those rapid advances have continued in the past week as Russian forces appear to be charging towards – or even into – the city of Selydove, which is less than 10 miles south of its main target, the larger city of Pokrovsk, a linchpin of the wider Donetsk region’s defences.
Mapped: Where has Russia made advances on the frontline in Ukraine?
Europe’s role is ‘not to comment’ on Trump’s victory
Thursday 7 November 2024 16:22 , Rachel Hagan
President Macron has urged fellow European leaders to refrain from commenting on Trump’s victory, emphasising that Europe’s role is “not to comment.”
He cautioned that a Russian victory over Ukraine would leave Europe confronting an expansionist “imperial power” on its doorstep.
Speaking to a gathering of 42 leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer, in Budapest, Macron highlighted that Europe is at a “decisive moment” and must take charge of its own future.
‘No plans to change Ireland’s military neutrality stance’
Thursday 7 November 2024 15:49 , Rachel Hagan
Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris has said there are no plans to change Ireland’s military neutrality stance.
Mr Harris said there is a need for Ireland to “invest more in defence and in working on security”.
“Just because you’re militarily neutral, it doesn’t mean that you’re immune from those risks,” he added.
“I think, in relation to Ukraine more broadly, and I look forward to seeing President (Volodymyr) Zelensky today (Thursday), I mean, Europe has to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
“We cannot have a situation where a country can, through aggression, through illegal war, annex people’s territories. And, you know, there’s been a lot of good work done in terms of the peace summit in Switzerland, which I attended, and other meetings to try and chart a way forward to bring peace to Ukraine.
“But that has to be grounded in the principles of the UN Charter. And I look forward to having an opportunity to really take stock today with around 39 leaders from across the European Union and the broader EU family, including the British prime minister (Sir Keir Starmer), on these issues.”
France summoned North Korean diplomat over troops in Russia, ministry says
Thursday 7 November 2024 14:44 , Tom Watling
France’s foreign ministry summoned North Korea’s general delegate in France last week to protest against the deployment of his country’s troops to Russia and warned there would be consequences.
“We are ready to react firmly in coordination with our partners,” French foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine told reporters when asked whether sanctions were on the table after North Korea’s decision to send troops to bolster Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Lemoine said France had summoned North Korea’s general delegate in France on Oct. 28 and told him that such support for Russia’s war would not be left without a response.
France does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea, but the general delegate is accredited at UNESCO, the United Nations cultural agency, based in Paris.
Zelensky tells European summit ‘peace through strength’ is needed now
Thursday 7 November 2024 14:10 , Tom Watling
An approach of “peace through strength” is needed urgently as Europe confronts the danger posed by Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told leaders at the European Political Community summit in Budapest on Thursday.
Mr Zelensky said that concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin were unacceptable for Ukraine and suicidal for Europe.
Mystery surrounds death of Ukrainian journalist in Russia’s ‘hell on earth’ prison
Thursday 7 November 2024 13:46 , Tom Watling
Mystery surrounds death of Ukrainian journalist in Russia’s ‘hell on earth’ prison
Pentagon responds to claims North Korean troops in Russia ‘gorging on pornography’
Thursday 7 November 2024 13:18 , Tom Watling
Pentagon responds to claims North Korean troops in Russia ‘gorging on pornography’
Ukraine’s air force says it downed 74 Russia-launched drones
Thursday 7 November 2024 12:49 , Tom Watling
Ukraine‘s Air Force said on Thursday it had downed 74 Russia-launched drones overnight.
It also said on the Telegram messaging app that an additional 25 from a total of 106 drones had been “locationally lost”.
Europe must take more responsibilty for defence and support for Ukraine, says EU chief
Thursday 7 November 2024 12:25 , Tom Watling
In the wake of Donald Trump’s re-election in the US, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has called on the European Union to take more responsibilty for it’s defence and for support of Ukraine.
EU officials have reportedly expressed concern privately that a second Trump administration could see the US withdraw at least some of it’s support from the continent.
Europe has to take more responsibility.
For our security and our defence. And for supporting Ukraine.
These are issues of mutual interest with the US. We will build on it.
At the same time, we have a compass – and our future is in our hands ⭣ https://t.co/yS2LqSbx45
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) November 7, 2024
Ukraine had ‘good conversations’ with Donald Trump, says Zelensky
Thursday 7 November 2024 12:01 , Tom Watling
Ukraine had ‘good conversations’ with Trump, says Zelensky
Europe must make clear to US its continued backing for Ukraine, Finnish PM says
Thursday 7 November 2024 11:47 , Tom Watling
European countries need to send a clear message to the United States and the incoming Trump administration that they will support Ukraine as much as needed, Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Thursday.
“Our message needs to be clear and strong,” Orpo told reporters ahead of a meeting of European leaders in Budapest.
Orpo added that Ukraine was fighting for a “model” that included membership of the European Union and NATO. Finland, which is an EU member, joined NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Britain hits Russia with new wave of sanctions
Thursday 7 November 2024 11:27 , Tom Watling
The UK has imposed its biggest sanctions package against Russia in nearly two years, targeting people involved in the Ukraine war, African mercenary groups and a nerve agent attack on British soil.
The foreign ministry said it had sanctioned 56 bodies and individuals, aiming to hurt Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war effort and Russia’s “malign activity globally”.
Among them were 10 entities based in China said to be supplying machinery and components for the Russian military.
“Today’s measures will continue to push back on the Kremlin’s corrosive foreign policy, undermining Russia’s attempts to foster instability across Africa and disrupting the supply of vital equipment for Putin’s war machine,” foreign minister David Lammy said.
Most of the measures were aimed at companies based in Russia, China, Turkey and Kazakhstan accused of aiding the Russian invasion of Ukraine with the supply of machine tools, microelectronics and components for drones.
Britain also said the latest sanctions would address Russian activity in Libya, Mali and the Central African Republic by targeting three private mercenary groups with links to the Kremlin, including the Kremlin-controlled Africa Corps, and 11 individuals.
Amongst the individuals sanctioned was Denis Sergeev, whom British police have charged over the murder attempt on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the southern English city of Salisbury in March 2018.
North Korea-Russia ties are also a threat to US security, Nato chief says
Thursday 7 November 2024 11:06 , Tom Watling
The strengthening ties between Russia and North Korea are not only a threat to European security, but also for the United States, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Thursday.
“Russia is delivering the latest technology into North Korea in return for North Korean help with the war against Ukraine and this is a threat not only to the European part of Nato but also to the US,” Rutte said before a meeting with European leaders in Budapest.
“I look forward to sit down with Donald Trump to discuss how we face these threats collectively.”
Kremlin doesn’t rule out Putin-Trump contact before Trump’s inauguration, Interfax says
Thursday 7 November 2024 10:45 , Tom Watling
The Kremlin said on Thursday it did not rule out the possibility that some form of contact could take place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President-elect Donald Trump before the latter’s inauguration in January, Interfax news agency reported
Putin has not yet commented on Trump’s election win but is due to speak and take questions at a conference later on Thursday.
The Kremlin reacted cautiously on Wednesday after Trump was elected US president, saying the US was still an unfriendly state and that only time would tell if Trump’s rhetoric on ending the Ukraine war translated into reality.
Russia claims town in eastern Ukraine, state media reports
Thursday 7 November 2024 10:30 , Tom Watling
Russian forces captured the village of Kreminna Balka in Ukraine‘s eastern Donetsk region, the Tass state news agency has claimed , citing the defence ministry.
The Independent could not independently confirm the battlefield report, though DeepState, a Ukraine-based organisation that tracks developments on the frontline, and is known to have close ties to the military, has updated it’s map to include Kreminna Balka in Russian-occupied territory.
In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers train in Donetsk
Thursday 7 November 2024 10:06 , Tom Watling
Edwina Currie on selling her antiques to raise money for Ukraine
Thursday 7 November 2024 09:46 , Tom Watling
Edwina Currie on selling her antiques to raise money for Ukraine
Russia’s Shoigu says West should negotiate end to Ukraine war based on current realities
Thursday 7 November 2024 09:36 , Tom Watling
Top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu has claimed that the situation in the combat zone in Ukraine is not in Kyiv’s favour and that the West should accept this and negotiate an end to the conflict, the Interfax news agency reported.
“Now, when the situation in the theater of military operations is not in the favour of the Kyiv regime, the West is faced with a choice – to continue financing it and destroying the Ukrainian population or to recognise the current realities and start negotiating,” Shoigu was cited as telling a meeting of secretaries of Commonwealth of Independent States countries’ security councils in Moscow.
His comments came as Donald Trump became president-elect in the US for a second time, only months after vowing to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. His vice-president, JD Vance, has also talked about ceding Ukrainian territory to Russia to secure a deal.
