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Donald Trump has threatened Vladimir Putin with ending his invasion of Ukraine “the hard way” unless the Russian leader comes to the table and agrees a peace deal.
ln his usual bombastic style, the US president has called for the “ridiculous” war to stop now, saying that he would be forced “to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries” if a deal is not made.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump wrote: “We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL.’”
The Kremlin responded within a few hours, saying it would have to see what Trump thinks a “deal” to end the war in Ukraine would look like.
Mr Trump’s remarks came as Ukraine’s military claimed Mr Putin’s forces had suffered nearly 2,000 casualties in a single day, in what would mark one of the deadliest 24 hours of fighting since the war began.
Key Points
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Trump threatens Putin with ‘taxes, tariffs, and sanctions’
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Kremlin responds to Donald Trump’s demands
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Donald Trump’s message to Vladimir Putin in full
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Putin’s forces suffer nearly 2,000 casualties in one day, Kyiv claims
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Ukraine’s Nato hopes ‘hinge solely on Donald Trump’
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Zelensky says peace deal with Putin would require 200,000 allied troops
Russia responds to Trump’s threat of more sanctions
03:09 , Arpan Rai
Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said Moscow will have to see what Donald Trump thinks a “deal” to end the war in Ukraine means.
“It’s not merely the question of ending the war,” Mr Polyanskiy told Reuters. “It’s first and foremost the question of addressing root causes of Ukrainian crisis.”
Mr Trump said he would add new tariffs to his sanctions threat against Russia if the country does not make a deal to end its war in Ukraine, and added that these could also be applied to “other participating countries”.
In the runup to his election victory, Mr Trump declared dozens of times that he would have a deal in place between Ukraine and Russia on his first day in office, if not before.
But the US president’s aides have conceded a deal to end the war could take months or longer. Earlier this month, the US Treasury hit Russia’s energy revenues with its hardest sanctions yet, targeting oil and gas producers Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, as well as 183 vessels that are part of the so-called dark fleet of tankers aimed at evading other Western trade curbs.
Zelensky warns Europe of Russian attack: ‘War closer to Davos than Pyongyang’
03:00 , Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky has said European nations need to work together to defend their continent, and not wait for the Trump administration, at a time when it is under attack by Russia.
“Europe must establish itself as a strong, global player, as an indispensable player,” the Ukrainian president said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
“Let’s not forget there is no ocean separating European countries from Russia. European leaders should remember these battles involving North Korean soldiers are now happening in places geographically closer to Davos than Pyongyang,” Mr Zelensky said.
“Does anyone in the United States worry that Europe might abandon them someday – might stop being their ally? The answer is no,” Mr Zelensky said.
The war-time president said that Europeans needed to devise a united security and defence policy and alluded to a pre-inauguration remark by Mr Trump, who proposed a massive hike in defence spending for Nato members to 5 per cent of GDP.
“If it takes 5 per cent of GDP to cover defence, then so be it, 5 per cent it is. And there is no need to play with people’s emotions that defence should be compensated at the expense of medicine or pensions – that’s not fair,” Mr Zelensky said.
Drones attack city near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, officials say
02:57 , Arpan Rai
Russia-installed officials in Ukraine’s partly-occupied Zaporizhzhia region said Ukrainian drones attacked Enerhodar, a city serving the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
“This is a terrorist act,” Russia-installed acting mayor Maksim Pukha told Russia’s RIA news agency, saying civil infrastructure and residential areas had been targeted. “Peaceful residents should in no way be targets of such an attack.”
Each side has accused the other of risking a nuclear catastrophe by attacking the station. Monitors from the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, are permanently stationed at the plant.
Russian media quoted the city’s authorities as saying at least four drones had attacked Enerhodar. It said there were no casualties and no details on damage were provided.
The governor of the part of Zaporizhzhia region held by Ukraine, Ivan Fedorov, said five drones had attacked the city of Zaporizhzhia, located about 60km (35 miles) northwest of the plant, across a large reservoir on the Dnipro River.
He posted a picture on Telegram of a large fire he said had been triggered by the attack.
Vladimir Rogov, a senior Russia-appointed official in Zaporizhzhia region, said the attack had disrupted power and water supplies in the city.
Trump presidency will trigger right-wing surge in Europe – Hungarian PM
02:30 , Andy Gregory
Donald Trump’s presidency in the US will prompt a right-wing surge in Europe, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban said on Monday, as he called for an offensive to “occupy” Brussels.
Mr Orban envisaged a “golden era” for relations between the US and Hungary, with Mr Trump’s presidency beginning from today, 20 January.
“Only a few hours and even the sun will shine differently in Brussels. A new president in the US, a large faction of Patriots in Brussels, great enthusiasm,” Mr Orban said. “So the great attack can start. Hereby I launch the second phase of the offensive that aims to occupy Brussels.”
Mr Orban’s hard-right Fidesz party formed the Patriots party group in the European Parliament last year. Led by France’s National Rally, the group has become the third largest in parliament with 86 members.
Russian disinformation campaign looking to boost support for Germany’s far-right AfD
02:00 , Andy Gregory
A Russian disinformation campaign is seeking to support the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) campaign ahead of the country’s February election, a think tank has found.
An analysis of hundreds of German-language posts on X over the past month have exhibited patterns of Russia’s Doppelgaenger disinformation campaign against the West.
The campaign spreads links to falsified Western news outlets sharing fake information, a German foreign ministry report published last June. Russia has consistently denied involvement.
Recent posts have blamed the Greens for Germany’s economic woes, criticised chancellor Olaf Scholz’s support for Ukraine, and spoken in favour of the AfD, CeMAS said.
The tracked posts share links to falsified German news websites or to articles on authentic ones supporting their narrative, and have achieved over 2.8 million views, CeMAS said.
Trump threatens sanctions on Russia if Putin does not negotiate on Ukraine
01:30 , Andy Gregory
Donald Trump has said he would likely impose sanctions on Russia if its president Vladimir Putin refuses to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
“We’re talking to (Ukrainian president Volodymyr) Zelensky, we’re going to be talking with president Putin very soon,” Mr Trump said. “We’re going to look at it.”
Mr Trump said he has also pressed Chinese president Xi Jinping in a call to intervene to stop the Ukraine war.
“He’s not done very much on that. He’s got a lot of… power, like we have a lot of power. I said, ‘You ought to get it settled.’ We did discuss it.”
Mr Trump gave no details on possible additional sanctions. The US has already sanctioned Russia heavily for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Putin holds phone call with Egyptian president
01:00 , Andy Gregory
Russian president Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Russian state news agency TASS said on Tuesday.
The leaders discussed joint projects between Russia and Egypt and the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine, TASS reported.
Decisive Trump could change the course of history – senior Russian official
00:30 , Andy Gregory
The chief of Russia’s $23 billion sovereign wealth fund said new US president Donald Trump’s decisive leadership could “change the course of history” on Tuesday.
His praise came after MR Trump signed a batch of executive orders straight after his inauguration. Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said Mr Trump’s actions could boost growth and open opportunities for dialogue.
“President Trump’s bold actions today prove that decisive leadership can change the course of history, unlocking economic growth and transforming global challenges into opportunities for dialogue and resolution through problem solving,” Mr Dmitriev said.
Mr Dmitriev, who is currently under US sanctions deemed illegal by Russian officials, is a US-educated former Goldman Sachs banker who played a key role in early contracts between Moscow and Trump’s first administration, after election in 2016.
Putin proposes deeper ties with China in call with ‘dear friend’ Xi Jinping
Wednesday 22 January 2025 23:59 , Andy Gregory
Russian president Vladimir Putin has called on Moscow and Beijing to deepen their strategic ties, as he spoke with “dear friend” Chinese president Xi Jinping on a video call.
Mr Putin waved at Mr Xi over the call as he proposed outlining plans to develop the “comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” between Russia and China, strengthening a geopolitical alliance which seeks to weaken western hegemony.
In a video released by the Kremlin of the conversation, Mr Putin said: “I agree with you that cooperation between Moscow and Beijing is based on a broad commonality of national interests and a convergence of views on what relations between major powers should be.
Putin proposes deeper ties with China in call with ‘dear friend’ Xi Jinping
UK to explore possibility of military bases in Ukraine
Wednesday 22 January 2025 23:30 , Andy Gregory
The UK will explore the possibility of establishing military bases in Ukraine, according to a 100-year declaration signed between the two countries.
Signed alongside the 100-year Partnership Agreement last week, the declaration states the UK will work with Ukraine to identify common defence needs and expand the capabilities of both countries.
“The Participants will explore options for deploying and maintaining defence infrastructure in Ukraine, including military bases, logistics depots, reserve military equipment storage facilities and war reserve stockpiles,” the declaration reads.
“These facilities could be utilised to bolster their own defence capabilities in the event of a significant military threat.”
The possibility of military bases is only presented as a theoretical possibility, and no specifics of the placement of potential bases is laid out.
It is also unclear how Article 17 of the Ukrainian Constitution – which prohibits military bases on Ukrainian territory – may impact any future plans.
Russian court orders Austria’s bank to pay 2 billion euros damages
Wednesday 22 January 2025 23:00 , Andy Gregory
A Russian court has ordered Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank International to pay 2 billion euros (£1.7 billion) in damages for a collapsed deal.
The ruling is a blow to the largest western bank in Russia, which has made billions in profit during the nearly three years of war in Ukraine.
The bank has provided a payment bridge for Russia’s middle class and companies into the West, but will now be forced to set aside a large sum as it challenges the ruling.
Sat in the courtroom as the ruling was read out were armed men in balaclavas, along with those involved in the case.
“This is a final warning to all Western companies that you cannot do business with Putin’s Russia,” said Helmut Brandstaetter, a liberal Austrian lawmaker in the European Parliament.
Wednesday 22 January 2025 22:30 , Andy Gregory
Tariffs, Ukraine and Chagos: How the UK could feel the full force of Trump’s second term
Wednesday 22 January 2025 22:00 , Andy Gregory
One area where the Trump administration and Labour are likely to clash is on defence spending. The president has said he feels the US spends more on defence than most Nato countries, calling for a new target of fie per cent GDP.
This is up considerably from the current two per cent target. The UK currently pledges 2.3 per cent, with intentions ro raise it to 2.5 per cent by this year. Given the tight economic contraints outlined by the Treasury, it’s unlikely calls to increase this futher would be welcomed by UK officials.
The president has also said he would like to bring the war in Ukraine to a speedy end – and will now be able to use the US’s massive expenditure on Zelensky’s forces as a bargaining chip in discussions.
But some of his comments have prompted concern that Mr Trump may cede key Russian demands as part of a deal. This could include granting Vladimir Putin’s regime large regions of the country, or deferring Ukraine’s Nato membership bid. The incoming president has previously said that he “understands [Russia’s] feelings” about having “somebody right on their doorstep.”
If the war in Ukraine does move from military support to a possible peacekeeping operation, the prime minister has said that the UK will play “full part” in the plans.
Albert Toth reports:
Tariffs, Ukraine and Chagos: How the UK could feel Trump’s full force
EU leaders to hold unique talks on security and defence
Wednesday 22 January 2025 21:40 , Andy Gregory
EU leaders are set to meet for an “informal retreat” outside Brussels on 3 February for talks focused uniquely on security and defense for the first time.
Nato chief Mark Rutte is due to attend.
EU foreign policy chief warns Russia could test bloc’s readiness within 3 years
Wednesday 22 January 2025 21:20 , Andy Gregory
In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned of the dangers that Russia already poses, laying out a list of acts of sabotage, cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns and electronic GPS jamming that she accuses Moscow of underwriting.
“Many of our national intelligence agencies are giving us the information that Russia could test the EU’s readiness to defend itself in 3 to 5 years,” she said at a European Defense Agency gathering. “Who else are we listening to if not to them?”
Kallas warned that Russia’s defense industry “is churning out tanks, glide bombs, and artillery shells in vast quantities. In 3 months, they can produce more weapons and more ammunition than we can in 12.”
She described Russia as “a heavily militarised country that presents an existential threat to us all. We are running out of time. The Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom, and ours. They are all buying us time.”
Tusk urges EU to boost defence spending
Wednesday 22 January 2025 21:00 , Andy Gregory
Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk has urged his EU allies to match his country’s rate of defence spending until Russia backs down.
Mr Tusk said that his country is spending close to 5 per cent of its gross domestic product on its defense budget, more than any NATO ally including the United States.
“It is today that we need to radically increase our defense spending (but) not forever and ever,” Mr Tusk said.
EU needs to end its military dependency on the US and arm itself ‘to survive,’ says Tusk
Wednesday 22 January 2025 20:35 , Reuters
The European Union cannot rely on the United States to defend it and must increase military spending and security preparedness to help Ukraine and deter Russia from targeting any more of its neighbours, top EU officials warned on Wednesday.
“Ask not of America what it can do for our security. Ask yourselves what we can do for our own security,” Polish premier Donald Tusk, whose country holds the EU presidency, said, paraphrasing a quote from US president John F Kennedy’s inaugural address in 1961.
In an address to EU politicians, Mr Tusk urged the 27-nation bloc to “take control” of its own security and to identify its weaknesses. “If Europe is to survive, it must be armed,” he said.
Anxiety is mounting that US president Donald Trump might seek to quickly end the war in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on terms that are unfavorable to Ukraine, or once again refuse to defend European allies who do not boost their military budgets.
“We need to believe again in our power,” Mr Tusk told the assembly, in Strasbourg, France. “We are strong, we are equal to the greatest powers in the world. The only thing we have to do is believe in it.”
Putin could return with an army 10x bigger, Zelensky warns
Wednesday 22 January 2025 20:15 , Andy Gregory
Russia will return with an army 10 times the size of the one which invaded Ukraine in 2022 if a diplomatic solution does not have strong security guarantees, Volodymyr Zelensky has warned.
Russian president Vladimir Putin will return to Europe to fully occupy all countries which formerly made up the USSR, Mr Zelensky added.
He will then do what he did with Crimea in Ukraine, by seizing territory and using it to make demands and issue ultimatums, the Ukrainian president told world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
He also criticised European countries for having a significantly smaller economic output than Russia, despite having more factories.
Tariffs, Ukraine and Chagos: How the UK could feel the full force of Trump’s second term
Wednesday 22 January 2025 19:55 , Andy Gregory
One area where the Trump administration and Labour are likely to clash is on defence spending. The president has said he feels the US spends more on defence than most Nato countries, calling for a new target of fie per cent GDP.
This is up considerably from the current two per cent target. The UK currently pledges 2.3 per cent, with intentions ro raise it to 2.5 per cent by this year. Given the tight economic contraints outlined by the Treasury, it’s unlikely calls to increase this futher would be welcomed by UK officials.
The president has also said he would like to bring the war in Ukraine to a speedy end – and will now be able to use the US’s massive expenditure on Zelensky’s forces as a bargaining chip in discussions.
But some of his comments have prompted concern that Mr Trump may cede key Russian demands as part of a deal. This could include granting Vladimir Putin’s regime large regions of the country, or deferring Ukraine’s Nato membership bid. The incoming president has previously said that he “understands [Russia’s] feelings” about having “somebody right on their doorstep.”
If the war in Ukraine does move from military support to a possible peacekeeping operation, the prime minister has said that the UK will play “full part” in the plans.
Tariffs, Ukraine and Chagos: How the UK could feel Trump’s full force
Undersea cables are ‘lifeblood of international connectivity’, MP warns
Wednesday 22 January 2025 19:35 , Andy Gregory
Liberal Democrat defence spokeswoman Helen Maguire said undersea cables are “the lifeblood of international connectivity and commerce”, after a Russian spy ship twice entered UK waters in recent months.
She told MPs: “Action to defend the realm is particularly pressing in light of recent escalations of hybrid threats from Russia. The suspected sabotage of undersea cables, including the damage to Estlink 2 on Christmas Day, underscores the urgency of this moment.
“Such cables are the lifeblood of international connectivity and commerce, and any attack on them is an attack on the collective stability of Europe.”
Full report: Royal Navy tracks Russian spy ship in English Channel
Wednesday 22 January 2025 19:25 , Alexander Butler
A Russian spy ship is being tracked by the Royal Navy after sailing through the English Channel, John Healey revealed on Wednesday, issuing a stark warning to Vladimir Putin that the government is watching Russian activity in UK waters.
“We see you”, the defence secretary warned, promising robust action to protect Britain.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Royal Navy tracks Russian spy ship in English Channel as Putin warned: ‘We see you’
Ukraine strikes aircraft factory and oil depot, Kyiv’s military says
Wednesday 22 January 2025 19:20 , Alexander Butler
Ukrainian forces hit a Russian aviation factory in the Smolensk region and an oil depot in the Voronezh region on Tuesday, its military said.
Andrii Kovalenko, the head of Kyiv’s Center for Countering Disinformation, said according to Ukrainska Pravda: “This plant [the Smolensk Aviation Plant] is closely connected with other businesses of the Russian defence industrial base, supplying components or involved in collaboration to create modern aircraft systems.”
The Voronezh strike is the second time Ukraine has hit Liskinskaya oil depot in the past week.
Ukraine has increased the regularity of its long-range strikes into Russia for the past several months, damaging energy infrastructure and military-industrial facilities.
Watch: Trump warns Putin on day one in office
Wednesday 22 January 2025 18:45 , Alexander Butler
Russia responds to Trump threat
Wednesday 22 January 2025 18:35 , Alexander Butler
The Kremlin will have to see what US President Donald Trump thinks a “deal” to end the war in Ukraine would look like, Russia’s deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said.
On Wednesday, Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions against Moscow if Putin did not “make a deal” to end the conflict.
“It’s not merely the question of ending the war,” Polyanskiy said. “It’s first and foremost the question of addressing root causes of Ukrainian crisis.”
He continued: “So we have to see what does the ‘deal’ mean in President Trump’s understanding. He is not responsible for what the US has been doing in Ukraine since 2014, making it ‘anti-Russia’ and preparing for the war with us, but it is in his power now to stop this malicious policy.”
Trump has a key decision to make on Ukraine – is he an ally of Kyiv or Putin?
Wednesday 22 January 2025 18:35 , Alexander Butler
Critics of Donald Trump may sigh with irony as he takes the presidential pledge to uphold the constitution of the United States of America – and hope that he holds back on pledges to tear into the foundation document of modern America in the hours after taking office. In Ukraine, no one’s holding their breath.
In Ukraine’s capital, they know that the 47th president of the US is no particular friend. They also believe he’s potty about Vladimir Putin, and that may be to their advantage when Trump comes around to renewing military support for a nation fighting off the Kremlin.
World affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Trump has a key decision to make on Ukraine – is he an ally of Kyiv or Putin?
Both sides must compromise, says new US secretary of state
Wednesday 22 January 2025 18:25 , Alexander Butler
Ending the war in Ukraine will only be possible if both sides are willing to make compromises, the new US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said.
In a conversation with journalists immediately after being confirmed in his role, he said according to CNN: “We want the war to end. That’s pretty clear.
“You saw the President talked about, he wants to be a president that promotes peace and ends conflicts, and it’ll be complicated as well.
“Those are complicated things. I couldn’t put a time frame on it, other than to say that anytime you bring an end to a conflict between two sides, neither of whom can achieve their maximum goals, each side is going to have to give up something.”
Achieving peace is a priority for president Donald Trump’s administration, Mr Rubio added. He did not specify what type of concessions Ukraine would need to make.
Trump’s full statement
Wednesday 22 January 2025 18:14 , Alexander Butler
“I’m not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin – and this despite the Radical Left’s Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX.
“We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process.
“All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR.
“Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.
“Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL.’ NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!”
Trump calls for ‘deal’ to end Ukraine war
Wednesday 22 January 2025 18:10 , Andrew Feinberg
President Donald Trump has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the nearly three-year old war against Ukraine he started and is threatening further sanctions on Moscow if the Russian leader does not acquiesce.
In a statement posted to his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was “not looking to hurt Russia” and expressed “love” for the Russian people while boasting of his “very good relationship” with Putin – who in 2016 ordered what the Justice Department called a “sweeping and systematic” effort to interfere in the presidential election on Trump’s behalf.
He also noted that the former Soviet Union lost 60 million people when it allied itself against Nazi Germany and with the U.S. and U.K. during the Second World War.
“All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,” Trump said.
Trump offers Putin ‘very big favor’ and calls for ‘deal’ to end Ukraine war
Wednesday 22 January 2025 18:05 , Alexander Butler
Trump offers Putin ‘very big favor’ and calls for ‘deal’ to end Ukraine war
Russia would need 100 years to conquer Ukraine at current rate, says David Lammy
Wednesday 22 January 2025 17:55 , Andy Gregory
Russia would need 100 years to conquer all of Ukraine if it continued gaining territory at its current “slow” rate, according to the Foreign Secretary.
David Lammy said Vladimir Putin could end the conflict tomorrow by withdrawing from Ukraine, adding that the Russian president’s position is “not one of strength” as the invasion has been a “monumental strategic failure”.
He also said US President Donald Trump understands the importance of the war in Ukraine and “is not prepared to be a loser”, as he sought to allay concerns over the approach of the US under the new administration.
Read the full report:
Russia would need 100 years to conquer Ukraine at current rate, says David Lammy
ICYMI: Macron warns Europe it can’t depend only on US weapons as Trump takes office
Wednesday 22 January 2025 17:35 , Andy Gregory
French president Emmanuel Macron has warned that the billions of euros of taxpayer money spent on Europe’s military budgets should not be used to buy only American weapons, pushing for more investment in home-grown defence industries.
Speaking minutes before the inauguration of US president Donald Trump, who has complained that Europeans do not pay enough for their defence, Mr Macron said the continent should spend more.
But he added, in a New Year address to military top brass: “We can’t raise debt together, spend more for our defence to subsidise the industry, wealth and jobs of other continents.
“When we say ‘let’s spend more for our armies’, in many countries it means, way too often, ‘buy more American materiel’.”
Mr Macron said France now had “Europe’s most efficient army” and met Nato’s military budget target of 2 per cent of GDP, but could not rest on its laurels at a time when the US might withdraw troops from Europe.
And he suggested that 2 per cent might not be enough “when the world is going off track”.
Russia used chemical weapons 434 times on Ukraine last month, officials say
Wednesday 22 January 2025 17:15 , Andy Gregory
Russian forces used ammunition equipped with chemical agents at least 434 times in Ukraine in December 2024, the Ukrainian general staff said yesterday.
The use of chemical agents banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) added to a total of 5,389 documented cases since February 2023, the general staff said.
“Ukrainian officials have previously reported on increasingly common instances of Russian forces using chemical substances in combat that are banned by the CWC, to which Russia is a signatory, and the Ukrainian General Staff noted that such violations have been systematic in the Russian military since February 2023,” the Institute for the Study of War said.
UK government announces multimillion-pound funding boost for Ukraine de-mining effort
Wednesday 22 January 2025 17:07 , Andy Gregory
The UK government has pledged more than £7m funding to support Scottish de-mining charity the Halo Trust’s life-saving work in Afghanistan and Ukraine, which is now the most heavily mined country in the world following Russia’s invasion.
£4.3m of the new funding will go towards helping Ukraine. International development minister Anneliese Dodds also announced support for a £250,000 Halo Trust programme to dispose of 165 tonnes of unserviceable and unsafe ammunition and explosives from stores in Hargeisa, Somaliland.
Ms Dodds said: “No one should have to live in fear of being killed or maimed by one wrong step. These deadly devices sow fear and destruction for decades and organisations like the Halo Trust do a vital job in clearing mines.
“I’m proud to be in Scotland to announce this support for the Halo Trust to continue its life-saving work removing deadly devices from some of the most hazardous parts of the world.”
Tories praise Labour government response to Putin spy ship entering British waters
Wednesday 22 January 2025 16:55 , Andy Gregory
Tory shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge has praised the UK government’s move to change the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement to allow British ships to shadow a Russian spy vessel more closely after it entered UK waters.
Mr Cartlidge told MPs that the change “sends a powerful signal to Putin that we will not be intimidated and that if his aim is to keep pushing the boundaries of malign activity in our waters, and those proximate to us, we will respond”.
Trump says a deal to end war will be ‘very big favour’ for Putin
Wednesday 22 January 2025 16:41 , Chris Stevenson
Donald Trump has said that he would be doing Vladimir Putin a “very big favour” in helping to sort out a deal to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying the war “will only get worse”.Citing his “very good relationship” with the Russian president, Mr Trump said in a post on this Truth Social platform that now is the time to forge a peace agreement.For me, see the report by one of our reporters in Washington DC, Andrew Feinberg:
Trump offers Putin ‘very big favor’ and calls for ‘deal’ to end Ukraine war
Russia ‘dangerous but fundamentally weak’, says UK defence secretary
Wednesday 22 January 2025 16:35 , Andy Gregory
Britain’s defence secretary John Healey has described Russia as “dangerous but fundamentally weak”, as he referenced the casualties the country had suffered during the war in Ukraine and its decision to draft in troops from North Korea.
He told MPs: “Russia remains the most pressing and immediate threat to Britain, and I want to assure the House and the British people that any threat will be met with strength and resolve.”
UK changes Royal Navy’s rules of engagement after Russian spy ship enters British waters
Wednesday 22 January 2025 16:27 , Chris Stevenson
The UK’s defence secretary has revealed that he changed the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement in response to a Russian spy ship entering UK waters, enabling shadowing vessels to approach the Russian ship more closely.
John Healey told MPs: “The foreign ship Yantar is currently in the North Sea having passed through British waters. Let me be clear, this is a Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure.
“Yantar entered the UK exclusive economic zone about 45 miles off the British coast on Monday. For the last two days the Royal Navy has deployed HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne to monitor the vessel every minute through our waters.
“I changed the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement so that our warships can get closer and better track the Yantar. So far, the ship has complied with international rules of navigation.”
Trump threatens Putin with sanctions
Wednesday 22 January 2025 16:18 , Chris Stevenson
US president Donald Trump has called on Vladimir Putin to make a deal to end his “ridiculous” invasion of Ukraine, saying that he would be forced to “put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries” if the Russian leader doesn’t come come to the negotiating table.In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump was unusually forthright in addressing Putin, saying: “We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better.”
Putin proposes deeper ties with Beijing in call with ‘dear friend’ Xi Jinping of China
Wednesday 22 January 2025 15:55 , Andy Gregory
Russian president Vladimir Putin has called on Moscow and Beijing to deepen their strategic ties, as he spoke with “dear friend” Chinese president Xi Jinping on a video call.
Putin waved at Mr Xi over the call as he proposed outlining plans to develop the “comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” between Russia and China, strengthening a geopolitical alliance which seeks to weaken western hegemony.
In a video released by the Kremlin of the conversation, Putin said: “I agree with you that cooperation between Moscow and Beijing is based on a broad commonality of national interests and a convergence of views on what relations between major powers should be.”
Read the full report:
Putin proposes deeper ties with China in call with ‘dear friend’ Xi Jinping
Putin not doing well in Ukraine, says Trump
Wednesday 22 January 2025 15:35 , Andy Gregory
Donald Trump has offered a rare criticism of Russian president Vladimir Putin as he expressed hopes for a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters in the White House, the US president said: “I think Russia is going to be in big trouble. You take a look at their economy. You take a look at their inflation in Russia. I got along with him great. I would hope he wants to make a deal.”
Referencing Russia’s soaring casualty rate, Mr Trump said of his Russian counterpart: “He can’t be thrilled. He’s not doing so well. I mean, he’s grinding it out … it’s not making him look very good … I think he would be well off to end that war.”
Royal Navy submarine ‘deployed to ward off Putin spy ship in UK waters’
Wednesday 22 January 2025 14:55 , Andy Gregory
A Royal Navy submarine has been used to warn off one of Vladimir Putin’s spy ships operating around UK waters, defence secretary John Healey has revealed.
Giving details about the activities of the Yantar, which he said the Russians “used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure”, Mr Healey said the Russian ship was in the North Sea having passed through British waters in recent days.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Healey warned Mr Putin: “We see you, we know what you are doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country.”
But he said it was the second time the Yantar had entered UK waters in recent months, telling MPs: “In November, the ship was also closely watched and detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure. To deter any potential threat, I took measured steps.
“I can confirm to the House that I authorised a Royal Navy submarine, strictly as a deterrent measure, to surface close to the Yantar to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move. The ship then left UK waters without further loitering and sailed down to the Mediterranean.”
The submarine is understood to have been one of the UK’s Astute-class nuclear-powered attack boats, described by the British military as “the largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy”.
Ukrainian army deploys cat noises to lure Russians into explosive-laden traps, soldier claims
Wednesday 22 January 2025 14:35 , Andy Gregory
Ukrainians are using recordings of cat noises to lure Vladimir Putin’s forces into explosive-rigged traps, a Russian soldier has claimed.
The tactic has been reported on the frontline of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, which has seen some of the war’s most gruelling fighting in recent months as Mr Putin’s forces sought to capture as much territory as possible ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House this week.
Read more details in this report:
Ukrainians ‘using cat noises to lure Russian soldiers into explosive-laden traps’
US and Japan discuss North Korea’s alignment with Russia
Wednesday 22 January 2025 14:16 , Andy Gregory
US secretary of state Marco Rubio and Japanese foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya have discussed concerns over North Korea’s political and security alignment with Russia, the US State Department has said.
The two senior figures also discussed China’s support for Russia’s defence industrial base, the department said.
ICYMI: Senior military figures warn Starmer against sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine
Wednesday 22 January 2025 13:57 , Andy Gregory
The UK sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine is “highly risky”, a former security adviser to Gordon Brown has warned, arguing the “grotesquely underfunded” armed forces do not have the resources to do so.
The prime minister confirmed the UK will discuss such a move with its allies on a visit to Kyiv last week, vowing Britain will “play our part” in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security following any ceasefire with Russia.
But a number of senior military figures have expressed concerns at the plan. Among them is Lord West of Spithead, a retired admiral of the Royal Navy, and Mr Brown’s former adviser.
He warned that maintaining troops in Ukraine is currently “beyond us” as a result of how “grotesquely underfunded and hollowed out” the armed forces are.
“There is a lot of scope for getting very enmeshed in action that you don’t want to get enmeshed in,” Lord West told The Independent. “And you can suddenly find yourself almost in a situation of saying, ‘Yes, we’ll have to send in more troops.’
“Once you’re there on the ground, it’s almost as if you’re looking after another member of Nato. What we need to do is make sure that war doesn’t restart again with Putin trying to take over Ukraine. So within the package of how that’s done, I’m sure there are other ways of ensuring that, other than us just having troops there.”
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Senior military figures warn Starmer against sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine
More spending needed for ‘big bang’ in EU defence, commissioner says
Wednesday 22 January 2025 13:38 , Andy Gregory
The European Union is facing an existential threat with Russia waging war in Ukraine and must increase its defence spending, European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius has warned.
“We need to spend more, spend better, spend European … [a] collective approach can create a real big bang in defence,” he said during a speech at the annual conference of the European Defence Agency.
Russia making preparations for meetings with Trump, minister indicates
Wednesday 22 January 2025 13:19 , Andy Gregory
Russia’s deputy foreign minister has said that Russia is preparing for contacts between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, amid expectations that the US president will seek to broker negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by state news agency Tass as saying that Russia was making preparations but that nothing had been agreed upon yet in terms of a meeting with US officials.
“Probably when we hear something more clear and concrete from Washington, then we’ll get down to coordinating schedules and organisational points,” Mr Ryabkov said.
Macron and Scholz meet to discuss Ukraine
Wednesday 22 January 2025 13:02 , Andy Gregory
French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Olaf Scholz were set to meet in Paris on Wednesday to discuss Ukraine and economic issues, as Europe struggles to muster a unified response to threats of tariffs from US president Donald Trump.
Both Mr Macron – who lost snap elections last year and has had four prime ministers in 2024 alone – and Mr Scholz, who is trailing his conservative rival in polls for the German election next month, are weakened politically at home.
The pair have differed on many issues in recent years slowing down decision-making in the EU and leaving a leadership void that EU institutions have struggled to fill.
“Franco-German relations must warm up very strongly and very quickly,” a French government source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Europe won’t be relaunched without a strong Franco-German couple.”
Russia claims capture of village in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region
Wednesday 22 January 2025 12:44 , Andy Gregory
Russian troops took control of the settlement of Zapadne in Ukraine’s northern Kharkiv region, the Interfax news agency reported, citing Moscow’s defence ministry.
The claim could not be verified, and Russian claims to have seized settlements have previously proven to be unreliable.
Ukraine’s Zelensky meets German opposition leader
Wednesday 22 January 2025 12:24 , Andy Gregory
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that he met with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz, just weeks before federal elections in Germany.
“We discussed ways to further advance a just peace for Ukraine, as well as global challenges and the situation on the front lines,” Mr Zelensky posted on social media, along with footage of the meeting.
Germany will hold elections on 23 February and Mr Merz is currently the leading candidate for the chancellery.
Ukraine’s Nato hopes hinge solely on Trump, warns Zelensky
Wednesday 22 January 2025 12:14 , Andy Gregory
While Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that Nato membership should be a condition of any peace deal, he told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos: “Everything depends on the United States.
“If Trump is ready to see Ukraine in Nato, we will be in Nato, everyone will be in favour. If President Trump is not ready to see us in Nato, we will not be in Nato.”
Ukraine says Russia attacked energy facilities 1,200 times since 2022
Wednesday 22 January 2025 12:05 , Andy Gregory
Russia has attacked Ukrainian energy facilities 1,200 times since its invasion in 2022, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko has said.
Ms Svyrydenko told a news briefing in Davos that the figure included attacks on more than 800 electricity substations, distribution and power lines, more than 250 strikes on energy generation facilities and more than 30 on gas facilities.
Putin’s forces suffer nearly 2,000 casualties in a single day, Kyiv claims
Wednesday 22 January 2025 11:46 , Andy Gregory
Vladimir Putin’s forces have suffered nearly 2,000 casualties in a single day, Ukraine’s military has claimed, in what would mark one of the deadliest 24 hours of fighting since the war began.
Kyiv’s military claimed the vast toll as another day of intense fighting unfolded, with more than 120 clashes reported and Russian troops claimed to have fired more than 6,000 artillery shells and deployed close to 3,000 kamikaze drones.
Ukraine’s military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi claimed this week that Russian losses now exceed 800,000, with a record 434,000 of Mr Putin’s killed or wounded in 2024.
“This year of combat has cost them more than the previous two years of the war combined,” Mr Syrskyi told Ukrainian TV channel TSN.
