[ad_1]
This liveblog is no longer being updated. You can follow our coverage of the Ukraine war here.
EU leaders say Ukraine’s sovereignty, long-term security crucial in peace talks
Ukraine’s sovereignty must be respected and its security guaranteed for the long term in any peace deal with Russia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa said on Monday.
The two EU institution chiefs issued the same message in social media posts after a meeting in Brussels with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
“Ukraine’s sovereignty must be respected. Ukraine’s security must be guaranteed, in the long term, as a first line of defence for our Union,” their posts read.
Trump says Europe heading in ‘bad directions’
US President Donald Trump has warned that Europe is heading in “very bad directions,” in a fresh broadside just days after his new security strategy slammed the continent over mass migration.
Trump hit out at a “nasty” $140 million fine by the European Union against tech tycoon Elon Musk’s X social network — while admitting he didn’t know much about it — before widening his attack.
“Look, Europe has to be very careful. (They’re) doing a lot of things. We want to keep Europe Europe,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
“Europe is going in some bad directions. It’s very bad, very bad for the people. We don’t want Europe to change so much. They’re going in some very bad directions.”
The Republican’s comments follow criticism in the new US national security strategy released last week of Europe as being over-regulated and facing “civilizational erasure” from migration.
Kyiv has no right to cede land to Russia, Zelensky says
In his online press conference, Ukraine’s Zelensky said Kyiv had no legal or moral right to give up land to Russia in any deal aimed at ending Moscow’s nearly four-year invasion.
“Do we envision ceding territories? We have no legal right to do so, under Ukrainian law, our constitution and international law. And we don’t have any moral right either,” he told reporters.
Zelensky says ‘obvious anti-Ukrainian points’ removed from US peace plan
Answering reporters’ questions in a call via WhatsApp, Zelensky has said the current US peace plan differs from earlier versions in that it now has 20 points, down from 28, after what he called some “obvious anti-Ukrainian points were removed.”
On security guarantees, Zelensky said the main questions to be resolved are: “What if after the end of the war, Russia will start another aggression? What will the partners be ready for? What could Ukraine count on?”
The answers to these questions “must be in the core of the security guarantees for Ukraine,” he said.
Turkey to guarantee flow or Russian gas to Hungary
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban have agreed that Turkey will guarantee that Russian gas can continue to flow to Hungary, Orban has said.
Hungary has maintained its reliance on Russian energy since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, prompting criticism from several European Union and NATO allies.
Hungary signed a 15-year deal in 2021 with Russia to buy 4.5 billion cubic metres of gas annually, and increased purchases from Gazprom last year, importing some 7.5 billion cubic metres of Russian gas via the Turkstream pipeline.
Last month the US granted Hungary a one-year exemption from sanctions for using Russian oil and gas after Orban pressed his case for a reprieve during a friendly meeting with his ally Trump.
Zelensky, European leaders continued work on US peace plan, Élysée says
Zelensky’s talks in London with the leaders of France, Britain and Germany have ended, but little detail has emerged.
French presidential sources said the talks allowed for the “continuation of the joint work on the US peace plan for Ukraine”.
Work will be intensified to provide Ukraine with robust security guarantees and to plan measures for the country’s reconstruction, the Élysée sources said.
European allies back Zelensky after Trump criticism
Ukraine’s European allies are putting on a show of support for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as they express scepticism about parts of the US proposal to end the war with Russia.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron at his Downing Street residence in London.
FRANCE 24’s Andrew Hilliar has the latest.
Macron says ‘main issue’ is finding ‘convergence’ between US, European and Ukrainian positions
French President Emmanuel Macron has said the talks in London with Ukraine’s Zelensky are aimed at finding a “convergence” between US, European and Ukrainian allies on a possible peace deal to end Russia’s invasion.
“I think the main issue is the convergence between our common positions, Europeans and Ukrainians and the US to finalise these peace negotiations”, Macron said.
All parties could then move to a “new phase” in which they would aim to secure “the best possible conditions for Ukraine, for the Europeans and for collective security”, he added.
German spy chief warns of Russia threat to 2026 regional polls
Germany’s domestic spy chief has warned that Russia could step up sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns next year when the EU’s top economy, a strong backer of Ukraine, holds several regional elections.
Sinan Selen, head of the BfV intelligence service, said in a Berlin speech that Germany was especially in Moscow’s sights because it is a central logistics hub of the NATO alliance on the continent.
Speaking later to AFP, Selen said about Russian disinformation campaigns that “we’ve repeatedly seen that elections play a very significant role here, and as you know we have several state elections in Germany next year”.
Russia is blamed by Western security services for a spate of drone flights, acts of sabotage, cyberattacks and online disinformation campaigns in Europe, which have escalated since its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“We are being attacked here and now in Europe,” Selen said in a speech marking 75 years since the founding of the BfV, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
“In its role as a logistics hub for collective defence and support of Ukraine, Germany is more heavily targeted by Russian intelligence services than other countries,” he said.
Germany’s Merz ‘sceptical’ about aspects of US approach to Ukraine peace
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed scepticism about aspects of the US position on ending the war in Ukraine, without giving further details.
Speaking outside 10 Downing Street in London, Merz said he was “sceptical about some of the details which we are seeing in the documents coming from US side, but we have to talk about that — that’s why we are here” .
Zelensky arrives for London talks with European allies
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived at the Downing Street office of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for talks with European allies on a Ukraine peace deal.
Credit: Hannah McKay, Reuters
Starmer greeted Zelensky outside shortly after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron were seen arriving for the discussions.
The meeting comes after US President Donald Trump accused Zelensky of not reading the US proposal to end the war with Russia.
German FM urges China to use influence on Russia over Ukraine war
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul urged China to use its influence on Russia over Ukraine war.
Zelensky to meet NATO, EU chiefs in Brussels Monday
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet the heads of NATO and the European Union for talks Monday, the alliance said, in the latest leg of diplomacy over US efforts to end Russia’s war.
The Brussels meeting with NATO’s Mark Rutte and the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa will come after Zelensky sit downs with the leaders in Britain, France and Germany in London.
Kremlin says India will continue to buy Russian oil if it’s profitable
The Kremlin said that India would continue buying oil wherever it was profitable to do so in order to ensure its own economic interests.
US President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% in August to punish New Delhi for buying Russian oil, which Washington said was helping to fund Russia’s war in Ukraine.
On a visit to New Delhi last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered India uninterrupted fuel supplies.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “India, as a sovereign state, conducts foreign trade operations and purchases energy resources where it is beneficial for India, and as far as we understand, our Indian partners will continue this policy to ensure their economic interests.”
Territory ‘most problematic issue’ in Ukraine talks: official to AFP
The issue of territory is still the “most problematic” in talks on ending the Russia-Ukraine war, an official familiar with the negotiations told AFP.
Territory is “the most problematic issue. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin does not want to enter into an agreement without territory. So they are looking for any options to ensure that Ukraine cedes territory,” the official, speaking on condition of anonymity said.
“The Americans are pressuring, like ‘faster, faster, faster,'” the source added, saying that Ukraine “cannot agree to everything without working out the details.”
Dutch pledge another $815 mln in support to Ukraine in 2026
The Netherlands will earmark another 700 million euros ($815 million) to provide Ukraine with military support in the first quarter of 2026, the Dutch government said on Monday.
The government had earlier pledged 3.5 billion euros in support for next year, but a large part of that money has already been spent this year.
Russia says it has taken two more east Ukrainian villages
Russia’s Defence Ministry said that its forces had taken control of the villages of Chervone, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, and Novodanilivka, in the neighbouring Zaporizhzhia region, state news agency RIA reported.
[ad_2]
Source link
