US Vice President JD Vance rejected suggestions Moscow is slow-walking a potential peace deal in Ukraine, saying Russia has made "significant concessions" to Donald Trump over its demands for ending the war.
Moscow: European Troops in Ukraine ‘Unacceptable’
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday said any presence of European troops in Ukraine would be "absolutely unacceptable", as Kyiv's allies worked on security guarantees for the country. "This would be absolutely unacceptable for the Russian Federation," Lavrov said in response to a journalist's question about security guarantees.
Zelensky: Meeting with Putin Hinges on Security Guarantees
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that he could meet Russia's Vladimir Putin but only after his country had received security guarantees, and mentioned Switzerland, Austria or Turkey as possible venues. "We want to have an understanding of the security guarantees architecture within 7–10 days. And based on that understanding, we aim to hold a trilateral meeting."
Russia Attacked Ukraine with 614 Drones, Missiles
Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said on Thursday, Moscow's largest attack in weeks after US-led efforts to halt the Kremlin's invasion.
Russia Accuses European Leaders of Trying to Change Trump’s Position
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday accused European leaders of making "clumsy attempts" to change US President Donald Trump's position on Ukraine. "We have only seen aggressive escalation of the situation and rather clumsy attempts to change the position of the US president," he said.
Washington Rules Out Deploying Ground Troops in Ukraine
The White House said that the United States will not deploy military forces on the ground in Ukraine. White House Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a press conference that the United States could help coordinate and possibly provide other security guarantees to its European allies.
US, NATO Begin Formulating Security Options for Ukraine
The United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries have started formulating security options for Ukraine, following President Donald Trump's pledge to help protect Kyiv under any agreement to end the Russian war. Reuters reported that American and European military planners have begun mulling post-conflict security guarantees for Ukraine.
Syria, Israel Discuss De-escalation of Southern Tensions in Paris
The Syrian foreign minister held direct talks with an Israeli delegation in Paris following a US-brokered meeting as part of a diplomatic effort to normalize relations, despite the recent tensions between the two sides.
Lavrov: Russia Not Committed to Putin-Zelensky Meeting
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that any peace agreement on Ukraine must guarantee Russia's security, speaking a day after high-level talks in Washington to resolve the conflict.
China Supports Peace Talks on Ukraine
China said on Tuesday that it supports "all efforts" towards peace between Russia and Ukraine after presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky looked set for a summit in the coming weeks. "China always believes that dialogue and negotiation are the only solution to the Ukraine crisis," China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, adding: "We support all efforts that are conducive to peace."