Ukraine-Russia warfare newest: Trump tells Zelensky US may take possession of vitality crops after new Putin airstrikes
Donald Trump has proposed the US take over the running of Ukraine’s energy plants “for security”, in a phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky.
The two leaders spoke by phone for the first time since last month’s infamous White House row.
A White House statement following the call read: “President Trump also discussed Ukraine’s electrical supply and nuclear power plants. He said that the United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise, American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure.”
Mr Zelensky hit out at Vladimir Putin over strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid – which came within hours of the Russian leader’s promising to halt such strikes for 30 days.
In a social media post, Mr Trump said the call was to “align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs”, as he sought to bring about a ceasefire.
“We are very much on track,” Mr Trump added.
On Tuesday, the Russian autocrat promised to halt strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure but refused to back a complete month-long ceasefire.
An overnight Russian missile attack left part of Slovyansk city without electricity, military officials said.
No 10 welcomes Trump’s progress on truce deal
Downing Street has welcomed “the progress President Trump has made” towards a ceasefire deal after the US leader’s call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “We welcome the progress President Trump has made towards a ceasefire deal, and we will continue to work with international partners on putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position.
“We now need to ensure the implementation of the ceasefire deal to see a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
European blueprint outlines how to boost defence spending
Europe should further boost military spending, pool resources on joint defence projects and buy more European arms, according to an EU blueprint unveiled on Wednesday.
The European Commission presented the proposals in a White Paper on defence, which aims to ensure Europe has a “strong and sufficient” defence posture by 2030.
“The international order is undergoing changes of a magnitude not seen since 1945. This is a pivotal moment for European security,” European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in Brussels.
Ms Kallas said Russia’s economy was in “full war mode”, with 40% of its federal budget going to the military.
“Regardless of the ongoing negotiations for peace in Ukraine, this is a long-term investment in a long-term plan of aggression,” she declared.
Some proposed measures aim to boost the EU’s arms industry, so any role for companies from major weapons producers in the United States, Britain and Turkey would be substantially limited.
US denies data on abducted children deleted
The US State Department has denied that data collected in a government-funded program that helps track abducted Ukrainian children has been deleted, but acknowledged that the effort had been terminated as part of Washington’s freeze on almost all foreign aid.
In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Democratic lawmakers sounded alarm that the data might have been permanently deleted.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said suggestions that data was deleted were false.
“The data exists,” she said. “It was not in the State Department’s control. It was the people running that framework, but we know who is running the data and the website, and we know fully that the data exists and it’s not been deleted and it’s not missing.”
On Wednesday it was revealed that the Trump administration cut funding to Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab, which was compiling a database of alleged Russian war crimes, including the abduction of an estimated 35,000 children from occupied areas of Ukraine:
Putin demands Ukrainian capitulation, say experts
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, has said Vladimir Putin’s demands during his call with Donald Trump would amount to “Ukrainian capitulation”.
“Putin is attempting to hold the temporary ceasefire proposal hostage in order to extract pre-emptive concessions ahead of formal negotiations to end the war,” the ISW said.
White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said on social media that he and his Russian counterpart, Yuri Ushakov, agreed on Wednesday that their teams would meet soon in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia “to focus on implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire President Trump secured from Russia”.
Lasting peace can be achieved this year, says Zelensky
Volodymyr Zelensky says he believes lasting peace can be achieved this year with the support of the US, after his phone call with Donald Trump – the first time the pair had spoken since the US president threw his Ukrainian counterpart out of the White House.
On social media, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to implement the ending of strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure, agreed by Russia’s Vladimir Putin and the US leader.
Mr Zelensky thanked Mr Trump for the talks in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, and added: “We agreed that Ukraine and the United States should continue working together to achieve a real end to the war and lasting peace.
“We believe that together with America, with President Trump, and under American leadership, lasting peace can be achieved this year.”
Orban says EU must back Trump efforts
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says the European Union has to back efforts by Donald Trump to get a peace deal.
Asked whether he continued to oppose the EU giving more money to Ukraine, Orban replied: “We don’t support it.
“In our understanding, there is one simple mission to be done by the European Union – to support President Donald Trump’s efforts to make peace,” he added.
Zelensky thanks Trump for PoWs exchange
The White House said President Zelensky thanked President Trump for continuing to push humanitarian [sic] including the exchange of prisoners of war.
“President Trump also asked President Zelensky about the children who had gone missing from Ukraine during the war, including the ones that had been abducted, and President Trump promised to work closely with both parties to help make sure those children were returned home,” the White House statement said.
“They agreed all parties must continue the effort to make a ceasefire work. The presidents noted the positive work of their advisers and representatives, especially Secretary Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike waltz, Special Envoy Kellogg and others.
“The presidents instructed their teams to move ahead with the technical issues related to implementing and broadening the partial ceasefire.
“The presidents instructed their advisers and representatives to carry out this work as quickly as possible.
“The President’s emphasis on the teams can agree on all necessary aspects of advancing toward lasting peace and security.”
Source: independent.co.uk
