Putin does not want ceasefire in Ukraine, says Zelensky

14/03/2025 - 04:36

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14/03/2025 - 02:57

Russia seeking to exclude Trump envoy from Ukraine talks, sources say

Russian officials have communicated to their counterparts in the United States that they do not want Russia-Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg involved in top-level discussions aimed at ending the Ukraine war, according to a US official and another source with knowledge of the matter.

Kellogg has been personally absent from some high-level discussions in recent weeks, including a meeting involving US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio with a Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. He was also absent at a high-level meeting with Russians in Saudi Arabia in February.

It was not immediately clear if Kellogg's absence was linked to the Russian officials' request, and it was not clear when the request was made.

The US official said the request had not been heeded, citing the fact that Kellogg sent a high-ranking member of his staff, Eli Rosner, to attend the latest Saudi meeting.

14/03/2025 - 00:57

Vance says he would be 'shocked' if Trump sought to expand of nuclear weapons into eastern Europe

US Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday he would be shocked if President Donald Trump wanted nuclear weapons extending further east into Europe.

Vance was responding to a question about Poland's president calling on the US to transfer nuclear weapons to its territory as a deterrent against future Russian aggression.

"I haven't talked to the President about that particular issue, but I would be shocked if he was supportive of nuclear weapons extending further east into Europe," he said during an interview on Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle."

14/03/2025 - 00:22

MBS commits to facilitating Ukraine dialogue in call with Putin

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call the kingdom remains committed to facilitating dialogue and supporting a political resolution to the Ukraine crisis, the Saudi state news agency reported on Friday.

Saudi Arabia recently hosted separate meetings between US and Russian officials, as well as U.S. and Ukrainian officials.

13/03/2025 - 23:10

Canada calls for unity against Russia's "aggression" at G7 meeting

Canada called Thursday on the Group of Seven powers to back Ukraine against Russia's "aggression" as US President Donald Trump's more conciliatory approach toward Moscow split the club of wealthy democracies.

Before the full talks, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly sat down with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the highest-level US official to visit since the inauguration of Trump who has taunted the United States' northern neighbor as the "51st state."

Joly, opening the formal session of the G7, said she hoped to find ways to "continue to support Ukraine in the face of Russia's illegal aggression." 

"We all want to see just and lasting peace in Ukraine," she said.

13/03/2025 - 21:49

‘Now is the time’ to increase pressure on Putin, Zelensky says, calling for more sanctions

13/03/2025 - 21:38

Ex-US ambassador to Moscow says Ukraine right to want security guarantees for truce

13/03/2025 - 21:30

Russia’s Saratov airport temporarily halts operations over drone attack threat

Russia’s Saratov airport has temporarily halted flight arrivals and departures, Russia’s aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said via the Telegram messaging app.

Russian state news agencies, citing the Saratov regional governor, reported the threat of Ukrainian drone attacks.

13/03/2025 - 21:06

NATO chief praises Trump for getting members to spend more on defence

In a meeting at the White House, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised US President Donald Trump for getting members of the alliance to spend more money on their defence.

“I think they want to work together with you in the run-up to the next summit to make sure that we will have a NATO, which is newly invigorated under your leadership,” he said.

“What’s happened the last couple of weeks is really staggering,” he said, referring to the European Commission’s call for €800 billion in new defence spending, and recent commitments from Britain and Germany to surge spending on security in those countries.

The comments come after Trump last week lashed out at members for not meeting a spending target of 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defence. He also raised doubt about US commitment to the mutual defence statute in the NATO’s founding treaty that states an attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all. 

13/03/2025 - 20:53
13/03/2025 - 20:39

Zelensky slams Putin’s ‘very manipulative’ statements on ceasefire

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ambivalent response to a proposed ceasefire.

“We now have all heard from Russia Putin’s very predictable, very manipulative words in response to the idea of a ceasefire,” Zelensky said in his nightly address.

He added that Putin is preparing a rejection of the US ceasefire proposal, but is scared to say this directly to President Donald Trump.

“Russia is setting conditions on a ceasefire in order to delay it, or make it not happen at all.”

13/03/2025 - 20:13

Italy summons Russian envoy after ‘verbal attacks’ against president

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has summoned Russia’s ambassador to Rome after the “umpteenth verbal attack” by Moscow’s diplomatic corps against Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

“Strong condemnation of the umpteenth verbal attack against the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. A man of peace and a symbol of national and European unity,” Tajani wrote on X. “That is why I have decided to summon the Russian ambassador to the Farnesina” building that houses the Italian foreign ministry.

13/03/2025 - 19:32

Replay: Putin raises 'serious questions' on Ukraine truce plan

13/03/2025 - 19:22

Ukraine won't agree to frozen conflict, top official says

Ukraine will not agree to a frozen conflict with Russia, the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said after Kyiv and Washington jointly proposed a 30-day ceasefire in the war.

Speaking on television, Yermak said that Ukraine had agreed with the U.S. that representatives from Europe will definitely take part in the peace process.

13/03/2025 - 18:49

In occupied Ukraine, Russia lays down roots

13/03/2025 - 18:32

‘No shockers’: Key takeaways from Putin’s comments on Ukraine ceasefire

FRANCE 24’s International Affairs Editor Douglas Herbert takes us through some of the key takeaways from Vladimir Putin’s comments on the proposed 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine.

13/03/2025 - 18:16

Ukraine orders evacuation of villages in region bordering Russia’s Kursk

Ukraine has ordered the mandatory evacuation of eight villages near the border with Russia’s Kursk region, where Moscow’s troops recently pushed back Kyiv’s forces.

The Sumy region’s military administration said on Facebook that “a decision was made to conduct a mandatory evacuation of the population from eight settlements” due to “the exacerbation of the operational situation in the region” and “constant shelling by Russia”.

13/03/2025 - 18:06

Trump says willing to talk to Putin about 30-day ceasefire plan

US President Donald Trump says he is willing to talk to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin directly, after the latter said he supports the Washington-proposed ceasefire in principle, but that he wants to discuss the details with the US, “perhaps with Donald Trump”.

“I’d love to meet with him or talk to him. But we have to get it over with fast,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, describing Putin's statement on the truce as "very promising" but "not complete".

"A lot of the details of a final agreement have actually been discussed. Now we're going to see if Russia is there and, if not, it will be a very disappointing moment for the world," Trump said.

13/03/2025 - 17:54

Kyiv recognises it cannot recapture all occupied territory by force, official says

According to a Ukrainian government official, Kyiv has understood it cannot recapture all its occupied territory by military force from Russian troops right now and that its recovery would have to happen diplomatically over time.

The official, who asked not to be named, told reporters at a briefing two days after talks between US and Ukrainian officials on ending the war with Russia that Kyiv would not recognise Moscow’s rights over Ukrainian territory.

13/03/2025 - 17:30

US envoy Witkoff meeting Russia's Putin soon, source says

A meeting between US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to be under way imminently, according to a source briefed on the matter.

Yesterday's key events:

• US President Donald Trump said that “it is up to Russia now” whether the 30-day, Washington-proposed ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine will materialise or not, but said he had received some positive signals.
• Russia has presented the US with a list of demands for a deal to end its war against Ukraine and reset relations with Washington, according to two people familiar with the matter.
• Ukraine’s top army commander said that Kyiv’s troops will continue fighting in Russia’s Kursk region “as long as appropriate and necessary” and added that fighting continued in and around town of Sudzha.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)