Ukraine war briefing: Stray Russian drones ‘hit Moldova and Romania'
In Romania, Russia's envoy was also summoned by Bucharest after radar systems identified an aerial target violating airspace and searchers later found drone fragments, determining that two drones that 'carried explosive charges onboard' were destroyed when they hit the ground. 'These illegal and irresponsible attacks must stop, and Romania reserves the right to take the necessary measures,' Romaina's foreign ministry said in a statement.
There were feelings of anger and betrayal on the streets of central Kyiv after Donald Trump's call with Vladimir Putin, Shaun Walker and Artem Mazhulin write from Kyiv. 'There is no certainty that this war will end for us, because Trump does not perceive us as an equal party in these negotiations,' said Oleksii, 34. Serhii, a 39-year-old soldier, said Trump had been 'Putin's doormat' during his last presidency and although he was sceptical about negotiating with 'this bastard' Putin, 'we do have to negotiate, but on Ukraine's terms'. Roman, 20, said it was 'obvious' for Trump to call Putin and direct contact should have been established earlier. 'I'm glad that the parties have started to find a common language, though I'm afraid at what cost.'
On the Russian side, 'Putin has won the first round' of negotiations, a source in the Russian foreign policy establishment told Pjotr Sauer. 'A direct call with Trump was precisely what Putin had been waiting for.' 'Zelenskyy had repeatedly urged Trump to speak with him first before engaging with Putin. Instead, Trump did the exact opposite,' gloated Sergei Markov, a popular Russian commentator.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, said peace negotiations could not be left to Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin alone, and Ukraine would not accept a deal made that was. He said it was 'unpleasant' that Trump had spoken to Russia before Ukraine.
The EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said that if a deal was made without Ukraine, 'the Ukrainians will resist and we will support them'. Kallas accused Washington of 'appeasement' towards Russia, insisting that no deal 'behind our backs' could work. 'You need the Europeans, you need the Ukrainians,' she said. 'If Ukraine decides to resist, Europe will back its principles. Yes, we are 20% less if the US decides to withdraw, but still, Ukraine will defend the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity. And we are there together.'
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, rejected any 'dictated peace', arguing that 'a Russian victory or a Ukrainian collapse will not lead to peace – on the contrary … This would put peace and stability in Europe at risk, far beyond Ukraine.'
Ukraine appeared to concede on Thursday that it was holding a third of the territory in Russia's western Kursk region that it initially captured during a shock offensive in 2024. 'Today we have our own security zone on the territory of the Russian Federation, along the border of Ukraine, holding about 500 square kilometres [190 square miles],' said Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Gen Oleksandr Syrsky. The figure is down from previous claims of 1,400 sq km.
Kyiv said Moscow attacked Ukraine with 140 drones overnight into Thursday, injuring one person in the Izmail district of the Odesa region. Out of 140 drones, the Ukrainian air force said it shot down 85 while 52 did not reach their targets, probably due to electronic countermeasures.
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Scottish Sun
12 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Influencers arrested after posting TikTok video posing in front of flaming Russian plant after Ukrainian strike
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The Guardian
13 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on an EU army: leadership and unity remain elusive
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Protest held outside Canary Wharf hotel housing asylum seekers
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference.
