Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky hits back after Trump blames him for holding up peace talks

Volodymyr Zelensky has responded to Donald Trump’s claim that he is preventing an end to the Ukraine war, saying Kyiv will “never be an obstacle to peace”.

The Ukrainian president spoke to Nato secretary general Mark Rutte on Thursday and said they discussed “diplomatic work with America”. And he pointed to Russia’s ongoing “attempt to destroy Ukraine” with missiles and drones as evidence that Putin has no interest in stopping his invasion.

Earlier, Trump was asked why US-led negotiations had not yet resolved Europe’s largest land conflict since the Second World War. He responded: “Zelensky”. He added that Putin “is ready to make a deal” while “Ukraine is less ready to make a deal”.

Ukraine continues to face attacks on its energy infrastructure, as Russia weaponises the bitter cold that grips the country each winter. Zelensky has declared an energy state of emergency, saying more work needs to be done to recover quickly after Russia’s strikes.

The UK on Friday announced it would provide Ukraine with a new £20m package of emergency support for its energy sector.

Zelensky hits back at Trump over peace remark: ‘Not an obstacle’
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine is not an obstacle to peace, pushing back against comments made a day earlier by US president Donald Trump.

“We also talked about diplomatic work with America. Ukraine has never been and will never be an obstacle to peace,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address, referring to a telephone conversation with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte.

In his comments, Zelensky said Russia’s continued attacks on Ukrainian energy sites and other targets demonstrated that Moscow did not want peace.

“It is precisely Russian missiles, Russian ‘Shaheds,’ (drones) and Russia’s attempt to destroy Ukraine that are clear evidence that Russia is not interested in agreements at all,” he said.

Ukraine killed 27 Russian soldiers for every loss in Kupiansk
At least 27 Russian soldiers were killed for each Ukrainian soldier lost in the battle to regain the key city of Kupiansk, a recent intelligence assessment provided to the British military showed.

The kill ratio of 1:27 was given to British officials in a briefing with Ukrainian officials last week. The briefing was to share Kyiv’s ability to win back territory despite Moscow’s “meat grinder” tactics on the battlefield with sheer force of numbers.

As many as 200 Russian soldiers were surrounded by advancing Ukrainians in the battle for the northern city of Kupiansk in Kharkiv before Christmas, a defence source told The Times.

Ukraine last month regained the city and said it controlled nearly 90 per cent of the strategic northeastern town of Kupiansk.

Britain is ‘stepping up on Arctic security’, Yvette Cooper says amid Trump Greenland threats
Britain is intensifying its focus on Arctic security, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said as she tours Scandinavia.

Her visit earlier this week came amid ongoing concerns regarding US threats to annex Greenland, highlighting the strategic importance of the region.

Cooper advocated for enhanced Nato efforts to safeguard the High North from Russian aggression.

During her visit to Finland and Norway on Wednesday, she met with Finnish border guards and British Royal Marines at Norway’s Camp Viking base.

Cooper said the government is “reinforcing our diplomatic and security commitment to the region.”

Ahead of the trip, she said: “Britain is stepping up on Arctic security. With our allies we are working to strengthen Arctic defences and deter any attempts from the likes of Vladimir Putin to threaten our interests and our infrastructure.”