Putin announces ceasefire on 80th anniversary of VE Day

Vladimir Putin has declared a ceasefire for the War in Ukraine between May 8 and 10, as Europe marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

The announcement may be viewed with scepticism by Ukraine, after an Easter ceasefire earlier this month was reportedly broken thousands of times.

According to the Kremlin, the truce will begin at midnight local time on May 8 – 9pm on May 7 in UK time – and last until May 10.

President Putin ordered the full cessation of hostilities on ‘humanitarian grounds’, the Russian government said.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey told MPs last week the Russian leader’s promise of a 30-hour pause in fighting was broken.

He said Defence Intelligence had found ‘no indication that a ceasefire on the frontline was observed over the Easter period’.

In Russia, May 9 is named Victory Day and is typically celebrated with grand shows of military might.

It marks the end of what Russians call the Great Patriotic War, and centres on the significant role played by the Soviet Union in securing the downfall of the Nazi regime.

Large-scale commemorations will also take place across Europe, including the UK, 80 years after the end of the war in Europe.

In his speech to the House of Commons, Healey accused Putin of trying to ‘play for time in negotiations’.

He said: ‘I can confirm Russian military progress is slowing.

‘Putin gained less territory in March then he did in February and less territory in February than he did in January.

‘Ukrainian towns which Russia have been targeting since before Christmas have still not been captured.’

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held impromptu talks in St Peter’s Basilica on Saturday ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis.

Zelensky described the meeting as ‘productive’, and Trump said soon afterwards he was starting to think Putin ‘doesn’t want to stop the war’.

However, Trump also suggested on Sunday he thinks Zelensky may be willing to cede control of Crimea in the south of Ukraine.

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CIA official’s son killed fighting for Putin took childhood rebellion to extreme

How does the son of a top CIA official go from non-binary globetrotting eco-anarchist to cannon fodder in Vladimir Putin’s army?

That’s the question being asked after Michael Gloss, 21, died fighting for Russia in Ukraine, three months after his mother, Juliane Gallina, was appointed a deputy director at the USA’s foreign intelligence service.

Gloss, a former lacrosse player using ‘they/he’ pronouns in his social media profiles, appeared aligned with the eco-friendly ethos of the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine.

‘Michael had a heightened sense of fairness, and saw those in our community who are unseen and unheard — whether they were people, or animals, plants or streams’, his family said in an obituary.

‘He wanted the world to be a better place with more fairness, peace and harmony with nature. In his brief life, he built houses in Honduras, he restored buildings in Türkiye destroyed by earthquakes.’

ACAB, antifa and climate change

At university, Gloss studied the relationship between humans and the environment. He scaled the balcony at a party. He joined a range of protests.

He was even arrested for disrupting a Washing DC baseball game during a protest against climate change in July 2022.

A month earlier, he joined a rally supporting abortion rights. He shared a photo of himself at the protest with the caption: ‘How are you gonna explain to your kids that you did nothing when democracy fell?’

Within two years he would die fighting for a dictator. What happened?

Like many young Americans following the Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality, Gloss adopted an ‘all cops are bastards’ attitude post-2020..

Identifying himself as an anarchist and anti-fascists, Gloss’s social media posts accused the ruling classes of using mainstream media to turn people against each other.

Democrats and Republicans were all alike, Gloss believed, bringing ‘doom no matter whom’.

But the American flag Gloss set on fire in April 2022 didn’t just symbolise rebellion against what he saw as his country’s malign power – it was a rebellion against his own family.

‘He was the ultimate antiestablishment, anti-authority young man the minute he came into the world’, his father, Iraq War veteran Larry Gloss told the Washington Post.

Born into a military family

Gloss’s mother and father both served in the US Navy.

Juliane Gallina, the first woman to be a Naval Academy brigade commander, spent much of her career working in military intelligence.

Since January 2024, she has been the CIA’s Deputy Director for Digital Innovation.

Gloss’s father Larry won a medal for her role in the US-led invasion of Iraq in the 1990s, before heading up a cybersecurity company.

His clients include the US government and other NATO countries.

If the 21-year-old Gloss were still alive, he might say his parents worked for the ‘military industrial complex’.

Falling for Russian propaganda

That was the language he used when he finally started posting about the war in Ukraine on social media in 2023.

First the mentions were subtle. ‘All cops are bastards as far as the eye can see… #abolishNATO #endukrainewar #antifascismo’, Gloss captioned a collection of pictures he took of anti-fascist graffiti in Italy in March 2023.

By this point, Gloss had dropped out of university to travel around Europe. He went to a folk festival in the Balkans, he got a job in a factory in Turkey.

He adopted aliases – like Hamza Ali and Itthobaal – grew his hair long, sported a beard, and started wearing bandanas.

Periodically he would post more pictures of anarchist graffiti. ‘F**K Nazis’, he said while posing next to some on a wall in Istanbul.

But Gloss increasingly had a particular image in mind when he imagined ‘Nazis’.

One of his last posts on Instagram was a meme post showing ‘five examples of successful rebranding’. Four were straightforward logo upgrades for Google, Lego, Starbucks and FedEx.

The fifth showed the swastika flag of Nazi Germany morphing into Nato, a military alliance formed primarily by countries that defeated the Nazis.

‘Zoolenskyy (he is an animal) turned the Ukrainian population into ground meat for military industrial complex money’, Gloss said.

‘Cozied up to war criminals @whitehouse #clusterbombs Simply bcuz western #capitalist #imperialism cannot profit without the ethnic cleansing of a minority people group.’

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has sought to portray Ukraine’s government as captured by Nazis, and his own invasion of Ukraine as a mission to ‘de-nazify’ Ukraine and stop its takeover by Nato.

Putin’s gas-guzzling anti-LGBT+ and anti-abortion brand of masculinity might have stood in stark contrast with Gloss’s own politics, but he appeared to buy the propaganda.

From dressing as ‘Jesus’ to donning fatigues

‘He started thinking about going to Russia’, an acquaintance told iStories, an independent Russian news outlet. ‘He wanted to war with the USA. But I think he was very influenced by the conspiracy theory videos.’

Exactly why Gloss wanted to go to Russia is uncertain. He claimed various things – he wanted to learn Russian through immersion, he wanted to gain Russian citizenship, he wanted to reduce food prices with an environmental project.

Whatever the true reason, Gloss crossed the border from Georgia to Russia in August 2023.

He travelled around the country for a while, raising a Soviet flag over a hut he built himself out for branches at a festival near Moscow.

By September, Gloss had joined the Russian military, serving alongside Chinese and Nepali mercenaries.

By December, he had been sent to the front. By April, his unit was advancing north of Bakhmut. Within days, he was dead.

‘Massive blood loss’ from an artillery barrage was the official cause on his Russian death certificate.

‘It was absolutely news to us that he was involved in any military relationship with Russia’, his father said.

Despite his mother’s role in the CIA, the agency said the circumstance of Gloss’s death is ‘not a national security issue’.

Gloss’s obituary was almost a euphemism, with no mention of how or why he died. It said: ‘With his noble heart and warrior spirit Michael was forging his own hero’s journey when he was tragically killed in Eastern Europe.’

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What happened to the third chair at Trump and Zelensky’s Vatican meeting?

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky sitting opposite one another at the Vatican was one of the most striking images from the Pope’s funeral this weekend.

But intriguingly, it seems the meeting was originally intended to look different.

Footage of the two leaders approaching the simple red chairs shows that there were originally three chairs together — before one was hastily removed just as they came to sit down.

Moments before, Trump had a somewhat awkward encounter with French president Emmanuel Macron.

Many watching the video thought it looked as though Trump was snubbed when he appeared to reach out for a handshake, but his French counterpart wafted his hand through the air instead.

It came after Macron warmly embraced Ukrainian president Zelensky, who is now in his fouth year of defending against a fullscale Russian invasion.

Exactly who the third chair was intended for or why they did not take it is not clear, but in the end Vatican officials dressed in black robes escorted only Trump and Zelensky to sit opposite one another in St Peter’s Basilica.

Images of the two leaders sitting face-to-face were taken as a symbolic win, so it may be that a last minute decision was taken to remove the third chair for this reason.

A lip reader who analysed the interaction took another view, telling The Sun that Trump appeared to have given a ‘warning’ to Macron, saying: ‘You are not in the right here, I need you to do me a favour, you should not be here.’

The meeting appears to have been a success for Ukraine, as immediately following it, Trump issued some of his strongest words against Putin.

The president wrote on Truth Social: ‘There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days.

‘It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through “Banking” or “Secondary Sanctions?”

‘Too many people are dying!!!’

Macron was seen shaking hands with Trump on another occasion later at the funeral of Pope Francis.

He also later shared a photo of him standing alongside Trump, Zelensky and Keir Starmer, captioned ‘Pour la paix’ (for peace).

Relationships between European leaders and Mr Trump have been turbulent since the US president took power again in January.

Their approach to Ukraine has been at odds, with the US pushing for Ukraine to cede Crimea to Russia, as well as more swathes of occupied land, as part of a peace deal.

Zelensky has rejected this, saying that Crimea had been recognised as part of an independent Ukraine for 23 years before the annexation, so accepting it as Russian territory would ‘violate’ his country’s constitution.

He has called for Russian president Vladimir Putin to instead accept an unconditional end to the fighting.

Following the funeral ceremony’s end, the Ukrainian leader said his face-to-face encounter with Mr Trump had been a ‘good meeting’.

It comes after a disastrous press conference from his perspective at the White House, when Vice President JD Vance haranged him over apparently not saying ‘thank you’ for US support.

In a post on social media site X, Zelensky added: ‘We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered.

‘Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out.

‘Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results.’

Mr Zelensky’s spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, said the meeting lasted around 15 minutes.

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Controversial Russian satellite involved in nuclear row is ‘spinning out of control’

A controversial Russian satellite that US officials suspect is linked to nuclear anti-satellite nuclear weapons appears to be ‘spinning uncontrollably’.

It’s thought Cosmos 2553, which Russia launched into space shortly before the country invaded Ukraine in 2022, is no longer functioning.

Believed to be a radar satellite for Russian intelligence as well as a radiation testing platform, Cosmos 2553 last year became the centre of US allegations that Russia has been developing a nuclear weapon capable of destroying entire satellite networks.

This would include Elon Musk’s Starlink internet system used by Ukraine during the war.

Vladimir Putin, however, rejected the accusations and claimed the satellite was for research purposes.

The satellite has had various bouts of what appears to be errant spinning and tumbling over the past year, according to Doppler radar data from space-tracking firm LeoLabs and optical data from Slingshot Aerospace.

‘This observation strongly suggests the satellite is no longer operational,’ the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, said in its annual Space Threat Assessment.

U.S. Space Command, which tracks objects in space and has condemned Russian military satellites in the past, said it was aware of a change in Cosmos 2553’s altitude but declined to provide further assessment on its current state.

U.S. officials suspect that while the satellite itself is not a weapon, it is being used to aid Russia’s development of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon.

Slingshot, whose global telescope network has been tracking the spacecraft since its February 5, 2022, launch, detected movements in May 2024.

‘Slingshot noted that the object’s brightness became variable, indicating a potential tumble,’ a company spokesperson said.

But according to Slingshot’s latest observations, Cosmos 2553 appears to have stabilised, according to Belinda Marchand, the company’s chief science officer.

Russia, a U.S. Space Command spokesperson said, has claimed Cosmos 2553’s mission is to test on-board instruments in a high-radiation environment, ‘but this does not align with its characteristics’.

‘This inconsistency, paired with a demonstrated willingness to target U.S. and allied on-orbit objects, increases the risk of misperception and escalation,’ the spokesperson said.

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Putin ignores Pope Francis’s funeral and launches deadly strikes on Ukraine

Vladimir Putin ignored Donald Trump’s plea to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine by launching more deadly drone strikes on Ukraine during the Pope’s funeral.

The Russian attacks did not pause for Pope Francis’s ceremony, with attacks underway even as the US president reportedly met Zelensky in Rome ahead of the funeral, with at least six regions targeted.

One strike hit a residential building in Kamianske in Dnipropetrovsk region, killing one man and wounding four, including an 11-year-old girl – the latest of evidently deliberate strikes at civilians which terrorised local children.

A resident said: ‘I heard the explosion, ran outside, everything was on fire, many people were screaming. We started to panic and ran to the forest. The children were very scared. Two windows in our house were broken.’

Separately, a video showed a fireball explosion on the outskirts of Dnipro, and Kropyvnytskyi was also hit by drones.

Kharkiv – Ukraine’s second city – was attacked with a boy, 14, wounded from a Shahed drone strike.

Reports said Kyiv region was under siege from drones as Volodymyr Zelensky attended the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, where he was due to speak to other world leaders over a peace agreement.

Putin’s relentless attacks on Ukraine have only fueled suspicions that – despite assurances to Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Friday – he has little intention of reaching a ceasefire and peace.

At the same time, Ukraine was plunged into paralysis by massive terminal failure across the country.

Apple and Google Pay were unavailable, and banking services, including all banking apps, plus private delivery systems, were not working.

Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, said Putin’s attacks showed he was not interested in peace.

‘It is time to respond to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine with renewed American power and provide our ally with the military support it needs to win for freedom,’ he said.

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Trump turns on Putin after extraordinary Vatican sit-down with Zelensky

Donald Trump has expressed doubts over whether Vladimir Putin is ‘tapping me along’ over peace talks after his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican.

A photo released during the funeral of Pope Francis today showed the US and Ukraine presidents chatting on the sidelines after paying their respects inside St Peter’s Basilica.

Zelensky later said the 15-minute sit-down ‘has the potential to become historic’. Trump posted several photos of the tête-à-tête, along with a lengthy post addressing talks to end the war.

The president, who has been pushing Ukraine to accept a deal, wrote on Truth Social: ‘There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days.

‘It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through “Banking” or “Secondary Sanctions?”

‘Too many people are dying!!!’

Following the funeral ceremony’s end, the Ukrainian leader wrote on social media site X: ‘We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered.

‘Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out.

‘Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results.’

Further discussions are also likely to take place while both leaders are in Rome.

Body language expert Judi James spoke to Metro and said the intense political meeting going on in the middle of a historical event had some surprising signs in it.

‘They are sitting hunched, facing each other. It reminded me of two men playing chess, but without the chessboard.

‘Their heads are close, Trump’s got his feet stuffed under his chair and is leaning a bit on his toes – that might be hinting at a more flexible approach.

‘Zelensky’s got his legs displayed. He’s got his feet flat on the floor, which perhaps hence that is being a little bit more stubborn or difficult to move.

‘But it’s the physical closeness of the two of them that it’s quite incredible. This might be how they negotiate behind the scenes at the White House, but we’ve never seen anything one-to-one with this kind of body language before,’ she explained.

Ms James added that the face-to-face positioning could imply conflict – but the closeness of the conversation implies they might be trying to ‘broker a deal’.

She added: ‘It looks a lot more promising than it did when they had the meeting in the White House.

‘I see this looking hopeful because both men are showing such an intense desire to talk to each other intimately.’

Zelensky said he had a ‘good meeting’ with Trump, which he called ‘symbolic’.

The Ukrainian president posted on X: ‘Good meeting. We discussed a lot one-on-one. Hoping for results on everything we covered.

‘Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results.’

The last time the two leaders met, their conversation quickly descended into a shouting match not previously seen on the world stage, before which saw Trump yelling at Zelensky to make a deal with Russia or count the US out.

Noticeably absent from the Pope’s funeral today is Vladimir Putin – his absence is likely due to the International Criminal Court’s warrant for his arrest.

Trump in a Truth Social post afterward began that he had a ‘very meaningful meeting’ and then blasted Zelensky.

‘Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure,’ wrote Trump.

‘It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations.

‘I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.’

But earlier this week, the US suggested they might ‘move on’ from peace talks if progress wasn’t made.

President Donald Trump added: ‘Now, if for some reason, one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say you’re foolish. You are fools, you horrible people.

‘And we’re going to just take a pass. But hopefully, we won’t have to do that.’

Trump previously claimed he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine ‘within 24 hours’.

Trump said last month that he was ‘being a little bit sarcastic’ in his remarks.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance struck a more hopeful tone in Rome a few weeks ago before he spoke with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

‘I won’t prejudge them [negotiations], but we do feel optimistic that we can hopefully bring this war, this very brutal war, to a close.’

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Putin ignores Trump’s ‘Vladimir stop’ demand by launching lethal kamikaze drones

Putin has ignored President Donald Trump’s pleas to stop attacking Ukraine and launched lethal kamikaze drones killing three.

The Russian president used the drones to strike Kharkiv, triggering explosions and fires.

It came as Trump pleaded ‘Vladimir stop’ on Truth Social after the Kremlin launched a deadly attack on Kyiv killing at least 10 people.

Trump wrote: ‘I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing.

‘Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!’

In Pavlohrad overnight, three people were killed, including a child and a woman pensioner aged 76.

Eight more were wounded, with six hospitalised, as an apartment building was hit in the relentless terror strikes evidently aimed at intimidating civilians. 

Another four died and six were wounded in Russian shelling of Donetsk and Kherson regions.

‘In Pavlohrad, according to updated data, two people died,’ said head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, Serhiy Lysak.

‘Six injured people were hospitalised. One patient is in a serious condition….two more people were provided with medical assistance on the spot. Among them is a 15-year-old girl.’

Later it emerged a child had also died in Putin’s terror strike.

The latest bloodshed came hours after Trump issued a rare ‘Stop, Vladimir!’ censure after which the White House leader was asked: ‘You told Putin to stop the attacks – do you think he will listen to you?’

Trump replied: ‘I’m confident.’

His comments came after one of the dealiest attacks since the war began hit Kyiv.

At least 10 people were killed and more than 70 wounded in the missile attacks with apartment blocks and homes hit. 

Six children and a pregnant woman were also rushed to hospital in the deadly assault.

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Donald Trump pleads ‘Vladimir stop’ after Putin’s deadly strikes on Kyiv

President Donald Trump has pleaded ‘Vladimir stop’ after Putin launched an overnight attack on Ukraine killing at least 10.

Nato scrambled warplanes overnight after one of the dealiest attacks since the war began hit Kyiv.

At least 10 people were killed and more than 70 wounded in the missile attacks with apartment blocks and homes hit. 

Six children and a pregnant woman were also rushed to hospital in the deadly assault.

Taking to Truth Social, the US president wrote: ‘I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing.

‘Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!’

Hours before the assault, Donald Trump accused Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky of prolonging the ‘killing field’ by refusing to hand Russia land.

Trump has told Zelensky he is ‘frustrated’ with the speed of peace talks, as the White House demanded Kyiv give up territory as part of a long-sought peace deal to end the three-year war.

Moscow has captured about 20% of Ukraine, including Crimea, which it seized in 2014. Some 4.6 million Ukrainians have fled their homes in the occupied territories and Crimea.

But Zelensky said ceding territory is out of the question, declaring: ‘There is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people.’

Appearing in the House of Commons this morning, Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty described the assault as ‘absolutely horrific’ and a ‘stark reminder of the continued bloodshed and aggression perpetrated by Putin’ while Ukraine continues peace talks.

He added: ‘President Zelensky has shown his commitment to peace, President Putin must now agree to a full and immediate ceasefire without conditions as Ukraine has done.

‘We will not stop in our efforts to work with all the parties to that end.’

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UK bans console controllers being shipped for Putin’s forces to pilot drones

The UK has banned the export of video game controllers to Russia to stop them being used to pilot killer drones in Ukraine.

New measures announced today by the Foreign Office focus on cutting off the Kremlin’s access to British tech as its military continues to batter civilians three years on from the invasion.

This morning, a Russian missile assault on Kyiv left at least ten people dead in one of the worst attacks on the Ukrainian capital since the war began.

Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty told MPs: ‘Today, we have announced new sanctions, including the shocking repurposing of gaming console controllers to kill Ukrainians by Russian.

A social media post from the Foreign Office said controllers made for video game consoles are being used by the Russian army to direct their drones on the front line.

Separate measures would ‘cut Russia’s war machine off from innovative British tech, world-leading software, and close loopholes exploited by Putin’s cronies’, the post said.

The move comes a day after the Kremlin announced sanctions on 15 British MPs and six members of the House of Lords, banning them from entering Russia.

They included long-serving Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael and new Labour MP Johanna Baxter, who has campaigned for the return of Ukrainian children who have been taken from their homes.

Baxter said: ‘The abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia is one of the most heart-wrenching and indefensible crimes of this war, which the world cannot ignore.

‘And sanctioning me, as they just have done, the Russian Government will not silence me.’

Lib Dem defence spokesperson Helen Morgan, who was also banned from Russia, said she would ‘wear this retaliatory sanction as a badge of honour’.

In the House of Commons this morning, Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel said the sanctions showed the parliamentarians are ‘on the right side of history’.

The European Union also banned the export of video game accessories to Russia earlier this year.

US President Donald Trump has claimed a deal to end the war in Ukraine is ‘very close’, but attacked Zelensky in a post on his website Truth Social yesterday.

He said the Ukrainian leader’s comment that he would not recognise the occupation of Crimea ‘will do nothing but prolong the “killing field”’, adding: ‘He has nothing to boast about!’

In the House of Commons this morning, Doughty said: ‘The UK’s position regarding Ukrainian sovereignty is well known, and our position has not changed.

‘We do not recognise Russian sovereignty over any territory, including Crimea, and when, how, and on what terms this war comes to an end can only be decided by negotiations with Ukraine.’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and top negotiator Steve Witkoff abruptly pulled out of Ukraine talks in London on Monday shortly before they were due to take place.

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Nato scrambles warplanes after Putin launches ‘murderous’ strikes across Ukraine

Nato has scrambled warplanes overnight after Russia launched one of its deadliest attacks on Ukraine’s capital since the war began.

At least ten people were killed and more than 70 wounded in the missile attacks on capital city Kyiv, with apartment blocks and homes hit. 

Six children and a pregnant woman were also rushed to hospital in the deadly assault.

Putin’s armed forces also hit Kharkiv, Poltava region, Pavlohrad, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Zhytomyr.

Appearing in the House of Commons this morning, Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty described the assault as ‘absolutely horrific’ and a ‘stark reminder of the continued bloodshed and aggression perpetrated by Putin’ while Ukraine continues peace talks.

He added: ‘President Zelensky has shown his commitment to peace, President Putin must now agree to a full and immediate ceasefire without conditions as Ukraine has done.

‘We will not stop in our efforts to work with all the parties to that end.’

The Polish operational command announced it had scrambled its own and NATO aircraft due to the intensity of the Putin bombardment in Ukraine. 

‘Due to the activity of long-range aviation of the Russian Federation, which is carrying out strikes on targets located, among others, in western Ukraine, the operation of Polish and allied aircraft has commenced in Polish airspace,’ said a statement.

The commander ‘activated all available forces and resources at his disposal’. 

Hours before the assault, Donald Trump accused Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky of prolonging the ‘killing field’ by refusing to hand Russia land.

Trump has told Zelensky he is ‘frustrated’ with the speed of peace talks, as the White House demanded Kyiv give up territory as part of a long-sought peace deal to end the three-year war.

Moscow has captured about 20% of Ukraine, including Crimea, which it seized in 2014. Some 4.6 million Ukrainians have fled their homes in the occupied territories and Crimea.

But Zelensky said ceding territory is out of the question, declaring: ‘There is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people.’

His comment came after American media reports said the Trump administration was ready to accept recognition of annexed land in Crimea.

In a post on his Truth Social network, Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of ‘inflammatory’ comments that he claimed would drag the war out.

‘If he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?’ Trump wrote in the 260-word-long rant.

‘The statement made by Zelensky today will do nothing but prolong the “killing field,” and nobody wants that!’

He added: ‘It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War.’

The Ukrainian leader said accepting Crimea, which had been recognised as part of an independent Ukraine for 23 years before the annexation, as Russian territory would ‘violate’ Ukraine’s constitution.

Vice President JD Vance called on Ukraine to accept the American peace deal today, one that closely aligns with Putin’s wants.

Putin has long said that he would sign a peace agreement in which Ukraine withdraws troops from the four provinces he abruptly annexed in 2022.

The deal says that Ukraine and Russia would ‘freeze’ territorial lines, leaving Russian forces deep inside occupied eastern Ukraine. It would also stop Ukraine from joining NATO.

‘We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process,’ US Vice President JD Vance told reporters in India yesterday.

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