Macron warns proposed peacekeeping force could ‘respond’ if attacked by Russia

President Emmanuel Macron has said European armed forces could ‘respond’ if Russia attacks Ukraine again.

The French leader said the proposed European armed forces, which could be deployed to Ukraine under an eventual peace deal, would lead the response.

His remarks came after speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and before a summit in Paris which will discuss the proposed ‘European’ peacekeeping force.

‘If there was again a generalised aggression against Ukrainian soil, these armies would be under attack and then it’s our usual framework of engagement,’ Macron said.

‘Our soldiers, when they are engaged and deployed, are there to react and respond to the decisions of the commander in chief and, if they are in a conflict situation, to respond to it.’

Macron has been driving coalition-building efforts for a Ukraine force with UK Prime Sir Minister Keir Starmer, but it’s still unclear what aid they are preparing that could contribute towards their goal of a lasting ceasefire.

Macron said the proposed European forces would not be stationed on the front lines in Ukraine, or be ‘engaged on the first day opposite Russian forces’.

‘It’s a pacifist approach,’ he said. ‘The only ones who would, at that moment, trigger a conflict, a bellicose situation, would be the Russians if they decided again to launch an aggression.’

Macron is expecting 31 delegations around the table on Thursday morning at the presidential Elysee Palace – of a coalition to help Ukraine, with one notable exception – the US.

Donald Trump has shown no public enthusiasm for the coalition’s discussions about potentially sending troops into Ukraine after an eventual ceasefire to help make peace stick.

The US president’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has dismissed the idea of a European deployment or even the need for it.

‘It’s a combination of a posture and a pose and a combination of also being simplistic,’ he previously said.

‘Primarily, any contingent consists of combat units, but they are above all intended to control the situation, monitor it, carry out joint training, and also to prevent any desire by Russia to return with renewed waves of aggression,’ Zelensky said.

European officials say that under any peace deal, Ukraine’s first line of defence against any future Russian aggression would be Ukraine’s own army.

But a European coalition dedicated to Ukrainian aid appears to be gaining strength.

Earlier this month, Macron called for a ‘united Europe’ to stand up to Russian aggression by spending billions more on defence.

In a television address, he said the world was entering a ‘new era’ and a ‘global conflict’ was already underway.

He said: ‘Our nuclear deterrent protects us: it’s complete, sovereign, French through and through.

‘But, responding to the historic call of the future German Chancellor, I have decided to open the strategic debate on the protection of our allies on the European continent through our (nuclear) deterrence.’

He said the use of France’s nuclear weapons would remain only in the hands of the French president.

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Putin flexes muscles in missile test hours after Black Sea ceasefire agreement

Vladimir Putin is flexing his muscles in the Sea of Japan just hours after setting conditions for a Black Sea ceasefire with Ukraine.

The drill came only a few hours after Russia set a number of conditions before going ahead with a ceasefire in the Black Sea, amid ongoing tumultuous talks involving the US to try and bring about a longer-term ceasefire.

But in case the world forgot about Russia’s military might, its Ministry of Defence said missiles fired from the Ufa diesel-electric submarine hit its target in the Khabarovsk region, as well as a surface target in the Sea of Japan.

Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, praised the submarine’s crew for the success of the missile launch.

Yesterday’s peace talks in Saudi Arabia, brokered by the White House, concluded when Russia agreed to ‘ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.’

Ukraine’s defence minister Rustem Umerov said Ukraine has also agreed to the ceasefire.

However, among other demands Putin ordered for sanctions to be lifted on Rosselkhozbank and other banks involved in food trade, trade finance operations, and food and fertiliser exporters.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the White House for its help in brokering the deal, but said Russia must now ‘prove’ it is ready to end the war.

He added: ‘How Russia behaves in the coming days will show a lot, if not everything.

‘If there are air alerts again, if there is military activity in the Black Sea again, if there are Russian manipulations and threats again, then new measures will have to be taken – specifically against Moscow.

‘Diplomacy must work. We, on the Ukrainian side, are doing everything we can to achieve this.

‘I want to thank everyone who is helping us. Thank you to America for the fact that our teams are working constructively and effectively.

‘We need results from Russia. We don’t believe them.

‘The world really doesn’t believe Russia. And they must prove that they are ready to end the war and are ready not to lie to the world, not to lie to Trump, not to lie to America.’

Meanwhile US president Donald Trump, who had previously claimed he could end the Russia-Ukraine war in one day, admitted that Putin could be trying to delay a ceasefire.

He told Newsmax: ‘I think that Russia wants to see an end to it, but it could be they’re dragging their feet. I’ve done it over the years.

‘I think Russia would like to see it end and I think Zelensky would like to see it end, at this point.’

The agreement is a sharp turn from earlier this week when Vladimir Putin tried to sink a container ship reportedly carrying a cargo of weapons destined for Ukraine.

Two Iskander-M ballistic missiles were unleashed on a Black Sea port in the southern city of Odesa where the vessel had arrived after making a stop in Turkey. 

Facilities at the three Black Sea ports around the city have been frequent Russian targets in the three-year-long war.

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Ukraine blows up Russia’s high-tech £12,000,000 ‘Musk Busting’ electronic jammer

Ukraine has destroyed a £12 million Russian electronic jamming system used to disrupt Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite signals.

Starlink is vital to Ukrainian forces, who rely on it for internet and connection to the outside world.

Russia’s Zhitel jammer has been used to disrupt Starlink – but with only limited success. Now, a £12 million truck-mounted jammer has been completely destroyed in a pinpoint strike from Ukraine.

Video footage shows a flash as the weapon directly hit the R-330Zh Zhitzel system in an unknown area.

The successful operation was conducted by Ukraine’s Black Forest 15th Separate Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade.

Starlink gives a satellite-based Internet connection with a clear sky view—which is essential to Ukraine’s command posts, drone operators, and fire direction teams.

The Zhitel mobile jammer has also been used to disrupt Ukraine’s drones by transmitting high-powered signals to confuse receivers tuned into Starlink.

In December, the jammer is believed to have confused Ukrainian drones aimed at the Russian city of Kazan.

Instead of hitting their programmed military target, the jamming directed the drones at a high residential tower in the city, causing significant damage.

The 37-floor Azure Skies elite residential tower was seen ablaze after an unmanned plane struck the 399ft building and exploded.

Another tower block – the 23-floor Manhattan residential building in central Kazan – was also hit.

How do Starlink satellites work?

Each Starlink satellite is equipped with four powerful phased array antennas that are capable of an enormous amount of throughput when it comes to radio waves.

Therefore, an internet signal can be communicated up to a satellite and spread out through the network before being fired back down again to any location on Earth.

Delivering internet via satellite is much more efficient because the signal travels 47% faster as a wave through the vacuum of space than it does being channelled along a fibre optic cable buried in the ground.

From an infrastructure perspective, it also means there’s no need to lay vast amounts of cabling across parts of the world.

Current satellites sending internet signals are around 22,236 miles (35,786 km) above the Earth.

This results in a time delay in sending and receiving data. Starlink satellites are smaller and orbit closer, meaning they can carry and triangulate data much faster.

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Ukraine and Russia agree to Black Sea ceasefire deal after Saudi talks

The White House has seemingly brokered a deal between Russia and Ukraine for a ceasefire in the Black Sea.

Peace talks have been ongoing in Saudi Arabia today, and the White House just announced that Russia agreed to ‘ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.’

Ukraine’s defence minister Rustem Umerov said Ukraine has also agreed to the ceasefire.

He added that if Russian military vessels move outside the eastern part of the Black Sea, it would violate the agreement, and allow Ukraine to ‘exercise right to self-defence.’

The Black Sea has been a focal point of the war between Russia and Ukraine, a major shipping corridor on which both Russia and Ukraine have ports and coastlines.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier today that Moscow was up for resuming – ‘in some form, acceptable to everyone’ – a 2022 deal that allowed Ukraine to ship grain through the Black Sea to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where hunger was a growing threat and high food prices had pushed more people into poverty.

The landmark Black Sea grain initiative was brokered by the UN and Turkey in the summer of 2022.

Moscow halted it in July 2023 until its demands to get Russian food and fertiliser to the world were met.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the talks as the early ‘right steps’ toward a peaceful settlement.

‘These are the first steps – not the very first but initial ones – with this presidential administration toward completely ending the war and the possibility of a full ceasefire, as well as steps toward a sustainable and fair peace agreement,’ he said at a news conference.

In a statement today, the White House said: ‘The United States will help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertiliser exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions. 

‘The United States and Russia agreed to develop measures for implementing President Trump’s and President Putin’s agreement to ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine. 

‘The United States and Russia welcome the good offices of third countries with a view toward supporting the implementation of the energy and maritime agreements.’

The agreement is a sharp turn from earlier this week when Vladimir Putin tried to sink a container ship reportedly carrying a cargo of weapons destined for Ukraine.

Two Iskander-M ballistic missiles were unleashed on a Black Sea port in the southern city of Odesa where the vessel had arrived after making a stop in Turkey. 

Facilities at the three Black Sea ports around the city have been frequent Russian targets in the three-year-long war.

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Putin missile onslaught injures 74 including children while peace talks unfolded

Scores of Ukrainians were injured in Russian strikes today in eastern Ukraine as representatives for Vladimir Putin told US negotiators they wanted an ‘end to the war’.

Missiles rained down in Sumy, Ukraine, wounding at least 74 people – including 14 children – as Vladimir Putin’s negotiators were discussing peace with Donald Trump’s representatives in Saudi Arabia.

Children in a shelter were targeted, according to Sumy regional governor Volodymyr Artiukh.

Initial reports said an industrial facility had been targeted but it was civilians – including dozens of children – who were in harm’s way.

It comes as late last night, Ukrainian missile strikes blew up four military helicopters worth £68 million in the Belgorod region of Russia.

Kyiv’s military intelligence agency GUR said two Mi-8 helicopters and a pair of Ka-52s were destroyed.

The four copters were sitting behind enemy lines when they were hit. Ka52s, called Alligators, are attack helicopters while Mi-8 helicopters are used for transporting troops or equipment.

The GUR said in a statement: ‘All helicopters were destroyed by missile strikes in the enemy’s rear.

‘The enemy had created a jumping-off point for aircraft – a camouflaged position for rapid movement of aircraft or for surprise attacks on the Security and Defence Forces of Ukraine.

‘The enemy once again thought that deep in the rear he was unattainable.

‘We once again proved that for the Special Operations Forces, there is nothing unattainable.’

The major attack took place as the Russian negotiating team was expected to meet with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia.

U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for a peace deal to end the 1,124-day conflict.

Negotiations are focusing now on a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea to allow the free flow of shipping.

A deal struck in July 2022 allowed the safe export of nearly 33 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, but Putin withdrew from the agreement in 2023.

Talks could also open a path for Ukrainian children taken by Russia to be returned, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz told CBS ‘Face the Nation’ on Sunday.

They will also look at agreeing ‘the line of control’ between the two countries.

White House national security adviser Mike Waltz told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday described this as ‘verification measures, peacekeeping, freezing the lines where they are.’

The U.S. is being represented by officials Andrew Peek and Michael Anton, while Grigory Karasin and Sergei Beseda are there on behalf of Russia.

Last week Tuesday, Trump and Putin reportedly brokered a deal for Russia to stop striking crucial Ukrainian infrastructure for 30 days – which Putin promptly broke the next morning.

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Putin unleashes mass drone strike on Ukraine, killing 5-year-old

A father and daughter are among three who were killed overnight after Russia launched a devastating drone attack on Ukraine.

Okeksandr and daughter Nikol had just fled their hometown to avoid the Russian army when they were killed in their Kyiv apartment, United24 media reported.

Vladimir Putin unleashed 147 drones across the country, triggering large fires in apartment buildings across the capital Kyiv.

Rescuers found Okeksandr and five-year-old Nikol amongst the rubble in the Holosiivskyi district of the capital following the attack.

Nikol’s mother was hospitalised, with another 9 people also reported injured.

The assault came a day before the warring countries are expected to hold ceasefire negotiations in Saudi Arabia to discuss an end in long-range attacks targeting energy facilities and civilian infrastructure.

Air raid sirens sounded for five hours wave over Kyiv, as drones also targeted the Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa and Donetsk regions.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the barrage as a “massive enemy drone attack” on the Ukrainian capital.

The country’s air force said they managed to stop 122 drones reaching their targets.

The low-flying drones and debris struck apartment buildings and killed three people, including Okeksandr and daughter Nikol.

The family had just moved to Kyiv from their home town in the Zaporizhzhia region, in order to escape the approaching Russian army.

Two residential buildings were ravaged by flames in the district of Dnpiro after being hit by drone debris.

A top-storey fire in one building killed a woman, the State Emergency Service said.

The major attack took place as the Ukrainian negotiating team is expected to meet with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia a day ahead of talks with Russia.

Ukraine is planning to send technical teams to discuss the details of the partial ceasefire.

U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for a peace deal to end the 1,123 day conflict.

Negotiations are focusing now on a partial ceasefire to halt attacks on energy infrastructure.

On Tuesday, Trump and Putin reportedly brokered a deal for Russia to stop striking crucial Ukrainian infrastructure for 30 days – which Putin promptly broke the next morning.

The Kremlin hit energy infrastructure in Slovyansk, a city in the Donetsk region, leaving large swathes of the city of 100,000 people without power.

In response, Russia accused Ukraine of launching air attacks and the Kremlin said it had shot down 57 Ukrainian drones.

Zelensky said Moscow’s refusal to halt all strikes proved the need for increased pressure on Moscow to prevent Putin from prolonging the war.

‘This confirms that we must continue to pressure Russia for the sake of peace,’ he said on Tuesday night.

‘Only a real halt to Russia’s attacks on civilian infrastructure can signal a genuine desire to end this war and bring peace closer.’

Ukraine strikes have continued since then, and dozens of drones were launched into enemy territory last night.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its defence systems show down 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, while a drone strike killed a man in Rostov, Russia.

The Ukrainian president said during a press conference in Finland this week that Russian drones were still deployed and that ‘everything will continue to fly’ until ‘there is an appropriate document laying out a ceasefire deal.

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