Ukraine war live: Russian general killed in car bomb as Trump envoy meets Putin in Moscow for Ukraine peace talks

Kyivs’s mayor, who made headlines this morning suggesting Ukraine may have to give up territory, albeit temporarily, to secure peace, says he “did not say anything new”.
“It is very regrettable that, as we can see, this scenario is quite possible. A lot of world politicians and media are talking about it today,” Vitali Klitschko says on Telegram.
“In the interview, I stressed that the Ukrainian people will not accept Russian occupation of their country.”
He says territorial concessions contradict Ukraine’s national interests, and Ukraine must fight against them “until the very end”.
Klitschko says this will require “extraordinary efforts” from Ukraine and European partners, but doesn’t mention the US.
Image source, Reuters
A resident in a nearby building says she heard “a large bang” when a car bomb, which killed one of Russia’s most senior generals, Yaroslav Moskalik, detonated in Moscow.
The witness named Maria says: “First of all, there was a loud bang. I went to the kitchen to look out of the window, the car was already on fire.
“Everything was cordoned off, then firefighters and police arrived. Also I saw the emergency staff working at scene.”
More now on the Moscow car bomb attack in which a high-ranking Russian officer was killed.
BBC Russia’s senior reporter Olga Ivshina has been telling us more about General Yaroslav Moskalik – he was quite well known and senior enough to be trusted to represent Russia during the so-called Minsk agreements in 2014/2015.
“Within the Russian government and military infrastructure, he was respected and considered as a general with a strong analytical mind,” she says.
He is the 10th Russian general killed after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she adds. Russia has lost generals on the battlefield, close to the fighting, but Ukraine has changed tactics to reach them within the country, she says.
She adds that this is a “fast developing scenario and that investigations have begun”.
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
In Ukraine’s capital, 12 people were killed in a Russian missile strike on a residential area
In Ukraine, spokesperson for State Emergency Services in Kyiv, Pavlo Petrov, says search operations following yesterday’s strikes on the capital have ended.
Russian strikes in Kyiv yesterday killed 12 people, and Petrov adds “fortunately we did not find more dead under the rubble”.
He adds the emergency services will now start “reconstruction works”.
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring
Ukraine has yet again rejected suggestions that for the sake of peace with Russia, it may relinquish some of its territory, give up its ambition of joining Nato and stop receiving military aid from the West.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhy Tykhy says that Ukrainian representatives reconfirmed the following three points during their talks with UK, US and EU representatives held in London last Monday:
“First, Ukraine will never recognise any of its parts as belonging to Russia. Second, Ukraine will never agree to any restrictions on its armed forces, defence capability defence industry or military assistance from its partners. And third, no third country has the right to veto Ukraine’s choices of alliances and unions.”
Tykhy’s remarks at a news conference in Kyiv come after Donald Trump said in an interview that “Crimea will stay with Russia”.
This, and the end to Ukraine’s Nato aspirations and military aid from the West, are among the key conditions put forward by Moscow.
Image source, PA Media
In the UK, a Downing Street spokesperson says all options remain “on the table” in terms of support for Ukraine.
They add that the “advanced coalition of the willing planning is developing at pace”. The coalition of the willing involves the UK, France and other countries stepping up their efforts to bring peace in Ukraine.
The No 10 spokesperson points to training of Ukraine troops, as part of Operation Interflex, as one of the ways the country is being supported.
They add that UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has committed to working closely with the US, but that Downing Street won’t be giving a “running commentary” on the peace talks.
Frank Gardner
Security correspondent
As Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff sits down for his fourth meeting with Vladimir Putin it has become increasingly clear that Europe – and Ukraine itself – have been effectively sidelined.
The Kremlin and the White House believe they can work this one out between them. Russia may have failed, on a catastrophic scale, to achieve its original aim of seizing Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities and replacing the pro-Western government with a pliant pro-Moscow one, similar to that of Belarus.
But three years on, Russia has a Plan B and it is working, thanks to the new man in the White House.
Take advantage of a weakened transatlantic alliance: tick. String along ‘peace negotiations’ enough to paint Ukraine as the obstacle: tick. Dangle the prospect of revived US business in Russia as a reward for a peace deal: tick.
It is worth remembering that on 11 March Ukraine agreed to Washington’s comprehensive 30-day ceasefire plan. No preconditions, no ‘nuances’, no add-ons. Russia did not. But instead, the dial has shifted beyond talk of ceasefires to a full-on ‘peace deal’ that is largely, though not entirely, in Moscow’s favour.
Given how far apart Presidents Trump and Zelensky are now, it might be just as well if they do not meet at tomorrow’s papal funeral in Rome.
Media caption,
Vladimir Putin greets US envoy Steve Witkoff in the Kremlin
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is now meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As soon as we hear the outcome of the talks, so will you.
Image source, The Kremlin
Vladimir Putin is meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff in the Kremlin, Russian media reports, citing spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Traffic was halted as a convoy of cars arrived in central Moscow earlier.
Witkoff’s plane from Florida landed at Vnukovo International Airport in the Russian capital this morning on his fourth trip to Russia since the start of the year.
Putin is expected to continue Ukraine peace talks with Witkoff, who as our Russia editor Steve Rosenberg writes, is no traditional diplomat.
Image source, EPA
As divergent peace plans emerge, Donald Trump has said “Crimea will stay with Russia”, in an interview with Time.
Yesterday, Trump said that he has “nothing to do with Crimea” after meeting Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Instead, he said the contentious issue was “given” to him by former US President Barack Obama.
As a reminder, Crimea is a southern peninsula of Ukraine that was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. Ukraine’s President Zelensky has repeatedly rejected the idea of recognising the region as Russian.
This week, Trump hit out at Zelensky, saying “if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago?”
In the same interview, external the US president put blame on Kyiv for starting the war with Russia, saying: “I think what caused the war to start was when they started talking about joining Nato.”

Why Zelensky can’t and won’t give up Crimea

Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor
We now have a better sense of the plans for halting Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Reuters news agency has just revealed US proposals handed to European officials last week, six days after Steve Witkoff’s trip to Russia on 11 April – and the European/Ukrainian response to those proposals handed to the Americans on Wednesday in London.
There are key differences in the proposals.
The US plan is for the UK-France-led “coalition of the willing” to guarantee security in Ukraine without the US – while the Europeans want the US and others to give “robust” guarantees in the form of a cast-iron Nato-style commitment to come to Ukraine’s aid if it comes under attack.
The counter-proposals do not accept a US promise to bar Ukraine from Nato, preferring to fudge the issue, and do not accept any attempt to restrict European boots on the ground in Ukraine.
Significantly, the Europeans and Ukrainians will only discuss what happens to occupied Ukrainian territory after a ceasefire has come into effect. The US deal offers American legal acceptance of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and de facto recognition of Russian control of other occupied areas, including all of Luhansk.
Another big difference is the US offer to return the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to Ukraine but under US control, while giving electricity to Russia as well as Ukraine. The counter-plan makes no mention of providing power to Russia.
The US proposal from 17 April commits to halting 11 years of sanctions on Russia, while the counter-plan suggests a gradual easing after a sustainable peace.
There is no obvious mention in the Witkoff plan of Ukrainian children held in Russia, but it is central to the European-Ukrainian response.
Image source, Getty Images
The Reuters news agency is reporting it has seen documents outlining two separate peace proposals to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
The first is from the US, and was presented to European and Ukrainian officials by White House envoy Steve Witkoff in Paris on 17 April.
The second is drafted by Europe and Ukraine, and was presented to US officials during talks in London this week.
We’ll bring you more detail on both shortly.
US envoy Steve Witkoff is meeting with the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev in Moscow, Russian news agency Interfax reports.
The RDIF is s Russia’s sovereign wealth fund established in 2011.
We will bring you the latest developments from Witkoff’s visit to Moscow as we get them.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Russian Lt. General Igor Kirillov was assassinated in December last year.
The assassination by car bomb of a Russian general in Moscow is the second attack on a top military officer in four months.
Investigators are at the scene and a criminal case has been opened by Russia’s national investigating authority, says spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko.
She also confirms the explosion of a homemade device rigged with shrapnel placed in General Yaroslav Moskalik’s Volkswagen Golf in Balashikha, just outside Moscow.
In December last year, Ukraine’s security agency acknowledged it was behind the assassination of Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, when a bomb concealed on an electric scooter exploded outside his apartment on his way to work.
Image source, Reuters
If you’re just joining us, here’s what’s been happening today.
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring
Image source, Telegram
General Yaroslav Moskalik is the latest Russian military commander or pro-Kremlin figure believed to have been targeted by Ukrainians inside Russia.
On 17 December 2024, Gen Igor Kirillov, who headed Russia’s Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection troops, died as a bomb hidden in an electric scooter went off outside his apartment block in Moscow.
Just a few days before that, a leading Russian missile scientist, Mikhail Shatsky, was shot dead in a forest near Moscow.
In December 2023, Illya Kyva, formerly a Ukrainian MP with pro-Russian views, was shot dead in a park outside Moscow.
In April 2023, pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed by a bomb hidden in a statue given to him during an event at a cafe in St Petersburg.
As a matter of policy, Ukrainian security services do not officially confirm their involvement in such assassinations, but there is no doubt they would be interested in them.
More now on the Moscow car bomb attack in which Russian General Yaroslav Moskalik, a high-ranking officer, was killed.
It’s not the first time Russian military figures have been attacked since the start of the war but targeted assassinations in Moscow are rare.
In February this year, Armen Sargsyan, the leader of a pro-Russian paramilitary group in eastern Ukraine, died in hospital after an explosion in the entrance hall of a residential building in north-west Moscow.
No-one claimed responsibility for that attack.
In December last year Ukraine’s SBU security service acknowledged it was behind the killing of a high-ranking general outside a residential block in the capital.
Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, head of the Radiation, Biological and Chemical Defence Forces, was killed when a device hidden in a scooter was detonated remotely.
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring
Russia’s Investigative Committee – the main federal investigating authority in the country – confirms that General Yaroslav Moskalik was killed in an explosion in Moscow.
Commenting on the assassination, Russian Investigations Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko says: “A Volkswagen Golf exploded after an improvised explosive device stuffed with pellets went off.”
Image source, Getty Images
Earlier, we brought you comments by Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko, who says Ukraine must be prepared to give up territory if it means securing a peace deal.
But an advisor in Volodymyr Zelensky’s office says that Ukraine’s official position has been made clear – that the first step towards peace should be a wider ceasefire, and that talks are continuing towards that.
“It’s counterproductive,” Serhiy Leshchenko tells the BBC World Service’s Newsday programme. “Other politicians should be united around the president, because only he has this mandate from Ukrainian people.”
Leshchenko also argues that surrendering territory would have significant legal implications.
“Ukraine is a democracy and politicians can make any statement,” he says. “But it is very important for them not to violate the Ukrainian constitution.”
Image source, Getty Images
President Zelensky has returned to Ukraine, cutting short an international trip after 12 people were killed and dozens injured in a Russian attack on Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday.
Zelensky had been in South Africa meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa, hoping to strengthen once-strained relations between the two nations.
He expected to travel for the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican City on Saturday, but changed plans following Russia’s attack, Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne reports.

Page 2

Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring
Multiple Russian sources say General Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the main operational department at the Russian General Staff, has been killed in a car bomb attack in Moscow.
No official confirmation yet.
Russian official news agency Tass quotes security services as confirming that a bomb was the cause of the explosion in Moscow’s eastern suburb of Balashikha.
Moskalik was senior enough to represent Russia’s General Staff in talks with Ukraine in Paris in 2015.
Image source, Reuters
A convoy believed to be carrying special envoy Steve Witkoff has just been spotted driving along the highway leading to Moscow.
We’ll bring you the latest about Witkoff’s expected meeting with Vladimir Putin as we learn more.
Image source, Getty Images
As we’ve mentioned earlier, US envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet Russia’s president today. It will be the fourth such meeting between the pair this year.
Each meeting has taken place in Russia, behind closed doors and without media present:

11 February: Witkoff flew unannounced to Moscow to meet Putin over the release of imprisoned American teacher Marc Fogel. Ukraine was not reported to be a topic of discussion, and Witkoff returned with Fogel to the US the following day
13 March: Following US and Ukrainian talks in Jeddah to adopt a 30-day ceasefire, Witkoff travelled to Moscow to present the proposal to Putin. “The meeting was extremely productive,” said the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev
11 April:Witkoff and Putin spoke for close to five hours in the western Russian city of St Petersburg. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov was also in the room, according to the Kremlin.

Trump says there has been significant progress in peace talks, and that the coming days will be important. “I think we’re getting very close,” he noted yesterday.
Steve Rosenberg
Russia editor
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Witkoff, pictured with Vladimir Putin earlier this month, is highly trusted by President Donald Trump
Speaking about a potential peace deal, Russia’s foreign minister told the BBC’s American news partner CBS News that there are “elements… which need to be fine-tuned”.
Will the “fine-tuning” be done by Steve Witkoff?
President Trump’s special envoy has reportedly arrived in Moscow for more talks with the Kremlin.
Witkoff is no traditional diplomat. He is a billionaire New York real estate developer. But he is highly trusted by Donald Trump.
He is also the man who has had more eye-to-eye contact with Vladimir Putin than any other American in the last couple of months. This will be their fourth meeting.
He comes across as someone well-disposed to Russia and has embraced Kremlin narratives on Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Will he use these talks with President Putin to try to elicit concessions from the Kremlin that may be acceptable to Kyiv (there have been few signs of concessions so far from Moscow) in order to get a deal over the line?
President Trump claims that his administration is “putting a lot of pressure on Russia”. There’s been no obvious sign of that so far.
Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Today’s developments come after a week of mixed messages from the main players in the Ukraine war.
On Monday, Vladimir Putin signalled he was open to talks with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time since the early stages of the war.
Speaking to Russian state TV, Putin said Russia had “always looked positively on any peace initiatives. We hope that representatives of the Kyiv regime will feel the same way”.
However, Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities continued unabated throughout the week with a wave of strikes across the country killing more than a dozen people and leaving many more injured.
President Zelensky described the wave of attacks as “deliberate Russian terror” which could be “stopped by a single order”.
Speaking in South Africa on Thursday Zelensky added: “I don’t see any strong pressure on Russia or any new sanctions packages against Russia’s aggression.”
There have been no direct talks between Russia and Ukraine since the initial weeks after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Read more about the stumbling blocks to peace here.
As we wait for more information on Witkoff’s visit to Moscow, we can bring you more on those comments from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that we posted about earlier.
Lavrov has been speaking to CBS’s Margaret Brennan on the Face the Nation programme, where he says the Kremlin is “ready to reach a deal” with the US on Ukraine.
He is also challenged about this week’s missile strikes on Kyiv which left 12 dead.
Lavrov insists Russia “only target military goals or civilian sites used by the military”.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff’s plane has landed at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow after travelling from Florida, two Russian news agencies are reporting.
Witkoff is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin today to continue talks on a Russia-Ukraine peace deal.
Details of the meeting have yet to be confirmed by either the White House or the Kremlin.
Image source, Getty Images
As we’ve been reporting, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Putin today.
The prospective meeting comes after the US president criticised both Ukraine and Russia. Here’s a quick look at what he has said:

On Wednesday, Trump said Zelensky’s refusal to consider recognising Crimea as Russian territory was “very harmful” to peace talks
In a post on Truth Social, he added that Zelensky’s statement would “do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field,’ and nobody wants that! We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE”
Yesterday, Trump turned his attention to Putin. He said: “Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”

Image source, Getty Images
When Trump wanted someone to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in February to open negotiations for a potential deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war, he didn’t dispatch his secretary of state.
The man he sent to the Kremlin to handle a titanic geopolitical challenge does not even have a diplomatic background.
Steve Witkoff was one of Trump’s first picks for his top team after his presidential election win in November. Trump wrote: “Steve will be an unrelenting voice for PEACE, and make us all proud.”
As a long-time Republican donor, he has known Trump for decades, and, like the president, made his fortune in real estate in both New York and Florida.
Witkoff’s deal-making skills were on display during Trump’s 2024 campaign, when he helped ease tension between Trump and his defeated Republican presidential primary rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
He currently serves as chairman of the University of Miami’s business school real estate advisory board, and was appointed by Trump during his first term to the board of trustees of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
A plane that took off from Florida has entered Russian airspace, multiple local state-run agencies report citing public flight data.
The Bombardier Global 7500 aircraft crossed over the Russian border at 09:40 local time (07:40 BST).
It comes as US envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet Putin today to continue talks on a Russia-Ukraine peace deal.
Image source, CBS
As we continue to report on attacks on Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Russia is “ready to reach a deal” with the US to end the war, although some elements need to be “fine tuned”.
Speaking to BBC’s US partner CBS News, Lavrov adds: “The president of the United States believes, and I think rightly so, that we are moving in the right direction.”
Asked what made it worth killing civilians after Ukraine had said in March that it’s ready for a ceasefire, Lavrov says “we only target military goals or civilian sites used by the military”.
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring
Image source, UKRAINIAN STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE / HANDOUT
Three people including a child and a 76-year-old woman have been killed in a Russian drone attack on the town of Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk region.
Regional governor Serhiy Lysak says 10 people were injured and shares pictures from the scene suggesting a residential apartment block was hit.
Ukraine’s air force says Russia launched 103 drones in overnight attacks, which killed three people.
The fatalities were reported in Pavlohrad, in Ukraine’s eastern Dnipropetrovsk region.
Posting on Telegram, regional governor Serhiy Lysak says: “The aggressor again massively attacked the region with drones… several fires also broke out in Pavlohrad.”
Ukraine’s north-eastern city of Kharkiv also came under attack with its mayor, Ihor Terekhov, saying several private buildings were damaged.
Russia fired no missiles at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine’s air force adds.
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Witkoff and Putin during talks in St Petersburg earlier this month.
White House envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to hold talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow later today to discuss a possible peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
Witkoff, a former real estate developer, has already met Putin three times over the last two months.
Earlier this month, Donald Trump’s special envoy suggested a potential peace deal hinged on the status of five Ukrainian regions.
Witkoff appeared to be referring to Crimea and the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in eastern Ukraine, much of which are under Russian military occupation after Putin launched a full-scale invasion in 2022 with the aim of taking control of the whole country.
Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, says it’s up to Ukraine to decide the terms of any peace deal with Russia.
It comes after US President Donald Trump accused the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, of harming peace negotiations by ruling out recognising Russian control of Crimea.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Starmer says: “It’s Ukraine that must decide on those issues, it’s not for other people to decide on behalf of Ukraine.”
The PM also describes Zelensky as courageous and says he was not to blame for being unable to find a solution to end the war.
Image source, Getty Images
The mayor of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv says the country might have to give up some of its territory, albeit temporarily, in order to secure a peace agreement with Moscow.
It’s the first time a senior Ukrainian official has seriously broached the idea after President Volodymyr Zelensky’s repeated dismissals.
“One of the scenarios is to give up territory,” he tells BBC Radio 4’s Anna Foster. “It’s not fair. But for the peace, temporary peace, maybe it can be a solution.”
Ukraine finds itself under extraordinary pressure from the US and the Kremlin to accept concessions of land and rights to mine its vast mineral deposits.
This week, US Vice-President JD Vance added to that pressure, saying that a peace deal would need to “freeze” territorial lines “close to where they are today”.
But Klitschko admits he doesn’t have a seat at the table that would make such a decision.
“It’s not my function,” he says. “It’s the function of President Zelensky.”
The Kyiv mayor and Zelensky are political opponents. The mayor has repeatedly accused the president and his team of trying to undermine his authority.
Image source, EPA
Good morning and thank you for joining us as we resume our Ukraine coverage.
Yesterday, in a rare criticism of Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump said he was “not happy” with deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv that left 12 dead on Thursday – but he didn’t say if further action might be taken against Russia.
However, efforts to achieve a truce continue, with Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, expected to hold talks with Putin later today.
On the Ukrainian side, concessions are being considered by high-profile politicians.
The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, tells the BBC his country may have to give away territory as part of any peace deal with Russia. He says such a settlement would be unfair, but could be a temporary solution to end the fighting.
Here in the UK, the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, says it’s not for him to say if he would accept a peace deal that defined Crimea as part of Russia.
Stay with us as we follow the day’s events.
Image source, Reuters
Overnight in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, Russian strikes killed at least 12 people and left dozens injured, in the deadliest attack on the capital since last July.
The strikes came hours after US President Trump accused Ukrainian President Zelensky of harming the negotiations and “prolonging the killing field”.
In Ukraine, the strikes left parts of Kyiv flattened – we heard from one resident, Tanya, who says: “Kyiv keeps on living, attacks like these make people stronger.”
Zelensky made a plea for more pressure to be placed on Russia and said “Putin has no fear”.
As the day progressed, world leaders reacted to the attacks. Trump wrote on Truth Social: “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!”
Later on, Trump said the he has his “own deadline” for peace talks, adding that the US is putting a lot of pressure on Russia and Ukraine, but he refused to give specifics.
We’re now pausing our live coverage, for more on this story:
Image source, EPA
Image caption,
It’s been 55 days since the colossal fallout between Zelensky and Trump in the Oval Office
Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko says Kyiv and Washington have made progress on the long-awaited minerals deal, but it will not be finalised this week.
The proposal is thought to be a co-owned cash pot which would receive 50% of the profits from Ukraine’s critical minerals, as well as oil and gas. The money would then be invested in the country’s recovery.
The latest memo on the deal says US and Ukraine “intend to establish a reconstruction investment fund as part of an economic partnership between the two peoples and governments”.
It does not include the promise of a security guarantee from the US, something Zelensky has pushed hard for throughout negotiations
It’s almost two months since President Zelensky first travelled to the US to finalise this deal.

Read more on the ins and outs of the mineral deal

Image source, Reuters
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte says the ball is “clearly” in Russia’s court, after meeting President Trump at the White House.
“There is something on the table now, I think, where the Ukrainians are really playing ball,” Rutte tells reporters.
“And I think the balls are clearly in the Russian court now, he adds.
Before Russia launched its overnight attacks, US President Donald Trump accused Volodymyr Zelensky of harming peace negotiations.

Page 3

Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring
The head of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, a body representing the indigenous population of the annexed Ukrainian region, has rejected suggestions to recognise it as part of Russia.
“Crimean Tatars categorically reject attempts to recognise Crimea as Russian territory, no matter who makes them,” Majlis head Refat Chubarov said.
He also told Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform that any deals on Crimea’s status reached without the involvement or agreement of Ukraine and the Crimean Tatar people would be illegitimate.
Chubarov is currently in New York attending the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Together with thousands of Crimean Tatars, he fled Crimea following its annexation by Russia in 2014.
Dozens of members of the Crimean Tatar community have since been jailed by the Russian authorities, often on dubious charges of extremism seen as Russia’s revenge to the community that has generally opposed the annexation.
In 1944, Stalin deported almost all Crimean Tatars to Central Asia in what Ukraine recognises as an act of genocide. They were only allowed to return home in the late 1980s.
Abdujalil Abdurasulov
Ukraine reporter
As we’ve been reporting, Crimea has been a point of contention in peace talks for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Donald Trump has recently accused Ukraine of failing to defend Crimea in 2014.
It’s true that Ukraine didn’t put up armed resistance to Russian soldiers at the time. But they made that choice because they wanted to avoid a full-scale invasion and the kind of war we’re seeing now.
Russia moved to take Crimea during a power vacuum in Ukraine. President Yanukovich had fled, and law enforcement was demoralised.
At a Security Council meeting in February 2014, acting defence minister Ihor Tenyuh said the Ukrainian army was virtually destroyed by the previous administration and warned against open confrontation with Russian troops.
Council members argued that any use of force would give Moscow an excuse to invade more of Ukraine.
Ukrainian leaders hoped not fighting back might appease Russia, but soon realised this only encouraged the Kremlin to seize more territory.
Because of such painful experience, today Kyiv insists on having “security guarantees” as part of a long-lasting peace deal with Russia.
Media caption,
“My hands are still shaking”: Kyiv resident reacts to attack
Back on the ground in Ukraine now, and the Ukrainecast team have been speaking to Vitalii Pashchenko, a student in Kyiv who got caught up in Russia’s strikes on the Ukrainian capital.
He describes the emotions he felt following the attack, including “a sense of the loss that the entire nation is experiencing on practically a daily basis.”
You can hear the full interview in the latest episode here.
Gary O’Donoghue
Senior North America correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
Donald Trump declined earlier on to say what specific pressure he’s putting on Vladimir Putin in peace negotiations. But, according to reports, the White House is working on a seven-point plan that has already been rejected by President Zelensky.
The plan would require enormous concessions from Ukraine, including on Crimea – which is a huge red line for Kyiv. In fact, the first Trump administration was very clear that Russia illegally annexed Crimea and that shouldn’t have happened.
There are also big concerns around Russia keeping parts of provinces that it’s occupied during the war – which would effectively freeze the frontlines where they are . Again, this is something that would be incredibly hard for Ukrainians to accept.
There are some issues that remain for Moscow too. For example, Russia would not want to hand over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which it currently occupies, to the US. There are also questions around whether the Russians will be happy with Ukraine joining the EU- even if it’s prevented from joining Nato.
These are not small concerns in any negotiation, and even President Trump – despite his optimistic tone today – can’t wish those issues away in a short period of time.
Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claims “Russians used a ballistic missile manufactured in North Korea” in the strike on Kyiv, according to “preliminary information”.
In a post on X, Zelensky says if this is confirmed it will be “further proof of the criminal nature of the alliance between Russia and Pyongyang”.
“They kill people and torment lives together – that is the only meaning behind their cooperation,” he says.
Zelensky says no country “should be left alone to face such threats” and calls for “real pressure on Russia to stop this”.
He says the fact that strikes continue amid international diplomatic efforts shows “Putin is not afraid”.
Tom Bateman
US State Department correspondent
We just got a significant insight into Trump’s thinking there, which supports the notion that the White House has not demanded any meaningful territorial concessions of Putin.
Trump was asked by a reporter what concessions Russian had offered up so far. “Stopping the war,” said Trump.
“Stopping taking the whole country, pretty big concession,” he added.
We already know the White House tends to mirror some Kremlin talking points – and this one felt like it could only be justified as a “concession” based on Putin’s previous false claims that Ukraine has never been a nation or separate state of its own.
This week, the leaked White House proposal for a ceasefire had Moscow keeping virtually all the territory it currently occupies, plus formal US recognition of Russian control of Crimea, with front lines frozen.
In other words, Russia gets to keep a big chunk of Ukraine in return for simply stopping its invasion.
But Trump’s thesis here that “stopping [Russia] taking the whole country” is a concession is false.
In fact, Ukrainian forces, backed with US and European arms, fought back Russian forces in 2022, forcing Putin into a retreat and stopping him taking Kyiv and therefore potentially the whole country early in the invasion.
Image source, Reuters
After a delayed start Trump and Norway’s PM have left the Oval Office, but not without sharing updates on their meeting. Here’s what you need to know:

Trump says the next few days “will be very important” for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia
Norway’s PM praised Trump for his “initiatives to make progress”, and reiterated that “Ukraine is under attack – we must deliver peace”
The president said he is putting “a lot of pressure” on both sides to bring about an end to the war, but did not share specifics, adding “we will get this over with, soon”
Trump admitted his frustration with Putin, but said he doesn’t see Russia’s attack on Kyiv overnight an “obstacle to peace”

Media caption,
US engagement ‘critical’ to end Russia-Ukraine war – Norway PM
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre praises Trump for his role in pushing for an end to the war in Ukraine.
He explains that both parties must now deliver, to bring about a peace deal, while reiterating that “Ukraine is under attack”.
Trump adds that his Norweigan counterpart “wants to see people stop dying more than anything else”.
He also says that the pair found “common ground” during their meeting”.
Media caption,
Trump says he’s ‘putting a lot of pressure’ on Russia for peace deal with Ukraine
Trump says he’s putting a lot of pressure on both Russia and Ukraine to get them to sign a peace deal.
“We are nice people, but we’re using a lot of pressure on both.”
Trump says he doesn’t believe the overnight strikes on Kyiv are an “obstacle to peace”.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that “this war is end-able”, and called the missile attack on Ukraine’s capital “horrible”.
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth join Trump at the news conference
Trump is asked if he stands by his earlier assertions that Ukraine has to give territory to secure pace, including Crimea.
“It depends what territory,” Trump replies, adding: “we’ll do the best we can”.
Trump says Crimea had nothing to do with him, but was “given” by former US President Obama.
He says there was no fighting involved with Crimea, and that it will be difficult to get back.
Image source, Reuters
Earlier, Trump told Putin to “stop!”, calling Russia’s deadly overnight attacks on Kyiv “very bad timing”, and urged the Russian president to “get the peace deal DONE”.
Trump admits that he was frustrated with Putin, saying: “I didn’t like last night… we were in the midst of talking peace and missiles were fired”.
But, Trump refuses to set out what additional sanctions Russia might face, instead preferring to wait a week “to see if we have a deal”.
And, the US president also doubles down on his push for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to reach a deal, adding: “It takes two to tango and you have to have Ukraine want to make a deal too”.
“I have no allegiance to anybody, I have allegiance to saving lives,” Trump says when asked if the meeting with Støre has altered his views.
He repeats claims that the war in Ukraine would not have started if he had been President at the time.
On stopping the war, Trump says the number one reason he wants to broker a peace deal is to stop the deaths on both side. “It’s a killing field,” he adds.
He reiterates his belief that Russia will accept the peace deal: “I think we’re going to get this over with, I hope so. Soon.”
Image source, Reuters
It’s now the turn of Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who says he “salutes” President Trump for his “initiative to make progress” towards a ceasefire.
Støre says the two leaders have exchanged ideas on what he calls a “complex picture which needs political will and push”.
Image source, Reuters
After a delay, we’re now hearing from US President Trump and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre – you can watch and follow along by clicking Watch live at the top of this page.
Trump starts by taking a question on the war in Ukraine, he emphasises again that it’s “very important” the war ends as he discusses the death toll in both Russia and Ukraine.
He adds that meetings are taking place “right now” and says “the next few days are going to be very important”.
Zhanna Bezpiatchuk
Reporting from Kyiv
Image caption,
Lubov, 76, sits in front of her destroyed home
“They are in the morgue”, says a young lady who lost her brother and sister in the Russian attack on Kyiv overnight.
Other young people are waiting for progress in the rescue operations. Their friend is trapped under rubble. The mother of one of the teenagers says they all are good friends.
The scene around is full of devastation, with crying people and tens of heavily damaged residential blocks in the place where just yesterday stood a lively residential area.
“I have to hold on,” 76-year-old Lubov tells me, sitting in front of her destroyed home. She is blind and is trying to find a bottle of water by touch that was laid next to her on the grass.
All flats in the nearby apartment blocks are covered with the thick layers of broken glass. Overnight, people were running barefoot across this glass for safety after Russian missiles hit their area.
Lubov can’t run. Her son Oleksandr carried her through glass and dust.
You can feel and see resilience, pain, and grief. Many believe that their country needs more security aid, more air defence systems and clear recognition of Russia’s responsibility.
We’re still waiting to hear an update from US President Donald Trump and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
The two leaders have been holding a meeting in the Oval Office. We’ll bring you the latest updates as we get them, though it’s not yet clear when that will be.
While we wait, our next post will bring you some more reaction from people in Kyiv, where at least 12 people have been killed following Russia’s overnight strikes.
We’re due to hear from Donald Trump again this evening, and soon.
He’ll be speaking alongside Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre following a meeting between the two leaders in the Oval Office.
Before the meeting, Trump told reporters he has his “own deadline” for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal.
We’ll bring you anything else the US president has to say on Ukraine as it comes. You’ll also be able to follow the news briefing when it gets under way – just hit the Watch live button at the top of this page.
Tom Bateman
US State Department correspondent
Image source, Reuters
This isn’t really an equal blame game bouncing between the two sides from the White House – it’s clear where Trump publicly wants to point the finger for a perceived lack of progress in talks, and that is at President Zelensky.
On Wednesday he accused Zelensky of making “inflammatory statements” in the press, even though the Ukrainian leader was pointing out his country’s long-standing position to never recognise Russia’s illegal invasion of its territory.
He also invoked the line from his February Oval Office attack, calling Zelensky “the man ‘with no cards to play’”.
His spokeswoman then said the Ukrainian leader was “moving in the wrong direction”, with no similar criticism directed at Moscow.
While Trump’s brief focus today turned to Putin, he rarely if ever directly criticises him.
Trump’s message today was a plea; urging Putin to stop firing missiles at Kyiv because it was “bad timing”.
As he tries to cajole the parties to an outcome and says his patience is wearing thin, the US president clearly feels more empowered to berate and humiliate Zelensky – with Ukraine in the much weaker position territorially and in terms of its own arms production.
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Washington
As we reported earlier, Trump said he believes that Putin will listen to him. What the president did not say – and what we do not know – is why.
Trump has repeatedly said he believes Russia “holds all the cards”, whereas Ukraine, in his eyes, have none.
The president’s plea for Putin to “stop” is a remarkably different tone to what we’ve heard from him in the past.
I remember vividly as Trump and a slew of his top officials – including National Security Advisor Mike Waltz – confidently told reporters at the White House that the war could be ended in as short as a few week’s time.
On another occasion, on Air Force One, I asked Trump if he trusted Putin. He similarly replied with “I do”.
That was several weeks ago, but Russian missiles and drones have continued falling on Ukrainian targets.
From the perspective of many observers, it is becomingly increasingly unclear if Trump believes he can convince his Russian counterpart to end the war.

Page 4

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
French President Emmanuel Macron says Ukraine only wants the answer to one question: Does Putin agree to an unconditional ceasefire?
While we wait to hear more from US President Donald Trump and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, here’s a look at how Europe has been reacting to Russia’s latest attacks:
France’s President Emmanuel Macron urged Vladimir Putin to “stop lying” over wanting peace in Ukraine after the overnight strikes.
Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said the attack is “another testament to Putin’s brutality. If he really wanted peace, he could just lay down his weapons”.
Poland’s foreign ministry expressed their “solidarity with Ukraine” and sympathies for the victims.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the strikes are a “real reminder that Russia is the aggressor here”.
EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas added: “The real obstacle is not Ukraine but Russia, whose war aims have not changed.”
Czech Republic’s foreign minister Jan Lipavský claimed “it is Russia that does not want a deal. And those who do not want peace will only understand force”.
Latvia’s foreign minister Baiba Braže said: “Russia needs to be forced into peace, while Ukraine’s self defence has to be strengthened.”

As we reported earlier, US President Donald Trump also condemned Moscow for the strikes in the Ukrainian capital, saying it was “bad timing” and that he is “not happy”

Media caption,
Watch: Trump says he has his ‘own deadline’ for Ukraine talks
We’ve just been hearing from President Trump ahead of a meeting with Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, where the president says he has his “own deadline” for a Ukraine peace deal.
Trump was asked whether he thinks President Putin will listen to him, after he earlier condemned Russia’s overnight attack on Ukraine.
“I do, yeah,” Trump replies.
The US president adds that he needs to get both Putin and Zelensky to the discussion table but says “they both want peace”.
Yesterday, Trump accused Zelensky of harming peace talks by not recognising Russian control of Crimea.
Trump adds there is a lot of “hatred, bad blood and disgust” between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump and Støre will hold a news conference following their meeting, we’ll bring you any key developments as they happen.
Image source, Getty Images
In London, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have met to discuss energy security.
Here are the key lines:

“Every family and every business across the UK has paid the price for Russia weaponising energy,” Starmer says
The PM emphasises that “Europe must never again be in a position where Russia thinks they can blackmail us on energy”
He stresses sanctions on Putin’s energy revenue should continue until the Russian leader agrees to a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine
Following this, von der Leyen promises that in two weeks the European Commission will present a “roadmap with concrete measures to phase out all imports of Russian fossil fuels”
“Europe has to step up its defence expenditure”, von der Leyen adds

For context: The European Commission has pledged to quit Russian fossil fuels by 2027 in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022
Sherie Ryder
BBC News
We on the verification team have been looking at images and footage from the aftermath of Russia’s overnight strikes on Ukraine, pinpointing various locations and looking at the scale of the damage.
We know that the heaviest strike was on a residential block in the western district of Svyatoshynskyi.
Through identification of an eye-catching mural featuring bumblebees (see below), which appeared in various pictures, we were able to find before and after images of an area that was hit.
Those are here:
Image source, Google Maps
Image source, Telegram
Image caption,
Deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv caused damage to this building in the western district of Svyatoshynskyi -BBC’s Verify team took a closer look
Earlier, our team on the ground spoke to a woman who lives across from a building that collapsed after the strikes – she said they were a “crime against civilians” and accused the Western world of remaining “silent”.
Images of other buildings showed that some rooves had collapsed, windows had smashed and debris had fallen to the ground.
Gabriela Pomeroy
Live reporter
Image source, Tanya Usova
Image caption,
Tanya says she feels “numb” after living through three years of attacks on her city
I’ve been talking to Tanya Usova, a 29-year-old translator living in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.
“I heard the air defence downing the drones last night – it was louder and longer than usual,” she says. Her friend’s windows were smashed in the missile attacks but her own home wasn’t affected.
A drone attack “happens every day” in Kyiv and in her neighbourhood she says.
Tanya has lived in the Ukrainian capital throughout the war and says “I personally don’t feel scared anymore”.
“I guess it is some defence mechanism in my body that numbs the reactions.”
“The city keeps on living,” Tanya says. “Life doesn’t stop after attacks like this.”
But she says its a regular habit now that “people check if their loved ones are alive in the morning and then they go to work.”
Tanya says attacks like the ones last night “make people stronger” and more united.
“Chaos and depression is not an option for us.”
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
People sleep in a metro station during last night’s Russian missile strike on Kyiv
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring
Rescuers in Kyiv have recovered two more bodies, raising the death toll to 12, Ukraine’s interior ministry says.
The initial number of deaths was estimated to be nine, which was then reduced to eight. Since then it’s risen twice to 10 and now 12.
We’ll continue to bring you updates on this when we get them.
Nomia Iqbal
North America correspondent
President Trump’s big promise was “for Russia and Ukraine to make peace on day one” – and as 100 days of his presidency approaches, it’s safe to say he is very much behind schedule.
Trump appears to blame President Zelensky a lot for this but his anger at Vladimir Putin is a notable, as well as a rare, moment. The US President has always suggested that the Russian leader wants to get a deal done more than Ukraine.
It was only yesterday when Trump was fuming at Zelensky and threatened to abandon peace talks if Ukraine didn’t accept a US plan that mainly favours Russia.
But now his anger has switched.
There’s enough leverage that the US has over Russia. It could further enforce the existing sanctions, impose additional tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, and increase its military aid to Ukraine.
So far President Trump hasn’t done any of that.
Image source, Reuters
US President Trump says he was “not happy” about Russia’s overnight strikes on Ukraine that have killed at least 10 people in Kyiv.
“Vladimir, STOP…let’s get the Peace Deal DONE,” he said in a post on Truth Social.
Russia’s latest attack is the deadliest on Ukraine’s capital since 8 July last year, as images of Kyiv showed people covered in blood and damaged residential buildings.
Trump accused Zelensky of harming peace talks by not recognising Russian control of Crimea – a point of contention in bringing an end to the conflict.
The Russian defence ministry claimed the deadly overnight strikes targeted Ukraine’s military infrastructure, adding their aim had been “achieved”.
At a news conference in South Africa earlier, Zelensky said more pressure needs to be put on Russia as he had to cut the trip short owing to the overnight strikes on his country.
Image source, EPA
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring
Ukraine’s interior ministry says that the toll from last night’s attack on Kyiv has risen to 10 dead and 90 injured after a body has been retrieved from the rubble.
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Washington
In the last few days at the White House, Trump’s team had made clear that the President sees the continuation of the conflict as largely Zelensky’s fault.
“The President is frustrated. His patience is running very thin,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters outside the Oval Office on Wednesday.
“He wants to see the killing stopped. You need both sides of the war willing to do that. And unfortunately, President Zelensky seems to be moving in the wrong direction.”
Today’s post, it seems, is a reversal.
Leavitt offered only a brief glimpse at Trump’s strategy on Wednesday, saying – not for the first time – that the President believes that “both sides have to walk away a little bit unhappy”.
In Ukraine’s case, it’s increasingly evident that the Trump team believes that Kyiv will likely never recover the territories it has lost so far.
What is far less clear is what Russia, which Trump has repeatedly said holds “all the cards”, is expected to give up in the negotiation – or what pressure the Trump team can apply.
Frank Gardner
Security correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
This is not the first time that President Trump has issued a verbal warning to President Putin. He previously threatened secondary sanctions in his rush to secure an end to the war in Ukraine.
Yet the prevailing wind that comes from the White House blows in Moscow’s favour. The Trump administration’s apparent eagerness to blame Ukraine more than Russia for both causing and prolonging the war could have some dangerous consequences for Kyiv.
If the US walks away from peace talks then it is highly likely it will curtail or even cut off military aid and intelligence. Ukraine will fight on, with help from its allies in Europe, but now with one hand tied behind its back.
And things could get worse still for Kyiv. Trump wants a deal with Putin. He wants sanctions on Russia lifted and to see US companies back in Moscow and doing business. Far from starving the Kremlin’s war machine, this would help empower it to redouble its assaults on Ukraine.
All is not yet lost though. Team Trump would still prefer to see this war stop than admit that their efforts have ended in failure. Ukraine wants it to end, the US wants it to end, but the big unknown is whether that’s also true of Vladimir Putin.
Image source, Reuters
As we reported earlier, Donald Trump sent an early-morning message to Vladimir Putin.
Writing on his Truth Social account at just before 08:30 local time in Washington DC, Trump said the deadly strikes on Kyiv were “not necessary, and very bad timing”.
“Vladimir, STOP!” he concluded. “5000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the Peace Deal DONE.”
The blunt message comes just hours after Trump criticised the Ukrainian president on the same platform.
“He [Zelensky] can have peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country,” Trump wrote on Wednesday, adding that Zelensky was the “man with no cards to play”.
Trump’s message to Putin is a relatively rare condemnation of the near-daily Russian strikes on Ukraine – and a sign of his frustration.
The US president promised to resolve the Ukraine war on “day one” of his presidency, and the 100th day comes later this month.
As the deadly overnight strikes on Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine show, there is no end to the war in sight.
Cachella Smith
Live reporter
Let’s turn our attention back to Crimea now, which has been a point of contention in peace talks for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The peninsula stretches out from the south of Ukraine, between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, and is separated from Russia to the east by the narrow Kerch Strait.
Crimea was given to Ukraine, in 1954, by the so-called presidium of the Supreme Soviet. When Ukraine became independent in 1991, Russian President Boris Yeltsin agreed that Crimea could remain in Ukraine and that Russia would retain a major naval base there.
A 2001 census showed that the population was made up of 58% Russians.
In 2014, Russian troops seized Crimea and illegally annexed it. The UN Charter, however, sets out that borders cannot be changed by using force. Internationally, it is still considered part of Ukraine.
Within Ukraine, Crimea has the status of an autonomous republic, giving local authorities more say on certain domestic issues – but not defence or foreign policy. Zelensky has repeatedly rejected the idea of recognising it as Russian. “There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution,” he said previously.
On Wednesday, Trump criticised this stance, saying it was “very harmful” to peace talks. “Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago?” Trump wrote on social media.
“The statement made by Zelenskyy today will do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field’ and nobody wants that! We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE,” Trump continued.
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring
As we’ve been reporting, overnight Russian attacks on Ukraine have killed at least eight people in Kyiv.
The Russian defence ministry claims those strikes targeted “aviation, rocket and space, machine-building and tank industry companies in Ukraine, companies producing rocket fuel and gunpowder”.
“The targets of the strike have been achieved. All of the facilities have been struck,” the defence ministry says in a statement.
Following Keir Starmer’s comments outlined in our earlier post, Downing Street has set out its position on Crimea – a southern peninsula in Ukraine illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
This comes after Donald Trump appears to have criticised Zelensky for refusing to recognise Russian control of Crimea during peace talks.
In a briefing, Number 10 says it “will not change” its position on the territory unless Ukraine’s government also changes its stance.
“For as long as the talks last we are completely committed to reaching peace. Our position on Ukrainian sovereignty has not changed,” the PM’s spokesperson says.
We can bring you the latest from US President Donald Trump who has condemned the strikes in Kyiv.
Posting on his Truth Social account, he writes: “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!”
Image source, PA Media
We’ve just heard from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who says last night’s strikes on Kyiv are a “real reminder that Russia is the aggressor here”.
He adds that the attacks – which have so far injured at least 77 – show “why it is important to get Russia to an unconditional ceasefire”.
Starmer’s comments come a day after diplomats met in London to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Following the talks he says: “We’re making progress towards a ceasefire, it’s got to be a lasting ceasefire.”
Mayeni Jones
Reporting from Pretoria, South Africa
Image source, Reuters
There was some hope before today’s meeting that South Africa would extend a symbolic gesture to Ukraine, like inviting it to the G20 summit later this year, which South Africa is hosting.
Some analysts believed it would be a sign of further rapprochement between the two countries, but that invitation never came.
The fact that Zelensky is on South African soil may be seen by some to be a good enough sign of thawing relations between the two countries, given South Africa and other African nations have refused to take sides in the war.
Instead, President Ramaphosa reiterated his country’s commitment to speaking to all parties in the conflict and its expertise in negotiating settlements, following the end of the apartheid regime. Ramaphosa also wouldn’t be drawn on whether Ukraine should secede territory to Russia.
He also claimed a call he had with President Trump yesterday wasn’t tied to Zelensky’s visit, adding that the call had been months in the planning.
For his part, Zelensky was also unwilling to depart from his red lines, reiterating that there could be no talk of compromise without a complete ceasefire, and that the fact that Ukraine was willing to sit at the negotiating table when it was Russia that started the war, was compromise enough.
On Washington’s involvement in securing a peace deal, Ramaphosa says that the US, as well as other countries like China, Brazil and those on the African continent, all have an important role to play.
“We would urge every one to continue playing a role as peace is important,” he says and with that the press briefing ends.
We’ll bring you a recap soon so stick with us.
Image source, Reuters
Ramaphosa next responds to a question on whether Ukraine should be prepared concede territory.
He responds that that is something that amounts to a “precondition” and adds that Ukraine’s commitment to an unconditional ceasefire sets a “positive tone”.
Once a ceasefire is in place “everything can be discussed”.

Page 5

After their speeches, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa are asked by journalists about the role of the US in peace negotiations.
A South African reporter asks both of them whether they think a ceasefire is possible.
In response, Ramaphosa says the US, Europe and the African continent would be willing and prepared to play a productive role.
“We are involved in ensuring that there is a peace process that is effective between the two countries,” he says.
Zelensky says that he hopes the US can be a guarantor of a ceasefire, adding that he doesn’t want to see “another frozen conflict”.
Image source, Reuters
The Ukrainian president continues, saying that more pressure needs to be put on Russia in order to move towards a ceasefire.
He says: “I don’t see much pressure on Russia or any new strong sanctions packages against the Russian aggression – for now.
“We’re very hopeful – and this is not an accusation – we’re saying this very directly and without any emotions: we believe that if more pressure is applied to Russia, we’ll be able to make our positions closer.”
As to any compromises, he reiterates that Ukraine was “attacked” by Russia, with tens of thousands of people killed since the full-scale war began in February 2022.
He says that the fact they are still willing to sit at the table to negotiate with Moscow after everything that has happened is itself a compromise.
He further underscores that a ceasefire is “only the first step”.
In translated comments, Zelensky tells reporters gathered in Pretoria, South Africa, that Russia didn’t stop firing during the Easter pause, but Ukraine did follow through.
For context: Ukraine and Russia have both accused each other of breaching a 30-hour “Easter truce” announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, which has now expired.
He says Ukraine is ready to sign the memorandum on a mineral deal with the US, and insists that Ukraine is doing whatever its partners have suggested.
Everything apart from the things that are against our legislation, he notes.
As a reminder, President Donald Trump criticised Zelensky for saying Ukraine would not recognise Russian control of Crimea – something Zelensky has said goes against Kyiv’s constitution.
We are fighting for our independence, Zelensky adds. “This is our survival.”
Image source, Reuters
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring
Zelensky begins his address in South Africa by acknowledging the deadly attack that Russia carried out on Kyiv overnight.
“Last night’s attack was undoubtedly one of the most difficult and impudent,” he says.
The Ukrainian leader goes on to discuss the meeting between Ukrainian, US, UK and European officials in London yesterday, which he says was “difficult but constructive”.
“It resulted not in differences but a desire to continue working nonetheless,” he says.
Zelensky continues: “I’m sure Russia was hoping for a huge row yesterday. Russia doesn’t like the alliance around Ukraine, because Ukraine would be an easier target without it.”
Image source, Getty
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has just begun speaking to reporters in Ukrainian.
We’ll bring you the key lines in our next few posts.
Ramaphosa reiterates that he spoke to US President Donald Trump this morning to discuss the peace process in Ukraine (more on that here).
Both leaders have agreed that the war should end as soon as possible, Ramaphosa says.
The two men will meet soon to discuss various aspects of the relations between the US and South Africa, he adds.
Ramaphosa also says he spoke to Vladimir Putin earlier this week, and says the two men “agreed to work together on a peaceful resolution to the conflict”.
Before concluding his remarks, Ramaphosa says that today’s meeting has “reaffirmed” the bonds between South Africa and Ukraine.
Image source, Reuters
Our engagement today was an opportunity to discuss our shared interest in advancing peace, security and stability in Ukraine and across the world, Cyril Ramaphosa continues.
The South African president says that he is deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the continuing loss of civilian lives.
South Africa believes the only path to peace is through diplomacy, he adds.
Image source, Reuters
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa begins the joint press conference by saying it is an “honour” to receive President Zelensky today in Pretoria.
He says the Ukrainian president has always “expressed a desire” to come to South Africa and adds that this particular visit “reflects our shared commitment to enhancing bilateral relations between two countries”.
Ramaphosa also calls today “historic”, reflecting that it’s the first time in 33 years that the head of state of Ukraine has visited South Africa.
He adds that South Africa has taken part in various talks around peace in Ukraine and is backing a comprehensive ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa have now begun addressing journalists in Pretoria, South Africa.
We’ll bring you the key lines from what they say, but you can also follow along by pressing watch live at the top of this page.
Image source, Getty Images
Farouk Chothia
BBC News
Image source, Reuters
As we wait to hear from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky during his historic visit to South Africa, it’s worth remembering that this visit signals a dramatic improvement in the once-strained relations between the two nations.
The visit marks a diplomatic breakthrough for the Ukrainian leader in his efforts to counter Russia’s strong – and growing – influence in Africa.
Apart from a brief stopover in Cape Verde in 2023 while flying to Argentina, this is Zelensky’s first visit to Africa since he became Ukraine’s president in 2019.
Ukraine grasped the diplomatic significance of African states, when many of them – including regional powerhouse South Africa – refused to condemn Russia’s full-scale invasion of its territory in 2022.
Zelensky’s visit to South Africa at this point is especially significant, as Ukraine’s relationship with the US – its main weapons supplier – has soured since US President Donald Trump took office in January.
For South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, the visit is equally significant, as his country, too, is under intense pressure from the Trump administration.
Ramaphosa sees Zelensky’s visit as an attempt to boost his credentials as a peacemaker, saying their talks will focus on efforts to find “a path to peace”.

What will Trump think about Ukraine and South Africa’s meeting?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramphosa are now meeting in Pretoria.
We’re expecting the pair of leaders to hold a joint press briefing afterwards, which will start shortly.
We’ll bring you live updates on this page as soon as we hear from them, and you’ll also be able to follow along by clicking watch live at the top of this page.
Image source, Reuters
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring
As we wait to hear from Zelensky and Ramaphosa in Pretoria, let’s briefly turn our attention back to Ukraine where we’ve just received an update from the interior minister.
Ukraine’s interior minister says the death toll from the overnight Russian attack on Kyiv has now been revised down to eight, as the ninth fatality is now believed to be body parts from other victims.
According to Ihor Klymenko, more than 70 people have been injured, 44 of them taken to hospital.
Media caption,
Trump says it’s been ‘hard’ to get a deal with Zelensky to end war with Russia
As we’ve just heard, Donald Trump and his South African counterpart held a call earlier about the peace process in Ukraine.
But what has the US president said lately about the effort to end the war?
Yesterday, he took to his Truth Social to accuse Volodymyr Zelensky of harming peace negotiations, after the Ukrainian president said Kyiv would not recognise Russian control of Crimea.
Trump claimed, external a deal to end the war was “very close”, but that Zelensky’s refusal to accept US terms “will do nothing but prolong” the “killing field”.
“Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago?” he wrote.
Earlier that day, US Vice-President JD Vance laid out the US vision for a deal, saying it would “freeze the territorial lines […] close to where they are today”, adding that Ukraine and Russia would both have to “give up some of the territory they currently own”.
The US administration has yet to specify what geographic concessions would have to be made.
However, Ukraine has long said it will not give up Crimea, a southern peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, saying it’s “against our constitution”.
Mayeni Jones
Reporting from Pretoria
Image source, EPA
Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Volodymyr Zelensky are now meeting in Pretoria as the Ukrainian leader announced he would have to cut his visit to South Africa short, following Russian missile strikes in Kyiv overnight.
The two leaders greeted each other with a pat on the back followed by a handshake.
They are now in a private meeting. A press briefing scheduled for 12:15 BST could now take place as early as 11:00 BST.
A planned lecture by the Ukrainian president at the University of Pretoria as well as a visit to Freedom Park, which has a war memorial, have now been cancelled.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Zelensky are now meeting in Pretoria. But not long before the pair met, the South African president confirmed that he had spoken to US President Donald Trump recently about the peace process in Ukraine.
In a post on X, Ramaphosa, external said he and Trump “both agreed that the war should be brought to an end as soon as possible”.
He says the two men will soon meet to address “the need to foster good relations between our two countries”.
For context: US-South Africa relations have deteriorated sharply , externalsince Trump returned to power in mid-January. Trump has cut all aid to the country and says that members of South Africa’s white, Afrikaner community would be granted refugee status in the US because of the persecution he says they face at home.
Image source, The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa
We’re now getting some of the first images of South African President Ramaphosa greeting Ukrainian President Zelensky in Pretoria.
The pair of leaders are expected to meet, and then we’ll be hearing from them at a press briefing at 12:00 local time (11:00 BST).
We’ll bring you more updates as we get them – stick with us.
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring
Russia is accusing Kyiv of “disrupting” the pause in attacks on energy infrastructure and the Easter ceasefire which, the foreign minister says, were declared by Moscow.
This demonstrated “that Zelensky is totally unable to keep agreements”, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova says.
She goes on to describe Ukrainian forces as “militarised gangs of neo-Nazis and mercenaries who do not apparently realise who they are serving”.
For context: Ukraine and Russia have both accused each other of breaching a 30-hour “Easter truce” announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, which has now expired.
Kostas Kallergis
Reporting from Kyiv
Lilya Yedamenko, 52, lives across from a building that collapsed as a result of a strike in Kyiv last night.
She tells the BBC she is “angry” at what is happening.
“These kinds of crimes against civilians are being committed with [the] silent consent of the Western world,” she says.
“My message to the West is that we are all living on the same planet, we are all connected politically and energetically and tolerating crimes like those Russia does against civilians in Ukraine will affect the whole humanity.”
Jon Donnison
Reporting from Kyiv
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Damaged residential buildings following a Russian missile attack in Kyiv
I’m just outside the centre of Kyiv in a big residential neighbourhood.
Last night, at around 01:30 local time (23:30 BST), I was woken up by the sound of loud explosions. There was a lot of anti-aircraft fire as the Ukrainians tried to take out some of the drones and missiles. Sirens went off and people were running towards shelters.
In front of me now, I can see an apartment block that appears to have been completely flattened. All the surrounding buildings have had their windows blown out and balconies ripped down. There’s a lot of damage.
We think it’s here that the nine people were killed. There are a lot of emergency services still searching through the rubble (as you can see in our last post) where they think people are possibly buried underneath.
I spoke to a woman whose apartment was badly damaged. She’s fled twice from her hometown in the east of Ukraine, an area that is now occupied by Russia.
I asked her if she thinks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should give up those territories to get a peace deal done. She was pretty adamant and said, no, this is “against our constitution”.
Last night’s attack looks like it could be the deadliest on the capital since last July, and it comes as diplomatic efforts grind on to try to get some sort of ceasefire deal.
This is what it looks like when a Russian missile hits a residential building, in the middle of the night as people sleep in their beds.
We’re continuing to get pictures of the aftermath of last night’s attack on Kyiv, which includes a residential building that was hit in the city centre.
Neighbours look shocked, many are hugging. Rescue workers are trying to help people out of the rubble, often lifting them out of windows.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images

Page 6

Image source, Reuters

Before Russia launched its overnight attacks, US President Donald Trump accused Volodymyr Zelensky of harming peace negotiations.

After the Ukrainian president said Kyiv would not recognise Russian control of Crimea, Trump said the condition was “very harmful” to peace talks.

“Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago?” Trump wrote.

Trump added: “I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever.

“The statement made by Zelenskyy today will do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field,’ and nobody wants that! We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE.”

When asked by reporters at the White House about whether the administration was looking to recognise Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea, Trump said he just wanted to see the war end.

He also said in the Oval Office on Wednesday evening that he found it easier to deal with Russia compared to Ukraine.

Earlier, US Vice-President JD Vance laid out the US vision for a deal, saying it would “freeze the territorial lines […] close to where they are today”, adding that Ukraine and Russia would both have to “give up some of the territory they currently own”.

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