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Ukraine-Russia newest: Zelensky prepared to talk with ‘enemy’ Putin as 45,000 Ukrainian troops killed in struggle

Trump demands Ukraine give earth minerals to US as payment for war aid

Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to negotiate the end of the Ukraine war with Russian president Vladimir Putin if it is the only method to bring peace to Ukraine.

“If that is the only set-up in which we can bring peace to the citizens of Ukraine and not lose people, definitely, we will go for this set-up for the meeting,” he told British journalist Piers Morgan yesterday.

“I will not be kind to him. I consider him an enemy. And to be honest, I believe he considers me an enemy as well,” Mr Zelensky said.

This comes shortly after he said Ukraine has lost more than 45,000 soldiers on the battlefield since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Mr Zelensky said that Ukraine has suffered at least 45,100 deaths and a total of 390,000 injured in the war, adding that nearly half of the wounded soldiers later returned to fighting on the war frontlines. Ukraine claims Russia has suffered at least 842,390 casualties in the war, a figure Moscow has not confirmed.

And, Russia has voiced its opposition to Donald Trump’s demands that Ukraine pay for US support with rare minerals.

British medic loses arm and leg in strike in Ukraine

Alexander Butler5 February 2025 08:10

Ukraine’s military shoots down 57 out of 104 drones launched by Russia overnight

The Ukrainian military said that Russia launched 104 drones and two Iskander-M ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight.

Of that number, the Ukrainian air force shot down 57 and 42 drones did not reach their targets likely due to electronic warfare, the military said.

An explosion of a drone is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike amid Russia's attack on Kyiv
An explosion of a drone is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike amid Russia’s attack on Kyiv (Reuters)
Arpan Rai5 February 2025 07:50

Lammy in Kyiv as UK announces £55m to boost Ukraine’s resilience

Foreign secretary David Lammy has announced a £55m package of support aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s resilience, during a visit to Kyiv amid uncertainty about the future of the war.

The UK will commit £17m to support sustainable energy projects within the country, as part of efforts to help it recover from the damage wrought by Russia’s attacks on its key infrastructure.

A further £3m is being provided for deliveries of Ukrainian grain and other food produce to Syria, as it grapples with the upheaval following the collapse of the Assad regime.

Arpan Rai5 February 2025 07:21

Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid could cause nuclear accident, warns UN nuclear chief

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi warned that attacks on Ukraine’s power grid could pose a risk of a nuclear accident by disrupting supply.

He arrived in Kyiv yesterday and inspected an electricity distribution substation.

“I’m at Kyivska electrical substation—an important part of Ukraine’s power grid essential for nuclear safety. A nuclear accident can result from a direct attack on a plant, but also from power supply disruption. @IAEAorg is here to assess impact, support, & help prevent that risk,” he wrote on X.

Mr Grossi posted pictures of him visiting the substation alongside energy minister German Galushchenko, and being shown what appeared to be defences against Russian strikes.

Moscow has regularly bombarded Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including substations, throughout its nearly three-year-old invasion, although it has avoided direct strikes on Ukraine’s nuclear plants.

Arpan Rai5 February 2025 06:55

Inside the operations that took captive North Korean soldiers fighting Ukraine

When Ukrainian soldiers captured two North Korean prisoners of war last month, it provided the first undeniable proof of Pyongyang’s direct involvement in the war against Ukraine.

It also shed some light on the mindset and training of the conscripted North Korean soldiers sent to fight Russia’s war a continent away from their home.

Highly disciplined, ready to die but also very young and with little battlefield experience they elicited curiosity and even some pity from the Ukrainian soldiers who captured them during two separate missions on 9 January.

Arpan Rai5 February 2025 06:44

Photos: UN nuclear chief meets Zelensky in Kyiv

Volodymyr Zelensky and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Mariano Grossi shake hands after their meeting in Kyiv
Volodymyr Zelensky and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Mariano Grossi shake hands after their meeting in Kyiv (Getty)
Volodymyr Zelensky and Rafael Mariano Grossi speak to the press during their meeting in Kyiv
Volodymyr Zelensky and Rafael Mariano Grossi speak to the press during their meeting in Kyiv (Getty)
IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi attends a meeting with Ukraine's president in Kyiv
IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi attends a meeting with Ukraine’s president in Kyiv (Getty)
Arpan Rai5 February 2025 06:14

Mapped: Where are Ukraine’s rare earth mineral resources and why does Trump want them?

He said on Monday he wants “equalisation” from Ukraine for the US’ “close to $300 billion” in support.

“We’re telling Ukraine they have very valuable rare earths,” Mr Trump said. “We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earths and other things.”

The Kremlin jumped on the comments, saying it demonstrated the US is no longer willing to provide free aid to Kyiv, before adding, unsurprisingly, that it was against Mr Trump giving any help to Ukraine whatsoever.

Arpan Rai5 February 2025 05:49

Europe must be present at negotiations to end war, says Zelensky

President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview broadcast yesterday that Ukraine was prepared to proceed along a diplomatic track to end the nearly three-year-old war against Russia.

“If people believe we must move to the diplomatic track, and I believe we are ready to move to the diplomatic track, there must be us, Europe… and Russia,” he said in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan.

Arpan Rai5 February 2025 05:45

Zelensky responds to Putin’s claims to not hold talks with an ‘illegitimate’ president

Volodymyr Zelensky has responded to Vladimir Putin’s claims that his Ukrainian presidency is illegitimate and said that Ukraine cannot hold elections due to Russian invasion.

The Russian president Vladimir Putin has repeatedly dismissed Mr Zelensky as a participant in any talks, saying he had failed to submit to elections when his term in office ended in May 2024.

Ukraine has said no election is legally possible while martial law remains in force. In the interview yesterday, Mr Zelensky rejected the Kremlin’s argument, saying he was elected in 2019 with 73 per cent of the vote.

“I have always been open to elections. But during a war, elections require constitutional changes and serious legal adjustment,” he said.

“The key issue isn’t just legal – it’s human. How will soldiers in trenches vote? What about millions of Ukrainians in occupied territories. Do their voices no longer matter? And what about eight million Ukrainians forced abroad by war?”

Arpan Rai5 February 2025 05:17

Zelensky says ready to speak with ‘enemy’ Putin: ‘I will not be kind to him’

Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to negotiate the end of the Ukraine war with Russian president Vladimir Putin if it is the only method to bring peace to Ukraine.

“If that is the only set-up in which we can bring peace to the citizens of Ukraine and not lose people, definitely, we will go for this set-up for the meeting,” he told British journalist Piers Morgan yesterday.

“We will be speaking with Putin. Even the conversation with Putin is a compromise,” Mr Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian president said his personal stance towards the Russian leader does not matter in the present situation.

“I will not be kind to him. I consider him an enemy. And to be honest, I believe he considers me an enemy as well,” Mr Zelensky said.

Presenting the present battlefield scenario, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine is currently unable to reclaim all its territories and “cannot lose millions of people for the result that is not yet clear will ever happen”.

Arpan Rai5 February 2025 04:13

Source: independent.co.uk