Ukraine-Russia warfare newest: Trump says Putin ‘kept his word’ regardless of huge assault on eve of peace talks
US president Donald Trump says Vladimir Putin “kept his word” by halting attacks on major Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure for one week – even though he then unleashed one of the biggest aerial attacks of the war.
Trump refused to criticise Putin despite Russia‘s massive attack on Kyiv early on Tuesday, which included a record number of ballistic missiles.“(The pause) was for Sunday to Sunday,” the US president said, speaking to reporters at the White House yesterday. “It opened up and (Putin) hit them hard… He kept his word on that. One week is a lot — we will take anything,” he said.
On being asked if he was disappointed with Putin, Trump said he wants Putin “to end the war”.
Russia’s major attack came just a day before Ukrainian, Russian and US delegations sit down for a second round of three-way peace talks in Abu Dhabi today.
Volodymyr Zelensky says the attack has changed the approach his team will take to the talks, and accused Moscow of using Trump’s ceasefire request to stockpile munitions rather than prepare for peace.
Kremlin welcomes Fifa chief’s remarks over Russian football ban
The Kremlin has welcomed remarks by Fifa president Gianni Infantino who said Russia’s four-year ban from international soccer tournaments should be lifted after it has “achieved nothing”.
Russian clubs and the national team have been suspended from Fifa and Uefa competitions since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.
Asked about Infantino’s comments, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said they were “very good” and that it had been a mistake to politicise sport.
Peskov said that Russia’s soccer team should now have its rights to compete completely restored.
Putin ‘kept his word’: Trump reacts after Russia resumes strikes
Second round of trilateral peace talks to begin amid recriminations over Kyiv attack
The second round of talks between Ukrainian, Russian and US delegations will begin in Abu Dhabi later today amid tensions over one of Moscow’s biggest air attacks on Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has already confirmed that the work of Ukraine’s negotiating team will be adjusted after Russia’s overnight attack on Ukrainian energy facilities, which involved a record number of ballistic missiles.
“Each such Russian strike confirms that attitudes in Moscow have not changed: they continue to bet on war and the destruction of Ukraine, and they do not take diplomacy seriously. The work of our negotiating team will be adjusted accordingly,” he said on X, but offered no details.
“The Russian army exploited the US proposal to briefly halt strikes not to support diplomacy, but to stockpile missiles and wait until the coldest days of the year, when temperatures across large parts of Ukraine drop below minus 20 deg C,” he said.
The first round of trilateral talks in late January brought no movement on territorial issues, with Moscow demanding Kyiv cede more land in east Ukraine, which it refuses to do.
Kyiv power plant badly damaged, says Ukrainian energy minister
A power plant in Kyiv’s eastern suburbs has been seriously damaged in overnight Russian attacks, prompting officials to redirect resources to restoring heating to thousands of residents, Ukraine’s energy minister Denys Shmyhal said.
Shmyhal, writing on Telegram after a meeting devoted to energy issues, said the plant in Darnytskyi had been used strictly for providing heating for people and was heavily damaged.
He described the problems facing Ukraine’s energy system as serious and said repairs would take “a considerable time.”
“This is a war crime by Russia”.
“Given the critical situation, the meeting discussed urgent ways to stabilise the situation,” he wrote.
“A redistribution is being carried out of repair crews and equipment… and we are considering options for redirecting reserve heating supplies to buildings subject to longer outages,” he said.
Russian army exploited Trump’s ceasefire proposal, says Zelensky
Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of exploiting a US-backed energy truce to stockpile munitions and using them to attack Ukraine with hundreds of drones and a record number of ballistic missiles, a day before peace talks.
“It was a deliberate attack against energy infrastructure, involving a record number of ballistic missiles,” Zelensky wrote on X, a day after saying Moscow had largely observed the moratorium agreed by the two sides on energy facilities.
“The Russian army exploited the US proposal to briefly halt strikes – not to support diplomacy but to stockpile missiles.”
Zelensky said Ukraine was waiting for the US reaction to Russia’s overnight attack that damaged Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, as it was Washington that requested the short-lived ceasefire.
Ukraine to adjust negotiations after Russia’s record missile attack, Zelensky says
The work of Ukraine’s negotiating team will be adjusted after Russia’s overnight attack on Ukrainian energy facilities, which involved a record number of ballistic missiles, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.
“It was a deliberate attack against energy infrastructure, involving a record number of ballistic missiles,” Mr Zelensky said.
“The Russian army exploited the US proposal to briefly halt strikes not to support diplomacy, but to stockpile missiles and wait until the coldest days of the year, when temperatures across large parts of Ukraine drop below -20°C (-4°F).”
The next round of peace talks with Russian and US officials is due to start on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.
Trump says Putin ‘kept his word’ after Kyiv hit by worst attack this year
Donald Trump has said his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin “kept his word” and obeyed his request for a temporary pause on attacks against major Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure.
“(The pause) was for Sunday to Sunday,” the US president said, speaking to reporters at the White House yesterday. “It opened up and (Putin) hit them hard… He kept his word on that. One week is a lot — we will take anything,” he said.
Asked if he was disappointed, Trump replied: “I want him to end the war”.
Trump was responding to a question about Russia’s attack on Ukraine yesterday which knocked out heating in cities, including the capital Kyiv, during freezing temperatures, even as Ukrainian negotiators headed to Abu Dhabi for a second round of US-brokered trilateral talks set for Wednesday and Thursday.
Trump says his new trade deal will help ‘END THE WAR’ in Ukraine
President Donald Trump has said his latest trade deal signed with India will end the war in Ukraine as Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has agreed to stop buying Russian oil.
The US president said that he plans to lower tariff on goods from India to 18 per cent from 25 per cent in a breakthrough deal, months after Washington pressed New Delhi to cut its reliance on cheap Russian crude.
Trump said that India would also start to reduce its import taxes on US goods to zero and buy $500bn worth of American products.
“This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!” Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the tariff reduction on India.
India has taken advantage of reduced Russian oil prices as much of the world has sought to isolate Moscow for its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Kremlin: Expiry of nuclear arms deal would be very bad for global security
We heard earlier from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who discussed the possibility of a nuclear arms deal between Russia and the US expiring this week.
Abandoning limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals of Russia and the US would be very bad for global security, he said.
The New START nuclear treaty between the two countries expires on Thursday.
Peskov said Moscow’s proposal to keep observing the treaty’s limits on missiles, launchers and warheads for another year was still on the table, but the US had yet to respond to it.
Source: independent.co.uk
