Donald Trump will invite Volodymyr Zelensky back to the White House after Ukraine agreed to a proposed ceasefire with Russia.
Mr Trump said he expects to speak to Russian leader Vladimir Putin later this week and he hopes Moscow will agree to the terms.
Following Tuesday’s talks between Ukraine and the US. the two nations said in a joint statement that the White House would “immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine”.
The statement added that Kyiv had also “expressed readiness to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation.”
“The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace.”
Speaking to reporters following the talks, Mr Trump said: “Ceasefire… Ukraine has agreed to it, and hopefully Russia will agree to it.”
Mr Trump added that he hopes the ceasefire will take effect “over the next few days” and he will speak to Mr Putin this week as it “takes two to tango”.
Asked whether Mr Zelensky was invited back to the White House, Mr Trump said: “Sure, absolutely”.
The Ukrainian president’s visit to Washington last month ended in a diplomatic disaster after an Oval Office meeting between the two leaders descended into a shouting match.
Appearing to refer to Mr Zelensky’s last White House visit, Mr Trump said: “I think it’s a big difference between the last visit you saw in the Oval Office, and this.”
Mr Zelensky confirmed he had accepted the US proposal for a “complete” 30-day truce.
“Ukraine accepts this proposal, we consider it positive, we are ready to take such a step. The United States of America must convince Russia to do this,” he said.
12:55 AM GMT
That’s all for today
Thanks for following our live blog. We will be back in the morning.
To recap Tuesday’s events:
- Ukraine has accepted the US’s ceasefire plan
- US special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to travel to Moscow and put the deal directly to Putin
- Kyiv came under fire from a Russian air attack just hours after Ukraine signalled it would support the ceasefire
- Russia said it regained more territory in the western Kursk region of the country
11:53 PM GMT
Russia launches air attack on Kyiv
Russia has launched an air attack on Kyiv, in possible retaliation for Ukraine’s drone strikes on Moscow on Tuesday.
Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital, said on Wednesday that air defence forces were repelling the strikes.
10:57 PM GMT
Lammy welcomes ‘breakthrough’
David Lammy has welcomed the “breakthrough” in US-Ukraine talks on a ceasefire deal, and said he was looking forward to working with other nations to drive progress towards peace.
Writing on social media site X, the Foreign Secretary said: “We welcome the breakthrough ceasefire proposal agreed today by the US and Ukraine.
“The ball is now firmly in Russia’s court.
“Looking forward to working with G7 partners this week to drive progress towards a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.”
10:31 PM GMT
Tim Collins: Trump has dynamited the world order
The announcement that the Ukrainians will agree to a 30 day ceasefire in exchange for the resumption of arms supplies and intelligence sharing has now put the ball firmly in the Russian court.
The telegraphed threat to them is “agree to a ceasefire or the US will arm the Ukrainians to the hilt, and you will lose”.
I doubt Vladimir Putin is smiling so broadly now.
Read more: Vladimir Putin probably isn’t laughing any more
09:16 PM GMT
Ukrainian official says US aid has resumed
A Ukrainian presidential official said the US has resumed military assistance to Ukraine following talks in Saudi Arabia.
“I have confirmation that US military assistance has been resumed. The agreements are being implemented,” Palvo Palisa, deputy head of the presidential office said on Facebook.
09:06 PM GMT
Ukrainian MP celebrates ‘great result’
A Ukrainian MP has said a proposed ceasefire with Russia is a “great result” for Ukraine.
Oleksiy Goncharenko, the MP for Odesa, told the Telegraph: “We need peace, it’s a real breakthrough. The most important thing is that we have a real result in military aid and intelligence being resumed.”
Mr Goncharenko, whose People’s Deputy party is in opposition to Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, said it provided Vladimir Putin with a “real dilemma” and said he had “no confidence” that the Russian president would sign a deal.
“Now we will see the true face of Putin, I am sure he doesn’t want peace. If he starts to play games with Trump, it will be time for Trump for put pressure on him. He only understands force.”
09:04 PM GMT
Kyiv’s foreign minister says meeting ‘serious step forward’
Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, said Tuesday’s talks with the US delegation in Saudi Arabia had been a “serious step forward”.
Sharing a picture of himself with Marco Rubio, Mike Waltz and Ukraine’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak, Mr Sybiha wrote: “Today in Jeddah, our meeting was a serious step forward. Both on the path to peace and in developing the strategic Ukraine-U.S. partnership.”
He added: “This is what a frank, open, and constructive dialogue brings.”
08:23 PM GMT
Macron says onus is on Russia
Emmanuel Macron welcomed the 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine has agreed to and said it was now up to Russia to end the fighting.
“The ball is now clearly in Russia’s court,” the French president said in a statement on X.
“France and its partners remain committed to a solid and lasting peace, backed by robust security guarantees for Ukraine,” he added.
08:18 PM GMT
Ukrainian soldiers hold poster thanking the US for support
07:57 PM GMT
Russia open to contact with US in coming days
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it had not ruled out contact with US representatives over next several days, state news agency RIA reported.
Spokesperson Maria Zakharova told the outlet: “We do not rule out contacts with US representatives over the next few days.”
It comes after Donald Trump said that there would be a US meeting with Russia later Tuesday or Wednesday.
Mr Trump said that he hoped Russia would agree to a ceasefire plan drawn up by US and Ukrainian officials and that a total ceasefire could be achieved in the three-year war in the coming days.
He said he expects to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin this week.
07:43 PM GMT
The world reacts to ceasefire proposal
“It seems like the Americans and Ukrainians have taken an important step towards peace. And Europe stands ready to help reach a just and lasting peace,” said Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk on X.
“We welcome today’s news from Jeddah on the U.S.-Ukraine talks, including the proposal for a ceasefire agreement and the resumption of U.S. intelligence sharing and security assistance,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“The ball is now in Russia’s court,” said European Council President Antonio Costa.
“The EU is ready to play its full part, together with its partners, in the upcoming peace negotiations.”
07:41 PM GMT
Starmer congratulates Trump and Zelensky on ‘remarkable breakthrough’
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “I warmly welcome the agreement today in Jeddah and congratulate president Trump and president Zelensky for this remarkable breakthrough.”
He added: “This is an important moment for peace in Ukraine and we now all need to redouble our efforts to get to a lasting and secure peace as soon as possible.
“As both American and Ukrainian delegations have said, the ball is now in the Russian court. Russia must now agree to a ceasefire and an end to the fighting too.
“I will be convening leaders this Saturday to discuss next steps. We are ready to help bring an end to this war in a just and permanent way that allows Ukraine to enjoy its freedom.”
07:07 PM GMT
Zelensky’s statement in full
“I received a report from our delegation on their meeting with the American team in Saudi Arabia. The discussion lasted most of the day and was good and constructive—our teams were able to discuss many important details.
“Our position remains absolutely clear: Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war, and we want to do everything to achieve it as soon as possible and in a reliable way—so that war does not return.
“At this meeting with the Americans, Ukraine proposed three key points:
silence in the skies—stopping missile strikes, bombs, and long-range drone attacks; silence at sea; real confidence-building measures in this whole situation, in which diplomacy is ongoing, which primarily means the release of prisoners of war and detainees—both military and civilian—and the return of Ukrainian children who were forcibly transferred to Russia.
“The American side understands our arguments and considers our proposals. I am grateful to President Trump for the constructive conversation between our teams.
“During today’s talks, the U.S. side proposed taking an even bigger first step—a 30-day full interim ceasefire, not only stopping missile, drone, and bomb attacks, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line.
“Ukraine is ready to accept this proposal—we see it as a positive step and are ready to take it. Now, it is up to the United States to convince Russia to do the same. If Russia agrees, the ceasefire will take effect immediately.”
07:03 PM GMT
Ceasefire to ‘call Putin’s bluff’
A Ukrainian official said the decision to propose a ceasefire was partly designed to call Vladimir Putin’s bluff on whether he’s ready to progress peace talks, The Telegraph’s Brussels Correspondent Joe Barnes writes.
“Let’s see what happens, but I give it less than a 50 per cent chance that they [Russia] will agree,” the official said.
07:01 PM GMT
Rubio: This is not ‘Mean Girls’
Marco Rubio has said ending Russia’s war in Ukraine is “very serious” and not like the film “Mean Girls”.
“This is not Mean Girls”, the US secretary of state said following talks with the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia.
“This is not some episode of some television show, this is very serious”, he said.
Mr Rubio added: “Today people will die in this war. They died yesterday, and sadly, unless there’s a cease fire tonight, they’ll die tomorrow.
“The president wants that to stop. That’s what he’s interested in here, that’s why we came here.”
His comments come after Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky’s explosive Oval Office meeting descended into a shouting match.
06:46 PM GMT
Zelensky: Ukraine accepts ‘positive’ ceasefire proposal
Speaking after the talks between the two delegations, Mr Zelensky said Kyiv had proposed a partial ceasefire.
He said: “The American side understands our arguments, accepts our proposals, I want to thank President Trump for the constructiveness of our teams’ conversation.”
Mr Zelensky added that the US side had suggested trying to “establish a complete ceasefire for 30 days, not only regarding missiles, drones and bombs, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line.
“Ukraine accepts this proposal, we consider it positive, we are ready to take such a step. The United States of America must convince Russia to do this.”
He added: “That is, we agree, and if the ‘Russians’ agree – at that moment the silence will work.
“An important element of the conversation today is America’s readiness to resume defense assistance to Ukraine, including intelligence assistance.
“Ukraine is ready for peace. Russia must show its readiness to end the war or continue the war. It is time for the full truth. I thank everyone who is helping Ukraine.”
06:30 PM GMT
Rubio: the ball is now in Russia’s court
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said “the ball is now in Russia’s court” after Ukraine agreed to a proposed ceasefire.
Speaking after the high-level talks in Saudi Arabia, Mr Rubio said Ukraine and the US had taken a “positive step” and hopes Russia will reciprocate.
Mr Rubio said the US would now “take the offer” to Russia and the “number one” goodwill gesture Moscow can make is to say yes.
“We’re going to tell them this is what’s on the table, Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking, and now it’ll be up to them to say yes or no,” he said.
“I hope they’re going to say yes, and if they do then I think we made great progress.”
National security adviser Mike Waltz said it is “very clear” Ukraine shares Donald Trump’s vision for peace and Kyiv shares “his determination to end the fighting”.
Mr Waltz said the discussions have gone from if the war is going to end to how the war is going to end under Mr Trump.
06:23 PM GMT
Joint statement in full
Today in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – under the gracious hospitality of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – the United States and Ukraine took important steps toward restoring durable peace for Ukraine.
Representatives of both nations praised the bravery of the Ukrainian people in defence of their nation and agreed that now is the time to begin a process toward lasting peace.
The Ukrainian delegation reiterated the Ukrainian people’s strong gratitude to President Trump, the U.S. Congress, and the people of the United States for making possible meaningful progress toward peace.
Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation. The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace.
The United States will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine.
The delegations also discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts as part of the peace process, particularly during the above-mentioned ceasefire, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.
Both delegations agreed to name their negotiating teams and immediately begin negotiations toward an enduring peace that provides for Ukraine’s long-term security. The United States committed to discussing these specific proposals with representatives from Russia. The Ukrainian delegation reiterated that European partners shall be involved in the peace process.
Lastly, both countries’ presidents agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine’s economy and guarantee Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security.
05:39 PM GMT
Macron meets defence chiefs ahead of Paris meeting
05:28 PM GMT
Russia: Ukraine timed attack with Saudi talks
The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused Ukraine of timing its overnight drone attack to coincide with the talks with the US in Saudi Arabia.
Ukraine launched its biggest ever drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding region, killing at least three employees of a meat warehouse, injuring 17 others and causing a short shutdown at the capital’s four airports, officials said.
A total of 343 drones were downed, including 91 over the Moscow region and 126 over the western region of Kursk where Ukrainian forces have been pulling back, as well as near the Kursk nuclear power plant, the defence ministry said.
Russia also claimed the countries who continue to pump Ukraine with weapons are to blame for the attack.
05:22 PM GMT
Talks still ongoing after eight hours
Talks between representatives for Ukraine and the US in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, have stretched on for more than eight hours, according to an official.
The meeting between US and Russian officials in Riyadh last month lasted over four hours.
Little is known about how the high-level discussions are progressing other than from short statements shared by the Kyiv and Washington delegations.
Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, said on X it was a “work in progress,” he wrote in a short update.
Earlier, Mike Waltz said negotiations were “getting there” as they stopped for a short break.
04:53 PM GMT
France: Using Russian assets to fund Ukraine could destabilise EU
France has not ruled out the possibility of the EU seizing frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine but has warned it could destabilise Europe.
French prime minister Francois Bayrou said “using the assets themselves can only be considered within the framework of the European Union”.
France has been one of the strongest opponents in Europe to the idea of seizing billions of euros’ worth of Russian assets swiftly frozen after Moscow launched its all-out 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Bayrou’s finance minister reiterated France’s view that such a move would be contrary to international agreements.
“It is not in international traditions to seize the assets of central banks,” Eric Lombard said in Brussels.
He said there is “no reason to seize” Russian assets under EU law and “if there were a seizure without legal grounds, it could pose a risk to European financial stability”.
04:43 PM GMT
Aftermath of strikes in Russia and Ukraine
04:37 PM GMT
Defence chiefs meet in Paris without US
More than 30 army chiefs met without US officials in Paris to discuss security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a ceasefire.
The closed-door meeting of 34 defence heads, including NATO alliance and EU members as well as Japan and Australia, was an unprecedented meeting without their US counterparts.
“The political message is we can do it together and without the United States, but it’s clear there are things we can’t do and the problem with Russia is we need to have deterrence,” said a European diplomat involved in the talks.
A military official said the US was not invited, in an intended signal that Europe and other partners could take on their responsibilities in the wake of Donald Trump distancing himself from the US’s key allies.
04:26 PM GMT
Russia death toll increases to five
Five people were killed in a Ukrainian strike on Monday on a shopping centre in a village of Russia’s Kursk region, according to local governor Alexander Khinshtein.
Mr Khinshtein previously said three people were killed and nine wounded in the village of Belaya.
On Tuesday Russia said it had made new gains in its western region of Kursk, accelerating their push to drive out Ukrainian forces who have been clinging on to a slice of Russian territory since last August.
04:12 PM GMT
The former film producer leading Ukraine talks
No one is closer to Volodymyr Zelensky than Andriy Yermak, his powerful chief of staff.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the pair have spent an inordinate amount of time cohabiting in the network of Kyiv bunkers housing Ukraine’s presidential administration.
Not only have they worked and dined together, they also lifted weights in the complex’s underground gym before retiring to bedrooms off the same corridor.
For the American delegation sitting across the table in the Saudi port city Jeddah on Tuesday, that proximity could be a problem.
Read Adrian Blomfield’s full report here
03:57 PM GMT
Trump’s top negotiator absent from talks
Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s top negotiator, is absent from today’s high-level talks in Jeddah.
The US president’s special envoy to the Middle East is instead travelling to Qatar for ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.
Mr Witkoff is then expected to travel to Moscow later this week to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin, according to reports.
The New York businessman met with Mr Putin for more than three hours last month as part of a deal to release US school teacher Marc Fogel.
03:16 PM GMT
Ukraine strikes oil refinery near Moscow
Ukraine said it had struck oil refinery near Moscow and a facility in Russia’s Oryol region that is part of the Druzhba pipeline system exporting oil to Europe.
“Explosions were…recorded in the area of the Steel Horse linear production dispatch station (Oryol region, Russia), which manages technological processes for the Druzhba oil pipeline,” Kyiv’s General Staff said in a statement.
It added that the facility was “an important component in supplying oil to the terminal of the Ust-Luga seaport in the Leningrad region”.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Tuesday that crude oil shipment via the pipeline was suspended after a Ukrainian drone attack on a metering station.
Hungary imports most of its crude oil via the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian crude through Belarus and Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia.
03:01 PM GMT
Sweden at risk of “sabotage” after joining NATO
Sweden has become a target of Russian intelligence since and is at risk of “sabotage” after it joined NATO last year, the country’s intelligence chief has said.
“Foreign powers are carrying out vast activities that threaten Sweden’s security. We are seen as part of the collective West and are becoming a pawn in a global game, especially now that we are part of the NATO alliance,” Fredrik Hallstrom, head of operations at the Swedish Security Service (Sapo) said.
Over the past year, there have been a number of incidents, including cyber attacks, drone flights over sensitive areas and cable breaks in the Baltic Sea, said Sapo chief Charlotte von Essen.
“As a NATO ally, we are safer, but we must at the same time be prepared for it meaning a changed and increased interest from the intelligence services, especially from Russia,” von Essen told reporters.
“There is now a risk of sabotage against Sweden,” she added.
02:49 PM GMT
Saudi Arabia seizes on Trump’s frustrations with Europe
Saudi Arabia has become the neutral backdrop for negotiations to end the Ukraine Russia war as the country attempts to seize on Donald Trump’s frustrations with Europe.
Their involvement hosting top level talks slots nicely into Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “Vision 2030” project to diversify the country’s economy and become a world player.
“They see becoming this global power to solve problems very much in keeping with Vision 2030 and helping them continue to become a major world power,” Jason Greenblatt, who served as the White House’s Middle East envoy in Mr Trump’s first administration, told Jewish Insider.
“I’m sure they’re taking a cue from Trump that Europe is out and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) is in,” Mr Greenblatt said.
“They also recognise that Trump is angry, annoyed and frustrated with Europe, and he likes the Saudis, so they think they could play a good role and be a stage for him to try to make his deals for world stability. I believe they can.”
02:16 PM GMT
Musk labels US senator a ‘traitor’ for visiting Ukraine
Elon Musk has sparked a row with Democrats after he labelled US senator Mark Kelly a “traitor” for visiting Ukraine.
Mr Kelly, the Democratic senator for Arizona, in turn responded: “Elon, if you don’t understand that defending freedom is a basic tenet of what makes America great and keeps us safe, maybe you should leave it to those of us who do.”
The US senator spent 25 years in the Navy, before moving on to Nasa, where he spent 15 years as an astronaut.
02:07 PM GMT
Poland wants 100,000 volunteers to undergo military training in 2027
Donald Tusk has said he wants 100,000 volunteers to undergo military training in 2027.
“The most important thing for us is that every person interested can participate in such training no later than 2026. And that is a difficult task, but I know it is doable,” the Polish prime minister said ahead of a government sitting.
“In 2027 we will achieve the ability to train 100,000 volunteers per year… Apart from the professional army and beyond the Territorial Defence Force, we must de facto build an army of reservists and our actions will serve this purpose.”
Galvanised by Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine three years ago, Poland now spends a higher proportion of GDP on defence than any other Mato member.
01:35 PM GMT
‘Work in progress’
Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, has posted an update on X as US and Ukrainian officials continue talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“Work in progress,” he wrote in a short update.
Talks have been ongoing for more than four-and-a-half hours, longer than the meeting between US and Russian officials in Riyadh last month.
Meanwhile, Mike Waltz, who is also in the room, said negotiations were “getting there” as the two delegations stopped for a short break.
01:27 PM GMT
Ukraine ‘ready to do everything for peace’
Ukraine is “ready to do everything for peace”, Volodymyr Zelensky’s top negotiator vowed ahead of peace talks with the US in Saudi Arabia.
“No one wants peace more than Ukrainians,” Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, told reporters.
“Ukraine is ready to go for this goal because it’s what Ukrainians want the most after more than three years of Russia’s full-scale invasion.”
Hours before the talks began, Ukraine launched its “largest ever” drone attack against Moscow, killing at least two people.
Talks are taking place between US and Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Mr Zelensky held a meeting with Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s crown prince, yesterday.
Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, said US negotiations would attempt to find out whether Ukraine was willing to make concessions.
01:04 PM GMT
Your views…
12:55 PM GMT
Ceasefire has never seemed closer, says top Zelensky adviser
A ceasefire has never seemed so close, Andriy Yermak, a key negotiator in today’s Saudi Arabia talks, wrote in The Guardian before the meeting began.
“As I arrive in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a ceasefire in the three-year war the Russian Federation has waged on my country has never seemed closer,” Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff wrote.
“No one wants the current war to end more than our people — but a peace must be found that is both just and sustainable,” he added.
12:39 PM GMT
Lavrov: Peacekeeping plan designed to save remnants of Kyiv regime
A plan by Britain and France to send peacekeepers to Ukraine as part of a peace deal is an attempt to save the “remnants of the Kyiv Nazi regime,” Russia’s foreign minister has said.
“What will the peacekeepers protect? The remnants of the Kyiv Nazi regime, which adopted a series of laws exterminating Russian culture, language, media, and banned the canonical UOC?” Sergei Lavrov said, repeating the Kremlin’s claim that Ukraine had sought to suppress Russian culture, which has been used to justify Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
Mr Lavrov has repeatedly rejected the idea of European peacekeepers being sent to Ukraine, though Donald Trump said the Russian president had told him he would not oppose such a plan.
12:26 PM GMT
Ukraine hit oil facilities in Moscow drone attack
Ukraine’s military has said it struck oil facilities in Moscow and Oryol in an overnight drone attack.
Russian officials said earlier today that Ukraine had launched its biggest ever drone attack on its capital, killing at least three people and causing a short shutdown at the Russian capital’s four airports.
12:08 PM GMT
Recap: what’s happened today
If you’re catching up on today’s events, here’s a rundown of what’s happened so far today:
- Ukraine launched its largest ever drone attack against Russia overnight
- At least three people were killed, according to local authorities, with 337 drones being fired in total – including 91 on Moscow
- The attack came hours before talks between US and Ukrainian officials were due to begin in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Before the talks, Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, said Ukraine was “ready to do everything to achieve piece”
- Russia has reacted furiously to the overnight drone attack, claiming Kyiv was desperate to hurt civilians due to losses on the battlefield
11:33 AM GMT
US cancels funding for UN project in Ukraine
The US has cancelling funding for a United Nations project in Ukraine, a spokesman for the humanitarian agency has said.
Ravina Shamdasani, UN human rights spokesperson, said five termination notices had been received from the US, including for projects in Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Ukraine and Colombia and also for a fund for indigenous people.
Donald Trump is cutting billions of dollars in foreign aid programmes globally as part of a major spending overhaul by the world’s biggest aid donor.
11:11 AM GMT
Death roll from drone attack rises to three
The death toll from Ukraine’s overnight drone attack against Russia has risen to three, according to authorities.
11:03 AM GMT
Respond to Ukraine attack with Oreshnik strike, Putin told
A Russian MP has suggested Vladimir Putin should respond to Ukraine’s overnight drone attack by firing an Oreshnik missile.
“The decision is up to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (Vladimir Putin), but I think it would not be unreasonable (to launch the Oreshnik), better even more than one,” Andrey Kartapolov, head of Russia’s State Duma Defense Committee, said.
The Russian president unveiled his country’s new intermediate-range ballistic missile last year, striking Dnipro in November after Kyiv used US-made ATACMS missiles on Russian soil for the first time.
10:33 AM GMT
Ukraine launches largest-ever drone attack against Russia
Ukraine launched its largest-ever drone attack against Russia overnight, just hours before the beginning of peace talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia.
Some 337 drones were fired by Ukraine into Russia, including nearly 100 into Moscow, killing at least two workers and injuring 18 more people at a meat warehouse in the capital, local officials said.
The large-scale attack caused a short shutdown at Moscow’s four main airports.
Ukraine did not confirm the attack, though Russia said it showed Kyiv was losing on the battlefield.
It came just hours before US and Ukrainian officials were due to meet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss bringing the three-year war to an end.
10:20 AM GMT
Ukraine says talks with US ‘started very constructively’
Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian presidency’s chief of staff , has said that discussions with the US delegation in Jeddah had begun positively.
“The meeting with the US team started very constructively, we continue our work,” Mr Yermak, who was attending the most senior meeting with US officials since a dramatic fallout at the White House last month, said on social media.
09:59 AM GMT
In pictures: US and Ukrainian officials meet in Jeddah
In the room for the US is Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, and Mike Waltz, the White House’s national security adviser.
On the Ukrainian side we can see Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelensky’s powerful chief of staff, Andriy Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, and Rustem Umerov, the country’s minister of defence.
09:39 AM GMT
Watch: Russian attack on Odesa sparks large fire at fuel depot
Russian forces attacked Ukraine with a ballistic missile and 126 drones, setting a fuel storage facility on fire and injuring at least two people in different parts of the country, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday.
In the southern region of Odesa, the attack set on fire a fuel storage facility, a private home and a storage site for children’s toys, and more than 100 people were working to deal with the strikes, according to the emergency services.
09:16 AM GMT
Ukraine: We’re ready for peace
Before talks between the US and Ukraine got under way in Saudi Arabia, we heard from Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelensky’s powerful chief of staff.
He told reporters Ukraine was “ready to do everything to achieve peace”.
“No one wants peace more than Ukrainians,” he said.
09:06 AM GMT
US-Ukraine talks begin in Jeddah
Talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia have begun, Kyiv’s foreign ministry has said.
Andriy Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, and Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, are amongst the Ukrainian officials in the talks.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, will lead the US side.
09:01 AM GMT
Russia ‘retakes 12 towns in Kursk’
Russia claims it has retaken 12 settlements from Ukraine in Kursk.
“The units of the ‘North’ group of troops during the offensive liberated 12 settlements … and more than 100 square kilometres of the Kursk region territory,” Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement.
Last week, Vladimir Putin’s forces launched a counter-offensive in the Kursk town of Sudzha, seven miles inside Russia, while simultaneously crossing the border into Ukraine’s Sumy region.
It was a pincer movement aimed at surrounding thousands of Ukrainian troops.
On Monday, Russian troops were reported to have cleared the village of Ivashkovsky as they advanced from seven directions.
Ukraine had been hoping to hold onto the Russian territory it seized last August as a potential bargaining chip that could be traded away in any negotiations with Moscow.
08:57 AM GMT
The secret to Trump’s Ukraine negotiations is hidden in plain sight
America’s decision to cut weapons deliveries and aid to Ukraine, as well as the dressing down of Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, has triggered understandable outrage amongst Western allies.
But perhaps they shouldn’t be surprised.
Mr Trump’s tactic to bring Ukraine to heel and force the country to negotiate on peace follows a careful plan written and published in black and white last summer by none other than the president’s Kyiv envoy.
Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general, wrote last April that cutting military aid to Ukraine could be used to force Kyiv into negotiations.
Here is what his plan – entitled, “How an America First Foreign Policy Reduced Risks from Russia During the Trump Administration” – involved and how it is playing out.
08:40 AM GMT
Watch: Aftermath of Ukraine’s drone attack
Credit: Telegram
08:15 AM GMT
Putin cannot be trusted, says von der Leyen
Ursula von der Leyen has said Vladimir Putin “cannot be trusted” as Ukraine and the US prepare to begin peace negotiations in Saudi Arabia.
“Vladimir Putin has proven time and again that he is a hostile neighbour, he cannot be trusted, he can only be deterred,” she told the European Parliament this morning.
The European Commission chief was speaking about her plan to “rearm Europe”, unlocking €800bn in investment.
08:01 AM GMT
Who is leading negotiations in Jeddah?
07:46 AM GMT
If you’re just joining us…
Ukraine has launched what could be its largest ever drone attack against Russia overnight.
Over 330 drones were fired, including dozens at Moscow, killing at least one person.
The attack came hours before crucial talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, which are set to focus on bringing the conflict with Russia to an end.
Kyiv hopes the talks lead to the resumption of military aid and intelligence sharing, while the US is looking to gauge whether Ukraine would be willing to make certain concessions.
Elsewhere, defence chiefs from around 30 nations will join talks in Paris later today to discuss the creation of an international security force for Ukraine.
07:37 AM GMT
China hopes for ‘just and lasting solution’ to war
China has said it hopes a “just and lasting solution” can be found to the war between Ukraine and Russia, ahead of talks between Ukrainian and US officials in Saudi Arabia.
“We expect and hope that parties can reach a just and lasting solution that is acceptable to all sides,” a foreign ministry spokesman told a daily news conference in Beijing.
07:22 AM GMT
Security guard, 38, killed in drone attack
A 38-year-old security guard working in a car park was killed in Ukraine’s overnight attack on Moscow, according to Russian media.
The car park belonged to Miratorg, a food company. Some 20 cars were destroyed.
Credit: Осторожно, Москва/Telegram
07:10 AM GMT
The steely former film producer leading Ukraine’s ‘deal in the desert’
No one is closer to Volodymyr Zelensky than Andriy Yermak, his powerful chief of staff.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the pair have spent an inordinate amount of time cohabiting in the network of Kyiv bunkers housing Ukraine’s presidential administration.
Not only have they worked and dined together, they also lifted weights in the complex’s underground gym before retiring to bedrooms off the same corridor.
For the American delegation sitting across the table in the Saudi port city Jeddah on Tuesday, that proximity could be a problem.
The stakes could not be higher. Either the negotiations will begin the process of mending strained relations between Kyiv and Washington, or they will unravel still further, potentially extinguishing Mr Zelensky’s hopes of a favourable, dignified and sustainable end to the war.
06:53 AM GMT
What to expect from peace talks
Senior officials from the US and Ukraine will meet for talks in Jeddah later today.
Talks are expected to centre around plans for a potential ceasefire, which Kyiv has proposed in the air and the sea, meaning no attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure.
Kyiv also hopes the talks could lead to the resumption of US military aid and intelligence sharing.
Meanwhile, on the US side, officials are hoping to understand how far Kyiv is willing to go in terms of making concessions to Russia, including ceding land.
06:23 AM GMT
Trump envoy plans Moscow visit
Mr Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Putin this week, two people briefed on the plans said on Monday.
The meeting would be the first face-to-face talks between US officials and Putin since the Russian leader met with Joe Biden in Switzerland in 2021.
06:19 AM GMT
Rubio suggests Ukraine may need to cede land to Moscow
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, suggested on Monday that Ukraine may be forced to cede land to Moscow as part of an agreement to end the war.
“What we want to know is, are they interested in entering some sort of peace conversation and general outlines of the kinds of things they could consider, recognising that it has been a costly and bloody war for the Ukrainians,” Mr Rubio told reporters ahead of the crunch talks.
“And it’s hard in the aftermath of something like that to even talk about concessions, but that’s the only way this is going to end and prevent more suffering.”
He added: “I’m not going to set any conditions on what they have to or need to do. I think we want to listen to see how far they’re willing to go and then compare that to what the Russians want and see how far apart we truly are.”
06:03 AM GMT
Biggest drone attack on Russia in three years
Russian air defences shot down 337 drones over 10 regions, in what now appears to be the biggest Ukrainian drone attack on Russia in in three years.
The most drones — 126 — were shot down over the Kursk region across the border from Ukraine, parts of which Kyiv’s forces control, and 91 were shot down over the Moscow region.
Other regions listed included Belgorod, Bryansk and Voronezh on the border with Ukraine, and those deeper inside Russia, such as Kaluga, Lipetsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol and Ryazan.
05:54 AM GMT
Trump’s envoy hopes for ‘substantial progress’ in talks
Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, hopes that “substantial progress” will be made during the US-Ukraine talks today.
“I think that we’re going over there with an expectation that we’re going to make substantial progress,” he said in an interview with Fox News on Monday.
Asked if he thought Mr Zelensky would return to the US to sign a minerals deal this week, Mr Witkoff said: “I am really hopeful. All the signs are very, very positive.”
05:39 AM GMT
Watch: Drones strike Moscow
05:35 AM GMT
Pictured: Destruction in Moscow
Pictures are emerging of the destruction in Moscow following Ukraine’s drone attack on the city.
Some buildings, including apartments, have been hit.
05:29 AM GMT
Zelensky: Ukraine’s position will be ‘fully constructive’ in talks
Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine’s position in Tuesday’s peace talks with US officials will be “fully constructive”.
“We hope for practical outcomes,” Mr Zelensky said in a post on X.
05:18 AM GMT
Drone attack hits Moscow
Ukraine attacked Moscow with drones on Tuesday morning, killing at least one person, sparking fires and suspending flights and trains in the region.
“Today at 4am a massive drone attack began on Moscow and the Moscow region,” Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov said in a post on Telegram.
“At the moment, one person is known to have died and three were injured.”
Flights were suspended at two of Moscow’s airports, Zhukovo and Domodedovo, early on Tuesday as Ukrainian drones targeted the city.
Russian air defence units destroyed dozens of Ukrainian drones flying towards Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.
05:12 AM GMT
Welcome
We will be bringing you the latest on the peace talks in Saudi Arabia between Ukraine and the United States today.
In breaking news from overnight, Ukraine has attacked Moscow with dozens drones.
No casualties have been reported, but it comes on the day of the crucial negotiations aimed at ending the war with Russia.