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Here’s where things stand on Tuesday 3 June 2025:

Here’s what happened today

This live page will be closed soon. Here were today’s top events:

• Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for the second time in Turkiye in recent weeks but reached no breakthrough in ending the war.
• Still, both sides agreed to a massive prisoner swap and the repatriation of bodies of thousands of soldiers killed during the war. Ukraine also presented a list of children it said were abducted and taken to Russia.
• Russia gave Ukraine a memorandum for a peace proposal with one provision again calling for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia, a position Kyiv has repeatedly rejected.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he hoped to host a future leader-level meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and possibly US President Donald Trump.

After talks, Russia and Ukraine still at odds on key points: Former Russian official

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Andrey Fedorov, a former deputy foreign minister of Russia, says there was not much progress in today’s talks and both Russia and Ukraine are still at odds on key points.

“All the main political questions were left unopened,” he told Al Jazeera, adding that while both sides presented the other with memoranda for peace proposals, they were “very contradictory to each other”.

“Especially concerning an unconditional, immediate ceasefire. Russia doesn’t want it, and this is the key problem,” he said.

He added Ukraine would not accept Moscow’s “maximalist” position calling for Ukraine to cede parts of its territory to Russia, noting that would go against the Ukrainian Constitution.

Ukrainian, Russian officials hold separate meeting before talks

The head of the Russian delegation says he met with Ukraine’s defence minister before the wider talks today.

Medinsky told the TASS news agency that the direct meeting helped pave the way for the talks between the two delegations, according to TASS.

 What happened at today’s talks?

The second meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Turkiye resulted in an agreement to swap prisoners.

However, major breakthroughs for a ceasefire remained elusive.

Trump ‘open’ to leader-level meeting with Zelenskyy, Putin: White House

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt has been asked if Trump would attend a meeting with Zelenskyy and Putin suggested today by Erdogan.

Trump is “open to it and wants leaders to sit down at the table”, Leavitt said before deferring further questions to Trump.

Trump entered office in January promising to swiftly end the war in Ukraine. But his early efforts, which included taking a hard line with Zelenskyy, failed to gain traction. He has become increasingly critical of Putin as he has made little progress.

The US president has previously floated the possibility of attending a leader-level meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin although no such meeting has yet happened.

Zelenskyy aide says Russia doesn’t want ceasefire, sanctions needed

The chief of staff to the Ukrainian president says that Russia does not want a ceasefire and that new sanctions are needed now to force it to pursue peace.

Andriy Yermak posted the comment on messaging platform Telegram, hours after the conclusion of peace talks in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.

“The Russians are doing everything to not cease firing and continue the war. New sanctions now are very important,” Yermak wrote.

More from Russian memorandum

More details from the ceasefire memorandum given to the Ukrainian delegation by Russia have emerged.

The memorandum contains two parts.

The first is described as the “main parameters of the final settlement”. It calls for Ukraine to recognise the territories claimed by Russia as Russian, maintain neutrality, reduce the number of its soldiers and refuse to demand reparations. Moscow also demands the lifting of all sanctions.

A second option is called a “package proposal” and includes demands that include kick-starting Ukrainian demobilisation, ceasing the supplies of foreign weapons, lifting of martial law, and holding presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine.

Ukraine has not yet responded.

What does UK’s strategic defence review say about Russia?

The United Kingdom today released its “strategic defence review”, a 10-month study of its defence capabilities and emerging threats.

Russia loomed large, with the report saying that the war in Ukraine “makes unequivocally clear [Russia’s] willingness to use force to achieve its goals, as well as its intent to re-establish spheres of influence in its near-abroad and disrupt the international order to the UK and its allies’ disadvantage”.

It added that, while the war in Ukraine has “temporarily degraded Russian conventional land forces”, it continues to pose an enduring threat in “key areas such as space, cyberspace, information operations, undersea warfare, and chemical and biological weapons”.

The report, which said the UK must continue to support Ukraine in the war, added: “Russia’s war economy, if sustained, will enable it to rebuild its land capabilities more quickly in the event of a ceasefire in Ukraine.”

Zelenskyy says Russia and Ukraine to swap 1,000 prisoners each

The Ukrainian leader has addressed the country in an online news briefing following today’s talks in Istanbul.

He gave further details on the prisoner swap agreed to at the meeting, saying Russia and Ukraine would exchange 1,000 prisoners each, with the possibility of swapping an additional 200 prisoners of war.

Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian negotiators gave their Russian counterparts a list of nearly 400 children it wanted Russia to return home to Ukraine, but that the Russian delegation agreed to work on returning only 10 of them.

He added that Ukraine’s recent attack on Russia, code-named “Operation Spider’s Web”, had helped to restore confidence among allies that Ukraine is able to continue waging the war against Russia’s invasion.

Russian memorandum calls for Ukrainian troop withdrawal from four territories

The memorandum, presented today to Ukraine’s delegation, calls for Ukrainian troops to withdraw from Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson – all regions Russia has claimed as its own territory, according to Russian state media.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly ruled out the ceding – or the de facto ceding – of any territory to Russia.

We’ll bring you more details from the memorandum as we get them.

Path forward on ceasefire unclear after today’s meeting

At today’s meeting, Russia yet again refused to accept a 30-day, comprehensive, unconditional ceasefire. Instead, it suggested a much shorter three-day ceasefire to facilitate the exchange of bodies of soldiers.

So what we have right now is Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, the host and mediator of this meeting, saying that this meeting went great.

The next logical step, according to Erdogan, is to have the meeting of leaders with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with US President Donald Trump likely to attend such a meeting.

But Moscow has been reluctant to accept any such proposals so far, saying a lot of groundwork needs to be done.

How Ukrainian drones targeted Russian airbases before peace talks

Attacks between Russia and Ukraine have increased in intensity before the talks in Istanbul.

On Sunday, Ukrainian drones targeted airbases deep inside Russia in a large-scale operation.

The Russian Defence Ministry said planes caught fire at two military sites.

Only way to stop Russia is ‘harsh’ US sanctions: Ukrainian MP

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Oleksiy Gancharenko says he believes Ukraine’s latest attack on Russia will possibly “make clear to Russia they will not achieve their goals” in the war.

However, he said he remained “pessimistic” that the latest round of talks would lead to any breakthroughs.

“I think Russia still wants to continue the war, and the only thing which can stop them right now is very harsh sanctions from the United States,” he said.

US Senator Lindsey Graham has said he expected there would soon be movement on a potentially crippling Russian sanctions package in Congress.

Greenpeace steals Macron wax figure for anti-Russia protest

Greenpeace activists have stolen a wax figure of French President Emmanuel Macron, placing it in front of the Russian embassy in Paris as part of a pro-Ukraine protest.

Two women and a man entered the Grevin Museum, posing as tourists, and then changed their clothes to disguise themselves as workers, a police source told the AFP news agency.

The activists slipped out through an emergency exit with the statue, valued at 40,000 euros ($45,714).

The statue was then placed in front of the Russian embassy to highlight appeals for France to stop importing gas and fertiliser from Russia during the war.

What message does Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb send to Russia and the US?

Eighteen months in the making, Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb saw hundreds of AI-trained drones target military aircraft deep inside Russia.

Zelenskyy said Sunday’s attack will go down in history as he put forward a new proposal for an unconditional ceasefire as the two countries met in Istanbul.

Ukraine, Russia agree to largest prisoner exchange so far

The exchange of prisoners seems to be the diplomatic channel that actually works between Russia and Ukraine.

We’ve actually had exchanges of prisoners throughout this war, not in the numbers that have been happening as a result of these Istanbul talks.

As a result of the first round of talks, we had the biggest exchange, which is around 1,000 people.

The two sides have agreed to this all-for-all exchange of sick, ill, wounded soldiers and young soldiers aged 18 to 25.

The Russian delegation actually said that this all-for-all scheme translates to a number from 1,000 to 1,200 soldiers on each side, and that would mean, again, that this is the biggest prisoner exchange that has happened between the countries.

When it comes to other issues discussed by Ukraine and Russia, it feels like talks there are much slower and that communication only happens so far in Istanbul.

If you’re just joining us

Here are the latest updates:

• Russian and Ukrainian delegations have completed a meeting in Istanbul, agreeing to a prisoner swap and to turn over the bodies of about 6,000 soldiers.
• Russia said the two sides have exchanged memoranda with terms for an agreement for a more lasting ceasefire, although no immediate breakthroughs were announced.
• Ukraine has suggested a new meeting with Russia by the end of June, although Russia has not committed to the meeting.
• Despite today’s talks being relatively brief, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed them as “magnificent”, while floating the idea of hosting three leaders – Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the US’s Donald Trump – for a peace summit in the future.

Here are some of Ukraine’s most audacious attacks against Russia

Ukrainian drones struck multiple military airbases deep inside Russia on Sunday in a major operation a day before the peace talks in Istanbul.

The Russian Defence Ministry said Ukraine had launched drone strikes targeting Russian military airfields across five regions, causing several aircraft to catch fire.

But Sunday’s attacks were only the latest in a series of audacious hits on Russian military facilities, territory and symbols of power over the past three years of war – often acknowledged by Kyiv and in some cases widely believed to have been carried out by Ukrainian special forces.

Read more here.

Erdogan says he aims to host Putin, Zelenskyy and Trump in Turkiye

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the Russia-Ukraine peace talks held in Istanbul “magnificent”.

Erdogan said at a news conference in Ankara that he wants to host the Russian, Ukrainian and American presidents in his country.

“My greatest wish is to bring together Putin and Zelenskyy in Istanbul or Ankara and even add Trump along,” he said.

“If they accept, I also would like to join them in this meeting,” the Turkish president added.

He said he will be taking steps to achieve this goal as soon as possible.

Danish PM warns NATO defence spending target ‘too late’

Mette Frederiksen warns Denmark’s regional allies that a NATO target to boost defence spending by 2032 would come “too late”, as countries arm in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

At a meeting of Nordic and Baltic NATO members in Lithuania, Frederiksen commented on the proposal to raise defence and security spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2032.

“I hope that during the NATO summit in The Hague [June 24-26], we will agree on 3.5 percent for the armed forces and 1.5 percent on broader defence”-related spending, the centre-left prime minister told Danish public broadcaster DR.

“The question now is whether we will accomplish this before 2032. In my opinion, this is too late,” she said.

Trump has been pressuring NATO allies to spend 5 percent of their GDP on defence – a level none of the alliance’s 32 members, including the US, currently hit.

In response, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has floated a proposal for 3.5 percent of GDP on direct defence spending by 2032, and 1.5 percent of broader security-related expenditures.

Russia says it suggested ceasefire for 2-3 days in certain areas

Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who leads Moscow’s delegation in ongoing negotiations, has made the following statements following the talks in Istanbul:

• Russia and Ukraine have exchanged memoranda with terms for a peace settlement.
• Moscow’s memorandum contains steps to achieve a full ceasefire, and Ukraine will study it.
• Russia suggested a ceasefire for two to three days in certain areas.
• The sides have agreed on the largest prisoner exchange, with all wounded soldiers to be exchanged.
• Moscow will also hand over more than 6,000 bodies to Ukraine.

More from Ukrainian delegation’s Istanbul news conference

Tykhyi stresses the greatest outcome of the talks in Istanbul is on the humanitarian front and agreement for exchanges.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Umerov says Moscow and Kyiv have agreed to return the bodies of 6,000 fallen soldiers each.

First Deputy Foreign Minister Kyslytsya says the negotiations have reached a point at which concrete humanitarian results can be achieved.

Tykhyi, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, says Ukraine will be ready to decide on the way forward once it has studied the Russian memorandum it received today.

Ukraine says key issues at talks can only be resolved at level of leaders

Here are some of the Ukrainian delegation’s key statements at the news conference in Istanbul:

• Ukraine believes all key issues at the talks can only be resolved at the level of leaders.
• Russia and Ukraine have agreed to swap all seriously ill prisoners of war who are under 25 years old.
• Moscow continues to reject the idea of an unconditional ceasefire.
• Ukraine proposes a meeting by the end of June to make progress.
• Ukraine cannot react to Russian proposals in Istanbul because Kyiv only received them today.

Ukrainian delegation holding news conference

The news conference is being held after the Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Istanbul.

Ukraine gives Moscow list of ‘deported’ children: Kyiv

Ukrainian negotiators have handed Russian officials a list of children “illegally deported” by Moscow during its invasion, demanding their return, according to Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak.

“Today, during talks in Istanbul, the Ukrainian side officially gave the Russian side a list of Ukrainian children that need to be returned,” Yermak wrote on social media.

“We are talking about hundreds of children that Russia has illegally deported, forcibly transferred or kept in temporarily occupied territories,” he added.

EU chief, US senator discuss coordinating Russia sanctions

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has met US Senator Lindsey Graham to discuss EU-US coordination on sanctions in response to Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.

“The president made the objective clear: We need a real ceasefire, we need Russia at the negotiating table, and we need to end this war,” a statement by the European Commission said.

It added: “Pressure works, as the Kremlin understands nothing else. This is why the president welcomed that Senator Graham committed to ramping up pressure on Russia and moving ahead with the bill in Senate next week.”

The statement also said the EU is preparing its 18th package of hard-hitting sanctions, targeting Russia’s energy revenues, including Nord Stream infrastructure, Russia’s banking sector and lowering the crude oil price cap.

These steps, taken together with US measures, would sharply increase the joint effect of sanctions, said von der Leyen.

Zelenskyy says Kyiv, Moscow working on new prisoner exchange

Ukraine and Russia are working on another round of exchange of prisoners of war, the Ukrainian president says.

The remarks came after peace talks between Russia and Ukraine concluded in Istanbul.

He was speaking in the Lithuanian capital, where he was attending a meeting of Central European and Nordic states.

Turkish official says talks ‘didn’t end negatively’

The second round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul has ended, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman says.

“The meeting is over. It didn’t end negatively,” Oncu Keceli said of the talks at Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace, which lasted just over an hour.

Putin ‘is preparing for more war’, warn US senators

Two US senators have warned that the Russian president is stalling on peace while preparing a new military offensive against Ukraine.

Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal spoke to the AP in Paris after meeting Zelenskyy.

A sweeping US sanctions bill could be the West’s last chance to choke off the Kremlin’s war economy, they said, adding that they hope their firsthand findings will shift momentum in the US and help bring a sceptical Trump on board.

“What I learned on this trip was he’s preparing for more war,” Graham said of Putin.

“The world has a lot of cards to play against Putin,” he said. “We’re going to hit China and India for propping up his war machine.”

Blumenthal called the sanctions proposed in legislation “bone-crushing” and said it would place Russia’s economy “on a trade island”.

“It is crunch time for Putin and for the world because Russia is mounting a new offensive,” he said.

Russia-Ukraine peace talks end

Russian and Turkish media outlets report that the talks in Istanbul have concluded.

How will Ukraine’s attack on Russian bombers affect the war?

Any description of Ukraine’s attacks on Russia’s fleet of strategic bombers could leave one scrambling for superlatives.

Forty-one planes – including supersonic Tu-22M long-range bombers, Tu-95 flying fortresses and A-50 early-warning warplanes – were hit and damaged on Sunday on four airfields, including ones in the Arctic and Siberia, Ukrainian authorities and intelligence said.

According to some observers, the attack shattered Russia’s image of a nuclear superpower with a global reach.

Read the article here.

Merz will push for ‘fair ceasefire’ in Ukraine during US visit, Berlin says

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will push for a “fair ceasefire” in Ukraine during his first in-person meeting with Trump in Washington, DC, a German government spokesperson says.

“The government’s objectives are clear, and the chancellor will do everything in his power to lobby the US president for a fair ceasefire, including with the threat of sanctions,” the spokesperson told reporters in Berlin about the visit planned for Thursday.

Merz is aware of a push for tougher sanctions against Russia by US Senator Lindsey Graham but would not interfere in domestic US procedures, the spokesperson added.

Photos: Ukrainian, Russian officials gather in Istanbul

NATO’s eastern flank nations ‘committed’ to Ukraine’s membership in the alliance

Nordic, Baltic and Central European NATO members are committed to Ukrainian membership in the military alliance, the leaders of Poland, Romania and Lithuania say in a statement after a summit of B9 and Nordic countries.

B9, or the Bucharest Nine, consists of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, all members of NATO.

More from Fidan’s speech before Istanbul talks

• Turkiye stands ready to take any step necessary to facilitate the Russia-Ukraine peace process.
• It will be possible to reduce differences in views through the dialogue that will take place during the talks.
• The main expectation of Turkiye is for the sides to reach concrete results through fruitful negotiations.
• The US contribution and support for the talks are important to us.

Turkish FM says aim of Istanbul talks is to reach ‘sustainable peace’

Hakan Fidan, speaking at the opening ceremony of Russia-Ukraine talks, says the sides will discuss the ceasefire requirements and share their positions during the negotiations.

He added that Turkiye is glad that the second round of talks is happening in Istanbul.

Germany wasn’t informed of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia: Official

The German government was not informed ahead of time of Ukrainian drone attacks striking targets deep within Russia, according to a government spokesperson quoted by Reuters.

“The German government was not informed about this, but that is not necessary because the Ukrainians have the right to defend themselves against a war that violates international law,” the spokesperson said.

Ukraine remains “ready to negotiate” in the latest round of talks with Russia taking place in Istanbul on Monday, the spokesperson added.

Russians, Ukrainians sceptical of Istanbul talks

Ukrainians and Russians have expressed deep scepticism as Kyiv and Moscow officials arrive in Istanbul for ceasefire talks.

Danish PM says Ukraine seems successful in defending itself

Commenting on Ukraine’s unprecedented drone attack on Russian airbases, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says, “I think they have the right to defend themselves and sometimes it includes pushing back, so it seems that it has been successful.”

Ukraine’s domestic intelligence service, the SBU, said the attack, codenamed “Operation Spider’s Web”, had been planned for more than a year and a half.

It said strikes caused damage estimated at $7bn.

Here’s what to know about Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russia

• Airbases in five different regions stretching over five time zones were targeted in an unprecedented attack by Ukraine, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. It said there were no casualties.
• Zelenskyy said Ukraine used 117 drones in a massive operation on Russian military bases, adding it was “absolutely brilliant” and inflicted tangible losses. He said planning for the operation had begun a year and a half ago.
• At least 13 planes were destroyed in the attack on Russian airbases, a Ukrainian official said.

Ukraine has 3 main topics for talks in its agenda

The Ukrainian and Russian delegations agreed on May 16 during the first round of talks that they would present their vision of what it would take to end hostilities.

The Ukrainian side sent its memorandum to Russia and the US and talked to the press about it.

Russians kept theirs secret, saying they would show everything and talk about it only during the meeting in Istanbul.

They left everyone guessing about what the Russian requirements are and if they are a nonstarter, as Ukrainians said the last time.

According to the Ukrainian list, President Zelenskyy wants a comprehensive ceasefire for at least 30 days with the possibility to prolong it on land and sea.

The second item on the agenda is the exchange of all prisoners, including prisoners of war and political prisoners.

The third item, which can be quite sensitive, is the return of deported Ukrainian children.

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for President Putin, accusing him and Russia of deporting thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Zelenskyy says Ukraine ready to take ‘necessary steps for peace’

Speaking at a meeting with NATO leaders in Lithuania, the Ukrainian president has also called for new sanctions on Russia if the talks in Istanbul fail.

“We are ready to take the necessary steps for peace,” he said, adding that if Russia undermined the Istanbul talks and there was no result, then “new sanctions are urgently, urgently needed”.

What we know about the talks schedule, delegates

The second direct talks in more than two weeks come amid efforts to end the three-year war.

The Ukrainian delegation is led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, according to Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

The Russian delegation is headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Russian state media reported.

Turkish officials said the meeting would start at 1pm (10:00 GMT), with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan presiding over the talks and officials from the Turkish intelligence agency also present.

However, Tykhyi said the start would be at midday. It was not immediately possible to clarify the discrepancy.

Ukraine, European partners coordinate before Istanbul talks

Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya and delegation member Oleksandr Bevz have met representatives of Germany, Italy, and the UK in Istanbul.

According to Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi, the meeting aimed to coordinate views on the agenda items of the Ukraine-Russia negotiations.

He added that Kyiv officials reiterated the items on their agenda.

Delegations arrive at Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace for talks

Ukrainian and Russian delegations have arrived at Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace, along with senior Turkish officials, for their second round of direct peace talks, according to the footage shared by Turkiye’s state-run agency, Anadolu.

The delegations arrived in cars and entered the venue, the footage showed.

Russian delegation arrives in Istanbul: State media

The delegation, headed by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, has arrived in Istanbul for ceasefire talks with Ukraine, according to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

Istanbul talks: What are Ukraine and Russia’s positions?

Delegations from Kyiv and Moscow are holding a second round of direct talks on the possibility of ending the war in Ukraine.

But what are their visions of what a peace settlement could look like at the negotiations?

Ceasefire

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to cover combat on air, sea and land.

Kyiv says meaningful discussions over a long-term peace deal can happen only once fighting has paused.

“First – a full and unconditional ceasefire. Second – the release of prisoners. Third – the return of abducted children,” Zelenskyy said on Sunday on social media, outlining Kyiv’s priorities for Monday’s talks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected Ukrainian and Western calls for an immediate ceasefire.

The Kremlin says it does not rule out agreeing to some kind of ceasefire, but that talks should address the “root causes” and look to strike a “long-term settlement”.

For Putin, the “root causes” of the conflict are grievances with Kyiv, but also the West and NATO over what Russia sees as their expansion into former Soviet or communist countries.

Moscow has demanded strict limits on Ukrainian military activity should any truce be agreed, such as a ban on mobilisation and a halt to the flow of Western weapons.

On the status of annexed Ukrainian territories

Russia has repeatedly demanded that it retain territories in southern and eastern Ukraine that it occupies, and for Kyiv to cede even more land.

It annexed four Ukrainian regions – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson – in 2022 despite not having full control over them.

Russia also annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

At the first round of talks last month, Ukraine accused Moscow of repeating those demands and threatening to accelerate a ground offensive into the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, over which Russia has made no formal claim.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said recognition of Moscow’s ownership of these territories was “imperative” for any negotiations.

Ukraine has said it will never recognise its occupied territories, including Crimea, as Russian.

NATO and security guarantees for Ukraine

Zelenskyy has for months been calling for “security guarantees” for Ukraine to stop Russia from invading again.

His top demand would be for Ukraine to be admitted to NATO, or for Ukraine to fall under the military alliance’s Article 5 collective defence term.

However, US President Donald Trump has dismissed the possibility of Ukraine joining the bloc, and Russia says NATO membership would be “unacceptable”.

Instead, Kyiv is pushing for some other form of Western military commitment that would deter Moscow.

The UK and France are leading discussions about a possible European troop deployment to enforce any ceasefire, among a group of countries dubbed the “coalition of the willing”.

But Kyiv still wants Washington to back up any “security guarantee”.

Moscow has said it would not accept troops from NATO countries being deployed to Ukraine in any capacity.

We can’t ignore Russian threat: UK PM

The UK cannot ignore the threat posed by Russia, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said, before the publication of a strategic defence review that is expected to call for greater readiness to fight a modern war.

“We cannot ignore the threat that Russia poses. We’ve seen what happened in Ukraine just over three years ago,” Starmer told the BBC, when asked if the UK would have to send troops to fight in a future European conflict.

Moscow says Ukraine launched more than 100 drones on Russia overnight

The Russian Defence Ministry says Ukraine launched a huge air attack overnight, using 162 drones.

In a statement, it said the air raid targeted nine regions, claiming most of the drones were either jammed or shot down.

The largest number was downed over Kursk (57 drones), followed by Belgorod (31), according to the ministry.

Russia security service thwarts Ukraine-ordered railway sabotage attempt: RIA

Russia’s security service, the FSB, has thwarted an attempted arson attack on railway transportation in the far eastern Russian region of Primorsky Krai, or Primorye, that was to be conducted on Ukraine’s order, Russia’s state RIA news agency reported on Monday.

“It was established that two 19-year-old residents of Primorsky Krai, on orders from Ukrainian special services and expecting to receive a monetary reward, committed actions aimed at setting fire to track-side relay cabinets,” RIA cited the service as saying.

Ukraine has yet to comment.

Here’s where things stand on Monday, June 2:

Fighting

• Ukraine said it destroyed Russian bombers worth $7bn at airbases as far away as Siberia, in an attack that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Kyiv’s “longest-range operation”.
• Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari, reporting from Moscow, said the “simultaneous large-scale attack” was “launched from inside Russia” and targeted “Russian planes that have been carrying out attacks on Ukraine”.
• An official at Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service told the Reuters news agency that the operation involved hiding explosive-laden drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds and loading them onto trucks, which were driven to the perimeter of the airbases. At least 41 Russian warplanes were hit, they said.
• Russia’s TASS news agency said there were no military or civilian casualties and that “some of the participants” had been detained.
• The operation came as Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia had launched 472 drones at the country overnight, in the highest nightly total of the war. Moscow also launched seven missiles.
• This included a missile attack on a Ukrainian military training ground that killed 12 soldiers and wounded more than 60 on Sunday morning, according to Ukraine’s Ground Forces.
• The assault led Ukrainian Ground Forces commander Mykhailo Drapatyi to announce his resignation, saying he felt a “personal sense of responsibility” for the soldiers’ deaths.
• Meanwhile, in Russia, at least seven people were killed and 69 injured when a bridge in the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, collapsed onto a passing passenger train. Moscow Railway, in a post on Telegram, said the bridge had collapsed “as a result of an illegal interference in the operation of transport”.
• A second bridge collapse caused a freight train to derail in Russia’s Kursk region, which also borders Ukraine, injuring a train driver, according to the acting governor of the area.
• A Ukrainian drone attack on Kursk also sparked fires after debris from destroyed drones fell on private homes, the acting governor said.

Politics and diplomacy

• Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine was sending a delegation led by Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov to a second round of peace talks, which are set to begin today in Istanbul, Turkiye.
• Vladimir Medinsky, a former cultural minister who will lead Russia’s delegation in Istanbul, said Moscow has received Ukraine’s “version of the memorandum on a peaceful settlement”, the TASS news agency reported.
• However, Zelenskyy said that Russia has yet to share its own memorandum. “We don’t have it, the Turkish side doesn’t have it, and the American side doesn’t have the Russian document either,” the Ukrainian president said in a post on X.
• TASS reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his United States counterpart, Marco Rubio, spoke by telephone about “several initiatives aimed at a political solution to the Ukraine crisis”, including Monday’s talks.
• An exit poll in Poland’s presidential run-off shows the two candidates are very close and that the race is still too close to call, in an election where aid to Kyiv, Ukraine’s potential membership of NATO and Ukrainian refugees were key issues.