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Here is our live coverage of efforts by the US President Donald Trump to secure a ceasefire for Russia-Ukraine war.
- US President Donald Trump is due to hold separate phone calls with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts amid efforts to reach a ceasefire deal in the war in Ukraine.
- Trump is due to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin at 14:00 GMT. After that, he will have phone conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO leaders.
- Zelenskyy on Sunday met top US officials and European leaders in Rome, insisting that Ukraine is engaged in “real diplomacy” to get a ceasefire.
- Separately, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom discussed in a call with Trump the need for an unconditional ceasefire and for Putin to take “peace talks seriously”, according to a UK government spokesperson.
- The diplomatic efforts come as Ukraine says Russia launched its largest drone barrage since the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022, firing a total of 273 exploding drones and decoys at several Ukrainian regions.
Zelenskyy to push for ceasefire, renewed pressure on Moscow during his call with Trump
There are expectations Zelenskyy will ask for two things during his call with Trump.
First of all, an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
Secondly, for pressure on Putin. We’re talking sanctions, and anything else that can get him to the negotiating table.
Zelenskyy has been making these points consistently over the past two weeks. He says that Putin has shown that he’s not serious about holding these talks, and that he knows that because Putin sent a low-level delegation to the talks in Istanbul – people who Zelenskyy says didn’t have the power to make any real decisions.
And Putin made demands that would have granted Russia essentially everything it wanted as a precondition just to getting a ceasefire.
As all this is happening, and Zelenskyy is pressing for diplomacy, Russia has been pressing militarily. It has been striking in the Donetsk region in the east, and here in Kyiv and elsewhere over the weekend it launched a historic series of drone attacks.
Putin appears to be maximising military pressure ahead of any kind of talks, and not agreeing to a ceasefire or serious negotiations without preconditions at all.
Russia believes it’s in ‘good bargaining position’ despite impact of sanctions
While Russia’s official position is that it has already withstood extensive international sanctions and won’t be swayed by new ones, the financial strain has caused problems – particularly with paying for commercial imports and managing supply chain logistics with Europe, according to Russian defence analyst Pavel Felgenhauer.
“Money does not move easily,” Felgenhauer told Al Jazeera.
“But Russia’s economy is still working. Russia still sees itself as in a good bargaining position,” he said.
Kremlin says ending war will require ‘painstaking’ work
In a statement issued just before Trump and Putin got on the phone, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says efforts to end the war would be “painstaking”.
“In some areas, it may be a long process,” Peskov was quoted by state media as saying. “The settlement involves a large number of nuances that need to be discussed.”
He added that Russia is ready to work on resolving the challenges.
Trump-Putin calls: A recent timeline
- The first publicly announced call between Trump and Putin following the former’s return to the White House on January 20 took place on February 12.
- The two leaders had another call on March 18, with the Kremlin saying it lasted for about two hours.
- Also in March, the Kremlin said there may have been more contacts between Trump and Putin than what has been officially announced.
- The phone conversations are held over encrypted lines, with translators also taking part.
Russian president believes talks with Trump can help resolve ‘root causes’ of war
Putin has been waiting for years for direct talks with the US.
He believes that the US, because of its power and influence, can resolve all of the existing issues. And he believes that, initially, the US was standing behind Ukraine in this conflict, masterminding it and instigating Ukraine.
He wants the US, together with Russia, to address the so-called root causes of the conflict.
Analysts who are trying to predict what the two leaders will be discussing think that Putin will try to convince Trump not to support a set-day ceasefire, and ask him to halt, or at least reduce, the supply of arms to Ukraine, and stop providing intelligence to the Ukrainian army.
They also expect him to raise potential joint business projects with the US, the lifting of sanctions against Russia, and a possible in-person meeting with Trump in the future.
Is Chechnya’s Kadyrov going to resign?
The health of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who earlier this month sought to resign, is deteriorating rapidly, sources and observers have told Al Jazeera.
But Putin does not want Kadyrov to be succeeded by his third son, Adam Kadyrov, who turned 17 last November.
The disagreement has led to a falling-out between the Russian president and the head of the Chechen Republic, two Chechen insiders familiar with Kadyrov’s government told Al Jazeera.
The sources requested anonymity, as rights groups have previously documented a harsh crackdown on dissent in Chechnya, including the persecution of Kadyrov critics and their loved ones.
Read more here.
More about Trump-Putin call
As we previously reported, a White House official has confirmed the call between Trump and Putin is under way.
Reuters is now reporting that Putin is speaking from Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi, while Trump is in Washington, DC.
Trump expected to ‘gauge Putin’s intentions’ during call
We’ve heard from US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that a big part of Trump’s conversation is to really gauge Putin’s intentions – is he serious about [having this war] come to an end?
Vance also said that if Putin isn’t serious, then the US administration is quite happy to walk away from all these negotiations. So that’s kind of an ultimatum there.
But it’s not quite clear what it means – would the US then continue to arm Ukraine, or would it completely wash its hands of the conflict?
We know that European leaders talked with Trump on Sunday, calling for more sanctions on Russia. Trump said on his Truth Social platform said he would also be talking about trade with Russia during this phone call – that is thought to be about sanctions relief.
Trump-Putin call under way: Report
The two leaders are currently holding a phone conversation, according to a White House official cited by Reuters.
We’ll bring you more information as we have it.
Trump-Putin call: What each side wants
In his call with Putin, Trump will likely try to persuade Russia’s president to make key concessions by offering economic incentives, such as sanctions relief and new commercial projects, says Russian defence analyst Pavel Felgenhauer.
Putin, for his part, could be receptive to Trump because he wants to “build bridges” with the US, Felgenhauer told Al Jazeera.
Nevertheless, the two leaders’ telephone conversation “will most likely not be decisive”, he said, with key points following up on during an in-person summit.
Felgenhauer added that for Putin, a summit with Trump would help lift Russia out of isolation; and for Trump, he continued, it would reinforce the narrative that he alone “can do the trick” and strike a deal.
Sanctions on Russia: What to know
A record number of sanctions against Moscow has failed to bring a halt to the war in Ukraine so far.
Since the invasion in February 2022, other countries have placed more than 15,000 sanctions on Russia – the most ever imposed on any country.
The sanctions have targeted more than 1,600 individuals and 1,300 entities, including business leaders, officials and other figures linked to the Kremlin.
Major Russian banks have been shut out of the SWIFT international financial system, and some $300bn in foreign reserves have been frozen.
Meanwhile, the EU has banned Russian oil and gas imports, with its latest sanctions package also targeting 200 vessels suspected of dodging oil embargoes. Russian ships and aircraft have been banned from entering many countries’ ports or airspace.
Russian high-tech exports, including semiconductors and aerospace components, along with dual-use items that could have a military purpose, have also been restricted.
Hold the line
It is now 14:00 GMT, the time that both the US and Russia have confirmed as when Trump and Putin will speak on the phone.
Stay tuned.
Trump ‘weary and frustrated’ with Russia and Ukraine: White House
We have some comments made by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s press briefing.
“He’s grown weary and frustrated with both sides of the conflict,” Leavitt told reporters a few minutes ago, referring to Trump.
“He has made it clear to both sides that he wants to see a peaceful resolution and ceasefire as soon as possible.”
Germany calls on China to help bring peace to Ukraine
Germany has joined Denmark in calling on China to exert its influence on Russia over the war in Ukraine.
The German foreign office said Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has had talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on how to shape the future of the relationship between their countries, noting the Ukraine conflict as a central concern.
“Russia’s war in Ukraine affects core European interests. China has a responsibility for global peace,” it said on X.
Earlier, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he had had a “frank talk” with Wang about Beijing’s support for Russia, which he described as “deeply problematic”.
Vance says Russia-Ukraine negotiations at ‘impasse’
We can now bring you some remarks from US Vice President JD Vance, who had sit-down with Zelenskyy yesterday in Rome.
Speaking to reporters on his way back to the US, Vance acknowledged that Russia-Ukraine negotiations have reached “a bit of an impasse”. Trump, Vance said, is likely to press Putin on whether he is seriously open to ending the war in their upcoming discussion.
“I think the president [Trump] is going to say to President Putin – ‘Look are you serious? Are you real about this?’” Vance said. “If you’re willing to stop the killing, the United States is willing to be a partner for peace.”
However, if Russia proves unwilling to engage in peace efforts, the US will have to walk away and say this is not our war, Vance added, according to Reuters.
EU to propose lowering of G7 price cap on Russian oil
European Economic Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has told reporters the European Union will propose to G7 finance ministers to lower the current $60 per barrel price cap on Russian seaborne oil.
“This is something which we flagged from the Commission’s side in the context of the 18th sanctions package,” he said. “I would expect some interest also from other G7 partners in this regard and some discussion.”
Asked if he would make the proposal at the G7 finance ministers’ meeting in Canada later this week, he said: “Yes.”
Dombrovskis did not indicate the level to which the bloc would want the price cap lowered, but Reuters cited anonymous EU officials briefed on the discussions as saying the EU would propose $50 per barrel.
In January, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden had written a letter urging the European Commission to lower the $60 per barrel price cap, arguing it would reduce Russia’s revenues to continue the war in Ukraine while not upsetting the market.
If you’re just joining us
Let’s bring you up to speed with the main developments of the day:
- In about an hour, US President Donald Trump is due to hold a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine.
- After that, Trump is expected to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a number of NATO leaders.
- Russia has banned Amnesty International, accusing it of “Russophobia” and of advocating on behalf of Ukraine.
- Ukrainian officials say Russian attacks on the southern region of Kherson have killed two elderly people.
- Russia’s Defence Ministry says its forces have captured a village in northeastern Ukraine’s Sumy region and another in the eastern region of Donetsk, both of which border Russia.
Lithuania files case against Belarus at the ICJ
In wider news from the region, Lithuania says it has filed a case at the International Court of Justice against Belarus, a close ally of Russia.
“Since 2021, Belarus has weaponized migration against Lithuania and the EU,” the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X.
“Today, Lithuania filed a case against Belarus at the International Court of Justice over the migrant crisis orchestrated by the Lukashenko regime in violation of international law,” it added, referring to Belarus’s longtime President Alexander Lukashenko.
Could the Trump-Putin call lead to a ceasefire?
We’re less than 90 minutes away from the expected phone conversation between Trump and Putin.
You can read all about the significance of the call and what could come next in this piece put together by our colleague on Al Jazeera’s Explainers team Sarah Shamim.
Polish customs seize tyres for Boeing aircraft bound for Russia
Poland’s National Revenue Administration (NRA) says customs officials have seized 5 tonnes of tyres for civilian Boeing aircraft that were due to transit through Belarus and Russia.
“Officers … discovered during the inspection of a truck in Koroszczyn that the driver was transporting tyres used in Boeing civil planes instead of the declared car and bus tyres,” the NRA said, adding that such products are covered by EU sanctions imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Koroszczyn is located in eastern Poland, close to the border with Belarus.
“The sender of the goods was a company from Spain, and the recipient was from Azerbaijan. Criminal fiscal proceedings were initiated in connection with customs fraud. The sanctioned goods were detained,” the NRA added.
There was no immediate comment from Boeing.
Denmark voices concern over China’s ‘problematic’ support for Russia
Denmark’s foreign minister, who is on a visit to Beijing, says he has had a “frank talk” with his Chinese counterpart about China’s backing of Russia.
In a statement reported by AFP, Lars Lokke Rasmussen said his discussions with Wang Yi included “stopping the deeply problematic Chinese support for Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine”, among other things.
Rasmussen also said he urged Beijing to use “its influence in Moscow to stop the war”, adding that it had a responsibility to do so as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Rasmussen’s meeting with Wang took place during a visit marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between the countries.
Russia’s preconditions ‘unacceptable’ to Ukraine
All of the preconditions that Putin is asking for are unacceptable to Zelenskyy and to the Ukrainian government here – they would be upset to accept those terms at the end of an agreement; for them to be preconditions is really a non-starter.
That’s why Zelenskyy has said that he was really disappointed with the meeting in Istanbul which, he said, was carried out with low-level officers who had very little room to make any kinds of decisions.
They did come out with a prisoner swap of 1,000 prisoners on each side but other than that, really nothing – and that is because of that tough Russian stance.
Meanwhile, Russia has accelerated strikes here in Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine, and all of that has really suggested to the Ukrainians that Russia is not serious about this process.
That’s what Zelenskyy has said and that’s likely to be what he will say in his own call with Trump a little later today.
How to achieve a lasting ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine?
It took three years to get officials from Ukraine and Russia in the same room. But President Vladimir Putin, who proposed the meeting, didn’t go to Istanbul and the talks ended in about 90 minutes.
The result: An agreement for a large-scale prisoner exchange, talks about their presidents meeting, and both sides pushing their vision of a future ceasefire. Yet, diplomacy isn’t narrowing the great gap between Russia and Ukraine.
So, is Putin agreeing to further talks to avoid more sanctions? And with Russia steadily advancing on the battlefield, can Zelenskky afford to push for peace, without further compromise?
Putin ‘confident of his stronger position’ in Ukraine
The Russian president is preparing for an upcoming call with the US president, and it seems Putin is confident of his stronger position in the Ukraine conflict.
He believes that Russia is capable of breaking through Ukrainian defences and establishing control over four regions that Moscow considers its own, even though they’re only partially taken under Russia’s control.
It seems Putin hopes to take them under control before the end of this year.
Russia is increasing its drone attacks on Ukraine as well as making advances on the battlefield.
Sources say that Russia is also planning to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile, which is seen as an attempt to intimidate Ukraine and the West.
Meanwhile, Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, has said that the conversation between the two presidents will take into account the results of the talks in Istanbul, which took place on Friday.
During the Istanbul talks, Russia put forward a number of demands to Ukraine in order to stop the attacks.
Those demands are the neutral status of Ukraine, that there should be no foreign troops or weapons of mass destruction in the country, that Ukraine should not claim war reparations from Moscow, and that Crimea and four other regions must be recognised internationally as part of Russia.
Ukraine must withdraw troops from these four regions that Russia considers its own territory, according to the Russian Constitution, but which Russia does not control entirely. Those regions are Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson, and Ukraine considers these demands unacceptable.
According to Peskov, a meeting in person between Putin and Trump will take place when both sides are ready. The meeting should be productive, and its timing should be determined by the leaders of these two countries themselves, he said.
Ukraine says Russian attacks on Kherson kill man and woman in their 70s
Ukrainian officials say separate Russian attacks have on the southern region of Kherson have killed two elderly people.
Local authorities and police in the regional capital of Kherson said a 75-year-old woman was killed and two people were wounded in shelling late on Sunday of a central area in the city.
Police also said a 76-year-old man was killed in a drone attack this morning on a residential area of the Kakhovka district of Kherson on the Dnipro River.
Photographs posted by the police on Telegram showed devastated buildings and vehicles after the attacks, which they said had damaged two apartment buildings, 17 private houses and a factory, among other infrastructure.
There was no immediate comment by Russia.
What happened at the Istanbul talks?
Trump’s calls with the leaders will take place three days after Russian and Ukrainian officials met in Turkiye for their first direct talks in more than three years.
The talks at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace lasted less than two hours and ended without a ceasefire deal.
But the two sides did reach an agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each in what would be their biggest swap since the war began.
Rustem Umerov, who headed the Ukrainian delegation, told reporters afterwards that Kyiv believed the next step should be talks between the country’s leaders.
Vladimir Medinsky, who led the Russian negotiating team, confirmed that both sides had agreed to provide each other with detailed proposals for a ceasefire and a meeting between their leaders. He also said Moscow was satisfied with the outcome of the talks and was prepared to continue talking to Kyiv.
A senior Ukrainian official told Reuters that Russian delegates had demanded that Kyiv pull its troops out of all Ukrainian regions claimed by Moscow before they would agree to a ceasefire along with “other nonstarters and nonconstructive conditions”.
The source described Russia’s demands as “detached from reality” and “far beyond anything that was previously discussed”.
Zelenskyy, who had called on Putin to meet with him personally for talks, expressed his disappointment in the meeting, saying Moscow had sent “a low-level delegation that had no decision-making authority”.
The US had dampened expectations before the Istanbul talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying he did not expect any breakthrough until Trump and Putin engaged directly on the subject.
Russia bans Amnesty International as as ‘undesirable’ organisation
Authorities in Russia have designated the global human rights group Amnesty International as an “undesirable organisation”, a label given to groups deemed to undermine the country’s national security.
In a statement, Russia’s prosecutor general alleged that Amnesty’s London office was a “centre for the preparation of global Russophobic projects” and accused it of advocating on behalf of Ukraine.
It also alleged the rights group is “doing everything possible to intensify the military confrontation in the region. They justify the crimes of Ukrainian neo-Nazis, call for an increase in their funding, and insist on the political and economic isolation of our country”.
There was no immediate comment from Amnesty.
The “undesirable” designation means the London-based rights group must stop all work in Russia. A 2015 law mandates penalties of up to five years in prison for Russian citizens involved with designated groups.
Organisations previously banned as undesirable include the international environmental organisation Greenpeace and US government-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Zelenskyy hails ‘good meeting’ with Vance, Rubio
The Ukrainian president has given a positive assessment of his meeting on Sunday with US Vice President JD Vance in Rome – their first sit-down since Zelenskyy’s fiery encounter with Vance and Trump before the world’s media in the Oval Office of the White House in February.
In a Telegram post, Zelenskyy said the talks with Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio went well.
“We discussed the talks in Istanbul, where the Russians sent a low-level delegation that had no decision-making authority,” he said. “I reaffirmed Ukraine’s readiness for real diplomacy and emphasised the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible.”
He said the discussions in Rome also covered the need for sanctions against Russia, defence cooperation, a battlefield report and the upcoming prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kyiv as well as trade between the US and Ukraine.
“Pressure on Russia must continue until it is ready to stop the war. And, of course, we discussed our joint steps to achieve a just and sustainable peace,” he said.
“I thank the entire American people for their support and leadership in saving lives.”
US push to get elusive ceasefire in place
The Trump administration appears to be a mounting an all-out drive to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine.
President Trump will be holding a series of phone calls over the coming hours. He’ll be speaking to both the Ukrainian and Russian presidents, as well as European leaders.
Meanwhile, his special envoy to the region Steve Witkoff told ABC on Sunday that “we have to get to a ceasefire” and “most importantly, we have to get to a final peace deal”, expressing belief that “it’s going to be a very successful call”.
Vice President JD Vance has also had a series of meetings in Italy, including with Zelenskyy and European leaders, lending support to the concept that there is a massive Trump administration thrust under way to get that elusive ceasefire in place.
Russia says Putin-Trump call to take into account results of Istanbul talks
The Kremlin has confirmed that Putin will hold a call with Trump at 5pm Moscow time (14:00 GMT).
State news agency RIA cited spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying the discussion of Ukraine would take into account the results of talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul last week.
Peskov described the conversation between the two leaders as “important”, adding that Russia’s positions have already been communicated.
Russia claims control of 2 more Ukrainian villages
The Russian Defence Ministry says its forces have seized the village of Marine, in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, and Novoolenivka village in the eastern Donetsk region.
The announcement of the latest takeovers was made on Telegram.
There was no immediate comment by Ukraine.
Trump’s high expectations
Trump has said his goal in today’s calls is to “stop the bloodbath” that, he says, is killing 5,000 Ukrainian and Russian soldiers each week.
He said after his call with Putin is over, he will talk to Ukraine’s Zelenskyy and NATO leaders.
The order of that is less than optimal from the Ukrainian perspective, because it suggests that Trump will be relating Russian talking points, and of course, Zelenskyy wants to be right in on those discussions.
Trump somewhat undermined Zelenskyy when he said nothing really big is going to happen in these negotiations until he has a face-to-face meeting with Putin.
That would seem to cut Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians out and give them a secondary role – something Zelenskyy very much does not want to happen – and you can bet he will be pressing those points in his conversation with Trump after Trump talks to Putin.
But Trump says he’s hoping the call will lead to a ceasefire and, ultimately, to the end of the war.
Romania’s new president: Ukraine support ‘essential’
Nicusor Dan, the pro-European centrist who has just been elected president in Romania, has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine.
He campaigned on maintaining Romania’s backing for its northeastern neighbour, telling Reuters in an interview last month that “the war in Ukraine is essential for the security of Romania”.
By contrast, his hard-right, eurosceptic rival George Simion had pledged to end military aid to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy confident Romania will be ‘reliable partner’ after Dan win
The Ukrainian president has congratulated Nicusor Dan for his victory in yesterday’s presidential election run-off in neighbouring Romania.
The pro-European mayor of Bucharest won 54 percent of the votes to beat nationalist George Simion, who got 46 percent, according to official results.
“For Ukraine — as a neighbour and friend — it is important to have Romania as a reliable partner. And we are confident we will. By working together, we can strengthen both our countries and our Europe,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post.
“We will always have great respect for Romania and its people, especially given the support we received during the most difficult period in our history,” he added, expressing keenness to further develop “the strategic partnership” between the two countries.
Finland to supply Ukraine with ammunition using proceeds from frozen Russian assets
The Defence Ministry of Finland has said it will supply ammunition to Ukraine by using proceeds from frozen Russian assets.
In a statement, it said material worth 90 million euros ($101m) would be acquired from Finnish companies.
“Finland has been selected as one of the states implementing European Union measures to supply Ukraine with defence materiel using proceeds from frozen Russian assets,” it added.
There was no immediate comment by the Kremlin, which has repeatedly said any move to seize or sell off frozen Russian assets would be illegal and challenged in court.
Finland ended seven decades of military non-alignment by joining NATO in April 2023, in a historic policy shift that was brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
After Putin sent troops into the neighbouring country in 2022, the US and its Western allies banned transactions with Russia’s central bank and Finance Ministry. The move blocked $300-350m of sovereign Russian assets, mostly European, US and UK government bonds held in a European securities depository.
And what happened yesterday?
- Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 273 drones at Ukrainian cities, destroying homes and killing at least one person, in the largest such attack since the start of the war.
- Russia said its forces had seized the settlement of Bahatyr in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, as well as downing 75 Ukrainian drones.
- On the diplomatic front, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom pressed the need for sanctions against Russia in a call with Trump before his telephone summit with Putin, according to the office of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
- Zelenskyy met US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Rome, on the sidelines of Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration, to discuss the latest developments on the ceasefire talks.
- Putin told Russian state television that he wanted to “eliminate the causes that triggered” Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and “create the conditions for a lasting peace and guarantee Russia’s security”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets US Vice President JD Vance in Rome on Sunday
What’s happening today?
All eyes will be on US President Donald Trump’s phone calls with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump is expected to call Putin first, at 14:00 GMT, in less than six hours from now. It will be followed by calls to Zelenskyy and NATO leaders.
In a post on social media on Saturday, the US president voiced hope for a “productive day” today.
Trump also said his discussion with Putin would focus on stopping the “bloodbath” of “a war that should have never happened”, as well as trade.
Welcome to our live coverage
Hello, and thank you for joining our live coverage of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Stay with our live team as we bring you all the latest developments, reactions and analysis throughout the day.