Ukraine: Trump says negotiators headed to Russia 'right now'

03/12/2025March 12, 2025

Trump: 'I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia'

US President Donald Trump told reporters that US teams were headed to Moscow to discuss the 30-day ceasefire plan with Ukraine.

Trump was meeting with the Irish prime minister in the Oval Office, when he was asked questions about whether Russia would accept the ceasefire proposal.

Kyiv accepted the plan on Tuesday.

"It's up to Russia now," Trump told reporters, adding that he could impose "devastating" sanctions on Russia that could punish the country.

"I hope that's not going to be necessary," he said, adding: "I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I don't want to do that because I want to get peace."

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin met Trump in the Oval Office in Washington DCImage: Evelyn Hockstein/REUTERS

03/12/2025March 12, 2025

WATCH: How should the EU use frozen Russian assets?

As concerns over the US's Ukraine policy mount, calls in Europe are growing for Russia's frozen assets to be handed over to Ukraine.

Some €200 billion ($218 billion) worth of assets are being held as part of a package of sanctions against Russia. But EU member states are split over how much, and when, to use that leverage.

DW spoke with Thijs Reuten, Member of European Parliament, for more.

03/12/2025March 12, 2025

US negotiators en route to Russia to discuss ceasefire plan, Trump says

US President Donald Trump said US officials were headed to Russia "right now" to talk about a ceasefire plan to end the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian and US officials agreed on the ceasefire on Tuesday, along with a restoration of US military aid and intelligence to Kyiv, after more than eight hours of talks in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah.

"People are going to Russia right now as we speak. And hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin.

"I've gotten some positive messages, but a positive message means nothing," Trump said in response to questions from reporters about progress on Ukraine. "This is a very serious situation."

The Kremlin said Wednesday it was still awaiting details from Washington about the ceasefire proposal, with Reuters news agency quoting senior Moscow officials as saying the deal would have to take into account Russia's advances and address its concerns. 

03/12/2025March 12, 2025

UK, EU defense ministers meet to discuss support for Ukraine

The defense chiefs met after army chiefs from over 30 nations discussed establishing an international force to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire between the warring countriesImage: picture alliance / ASSOCIATED Aurelien Morissard/AP Photo/picture alliance

Paris and the UK have been at the forefront of talks to shore up support for UkraineImage: Aurelien Morissard/AP Photo/picture alliance

Defense ministers from Poland, Germany, France, Italy and the UK are meeting in Paris for talks on ending the war in Ukraine.

The so called E5 meeting will be used by leaders to discuss efforts to support Ukraine and boost security on the continent as well.

A press conference is expected to follow soon.

The meeting comes after army chiefs from over 30 nations gathered in Paris on Tuesday to discuss an international force to deter future Russian aggression once a ceasefire is established.

03/12/2025March 12, 2025

Turkey hopes Russia will accept the ceasefire proposal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he hoped Russia would accept a ceasefire plan proposed by US officials to end the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine accepted the interim 30-day ceasefire proposal after talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia this week.

The ball is now in Russia's court, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was representing the US team in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, where the talks took place.

Speaking at a press conference in Ankara, alongside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Erdogan also repeated an offer to host any future talks between Kyiv and Moscow if the ceasefire allows them to return to the negotiating table.

03/12/2025March 12, 2025

EU lawmakers back defense preparation 'close to those of wartime'

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling on the EU to "act urgently and ensure its own security."

The non-binding resolution called for "truly ground-breaking efforts" and actions on defense "close to those of wartime."

"Europe is today facing the most profound military threat to its territorial integrity since the end of the Cold War," the resolution read, which was adopted with 419 votes in favor, 204 against and 46 abstentions.

Member states and NATO allies were also urged to lift all restrictions on the use of Western weapons systems that have been delivered to Ukraine against military targets situated on Russian territory.

The resolution stated that the EU must be able "move much faster through the procedures" in the event of a war or other major security crises.

03/12/2025March 12, 2025

Zelenskyy backs proposed ceasefire, says Russia must respond

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine had shown that it was willing to adopt a ceasefire and that Russia needed to respond.

"Everything depends on whether Russia wants a ceasefire and silence, or it wants to continue killing people," Zelenskyy said at a press conference in Kyiv. "Ukraine has demonstrated its position ... and today Russia has to respond to this."

"I am very serious (about a ceasefire) and for me it is important to end the war," the Reuters news agency quoted Zelenskyy as saying.

"We are ready for a ceasefire for 30 days as proposed by the American side."

Russian news agency TASS reported that Russia was awaiting more detailed information on the outcome of talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was cited in reports as saying that statements were being examined.

03/12/2025March 12, 2025

Ukraine says Russian strike on Odesa 'an attack on global food security'

Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said that a Russian strike on the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa that killed four people was an attack on global food security.

The strike took place as a vessel was being loaded with a grain consignment destined for Algeria. Ukrainian officials said the four fatalities were Syrian nationals.

"In Odesa port, Russia struck a civilian vessel with wheat for Algeria. Condolences to the families of Syrian citizens killed in the attack," Sybiha said in a post on social media platform X. 

"This is an attack on global food security and maritime safety. It demonstrates how close this war is to Algeria, Syria, and other countries." 

Oleksiy Kuleba, vice prime minister for reconstruction, wrote on social media that "the youngest victim was 18, the oldest was 24 years old. Two more people were wounded — a Ukrainian and a Syrian."

A Barbados-flagged cargo ship was also damaged in the overnight strike.

03/12/2025March 12, 2025

France and UK reaffirm commitment to Ukraine's security

France and the United Kingdom have reiterated their commitment to supporting a just and lasting peace in Ukraine through continued military and strategic cooperation.

French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu met with his British counterpart, John Healey, on the sidelines of the Paris Forum on Defense and Strategy on Wednesday to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. 

Writing a post on X, Lecornu reaffirmed both nations' ongoing military support to Ukraine to ensure its long-term defense capabilities. 

He added that France and the UK ''will continue to strengthen their bilateral defense partnership across all areas.''

03/12/2025March 12, 2025

Germany's Scholz says any ceasefire must lead to a 'lasting agreement'

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that a move toward a ceasefire in Ukraine needs to form part of a process ultimately leading to a "lasting agreement."

"Some things are very important and central — a ceasefire must be embedded in a peace process that leads to a lasting agreement," Scholz said at press conference in Berlin alongside EU Council chief Antonio Costa.

Scholz also said that the continuation of US arms supplies for Ukraine was a hopeful signal.

03/12/2025March 12, 2025

US 'eagerly awaiting' Russian response to ceasefire proposal — Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was waiting for Russia's response to Washington's 30-day ceasefire proposal.

"We all eagerly await the Russian response and urge them strongly to consider ending all hostilities," Rubio told reporters on a refueling stop in Ireland.

"If they say no, then obviously we'll have to examine everything and sort of figure out where we stand in the world and what their true intentions are," he said. "I think it'll be if they say no, it'll tell us a lot about what their goals are and what their mindset is."

Ukraine agreed to the US' proposal following talks with Rubio and other US officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Rubio said that European allies would need to be involved in any eventual peace deal on Ukraine and highlighted the sanctions imposed on Russia since the launch of the invasion of Ukraine.

"I think that they have to be necessarily involved," Rubio said and noted that Russia would seek removal of European measures imposed on it.

Rubio also said that a minerals deal with Ukraine would give the US a "vested economic interest" in Ukraine and while he didn’t frame that as a security guarantee, he said such an interest would need protecting.

"I wouldn't couch it as a security guarantee, but certainly, if the United States has a vested economic interest that's generating revenue for our people as well as for the people of Ukraine, we'd have a vested interest in protecting it," Rubio

03/12/2025March 12, 2025

Ukrainian strike hits factory in Russia's Kursk region — regional authorities

Shubhangi Derhgawen

Ukrainian armed forces launched an attack on a factory in the village of Kozyrevka, located in Russia’s Bolshezoldatsky district in the Kursk region, according to regional Governor Alexander Khinshtein.

The strike resulted in the destruction of one workshop building and damage to surrounding property.

According to Kursk's governor, four factory employees were killed. Another worker sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital, while a second injured individual declined hospitalization and is receiving treatment at the scene.

The reports could not be independently verified.

There were no immediate comments from Ukrainian authorities.

03/12/2025March 12, 2025

Kremlin says two villages in Donetsk region captured

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that forces had seized the villages of Novomarkove and Dniproenerhiia in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

The reported Russian gains in eastern Ukraine come as gains were also being claimed in Russia’s western Kursk region, captured by Ukraine during a surprise offensive in August last year.

The RIA state news agency also reported that Russian forces had also struck a vessel transporting ammunition to Ukrainian lines. The report cannot be independently verified.

Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and backed pro-Kremlin militias in the east of the country. Since its full-scale invasion launched in early 2022, Russia has taken control of large swathes of the Donetsk region and has claimed to annex it in its entirety alongside Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

03/12/2025March 12, 2025

Kremlin waiting to be informed about US ceasefire proposal

Russia said that it was waiting for information about a proposed ceasefire in Ukraine, which Kyiv has indicated it would back.

"We assume that Secretary of State [Marco] Rubio and Advisor [Mike] Waltz through various channels in the coming days will inform us on the negotiations that took place and the understandings reached," AFP quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.

Peskov also said he wasn't ruling out a possible phone call between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, which he said could be arranged quickly if needed.

Ukraine said it was ready to support the US proposal after talks in Saudi Arabia, a move welcomed by European allies.

03/12/2025March 12, 2025

Kremlin says Russian forces 'advancing' in Kursk

Russia said it was making gains in the Kursk region and that its forces had recaptured five villages that had been seized by Ukraine.

"The information provided by our military shows that our troops are successfully advancing in the Kursk Region, liberating areas that were under the control of the militants. The dynamic is good," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

In August, Ukraine launched a surprise offensive in the Kursk region but has gradually been losing captured areas as Moscow has sent thousands of reinforcements to the area, including North Korean soldiers.

Russia says its forces are in the regional hub of Sudzha, the largest town to have been captured by Kyiv in the region. Local media shared footage purportedly showing Russian soldiers in the center of the town.