Russia will only agree to security guarantees for Ukraine if it has the ability to veto them, its foreign minister has said.
Sergei Lavrov said that any attempt to bolster Ukrainian security that did not involve Moscow was a “road to nowhere” and “will not work”.
Mr Lavrov said a “very good example” of a potential blueprint could be found in the Istanbul framework of 2022. Under a draft discussed at the time, Ukraine would have received guarantees from a group of countries including the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – China, Russia, the United States, Britain and France.
Kyiv rejected the proposal as it would have given Moscow veto power over its national security.
On Tuesday, Donald Trump hinted the US could provide air support to a peacekeeping force made up from European militaries.
The Kremlin has already rejected the idea of Nato troops inside Ukraine and is almost certain to oppose Western air forces being able to operate near its borders.
Last week, Sir Keir Starmer and his European counterparts said “no limitations should be placed on Ukraine’s armed forces or its cooperation with third countries.”
In his remarks at a joint news conference alongside Jordan’s foreign minister, Mr Lavrov also accused European leaders of making a “clumsy…unethical” to manipulate Donald Trump into line with their “aggressive” position on Ukraine.
06:38 PM BST
That’s all for now
Thank you for following today’s live coverage of the war in Ukraine. We’ll be back soon with more updates and analysis from the conflict.
06:16 PM BST
Lithuania would contribute troops, equipment to any Ukraine peacekeeping mission, says president
Lithuania would contribute troops and equipment to any Ukraine peacekeeping mission, its president said on Wednesday.
In a televised interview, Gitanas Nauseda said: “We are ready to contribute as many troops as the parliament allows for peacekeeping, and also military equipment”.
It comes amid accelerated diplomatic efforts to end the war, as western countries are discuss the possibility of sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv.
05:27 PM BST
Nato defence chiefs hold ‘candid discussion’ on security guarantees for Ukraine
Nato defence chiefs held a “candid discussion” Wednesday about what security guarantees they could offer Kyiv to help forge a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine, a senior alliance official said.
Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, the chair of Nato’s Military Committee, said that 32 defence chiefs from across the alliance held a video conference amid a US-led diplomatic to end the fighting.
He said there was a “great, candid discussion” in the call. “I thanked everyone for their always proactive participation in these meetings: we are united, and that unity was truly tangible today, as always,” he wrote on X without providing further details.
Assurances that it won’t be invaded again in the future are one of the keys for getting Ukraine to sign up for a peace deal with Russia.
04:54 PM BST
Russian drone fell in eastern Poland, Warsaw says
A Russian drone crashed in a field in eastern Poland, according to early findings, Polish officials said on Wednesday.
The drone hit and scorched a cornfield in the village of Osiny in the eastern Lublin province overnight, just over 62 miles from the Ukrainian border and around 90 km from Belarus.
Officials initially said the explosion may have been caused by a part of an old engine with a propeller.
Poland has been on high alert for objects entering its airspace since a stray Ukrainian missile struck a southern Polish village in 2022, killing two people.
Earlier, we reported that Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland’s defence minister, described the incident as a provocation (see post at 3:54pm).
04:41 PM BST
Pictured: Aftermath of strike in Donetsk
Emergency service workers respond at the site of a residential building hit by a Russian air strike in Kostiantynivka, eastern Ukraine – Anadolu
03:54 PM BST
Russia is provoking Nato countries, says Polish minister
Russia is again provoking Nato countries, Poland’s defence minister said on Wednesday.
The spurn by Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz came after an official said the object that landed overnight in a cornfield in eastern Poland may have been a Russian version of the Shahed drone.
“Once again, we are dealing with a provocation by the Russian Federation, with a Russian drone. We are dealing in a crucial moment, when discussions about peace (in Ukraine) are underway,” Mr Kosiniak-Kamysz told journalists.
Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz – Shutterstock Editorial
03:43 PM BST
At least three killed by Russian strikes in Donetsk, says governor
At least three people have been killed in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, its governor said on Wednesday.
Vadym Filashkin said four people were also injured when eight Russian Smerch missiles hit the city of Kostyantynivka.
“I emphasise once again: it is dangerous to stay in the Donetsk region! The Russians are deliberately striking in such a way as to kill and maim as many civilians as possible,” said Mr Filashkin.
03:22 PM BST
Government: New UK sanctions target ‘circumvention and crypto networks exploited by Russia’
Britain on Wednesday sanctioned financial networks it said were being used by Russia to evade existing Western sanctions, including Kyrgyz crypto networks, as it ramps up pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine.
The sanctions against eight individuals and entities also target the infrastructure behind A7A5, a rouble-pegged stablecoin launched in Kyrgyzstan which Britain said had moved $9.3 billion (£6.9 billion) in four months.
“If the Kremlin thinks they can hide their desperate attempts to soften the blow of our sanctions by laundering transactions through dodgy crypto networks – they are sorely mistaken,” said Stephen Doughty, British sanctions minister.
03:02 PM BST
Lavrov: Clumsy Europe trying to manipulate Trump
Europe is making a ‘clumsy’ attempt to manipulate Donald Trump on Ukraine, Russia’s foreign minister has said.
Sergei Lavrov accused European leaders of trying to bend the US president into line with their “aggressive” position at the extraordinary White House summit on Monday.
Mr Lavrov said that nevertheless the US had an “increasingly clear understanding of the root causes” of the conflict in Ukraine.
Following his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, Mr Trump called on Ukraine to make territorial concessions for peace – but he dropped the demand after Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary general, flew into Washington among a delegation of European leaders.
There was jubilation in Western capitals that they managed to secure Mr Trump’s support for US security guarantees in Ukraine, which he said will likely involve air support.
Mr Lavrov said Russia is in favour of “reliable” security guarantees for Kyiv, but warned Washington that discussing the terms of that assistance without consulting Moscow is a “road to nowhere”.
It came as Europe fleshes out its plans to provide boots on the ground in Ukraine in the event of a peace deal, with sources suggesting up to 10 European countries are “ready” to contribute to a peacekeeping force.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov – AFP
02:52 PM BST
Russia bars entry to 21 people it says spread disinformation against it in UK media
Russia has barred 21 individuals it accused of working with “the destructive British media” to promote anti-Russian narratives, it said on Wednesday.
The list includes journalists, experts and members of NGOs.
Their names were added to those of many hundreds of other Western nationals whom Russia has placed on its “stop list” since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Britain on Wednesday said it was imposing new sanctions on cryptocurrency networks it said were exploited by Russia.
01:43 PM BST
Pictured: Ukraine mourns its fallen soldiers
Oksana Chernichenko places a Ukrainian flag with the name of her husband Volodymyr at a makeshift memorial to fallen Ukrainian defenders, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, at the Independence Square in Kyiv – REUTERS
01:19 PM BST
Erdogan tells Putin Turkey supports Ukraine peace effort
Turkey supports efforts to establish a permanent peace in Ukraine with the participation of all parties, the president’s office has said.
In a phone call to Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, Tayyip Erdogan also said he was closely following developments related to the process, and that Turkey had strived for a just peace since the beginning of the war, it said.
Moscow’s readout of the call said that Mr Putin expressed Russia’s appreciation of Turkey’s efforts to facilitate talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Istanbul.
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at a summit in Astana, Kazakhstan in 2024 – REUTERS
12:56 PM BST
Ten European countries ‘ready’ to send forces to Ukraine
About 10 European countries are ready to send forces to Ukraine as part of security guarantees for the country following a peace deal, according to reports.
On Tuesday, European officials fleshed out the plan to send a multinational “reassurance force” to deter future Russian aggression and now await Donald Trump’s approval, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The first stage would allegedly include European troops – including hundreds of British and French soldiers – being stationed in Ukraine, away from the front line, to help its military with training and reinforcements.
A later stage of the plan calls for a US backstop to contribute to intelligence sharing, border surveillance, weapons supplies and possibly air defence.
The overall size and the role the European force will play is still unclear, but details are expected to be agreed in the coming days.
On Tuesday, Mr Trump ruled out putting American boots on the ground once a peace deal is signed, but instead suggested the US was prepared to provide air support to police Ukraine’s skies.
“When it comes to security, they’re willing to put people on the ground,” Mr Trump told Fox News, referring to Europe. “We’re willing to help them with things, especially – probably you could talk about by air, because there’s nobody that has the kind of stuff we have.”
The extent of US assistance remains murky, but at a minimum European officials expect Washington to provide intelligence and weaponry through European partners, Bloomberg reported.
12:27 PM BST
Pope calls for fasting and prayer for peace in Ukraine and Middle East
Pope Leo XIV has called for a day of “prayer and fasting” to help usher in peace in Ukraine and Middle East.
As he returned from summer vacation, the pontiff recalled that Friday is a special feast day dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
He asked the Catholic faith to spend the day fasting and “praying that the Lord grants peace and justice, and dries the tears of all those who are suffering as a result of the armed conflicts underway.”
“Mary is the Mother of the faithful here on earth and is remembered as the Queen of Peace,” the pope added. “May Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede so that peoples may find the path of peace.”
11:49 AM BST
Nato military chiefs to discuss Ukraine security guarantees
Nato military chiefs are set to iron out the details of future security guarantees for Ukraine, pushing ahead the flurry of global diplomacy aiming to broker a peace deal.
The virtual meeting between military chiefs from the alliance’s 32 member states is due to start at a 1.30pm BST.
But few details have been leaked on what will be discussed.
Last night, US General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held talks with European military chiefs on the “best options for a potential Ukraine peace deal,” a US defence official told AFP.
11:44 AM BST
Pictured: Ukrainian school destroyed in overnight Russian attack
A local school building damaged by a Russian drone strike in the village of Vasylkivka, Dnipropetrovsk region in central Ukraine – Mykola Miakshykov
11:38 AM BST
Russia says it captured three villages in eastern Ukraine
Russian defence ministry said its forces had captured three settlements in eastern Ukraine.
Moscow claimed control of the villages of Novoheorhiivka, Pankivka and Sukhetse as its troops continue their grinding advance in the Donetsk region as parts of its renewed summer offensive.
The Telegraph cannot independently confirm the reports, which Ukraine has not commented on.
11:07 AM BST
The numbers that show Russia is years from victory
Donald Trump’s message – or rather, the message he transmitted from Vladimir Putin – to Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington on Monday was stark: accept the deal Russia is offering, because otherwise you’ll lose the war.
But if Moscow appears strong now, Ukraine and its European allies believe, it’s partly because Trump’s choices have made it stronger – namely, his decisions to curtail US military aid, interrupt intelligence sharing and, above all, accept Putin’s insistence on a peace deal before a ceasefire.
And in fact, Russia is far from battlefield supremacy. Just hours before the Oval Office discussions, the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) declared it would take 4.4 years of fighting at current rates of advance for Russia to capture the remainder of territory it has “annexed”.
It would also, according to the MoD calculations based on Ukrainian estimates of Russian casualties, cost Russia an additional 1.93m killed and wounded to achieve Putin’s goals. That would be on top of the more than one million casualties it has already sustained.
In other words, Russia could be headed for breaking points of its own.
Putin’s forces are struggling to translate their dominance in infantry into decisive advantage over Ukraine
10:31 AM BST
Peace in Ukraine ‘never been closer’, says security minister
Peace between Ukraine and Russia is closer than ever in the wake of the Alaska summit and Washington talks, a minister has declared.
Dan Jarvis, the security minister, said the conflict had reached a “pivotal moment” and the chances of an end to the fighting were the best since the Russian invasion in Feb 2022
Asked if he was uncomfortable with “kowtowing” to Donald Trump during the past week, Mr Jarvis told Sky News: “I’d describe it as diplomacy. I’d describe it as the best strategy to try to get a peace settlement. It’s in all of our interests, certainly the people of Ukraine but certainly in our own national interest, to bring this terrible conflict in Ukraine to an end.
“I think the summit in Alaska was very helpful in bringing things forward, the Prime Minister chaired a meeting just the other day with 30 international leaders, the coalition of the willing, so it feels to me like we are closer to peace than we have been at any point in the conflict.
“But we’ve got to drive that forward, we’ve got to get an agreement in place and we’ve got to put in place a long-term enduring peace settlement. That is obviously in the interests of Ukraine, of wider European security, but it’s in our own security interests as well.”
He added: “This feels to me like a pivotal moment. We are closer to peace than we have been at any point recently. And the UK Government, the Prime Minister’s been clear about this, will be wanting to play our full part in terms of securing that peace.”
10:00 AM BST
Three civilians killed, 34 injured over past day in Russian attacks
At least three civilians have been killed and 34 injured in Russian strikes across Ukraine over the past day, according to regional authorities.
According to Ukraine’s air force, Russian forces overnight launched 93 Shahed-type attack and decoy drones, along with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles.
At least 62 drones and one missile were intercepted, while the remaining strikes hit 20 locations.
In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian attacks killed one person and injured another. In Sumy, Russian forces attacked more than 52 settlements, injuring 16 people, including two children.
Another two civilians were killed in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.
09:44 AM BST
Pictured: Firefighters battle blazes in Sumy
Ukrainian emergency workers in action following a Russian aerial attack on Okhtyrka, Sumy region – UKRAINIAN EMERGENCY SERVICE/AFP
At least 14 people were injured in the drone strike on civilian infrastructure – UKRAINIAN EMERGENCY SERVICE/AFP
09:32 AM BST
Europe preparing fresh sanctions on Russia if Putin refuses trilateral meeting
The Telegraph understands the UK and European Union are preparing new sanctions on Russia, which could be triggered if Putin refuses to attend three-way talks with Mr Zelensky and Mr Trump.
A senior Government source said: “If Putin was to delay, prevaricate, or refuse to talk that would provide another impetus for sanctions.”
Mr Zelensky called for sanctions to be levied if Putin refused to take part in a trilateral summit ahead of his Washington trip.
The approach would build pressure on Moscow to agree to the meeting.
Government sources have noted that Putin only agreed to meet Mr Trump in Alaska after the US president hit India with sanctions for continuing to buy cheap Russian oil.
09:22 AM BST
Russia targeted ‘homes of families and sleeping children’ in Sumy strike
At least 14 people, including a family with three children, were wounded in an overnight Russian attack on Ukraine’s Sumy region, the country’s prime minister said this morning.
“Russia continues to manifest its fears through acts of pure terrorism across Ukraine, once again targeting the homes of families and their sleeping children,” Yulia Svyrydenko said.
09:03 AM BST
Mysterious object explodes in field in eastern Poland
An unidentified object fell into a cornfield and exploded overnight in the village of Osiny in eastern Poland’s Lublin province, which borders Ukraine, police said on Wednesday.
The blast shattered windows in several homes, but nobody was injured, the report said. Police officers found burnt metal and plastic debris at the site, it added.
Air raid sirens rang out for about an hour over the border in Ukraine’s Volyn and Lviv regions from around 10am BST, however their governors reported no air attacks.
The Polish army said there was no violation of Polish airspace recorded last night from either Ukraine or Belarus.
“We are trying to establish what the object could be. Police and firefighters are on the scene,” Marek Jozwik, a police spokesman, said.
08:52 AM BST
Mapped: Plans for a post-war Ukraine
08:47 AM BST
British troops ‘will be thinking about serving in Ukraine’
British troops will be thinking about the prospect of serving in Ukraine in the future, the security minister has said.
Dan Jarvis, a former Army officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was asked what his friends who are still in the Army would make of the prospect of British boots on the ground following a peace deal.
He told Sky: “I obviously need to be very careful not to set any hares running and we’re not at that point and absolutely no decisions have been made. But your point is a good and a fair one. Clearly, those people who serve in our Armed Forces will be thinking about the situation in Ukraine and both they and their families will be wondering about what that might bring in the future.
“We have to be incredibly mindful of that. We are extremely fortunate to have the best Armed Forces in the world, they are extremely capable. And the Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary have been crystal clear that we have to play our part in making sure a peace settlement is enforced for the long term.”
08:37 AM BST
Pictured: A child flees the fighting near Pokrovsk
Volunteers help residents flee areas of active fighting near Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region – Getty Images Europe
08:21 AM BST
How Finland became a key player in Ukraine peace negotiations
Donald Trump could not find the president of Finland among the gathered European leaders at his White House summit on Ukraine.
“I’m right here,” a smiling Alexander Stubb said from his seat at the top table opposite the US president and next to Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Oh, you look better than I’ve ever seen you look,” Mr Trump shot back instantly to his counterpart.
There were more compliments to come for the “young, powerful man” leading Finland, which has emerged as a crucial player in the Ukraine peace negotiations despite being a nation of only 5.6 million people.
“Some of the international media might wonder why is the president of Finland here?” Mr Stubb said as he sat with the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the European Commission, Nato, Ukraine and the US.
“I think the reason is probably that we might come from a small country, but we have a long border with Russia, over 800 miles,” he told reporters. “And we, of course, have our own historical experience with Russia from World War Two.”
Finnish President Alexander Stubb speaks in Washington, DC after meeting at the White House – OLIVER CONTRERAS/AFP
08:10 AM BST
Watch: Fire rages at Odesa fuel plant after Russian drone strike
Credit: State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Odesa region
08:00 AM BST
Russian drone strike on Sumy injures 12, including children
A Russian drone attack on a city in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region has left 12 people injured, including two children, according to local authorities.
The strike on Okhtyrka was part of a large-scale overnight drone barrage targeting civilian infrastructure across the country, Ukraine’s national police said, reporting significant damage to residential homes, apartment blocks, and other buildings.
Energy infrastructure was also targeted in the southern Odesa region.
The Sumy region, which borders Ukraine, has come under heavy bombardment in recent months after Russia launched a new offensive in June to carve out a “buffer zone” in the territory.
Moscow has proposed withdrawing its troops from Sumy and the neighbouring Kharkiv region in exchange for full control of the eastern Donbas region, which it only partly occupies. The offer was reportedly discussed at Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s summit in Alaska last Friday.
07:49 AM BST
Putin pitches Moscow for Zelensky meeting
Vladimir Putin reportedly pushed for Moscow as a venue for his expected bilateral meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky.
On a call with Donald Trump on Monday, the Russian leader “mentioned Moscow”, a source told AFP. Mr Zelensky said “no” in response, the source added.
On Tuesday, the Swiss foreign minister promised “immunity” to Putin if he chose to visit Geneva for peace talks. Italy and France have backed the Swiss capital as the location for the high-stakes summit.
The White House is allegedly considering Budapest, Hungary’s capital, as a venue for possible trilateral meeting with Mr Trump and the Russian and Ukrainian leaders following their one-on-one talks.
07:37 AM BST
Telegraph View: Ukraine’s fate is still deeply uncertain
In tone, this meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky was a considerable improvement on February’s. In substantive content, a great deal remains unclear. The two fundamental questions of this conflict remain unresolved: where will the borders between Russia and Ukraine lie when Moscow’s terrible war of aggression ends, and how can Kyiv’s and Europe’s security be guaranteed in the future? Everything else is of secondary importance.
Russia continues to assert belligerent claims to territory including some still held by Ukraine, with Vladimir Putin insistent that the whole of Donetsk and Luhansk be ceded despite the failure of his forces to make progress. Mr Zelensky has correctly stated that the constitution of Ukraine forbids any such formal concessions of land without a referendum. Mr Trump has hinted that he may prefer to follow “the current line of contact”.
The tragic reality is that some territorial concessions on Kyiv’s part are now effectively deemed a given, including in Europe. The only question is how much, where, and the legal status of the lost land. There is a possible future in which a negotiated border becomes a diplomatic fact, but not one which is formally acknowledged.
America will not put boots on the ground, but may put jets in the air – what this promise is worth is still unclear – MANDEL NGAN/AFP
07:31 AM BST
Pictured: Russia launches ‘massive’ overnight strikes on Odesa
Russia launched a “massive drone strike” on the southern Ukrainian region of Odesa, injuring one person and causing a large fire at a fuel and energy facility, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said this morning.
Port infrastructure in the city of Odesa was also damaged.
A Russian strike on the southern Ukrainian region of Odesa hit an energy infrastructure facility – Telegram
A large fire broke out and one person was reportedly injured – Telegram
07:16 AM BST
Hello and welcome to our live coverage
We’re bringing you all the latest from the war in Ukraine and the ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a peace deal.
