US President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Ukraine to move "quickly" on a deal to end Russia's invasion, ahead of a new round of talks expected in Miami at the weekend. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier told a summit of European leaders that his country needed a decision this year on a plan to use Russian assets to plug Ukraine's budget gap. Read our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.
Trump tells Ukraine to move 'quickly' on deal to end war
US President Donald Trump has urged Ukraine to move "quickly" on a deal to end Russia's invasion, ahead of fresh talks expected in Miami at the weekend.
"Well, they're getting close to something, but I hope Ukraine moves quickly. I hope Ukraine moves quickly because Russia is there," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
"And you know, every time they take too much time, then Russia changes their mind."
Kremlin envoy set to visit Miami for talks on US peace plan for Ukraine
A Kremlin envoy will travel to Florida to discuss a US-proposed plan to end the war in Ukraine, a US official has said.
Kirill Dmitriev, who heads Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, is set to meet with Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in Miami on Saturday, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The official said that Witkoff and Kushner will sit down with Dmitriev, after meetings with Ukrainian and European officials in Berlin earlier this week, in which they discussed US security guarantees for Kyiv, territorial concessions and other aspects of the American-authored plan aimed at ending the war.
Asked about the meeting in Miami, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was preparing for contacts with the US to learn about the results of the meetings in Berlin, but didn't give further details.
Denmark says pro-Russian groups responsible for two cyberattacks
Two pro-Russian groups carried out cyberattacks on a Danish water treatment plant in 2024 and on local elections in the Scandinavian country last month, the Danish defence minister has said.
The government said it would summon the Russian ambassador over the matter, Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said.
Water pipes were exploded in the 2024 attack and household water supply was affected, he said.
EU leaders to propose Ukraine reparations loan using Russian assets (draft document)
According to a draft document seen by Reuters, which could still change, European leaders will ask EU institutions to urgently adopt instruments to establish a reparations loan backed by cash balances linked to Russia's frozen assets.
The draft lists several conditions for the loan, including full respect for the contractual obligations of asset holders, equal treatment, compliance with bilateral investment treaties, and a requirement that the funds support both EU and Ukrainian defence industries.
The draft also said EU leaders want the reparations loan to provide financial support for Ukraine starting in the second quarter of 2026, including its military needs.
In the document, the text about the reparations loan was in square brackets which means the proposal had not yet been adopted and may still change as talks go on.
Zelensky says Ukraine should not change its constitution to remove NATO reference
Ukraine's Zelensky has said he sees no need to change Ukraine's constitution, which enshrines its aim to become a NATO member state, days after offering to drop that ambition in exchange for hard security guarantees.
Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukraine could compromise on NATO membership if given bilateral security guarantees with protections similar to NATO's Article 5, which considers an attack on one member as an attack against all.
"To be honest, I don't think we need to change our country's constitution," Zelensky said on Thursday when asked about it by a reporter, adding that the Ukrainian people should make decisions about their constitution.
"Certainly not because of calls from the Russian Federation or anyone else," he said.
Russian nuclear-capable missile Oreshnik deployed in Belarus
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says a newly developed Russian hypersonic, nuclear-capable missile known as the "Oreshnik" has been deployed in his country.
Russia unveiled the weapon last year after using it to strike the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, in an escalation of the conflict.
Moscow had already deployed tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus in 2023 and said it could station Oreshnik there by the end of 2025.
"Oreshnik has been in Belarus since yesterday. And it's going on combat duty," Lukashenko said in his annual speech.
Merz plans to let Ukraine use Russian central bank assets held in Germany (dpa)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to comply with Belgian demands and make available assets held in Germany belonging to the Russian central bank to support Ukraine, German news agency dpa reports.
It cited negotiating sources on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels.
Russia court slaps 13-year jail term on Briton for fighting for Ukraine
A Russia-controlled court in Ukraine's Donetsk region has sentenced a British citizen to 13 years for fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine, a verdict condemned by Britain.
The supreme court in Donetsk convicted Hayden Davies, who was taken prisoner in 2024, of participating as a mercenary in an armed conflict and sentenced him to 13 years at a maximum security penal colony, Russia's general prosecutor said in a statement.
Britain's Foreign Office, however, said Davies was not a mercenary and should be treated as a prisoner of war.
"We strongly condemn the sentencing of British national Hayden Davies in a Russian-controlled court on false charges," the UK's foreign ministry said.
Zelensky says Ukraine ready for any format to use frozen Russian assets
Ukraine is ready for any format which allows it to utilise Russian sovereign assets frozen by its allies, but the current proposal of a loan would be preferred, Zelensky added in his comments to the press in Brussels.
Zelensky said he had discussed the issue with Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever, an opponent of the current proposal to use the assets to secure a large loan for Ukraine.
EU leaders agree to work on using Russian assets for Ukraine loan, says Poland's Tusk
EU leaders have agreed on the option of financing Ukraine in 2026 and 2027 through the use of frozen Russian assets rather than joint EU borrowing, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk has told reporters in Brussels.
"We are certainly after a breakthrough and the breakthrough means that everybody agrees that it is worth trying and that the use of Russian assets for Ukraine would be justified and good for Europe, but some countries will fight until the end to maximise guarantees for themselves," Tusk told reporters.
"This declaration that we all want to use Russian assets for Ukraine was made and I don't think anybody is going to go back on it," Tusk said during a break in summit talks.
Ukraine needs decision on Russian assets by end of year, Zelensky says
More from the Ukrainian leader, who says his country needs EU leaders to reach an agreement on Russian assets by the end of the year.
"Our partners have been informed that the decision must be made by the end of this year," Zelensky told journalists at an EU summit where leaders gathered to try to agree on the plan, which has faced opposition from countries including Belgium.
Zelensky says Ukraine faces foreign aid shortfall of up to €50 billion next year
Ukraine is facing a foreign aid shortfall of €45-50 billion in 2026, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said on the sidelines of a European Council summit.
Zelensky said that if Kyiv did not receive a first tranche of a loan secured by Russian assets by next spring, it would have to significantly cut drone production.
Speaking in Brussels as EU leaders were set to take a decision on Moscow's seized sovereign wealth, Zelensky said this would mean that Ukraine would have far fewer drones than Russia, and would not be able to conduct long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities.
EU targets 41 additional vessels in Russia's shadow fleet
The EU imposed sanctions on 41 more ships in Russia's "shadow fleet", taking the total of designated vessels to almost 600.
The ships are now banned from entering EU ports and can no longer receive a broad range of services related to maritime transport, the EU Council said.
Russia is preparing for contacts with the US on Ukraine, the Kremlin says
The Kremlin said that Russia was preparing for contacts with the US to get details about talks with European powers and Ukraine on a possible peace settlement to end the Ukraine conflict.
Turkey warns Russia and Ukraine over Black Sea security after shooting down drone
Turkey has warned Russia and Ukraine to exercise greater caution regarding Black Sea security after its air force shot down a drone that entered Turkish airspace, the defense ministry said.
F‑16 fighter jets were dispatched on Monday after an “out of control” drone approached Turkish airspace from the Black Sea. The drone was shot down in a safe area to protect civilians and air traffic, officials said. The incident followed recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian “shadow fleet” tankers off the Turkish coast, as well as warnings from Turkish officials about the risk of the war in Ukraine spilling over into the region.
France's Macron says he is 'confident' in the EU's ability to find a solution to finance Ukraine
Europe will find a joint position at this week's EU summit on how to finance Ukraine's war effort, Macron said.
"Several options have been put forward by the European Commission and important discussions have been initiated on how to use these assets held by the Russians. What I mean here is that we must bring everyone together. We will find a position," he told reporters before the summit.
A senior Ukrainian diplomat announced he had arrived in Beijing, a close ally of Russia, where he was expected to hold talks with Chinese officials.
The visit represents a rare meeting between officials from Kyiv and Beijing, which has been accused of aiding Moscow to prolong its war against Ukraine.
"Busy day ahead in Beijing," Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya wrote on social media.
Zelensky says Ukraine delegation to hold talks in US Friday and Saturday
Ukraine's Zelensky said Thursday that Ukrainian and US delegations would hold new talks on Friday and Saturday in the US.
"On Friday and Saturday, our team will be in the United States of America; they are already on their way ... and the Americans are waiting for them," Zelensky told reporters, adding that European officials may also attend the talks.
Zelensky says no decision on frozen Russian assets would be 'big problem' for Kyiv
Ukraine's Zelensky said Thursday that any failure by EU leaders to agree on a plan to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine would be a serious challenge.
"I will speak with all the leaders, present our arguments, and I very much hope we can obtain a positive decision. Without it, there will be a big problem for Ukraine," Zelensky told reporters, ahead of a visit to Brussels for an EU summit.
