Putin says ‘issues we need to discuss’ over ceasefire as he hints at phone call with Trump – Europe live
‘There are issues we need to discuss,’ Putin says about ‘good’ US ceasefire proposal as he hints at phone call with Trump
Putin continues on the Ukrainian “incursion” in Kursk and asks what a ceasefire would mean.
Would that mean that everybody there would leave? Should we release them after they have committed numerous crimes against civilians there, or will the Ukrainian leadership command them to surrender? What will that will happen? That’s not clear.
He also goes on to talk about broader issues with a ceasefire as he says it could give Ukraine a chance to rearm and regain momentum as a time as Russia is, he claims, advancing.
How will other aspects be dealt with along the 2000 kilometer contact line? As you know, the Russian troops are advancing practically in every sector of the contact line, and all the conditions are there for us to besiege fairly large units.
So what would happen during those 30 days?
Would that allow Ukraine to continue a forced mobilization, a supply of arms to Ukraine, so that the newly mobilized units can be trained, or will that not be done?
He also asks about who would police the ceasefire.
Who will give orders to cease hostilities? And what will these orders be worth, along 2000 kilometers? Who will decide where there’s been a violation of the possible ceasefire agreement along all along the 2000 kilometer line, and who will be blamed? Who will be blamed for violating the ceasefire?
All these issues need to be carefully, painstakingly studied by both sides.
So the idea is good, and we absolutely support it, but there are issues we need to discuss and I think we need to negotiate with our American colleagues and partners, maybe a phone call with President Trump, but the very idea of ending this conflict by peaceful means we support that.
Key events
-
Putin and Lukashenko joke about Europe being ‘done for’ on energy
-
If Russia and US agree, ‘Ukraine and Europe will be done for,’ Lukashenko says
-
‘There are issues we need to discuss,’ Putin says about ‘good’ US ceasefire proposal as he hints at phone call with Trump
-
Putin says Russia ‘agrees’ with proposals, but need to ‘remove root causes of crisis’
-
Putin and Lukashenko give press conference in Moscow
-
Russia, US ‘yet to agree’ on presidential phone call, not expected today
-
Sweden confirms its ‘largest ever civilian aid programme’ for Ukraine
-
Ukraine needs guarantees as Putin’s ambitions ‘are barely disguised,’ UK’s Starmer says
-
New graft scandal rocks European Parliament with probe into alleged corruption
-
Putin aide Ushakov’s comments on US ceasefire proposal on Ukraine – video
-
‘Entire world is ripping us off,’ Trump says after multiple digs at the EU
-
‘Nothing’ for Russia in US ceasefire proposal, Putin aide says
-
No ‘meaningful’ response from Russia shows they ‘seek to prolong war,’ Zelenskyy says
-
Delays to German spending plans would be ‘irresponsible,’ chancellor-in-waiting Merz warns
-
Trump threatens EU with 200% tariffs on wines, champagnes and alcoholic products
-
Deal on Merz’s ‘bazooka’ plans for spending ‘far from being realised’ – snap analysis
-
Rocky start in Bundestag debate on debt break reform
-
Proposed US ceasefire only a ‘temporary respite’ for Ukraine, ‘imitates peace actions,’ senior Kremlin aide says
-
German parliament set to discuss Merz’s ‘bazooka’ proposals, constitutional changes
-
Early signals from Russia on US ceasefire proposal ‘unsatisfactory,’ Polish PM Tusk says
-
Finland signs new defence cooperation deal with Ukraine, sends €200m aid
-
Talks with US on Ukraine proposals possible ‘as early as today,’ Russian foreign ministry spokesperson says
-
Putin ‘may have international call’ later, Kremlin says
-
Italy’s Campi Flegrei hit by 4.4-magnitude earthquake
-
Morning opening: What do you think, Mr Putin?
-
Russia says it downed 77 Ukrainian drones overnight
-
G7 ministers to meet in Canada on Thursday
-
Poland calls for US to transfer nuclear weapons to its territory as a deterrent – report
-
Multiple Ukrainian cities under attack Thursday morning, one killed in Kherson
-
Russian operation in Kursk is in final stage, Kremlin claims, as US negotiators head to Moscow
-
Opening summary
Putin also goes back to his Kursk visit yesterday noting progress made by Russian troops there, as says that next steps on ceasefire will be decided “depending on how the situation on the ground will develop.”
Putin and Lukashenko joke about Europe being ‘done for’ on energy
It appears that the two has now turned to jokes.
Putin says:
I want to add to what Mr Lukashenko said about Europe being done for if Russia and America agree.
Yes, indeed, if Russia and America agree to cooperate on energy, and this is, this is a pun, because a pipeline in Russian means also being done for, so this will be to Europe’s benefit, because they will get cheap Russian gas. So they will have a pipeline.
(The audience laughs at this point.)
“That’s what I meant,” says Lukashenko
“Yes, that’s what I thought you did,” adds Putin.
If Russia and US agree, ‘Ukraine and Europe will be done for,’ Lukashenko says
… and yet he adds to that.
Lukashenko says:
If Russia agrees with the United States, Ukraine and Europe will be done for.
The negotiating process between America and Russia holds Europe’s fate in their hands, even though it is behaving in a shortsighted manner in the media, at least.
And again, they’re not going to dupe us. We know our interests. We know our goals.
I am sure you will be shocked to hear to that, but Lukashenko intervenes at this point to say that he agrees with Putin.
Vladimir Vladimirovich has said more than he was asked to, and he has looked into the future and maybe even disclosed some of the talking points for the upcoming meeting with the American representatives.
It is difficult to add anything to that.
‘There are issues we need to discuss,’ Putin says about ‘good’ US ceasefire proposal as he hints at phone call with Trump
Putin continues on the Ukrainian “incursion” in Kursk and asks what a ceasefire would mean.
Would that mean that everybody there would leave? Should we release them after they have committed numerous crimes against civilians there, or will the Ukrainian leadership command them to surrender? What will that will happen? That’s not clear.
He also goes on to talk about broader issues with a ceasefire as he says it could give Ukraine a chance to rearm and regain momentum as a time as Russia is, he claims, advancing.
How will other aspects be dealt with along the 2000 kilometer contact line? As you know, the Russian troops are advancing practically in every sector of the contact line, and all the conditions are there for us to besiege fairly large units.
So what would happen during those 30 days?
Would that allow Ukraine to continue a forced mobilization, a supply of arms to Ukraine, so that the newly mobilized units can be trained, or will that not be done?
He also asks about who would police the ceasefire.
Who will give orders to cease hostilities? And what will these orders be worth, along 2000 kilometers? Who will decide where there’s been a violation of the possible ceasefire agreement along all along the 2000 kilometer line, and who will be blamed? Who will be blamed for violating the ceasefire?
All these issues need to be carefully, painstakingly studied by both sides.
So the idea is good, and we absolutely support it, but there are issues we need to discuss and I think we need to negotiate with our American colleagues and partners, maybe a phone call with President Trump, but the very idea of ending this conflict by peaceful means we support that.
Putin says Russia ‘agrees’ with proposals, but need to ‘remove root causes of crisis’
Asked specifically about the ceasefire, Putin starts by thanking Trump for dedicating his attention to this issue.
“We agree with the proposal for a ceasefire to cease hostilities, but we proceed from the fact that this ceasefire should lead to an enduring peace, and should remove the root causes of this crisis,” he says.
Putin also recalls his visit in Kursk yesterday, where he says “the situation is fully under our control, and the group that invaded our territory has been fully isolated.”
He says Ukrainian troops can no longer leave the area, and they will have to “surrender or die.”
Separately from their comments at the press conference, Putin and Lukashenko also signed a joint statement, which includes comments on European safety and Nato.
The document, published by the Kremlin, says the two countries will be looking at “if necessary, taking countermeasures of a political-diplomatic, military and military-technical nature.”
The statement specifically criticises “destablising actions by Nato countries” and “the continuing hostile steps in the context of the Ukrainian crisis,” including “plans to deploy” US missiles and “the deployment of military infrastructure and significant combat forces” on the borders.
They also pointedly criticised “the aggressive and confrontational nature of the European Union’s policy towards Russia and Belarus.”
It’s not exactly new language from the two leaders, but worth noting anyway.
Putin and Lukashenko give press conference in Moscow
Russian president Vladimir Putin is giving a press conference together with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko.
He is mostly talking about “the special nature of the relations between our brotherly nations,” Russia and Belarus being “not only close neighbours, but reliable allies, truly strategic partners,” and (more surprisingly) about the importance of the Intervision Song Contest, Russia’s response to the Eurovision.
If he says something on Ukraine or talks with the US, we will bring you that.
Russia, US ‘yet to agree’ on presidential phone call, not expected today
Russia and the United States have yet to agree on a possible phone call between president Vladimir Putin and president Donald Trump, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Thursday, the Interfax news agency reported.
It cited Ushakov as saying that the Kremlin did not expect Putin to talk to Trump on Thursday.
This comes hours after the Kremlin said that “may have an international phone call later” on Thursday.
Sweden confirms its ‘largest ever civilian aid programme’ for Ukraine
Sweden has announced new plans to give Ukraine more than 1.4bn Swedish krona in aid (€127m), the largest ever civilian aid programme offered by the country.
“Support for Ukraine is a matter of solidarity, but also of Sweden’s security,” minister for international development Benjamin Dousa told a press conference.
The package will focus on “most urgent needs such as energy supply, housing, healthcare, mine clearance, safe schooling for children, vocational training for women and support for war veterans,” according to a separate press statement.
The main beneficiaries will be the World Bank’s Ukraine Trust Fund, the Ukrainian Red Cross, and the United Nations Development Programme, according to the government’s statement.
Ukraine needs guarantees as Putin’s ambitions ‘are barely disguised,’ UK’s Starmer says
British prime minister Keir Starmer has said that he was “not entirely surprised” by Russia’s apparent rejection of the US-led ceasefire proposal, as he called for more work to be done by allies to put pressure on Moscow and offer Ukraine security guarantees to protect it from Putin’s “barely disguised” ambitions.
Speaking to the News Agents podcast, in a clip released on social media, Starmer said:
Well, firstly, keep our focus on a lasting and secure peace in Ukraine, which is what we all want.
It doesn’t entirely surprise me that Russia is taking this stance. They’ve made it pretty clear. They put it in lights a number of times over.
I think progress was made on Tuesday, and I always felt that and hoped that out of Tuesday that would put the ball in the Russian court, if you like, where the pressure would come on Russia. That has now happened.
That is a good thing, because Russia is the aggressor. Russia is the country that where there had been previous deals and agreements, [it] has not honoured those.
We know that Putin has ambitions that are barely disguised.
Asked about the next steps, he said:
What we need to do now is work with our allies, work with the US, work with Ukraine, and obviously I’ve got this meeting in on Saturday to bring a number of leaders together to see what further progress that we can make, but lasting secure peace with the sovereignty and security of Ukraine.
But it has to be a peace where the deal is defended, because we’ve had a deal before, and it’s not been maintained, because Russia just breaches the line.
Starmer also specifically called out Kremlin’s opposition to proposals to give Ukraine additional security guarantees:
He is saying, and he said before that he doesn’t want security guarantees in relation to the deal.
That tells you something, if you don’t intend to breach the deal, you wouldn’t have too many problems with guarantees for the deal. And we know that in the past, he’s breached the deal.
So his reaction reinforces my strong belief that if the deal is not defended with security guarantees, then he will breach it in due course.
New graft scandal rocks European Parliament with probe into alleged corruption
Separately, a new graft scandal rocked the European Parliament after police carried out several raids in Belgium and Portugal, detaining multiple suspects as part of a probe into alleged corruption masqueraded as lobbying, AFP reported.
Belgian newspaper Le Soir and investigative website Follow the Money (FTM) said the probe was linked to Chinese tech giant Huawei and its activities in Brussels since 2021. Huawei did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.
None of those held for questioning on Thursday were EU lawmakers, a police source told AFP.
The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office said several people were taken in for questioning over their “alleged involvement in active corruption within the European Parliament, as well as for forgery and use of forgeries”.
The prosecutor’s office gave no details about the individuals or companies involved, while Belgian police neither confirmed nor denied that it was Huawei.
But prosecutors said the alleged corruption by a “criminal organisation” was “practised regularly and very discreetly from 2021 to the present day” and took “various forms”.
These included “remuneration for taking political positions or excessive gifts such as food and travel expenses or regular invitations to football matches” as part of a bid to promote “purely private commercial interests” in political decisions.
About 100 police officers took part in the operation that saw a total of 21 searches conducted across Belgium and in Portugal, it added.
