Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump suggests taking over Ukraine’s nuclear power plants in call with Zelensky

The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant, the most important in Europe, shall be a important sticking level in future ceasefire negotiations.

Whereas the White Home stated US management of Ukraine’s nuclear energy crops was mentioned in yesterday’s cellphone name between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president stated they’d solely talked about the Zaporizhzhia facility.

Positioned on the frontline and occupied by Russia since March 2022, the plant has been used as a protect from which Russian forces can assault the close by metropolis of Zaporizhzhia – within the information that Ukraine wouldn’t danger main counter-strikes close to the plant.

Kyiv has stated that Russia won’t be allowed to retain management of the plant, which has not been producing vitality because it was occupied.

However by suggesting that the may take US management of Zaporizhzhia, Mr Zelensky has now given Washington a monetary incentive to push Russia out of the plant.

Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump held what they described as a optimistic cellphone name yesterday, the newest growth within the pair’s extremely risky relationship.

Quickly after the decision, Mr Trump took to Reality Social to hail the “excellent” dialogue – the primary time he had spoken with the Ukrainian president since booting him out of the Oval Workplace practically three weeks in the past.

Mr Zelensky echoed the US president’s sentiment, praising the “optimistic, very substantive and frank dialog” and reaffirming Kyiv’s willingness to finish strikes on vitality and different civilian infrastructure.

It threw the ball again into Russian president Vladimir Putin’s court docket, after he agreed to the partial ceasefire earlier than Kyiv accused Moscow of putting on Ukraine’s vitality infrastructure hours later.

Additionally mentioned within the name was the battlefield state of affairs in Kursk, the place Ukrainian troops misplaced giant swathes of land reclaimed by Russia, and the availability of air defence methods and missiles to Ukraine, which Mr Trump dedicated to proceed helping with.

The White Home additionally proposed US management of Ukraine’s electrical provide and nuclear energy crops. US management of those crops, it stated in a readout after the decision, could be “the perfect safety for that infrastructure and help for Ukrainian vitality infrastructure.

An airfield is on fireplace deep inside Russia after Ukrainian drones focused a base housing strategic bombers, in accordance with Russian officers and state media.

The bottom in Engels, about 700km (435 miles) from the frontlines in Ukraine, hosts Russia’s Tupolev Tu-160 nuclear-capable heavy strategic bombers.

Roman Busargin, the governor of Saratov, stated there had been a Ukrainian drone assault in town of Engels that had left an airfield on fireplace and that close by residents had been evacuated.

He didn’t particularly point out the Engels base, however it’s the primary airfield within the space.

A plume of black smoke rising above cottages and what seems to be a significant fireplace rising into the daybreak sky, in accordance with the unverified footage on Russian Telegram channels.

Russia’s defence ministry stated air defences had shot down 132 Ukrainian drones in a single day over six completely different areas in southern Russia, together with 54 within the Saratov area the place the Engels base is positioned.

Donald Trump recommended to Volodymyr Zelensky that he ought to contemplate giving the US possession of Ukraine’s energy crops to make sure their long-term safety, in accordance with a White Home assertion.

Mr Trump advised Zelensky yesterday that the US may very well be “very useful in operating these crops with its electrical energy and utility experience,” in accordance with a press release from secretary of state Marco Rubio and nationwide safety adviser Mike Waltz.

Mr Trump recommended that “American possession of these crops may very well be the perfect safety for that infrastructure,” in accordance with White Home officers.

The concept was floated even because the Trump administration appears to finalise an settlement to realize entry to Ukraine’s important minerals as partial reimbursement for US help for Ukraine throughout the battle.

In Kyiv, Mr Zelensky stated the dialog targeted on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant — which is the most important of its form in Europe and has been underneath Russian management since early within the battle.

He stated Mr Trump posed the concept of “an understanding” during which “america can get better” the plant.

An airfield is on fireplace in Russia’s Saratov area after a Ukrainian drone assault, governor Roman Busargin stated this morning.

The Russian official stated they’re evacuating the close by area for security of residents dwelling near the airfield.

The size of the hearth on the airfield was not instantly clear.

The White Home has stated America’s intelligence group would proceed to share info with the Ukrainian authorities to bolster Kyiv’s defensive efforts.

The announcement got here after president Donald Trump and Ukrainian chief Vladimir Zelensky had a cellphone name yesterday.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the 2 leaders reviewed the state of affairs in Kursk and agreed to share info intently between their defence staffs because the battlefield state of affairs advanced.

“President Zelensky requested for added air defence methods to guard his civilians, notably Patriot missile methods, and president Trump agreed to work with him to search out what was obtainable, notably in Europe,” Ms Leavitt stated.

Finnish president Alexander Stubb has stated the one actual answer to place off Moscow was to “militarise Ukraine to its tooth”.

Speaking to Politico, Mr Stubb stated the Russian president Vladimir Putin has revealed his actual intentions in Ukraine by bombing civilian vitality infrastructure simply hours after claiming to Donald Trump that Moscow would cease such assaults.

“As somebody who’s mediated the ceasefire in Georgia in 2008, I can say it is a pretty typical Putin tactic,” Mr Stubb advised Politico.

“We now have an aggressor who says he desires a ceasefire and peace, however refuses to commit,” he stated.

“And I believe yesterday’s cellphone dialog between Trump and Putin was a step in the fitting path, however we are actually seeing the true face of Putin,” Mr Stubb stated.

Ukraine has an plain proper to defend itself by itself and supported by companions, he stated after his assembly with Mr Zelensky in Helsinki.

Russia and Ukraine have every swapped 175 prisoners, in one of many largest exchanges because the Russian full-scale invasion three years in the past.

Moscow additionally handed over 22 badly wounded Ukrainian prisoners, the Russian defence ministry added, in what it says was a goodwill measure.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky stated: “We’re bringing again troopers, sergeants, and officers — warriors who fought for our freedom within the ranks of the Armed Forces, the Navy, the National Guard, the Territorial Defence Forces, and the Border Guard Service.”

The Ukrainian chief stated releasing all prisoners of battle in addition to captured civilians could be an vital step towards peace and will assist construct belief between the 2 nations. He has repeatedly known as for an “all-for-all” prisoner alternate.

Volodymyr Zelensky has stated “lasting peace” in Ukraine may very well be achieved this yr by working along with US president Donald Trump.

His remarks got here shortly after talking to Mr Trump yesterday, the place he stated Mr Trump additionally shared the small print of his name with Vladimir Putin.

“We agreed that Ukraine and america ought to proceed working collectively to realize an actual finish to the battle and lasting peace. We imagine that along with America, with President Trump, and underneath American management, lasting peace might be achieved this yr,” he stated.

Mr Zelensky described his name with Mr Trump as “optimistic, very substantive, and frank dialog”.

Volodymyr Zelensky has stated {that a} halt on vitality strikes within the battle with Russia may very well be established shortly, however warned Ukraine will reply in form if Moscow violated the phrases of the restricted ceasefire.

The Ukrainian war-time president stated Kyiv would draw up a listing of amenities that may very well be topic to a partial ceasefire brokered by Washington, after a cellphone name with US president Donald Trump.

This listing may embrace not solely vitality, but in addition rail and port infrastructure, he stated, a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin spoke to Mr Trump and claimed to conform to pause assaults on vitality infrastructure.

“I perceive that till we agree (with Russia), till there’s a corresponding doc on even a partial ceasefire, I believe that every thing will fly,” Mr Zelensky stated, referring to drones and missiles.