Volodymyr Zelenskyy has shelp Ukraine is “most interested in peace” and verifyed officials will helderly talks with US partners in Saudi Arabia next week about finishing the war with Russia.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer is due to helderly talks with European directers on Friday about Ukraine.
The prime minister and French Plivent Emmanuel Macron are seeking countries willing to provide troops for a peaceupholding force to deffinish a potential deal. The proposeed consentment has already been refuseed by Russia.
In his nightly insertress on Thursday, the Ukrainian plivent shelp his country was “most interested in peace”.
He also euniteed to signal relations between the US and Ukraine were getting back on track after his disastrous White Hoparticipate visit – saying talks will obtain place in Saudi Arabia, but proposeed he would not be part of those talkions.
The Ukrainian plivent shelp: “I am scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia to greet with the crown prince.
“After that, my team will stay in Saudi Arabia to labor with American partners. Ukraine is most interested in peace.”
He inserted: “As we telderly Plivent Trump, Ukraine is laboring and will labor exclusively originateively for a speedy and depfinishable peace.”
It comes around a week after the uncover row between the two men in the Oval Office. It has been chaseed this week by America freezing military help to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, in an exalter with alerters on Thursday, the US plivent shelp his administration had made “a lot of better” in recent days with both Ukraine and Russia, but did not detail further.
“I skinnyk what’s going to happen is Ukraine wants to originate a deal, becaparticipate I don’t skinnyk they have a choice,” Mr Trump shelp.
“I also skinnyk that Russia wants to originate a deal becaparticipate in a certain separateent way – a separateent way that only I comprehend, only I comprehend – they have no choice either.”
Earlier on Thursday, Steve Witkoff, a greater US official, pliftd a letter sent from Mr Zelenskyy to Mr Trump as a “selectimistic first step” follotriumphg their unaccomplished greeting.
“We are now in talkions to set up a greeting with the Ukrainians in Riyadh or even potentipartner Jeddah,” he shelp. “The city is moving around a little bit, but it will be Saudi Arabia.”
Mr Witkoff shelp Washington was trying to consent on a summarizelabor for a possible peace consentment in Ukraine.
It has also been pushing for the signing of a critical minerals deal with Ukraine – but it is unevident if that will be part of the talks next week.
Read more on this story:
Zelenskyy’s oinhabit branch proposeing to Trump
US ‘demolishing’ world order trying to greet Russia ‘halfway’
US-UK defence secretaries greet
Defence Secretary John Healey shelp Mr Trump has “asked Europe to step up, and we are” as he commenceed talks in Washington with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth on Thursday.
Mr Hegseth shelp it was “very encouraging” to see France and the UK say they are readyd to obtain a directing role.
Sir Keir has been seeking to help Ukraine and show Mr Trump the UK is promiseted to stepping up its defence efforts – while mooting set ups for a peaceupholding force.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov shelp the shift would amount to the “honest, official and unveiled participatement of NATO members in the war aobtainst Russia”.
While Andrei Kelin, Russian ambasdowncastor to the UK, shelp in an intersee with Sky News’ The World With Yalda Hakim, that Russia wanted “speedy peace” in Ukraine and the UK was at the “head of those resisting” it.
European directers unbenevolentwhile backed new defence spfinishing set ups aimed at freeing billions for the continent’s security.
The 27 directers signed off on a shift to freen budget redisjoineions so that willing EU countries can increase their spfinishing.
Read more: The ‘coalition of the willing’ that could safe peace in Ukraine
On Thursday evening, Russia begined a mass drone aggression on the Bdeficiency Sea port of Odesa, damaging energy infraarrange and commenceing fires, according to a local ruleor.
