Russia has given its first response to Donald Trump’s ultimatum calling on Vladimir Putin to engage in peace talks or see his Ukraine invasion end “the hard way”.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said: “We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL.’”
The US president said he would be forced to put “high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions” on anything sold by Russia if Putin refused to negotiate an end to his war.
Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said Moscow will have to see what Mr Trump thinks a “deal” to end the war in Ukraine means, and that the Kremlin sees it as a “question of addressing the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis”.
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This comes as Western officials said that North Korea has suffered nearly 40 per cent casualties among its forces fighting alongside Russia in the western Kursk region.
Out of the estimated 11,000 troops sent from North Korea, 4,000 were battle casualties in just three months of fighting – including at least 1,000 killed – the officials said on condition of anonymity.
Key Points
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Donald Trump threatens Vladimir Putin with ‘taxes, tariffs, and sanctions’
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Russia responds to Trump’s threat over Ukraine war
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Around 1,000 North Koreans killed in Kursk fighting Ukraine, officials say
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Putin worried by war taking a toll on Russia’s economy – report
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Donald Trump’s message to Vladimir Putin in full
What has Trump previously said about ending war in Ukraine?
08:54 , Andy Gregory
Donald Trump repeatedly claimed throughout his campaign and after his White House victory that he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine in one day.
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“They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours,” Trump said at town hall in May 2023.
After Trump won the election, incoming White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also told Fox News that his plan included “on day one, bringing Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table to end this war.”
While the US has now had several days of the Trump administration, and the war continues, Mr Trump did take a step forward on Wednesday as he threw down an ultimatum to Vladimir Putin on bringing the war to an end.
Katie Hawkinson reports from Washington DC on how Mr Trump has delivered so far on his promises.
Ukraine destroys 57 Russian drones during overnight strike: air force
08:33 , Andy Gregory
Ukraine’s military shot down 57 out of 92 drones launched by Russian forces in their latest overnight attack, Kyiv’s air force has said.
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A further 27 drones were “locationally lost” and did not cause any damage, the air force said, which is typically a reference to electronic jamming.
Captured North Korean soldier refused to drop sausage at gunpoint, Ukrainian says
08:22 , Andy Gregory
A North Korean soldier found wounded in a trench by Russian soldiers risked his life by refusing to drop his sausage at gunpoint, the Ukrainian paratroopers who captured him have said.
“He was lying there, with his head and an arm wounded. He had a grenade, a knife and a sausage on him,” a soldier from Ukraine’s 95th Air Assault Brigade said in a clip published by Ukraine’s military press service.
“I asked him to drop everything, but he refused to drop the sausage because it was food, so we let him keep it.”
The footage also descrbes how another captured North Korean soldier initially tried to kill himself by running into a pillar, but after receiving medial treatment and being fed eventually asked to watch Korean romance films.
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The Ukrainian soldier said: “He calmed down. Other soldiers treated his wounds and fed him. Later, he even asked to turn on romance movies for him in Korean.”
Nato chief warns military alliance in ‘crisis mode’
08:04 , Andy Gregory
The need for Nato member states to increase their spending on defence has put the military alliance in a “crisis mode”, its secretary general Mark Rutte has warned.
Speaking to a panel dealing with the topic of Ukraine at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Nato chief said: “We are really in crisis mode here.”
“On industry production, we are really in a bad place,” he added.
Russia could sustain its war in Ukraine for at least another year, Belgian PM warns
07:53 , Andy Gregory
Russia could keep its war effort against Ukraine going for at least one more year, Belgian prime minister Alexander de Croo has warned.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr de Croo said was vital that a 16th package of sanctions targeting Russia included gas, energy and fertilisers.
“Our analysis is that the Russian economy can sustain the war for another year,” said Mr de Croo.
Nato chief reaffirms need to step up support for Ukraine
07:35 , Andy Gregory
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte has warned that a Russian victory in Ukraine would result in Vladimir Putin “high fiving” the leaders of North Korea and China.
“We really have to step up and not scale back our support for Ukraine,” Mr Rutte told an event at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
“The frontline is moving in the wrong direction,” Mr Rutte said.
Russian president believes war goals in Ukraine have been met
07:24 , Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin believes key war goals in the “special military operation” in Ukraine have already been met, sources aware of the matter inside the Kremlin said.
These key war goals, according to Mr Putin, include the control of land that connects mainland Russia to Crimea, and weakening Ukraine’s military, the source said, reported Reuters.
Last year, Russia made its most significant territorial gains since the early days of the war and it now controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine.
Mr Putin has said that Russia can fight on as long as it takes and that Moscow will never bow before another power over key national interests.
Photos: War sends Kyiv residents in shelter as air raid warning sounded
07:19 , Arpan Rai
Putin takes swipe at Biden as Russian president congratulates Trump
07:00 , Andy Gregory
Putin worried by war taking a toll on Russia’s economy – report
06:59 , Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin is getting increasingly concerned about the state of Russia’s wartime economy, five sources aware of the situation told Reuters.
Domestic activity in Russia is feeling the pressure from the Kremlin’s war machinery. Labour shortages and high interest rates have been introduced to tackle inflation which has accelerated under record military spending.
That has contributed to the view within a section of the Russian elite that a negotiated settlement to the war is desirable, according to two of the sources familiar with thinking in the Kremlin.
The sources described Mr Putin’s concerns about the economy, and the influence of that on views about the war within the Kremlin, as reaching unprecedented levels.
“Russia, of course, is economically interested in negotiating a diplomatic end to the conflict,” Oleg Vyugin, former deputy chairman of the Central Bank of Russia, told Reuters. The Russian president has said he is ready to discuss ceasefire options with Mr Trump but that Russia’s territorial gains in Ukraine must be accepted and that Ukraine must drop its bid to join the US-led Nato military alliance.
On the frontline, Moscow and Kyiv are seeking battlefield gains to strengthen their negotiating positions ahead of any prospective talks to end the three-year-old war.
One dead, 25 injured in Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia
06:44 , Arpan Rai
At least one person was killed and 25 others wounded in a Russian drone and missile attack on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, regional officials said today.
More than 20,000 residents were also left without power and another 17,000 without heating as a result of the overnight attack, according to governor Ivan Fedorov, who said an energy facility had been destroyed.
Russia has carried out regular air strikes on Ukrainian towns and cities behind the frontline of its three-year-old invasion, targeting the country’s weakened energy grid in particular.
Full report: Royal Navy tracks Russian spy ship in English Channel
06:30 , Andy Gregory
A Russian spy ship is being tracked by the Royal Navy after sailing through the English Channel, John Healey revealed on Wednesday, issuing a stark warning to Vladimir Putin that the government is watching Russian activity in UK waters.
“We see you”, the defence secretary warned, promising robust action to protect Britain.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Royal Navy tracks Russian spy ship in English Channel as Putin warned: ‘We see you’
UK government gives landmine clearance charity £7m boost
06:00 , Andy Gregory
A landmine clearance charity will be given £7m to continue its “life-saving” work in Ukraine and Afghanistan.
The UK Government cash for the Hazardous Area Life-support Organisation (Halo) Trust will enable the charity to make land safe for agriculture in Ukraine, and to restore basic services affected by the threat of explosives in Afghanistan.
Development minister Anneliese Dodds also announced an additional £250,000 for one Halo project, which aims to dispose of 165 tons of unusable, unsafe ammunition and explosives from Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, Africa.
Russia is biggest external threat to Britain, warns UK defence secretary
05:30 , Andy Gregory
UK defence secretary John Healey has told the Commons that Russia is the biggest external threat to Britain, warning that aggression from Vladimir Putin “will not be tolerated at home or in Ukraine”.
The defence secretary said Russia was “dangerous but fundamentally weak”, as he referenced the casualties the country had suffered during the war in Ukraine and its decision to draft in troops from North Korea.
Trump urges Putin to ‘make a deal’ to end Ukraine war – or face tariffs and sanctions
05:00 , Arpan Rai
President Donald Trump has called on Russian president Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the nearly three-year-old war Russia launched against Ukraine, and is threatening to impose further sanctions on Moscow if the Russian leader does not acquiesce.
In a statement posted to his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was “not looking to hurt Russia” and expressed “love” for the Russian people while boasting of his “very good relationship” with Putin – who in 2016 ordered what the Department of Justice called a “sweeping and systematic” effort to interfere in the presidential election on Trump’s behalf.
Trump urges Putin to ‘make a deal’ to end Ukraine war — or face tariffs and sanctions
UK aircraft to join Nato operation to protect undersea cables in Baltic Sea
05:00 , Andy Gregory
UK defence secretary John Healey has told MPs that P8 Poseidon and Rivet Joint aircraft will join the Nato operation to protect undersea cabling in the Baltic Sea.
RFA Proteus has also been deployed to monitor “offshore infrastructure”.
UK monitors Russian spy ship and steps up undersea cable protection
04:51 , Arpan Rai
Britain said it monitored a Russian spy ship in the English Channel in recent days and would strengthen its response to secret operations by Russian ships and aircraft in an effort to protect undersea cables.
Defence minister John Healey said Yantar, a Russian spy vessel used for intelligence and mapping critical infrastructure on the sea floor, entered British waters on Monday and the Royal Navy tracked it for two days until it entered Dutch waters. Russia’s embassy in London did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
“We will not shy away from robust action to protect Britain,” Mr Healey said yesterday. “We are strengthening our response to ensure that Russian ships and aircraft cannot operate in secrecy near UK or Nato territory.”
Worries over the potential sabotage of power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines have been growing after a string of outages in the Baltic Sea following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Britain decided to send maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft to help Nato’s efforts to protect cables in the Baltic Sea, Sir John announced, adding that it would also deploy an advanced AI system to help safeguard undersea infrastructure.
Ukrainian army deploys cat noises to lure Russians into explosive-laden traps, soldier claims
04:39 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainians are using recordings of cat noises to lure Vladimir Putin’s forces into explosive-rigged traps, a Russian soldier has claimed.
With the grit and ingenuity of the Ukrainian army frequently evidenced in its success in defending against Russia’s vast invading force, it has now been claimed that they are turning to an unusual tactic in appealing to the Russians’ reported fondness for cats.
The tactic has been reported on the frontline of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, which has seen some of the war’s most gruelling fighting in recent months as Mr Putin’s forces sought to capture as much territory as possible ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House this week.
Ukrainians ‘using cat noises to lure Russian soldiers into explosive-laden traps’
‘I didn’t know I would be fighting in Ukraine’ – captured North Korean soldier
04:30 , Andy Gregory
A North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine has said he did not know who he would be fighting against or where he would fight.
In the recording of the interview, posted by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on X, the soldier says he arrived with Russia along with 100 fellow North Koreans on a ship, before being later transported by train.
The soldier, who had joined the army aged 17 as a conscript, said some of his compatriots were trained on heavy Russian military equipment – but that he did not go through this training.
“I didn’t know before coming to Russia that I would be fighting here, in Russia and I didn’t even know who we were fighting against,” the soldier told Ukrainian investigators.
“There were a lot of casualties when I was there alone, starting from the battle on Jan. 3. Overall, it’s hard to answer about such large-scale numbers.”
When asked what he knew about the world outside of North Korea, he said: “Not much.” Asked what he knows about South Korea, he said: “I only know that South Korea has fewer mountains than North Korea.”
Trump says he has no desire to hurt Russia
04:28 , Arpan Rai
Donald Trump urged Russian president Vladimir Putin to “settle now and stop this ridiculous war” in a post to his Truth Social site yesterday.
He said he had no desire to hurt Russia — which he noted had played a major role in securing victory for the Allies against Nazi Germany in the Second World War — and has a good relationship with Mr Putin, but warned of penalties if the war isn’t stopped soon.
“If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries,” Mr Trump said.
Mr Trump has been sceptical of the billions of dollars the Biden administration provided Ukraine in weapons and other materiel to defend itself. He has often spoken of his desire to end the war and said on the campaign trail that he could end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office. That has not happened.
Pro-Russian candidate leads Romanian poll ahead of May election
04:00 , Andy Gregory
A pro-Russian candidate currently leads the Romanian polls four months before a crucial election in May.
Calin Georgescu, the far-right candidate who opposes Romanian support for Ukraine in its defense against Putin’s invasion, is the voters’ top choice ahead of a re-run of a presidential election.
The European Union state’s top court annulled the initial presidential election two days before the second round of voting, due to allegations of Russian interference.
The election of Georgescu would be a critical blow for Ukraine, which has relied on Romania to export millions of tons of Ukrainian grain through its Black Sea port of Constanta, trained Ukrainian fighter pilots and donated a Patriot air defence battery to Kyiv.
Georgescu is critical of NATO and has praised Romania’s fascist leaders of the 1930s. The EU court said he had benefited from a social media campaign likely orchestrated by Russia – Moscow denied the accusations.
But the latest polls for the first round show Georgescu set to gain 38 percent of the vote, with Crin Antonescu, leader of the pro-European governing coalition, sitting at just 25 percent.
British troops on ‘massive road trip’ to Romania for major Nato exercise
03:54 , Arpan Rai
British troops are looking after each other on a “massive road trip” to Romania as part of a major Nato training exercise.
More than 2,500 British personnel are moving across Europe by land, air and sea to take part in Steadfast Dart, Nato’s largest planned exercise of the year.
The exercise is intended to showcase the alliance’s readiness, capability and commitment to defend Nato territories.
It comes ahead of the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Friday, with much of the exercise taking place in Romania, which borders Ukraine.
British troops on ‘massive road trip’ to Romania for major Nato exercise
Around 1,000 North Koreans killed in Kursk fighting Ukraine, officials say
03:32 , Arpan Rai
North Korea has suffered nearly 40 per cent casualties among its forces fighting alongside Russia in the western Kursk region, Western officials told the BBC.
Out of the estimated 11,000 troops sent from North Korea, 4,000 were battle casualties in just three months of fighting – including those killed, wounded, missing or captured – the officials said on condition of anonymity.
Of these 4,000 losses, nearly 1,000 are believed to have been killed by mid-January.
Ukrainian officials are yet to release their own tally. North Korea has not issued any comment on the presence of its troops inside Russia.
Kyiv will not agree to Russian demands to cut military – Zelensky
03:30 , Andy Gregory
Ukraine will not agree to Russian demands that it drastically reduces the size of its military in a future peace agreement, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Zelensky warned that Russian president Vladimir Putin would demand that Ukraine reduce its military five-fold.
“This is what he wants. We will not allow this to happen,” Mr Zelensky said.
Russia responds to Trump’s threat of more sanctions
03:09 , Arpan Rai
Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said Moscow will have to see what Donald Trump thinks a “deal” to end the war in Ukraine means.
“It’s not merely the question of ending the war,” Mr Polyanskiy told Reuters. “It’s first and foremost the question of addressing root causes of Ukrainian crisis.”
Mr Trump said he would add new tariffs to his sanctions threat against Russia if the country does not make a deal to end its war in Ukraine, and added that these could also be applied to “other participating countries”.
In the runup to his election victory, Mr Trump declared dozens of times that he would have a deal in place between Ukraine and Russia on his first day in office, if not before.
But the US president’s aides have conceded a deal to end the war could take months or longer. Earlier this month, the US Treasury hit Russia’s energy revenues with its hardest sanctions yet, targeting oil and gas producers Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, as well as 183 vessels that are part of the so-called dark fleet of tankers aimed at evading other Western trade curbs.
Zelensky warns Europe of Russian attack: ‘War closer to Davos than Pyongyang’
03:00 , Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky has said European nations need to work together to defend their continent, and not wait for the Trump administration, at a time when it is under attack by Russia.
“Europe must establish itself as a strong, global player, as an indispensable player,” the Ukrainian president said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
“Let’s not forget there is no ocean separating European countries from Russia. European leaders should remember these battles involving North Korean soldiers are now happening in places geographically closer to Davos than Pyongyang,” Mr Zelensky said.
“Does anyone in the United States worry that Europe might abandon them someday – might stop being their ally? The answer is no,” Mr Zelensky said.
The war-time president said that Europeans needed to devise a united security and defence policy and alluded to a pre-inauguration remark by Mr Trump, who proposed a massive hike in defence spending for Nato members to 5 per cent of GDP.
“If it takes 5 per cent of GDP to cover defence, then so be it, 5 per cent it is. And there is no need to play with people’s emotions that defence should be compensated at the expense of medicine or pensions – that’s not fair,” Mr Zelensky said.
Drones attack city near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, officials say
02:57 , Arpan Rai
Russia-installed officials in Ukraine’s partly-occupied Zaporizhzhia region said Ukrainian drones attacked Enerhodar, a city serving the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
“This is a terrorist act,” Russia-installed acting mayor Maksim Pukha told Russia’s RIA news agency, saying civil infrastructure and residential areas had been targeted. “Peaceful residents should in no way be targets of such an attack.”
Each side has accused the other of risking a nuclear catastrophe by attacking the station. Monitors from the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, are permanently stationed at the plant.
Russian media quoted the city’s authorities as saying at least four drones had attacked Enerhodar. It said there were no casualties and no details on damage were provided.
The governor of the part of Zaporizhzhia region held by Ukraine, Ivan Fedorov, said five drones had attacked the city of Zaporizhzhia, located about 60km (35 miles) northwest of the plant, across a large reservoir on the Dnipro River.
He posted a picture on Telegram of a large fire he said had been triggered by the attack.
Vladimir Rogov, a senior Russia-appointed official in Zaporizhzhia region, said the attack had disrupted power and water supplies in the city.
Trump presidency will trigger right-wing surge in Europe – Hungarian PM
02:30 , Andy Gregory
Donald Trump’s presidency in the US will prompt a right-wing surge in Europe, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban said on Monday, as he called for an offensive to “occupy” Brussels.
Mr Orban envisaged a “golden era” for relations between the US and Hungary, with Mr Trump’s presidency beginning from today, 20 January.
“Only a few hours and even the sun will shine differently in Brussels. A new president in the US, a large faction of Patriots in Brussels, great enthusiasm,” Mr Orban said. “So the great attack can start. Hereby I launch the second phase of the offensive that aims to occupy Brussels.”
Mr Orban’s hard-right Fidesz party formed the Patriots party group in the European Parliament last year. Led by France’s National Rally, the group has become the third largest in parliament with 86 members.
Russian disinformation campaign looking to boost support for Germany’s far-right AfD
02:00 , Andy Gregory
A Russian disinformation campaign is seeking to support the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) campaign ahead of the country’s February election, a think tank has found.
An analysis of hundreds of German-language posts on X over the past month have exhibited patterns of Russia’s Doppelgaenger disinformation campaign against the West.
The campaign spreads links to falsified Western news outlets sharing fake information, a German foreign ministry report published last June. Russia has consistently denied involvement.
Recent posts have blamed the Greens for Germany’s economic woes, criticised chancellor Olaf Scholz’s support for Ukraine, and spoken in favour of the AfD, CeMAS said.
The tracked posts share links to falsified German news websites or to articles on authentic ones supporting their narrative, and have achieved over 2.8 million views, CeMAS said.
Trump threatens sanctions on Russia if Putin does not negotiate on Ukraine
01:30 , Andy Gregory
Donald Trump has said he would likely impose sanctions on Russia if its president Vladimir Putin refuses to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
“We’re talking to (Ukrainian president Volodymyr) Zelensky, we’re going to be talking with president Putin very soon,” Mr Trump said. “We’re going to look at it.”
Mr Trump said he has also pressed Chinese president Xi Jinping in a call to intervene to stop the Ukraine war.
“He’s not done very much on that. He’s got a lot of… power, like we have a lot of power. I said, ‘You ought to get it settled.’ We did discuss it.”
Mr Trump gave no details on possible additional sanctions. The US has already sanctioned Russia heavily for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Putin holds phone call with Egyptian president
01:00 , Andy Gregory
Russian president Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Russian state news agency TASS said on Tuesday.
The leaders discussed joint projects between Russia and Egypt and the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine, TASS reported.
Decisive Trump could change the course of history – senior Russian official
00:30 , Andy Gregory
The chief of Russia’s $23 billion sovereign wealth fund said new US president Donald Trump’s decisive leadership could “change the course of history” on Tuesday.
His praise came after MR Trump signed a batch of executive orders straight after his inauguration. Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said Mr Trump’s actions could boost growth and open opportunities for dialogue.
“President Trump’s bold actions today prove that decisive leadership can change the course of history, unlocking economic growth and transforming global challenges into opportunities for dialogue and resolution through problem solving,” Mr Dmitriev said.
Mr Dmitriev, who is currently under US sanctions deemed illegal by Russian officials, is a US-educated former Goldman Sachs banker who played a key role in early contracts between Moscow and Trump’s first administration, after election in 2016.
Putin proposes deeper ties with China in call with ‘dear friend’ Xi Jinping
Wednesday 22 January 2025 23:59 , Andy Gregory
Russian president Vladimir Putin has called on Moscow and Beijing to deepen their strategic ties, as he spoke with “dear friend” Chinese president Xi Jinping on a video call.
Mr Putin waved at Mr Xi over the call as he proposed outlining plans to develop the “comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” between Russia and China, strengthening a geopolitical alliance which seeks to weaken western hegemony.
In a video released by the Kremlin of the conversation, Mr Putin said: “I agree with you that cooperation between Moscow and Beijing is based on a broad commonality of national interests and a convergence of views on what relations between major powers should be.
Putin proposes deeper ties with China in call with ‘dear friend’ Xi Jinping
UK to explore possibility of military bases in Ukraine
Wednesday 22 January 2025 23:30 , Andy Gregory
The UK will explore the possibility of establishing military bases in Ukraine, according to a 100-year declaration signed between the two countries.
Signed alongside the 100-year Partnership Agreement last week, the declaration states the UK will work with Ukraine to identify common defence needs and expand the capabilities of both countries.
“The Participants will explore options for deploying and maintaining defence infrastructure in Ukraine, including military bases, logistics depots, reserve military equipment storage facilities and war reserve stockpiles,” the declaration reads.
“These facilities could be utilised to bolster their own defence capabilities in the event of a significant military threat.”
The possibility of military bases is only presented as a theoretical possibility, and no specifics of the placement of potential bases is laid out.
It is also unclear how Article 17 of the Ukrainian Constitution – which prohibits military bases on Ukrainian territory – may impact any future plans.
Russian court orders Austria’s bank to pay 2 billion euros damages
Wednesday 22 January 2025 23:00 , Andy Gregory
A Russian court has ordered Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank International to pay 2 billion euros (£1.7 billion) in damages for a collapsed deal.
The ruling is a blow to the largest western bank in Russia, which has made billions in profit during the nearly three years of war in Ukraine.
The bank has provided a payment bridge for Russia’s middle class and companies into the West, but will now be forced to set aside a large sum as it challenges the ruling.
Sat in the courtroom as the ruling was read out were armed men in balaclavas, along with those involved in the case.
“This is a final warning to all Western companies that you cannot do business with Putin’s Russia,” said Helmut Brandstaetter, a liberal Austrian lawmaker in the European Parliament.
Wednesday 22 January 2025 22:30 , Andy Gregory
Tariffs, Ukraine and Chagos: How the UK could feel the full force of Trump’s second term
Wednesday 22 January 2025 22:00 , Andy Gregory
One area where the Trump administration and Labour are likely to clash is on defence spending. The president has said he feels the US spends more on defence than most Nato countries, calling for a new target of fie per cent GDP.
This is up considerably from the current two per cent target. The UK currently pledges 2.3 per cent, with intentions ro raise it to 2.5 per cent by this year. Given the tight economic contraints outlined by the Treasury, it’s unlikely calls to increase this futher would be welcomed by UK officials.
The president has also said he would like to bring the war in Ukraine to a speedy end – and will now be able to use the US’s massive expenditure on Zelensky’s forces as a bargaining chip in discussions.
But some of his comments have prompted concern that Mr Trump may cede key Russian demands as part of a deal. This could include granting Vladimir Putin’s regime large regions of the country, or deferring Ukraine’s Nato membership bid. The incoming president has previously said that he “understands [Russia’s] feelings” about having “somebody right on their doorstep.”
If the war in Ukraine does move from military support to a possible peacekeeping operation, the prime minister has said that the UK will play “full part” in the plans.
Albert Toth reports:
Tariffs, Ukraine and Chagos: How the UK could feel Trump’s full force
EU leaders to hold unique talks on security and defence
Wednesday 22 January 2025 21:40 , Andy Gregory
EU leaders are set to meet for an “informal retreat” outside Brussels on 3 February for talks focused uniquely on security and defense for the first time.
Nato chief Mark Rutte is due to attend.
EU foreign policy chief warns Russia could test bloc’s readiness within 3 years
Wednesday 22 January 2025 21:20 , Andy Gregory
In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned of the dangers that Russia already poses, laying out a list of acts of sabotage, cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns and electronic GPS jamming that she accuses Moscow of underwriting.
“Many of our national intelligence agencies are giving us the information that Russia could test the EU’s readiness to defend itself in 3 to 5 years,” she said at a European Defense Agency gathering. “Who else are we listening to if not to them?”
Kallas warned that Russia’s defense industry “is churning out tanks, glide bombs, and artillery shells in vast quantities. In 3 months, they can produce more weapons and more ammunition than we can in 12.”
She described Russia as “a heavily militarised country that presents an existential threat to us all. We are running out of time. The Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom, and ours. They are all buying us time.”
Tusk urges EU to boost defence spending
Wednesday 22 January 2025 21:00 , Andy Gregory
Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk has urged his EU allies to match his country’s rate of defence spending until Russia backs down.
Mr Tusk said that his country is spending close to 5 per cent of its gross domestic product on its defense budget, more than any NATO ally including the United States.
“It is today that we need to radically increase our defense spending (but) not forever and ever,” Mr Tusk said.
EU needs to end its military dependency on the US and arm itself ‘to survive,’ says Tusk
Wednesday 22 January 2025 20:35 , Reuters
The European Union cannot rely on the United States to defend it and must increase military spending and security preparedness to help Ukraine and deter Russia from targeting any more of its neighbours, top EU officials warned on Wednesday.
“Ask not of America what it can do for our security. Ask yourselves what we can do for our own security,” Polish premier Donald Tusk, whose country holds the EU presidency, said, paraphrasing a quote from US president John F Kennedy’s inaugural address in 1961.
In an address to EU politicians, Mr Tusk urged the 27-nation bloc to “take control” of its own security and to identify its weaknesses. “If Europe is to survive, it must be armed,” he said.
Anxiety is mounting that US president Donald Trump might seek to quickly end the war in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on terms that are unfavorable to Ukraine, or once again refuse to defend European allies who do not boost their military budgets.
“We need to believe again in our power,” Mr Tusk told the assembly, in Strasbourg, France. “We are strong, we are equal to the greatest powers in the world. The only thing we have to do is believe in it.”
Putin could return with an army 10x bigger, Zelensky warns
Wednesday 22 January 2025 20:15 , Andy Gregory
Russia will return with an army 10 times the size of the one which invaded Ukraine in 2022 if a diplomatic solution does not have strong security guarantees, Volodymyr Zelensky has warned.
Russian president Vladimir Putin will return to Europe to fully occupy all countries which formerly made up the USSR, Mr Zelensky added.
He will then do what he did with Crimea in Ukraine, by seizing territory and using it to make demands and issue ultimatums, the Ukrainian president told world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
He also criticised European countries for having a significantly smaller economic output than Russia, despite having more factories.
Tariffs, Ukraine and Chagos: How the UK could feel the full force of Trump’s second term
Wednesday 22 January 2025 19:55 , Andy Gregory
One area where the Trump administration and Labour are likely to clash is on defence spending. The president has said he feels the US spends more on defence than most Nato countries, calling for a new target of fie per cent GDP.
This is up considerably from the current two per cent target. The UK currently pledges 2.3 per cent, with intentions ro raise it to 2.5 per cent by this year. Given the tight economic contraints outlined by the Treasury, it’s unlikely calls to increase this futher would be welcomed by UK officials.
The president has also said he would like to bring the war in Ukraine to a speedy end – and will now be able to use the US’s massive expenditure on Zelensky’s forces as a bargaining chip in discussions.
But some of his comments have prompted concern that Mr Trump may cede key Russian demands as part of a deal. This could include granting Vladimir Putin’s regime large regions of the country, or deferring Ukraine’s Nato membership bid. The incoming president has previously said that he “understands [Russia’s] feelings” about having “somebody right on their doorstep.”
If the war in Ukraine does move from military support to a possible peacekeeping operation, the prime minister has said that the UK will play “full part” in the plans.
Tariffs, Ukraine and Chagos: How the UK could feel Trump’s full force
Undersea cables are ‘lifeblood of international connectivity’, MP warns
Wednesday 22 January 2025 19:35 , Andy Gregory
Liberal Democrat defence spokeswoman Helen Maguire said undersea cables are “the lifeblood of international connectivity and commerce”, after a Russian spy ship twice entered UK waters in recent months.
She told MPs: “Action to defend the realm is particularly pressing in light of recent escalations of hybrid threats from Russia. The suspected sabotage of undersea cables, including the damage to Estlink 2 on Christmas Day, underscores the urgency of this moment.
“Such cables are the lifeblood of international connectivity and commerce, and any attack on them is an attack on the collective stability of Europe.”
Full report: Royal Navy tracks Russian spy ship in English Channel
Wednesday 22 January 2025 19:25 , Alexander Butler
A Russian spy ship is being tracked by the Royal Navy after sailing through the English Channel, John Healey revealed on Wednesday, issuing a stark warning to Vladimir Putin that the government is watching Russian activity in UK waters.
“We see you”, the defence secretary warned, promising robust action to protect Britain.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Royal Navy tracks Russian spy ship in English Channel as Putin warned: ‘We see you’
Russia responds to Trump threat
Wednesday 22 January 2025 18:35 , Alexander Butler
The Kremlin will have to see what US President Donald Trump thinks a “deal” to end the war in Ukraine would look like, Russia’s deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said.
On Wednesday, Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions against Moscow if Putin did not “make a deal” to end the conflict.
“It’s not merely the question of ending the war,” Polyanskiy said. “It’s first and foremost the question of addressing root causes of Ukrainian crisis.”
He continued: “So we have to see what does the ‘deal’ mean in President Trump’s understanding. He is not responsible for what the US has been doing in Ukraine since 2014, making it ‘anti-Russia’ and preparing for the war with us, but it is in his power now to stop this malicious policy.”
Both sides must compromise, says new US secretary of state
Wednesday 22 January 2025 18:25 , Alexander Butler
Ending the war in Ukraine will only be possible if both sides are willing to make compromises, the new US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said.
In a conversation with journalists immediately after being confirmed in his role, he said according to CNN: “We want the war to end. That’s pretty clear.
“You saw the President talked about, he wants to be a president that promotes peace and ends conflicts, and it’ll be complicated as well.
“Those are complicated things. I couldn’t put a time frame on it, other than to say that anytime you bring an end to a conflict between two sides, neither of whom can achieve their maximum goals, each side is going to have to give up something.”
Achieving peace is a priority for president Donald Trump’s administration, Mr Rubio added. He did not specify what type of concessions Ukraine would need to make.
Trump’s full statement
Wednesday 22 January 2025 18:14 , Alexander Butler
“I’m not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin – and this despite the Radical Left’s Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX.
“We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process.
“All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR.
“Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.
“Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL.’ NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!”
Trump calls for ‘deal’ to end Ukraine war
Wednesday 22 January 2025 18:10 , Andrew Feinberg
President Donald Trump has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the nearly three-year old war against Ukraine he started and is threatening further sanctions on Moscow if the Russian leader does not acquiesce.
In a statement posted to his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was “not looking to hurt Russia” and expressed “love” for the Russian people while boasting of his “very good relationship” with Putin – who in 2016 ordered what the Justice Department called a “sweeping and systematic” effort to interfere in the presidential election on Trump’s behalf.
He also noted that the former Soviet Union lost 60 million people when it allied itself against Nazi Germany and with the U.S. and U.K. during the Second World War.
“All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,” Trump said.
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