Summary of the day so far
Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
The US stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine on Wednesday, after Donald Trump suspended US military aid to Kyiv on Monday. One source told the Guardian that the US had “completely stopped” providing intelligence, including to Ukraine’s military and domestic security agencies. They said this would have a “very bad impact” on the fight against Russia.
The White House indicated that both bans could be lifted if peace talks make progress. White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said Trump would consider restoring aid to Ukraine if peace talks were arranged and confidence-building measures taken. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US was “reconsidering” funding for Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there had been “positive movement” in cooperation with the US. Results were expected next week involving a future meeting between the two sides, he said in his nightly address on Wednesday. On Thursday, Zelenskyy will join 27 EU leaders as they hold emergency talks in Brussels.
Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said he and Waltz had “discussed the next steps towards a just and lasting peace” in Ukraine during a call on Wednesday. Discussions were ongoing with Ukraine over a date and place for talks, Walz told Fox News.
France’s president Emmanuel Macron said Europe should be “ready” for in case the US no longer stands by its side. Macron, in a televised address on Wednesday evening, warned that Russia “has become and will remain a threat to France and Europe”, and said Paris would have to spend more on defence.
Macron said he was open to discussing an extension of France’s nuclear umbrella to its European partners. “Our nuclear deterrent helps us,” Macron said, adding that the decision and control would always remain in the hands of the French president.
Macron said European military forces could be sent to Ukraine if a peace deal is signed to ensure that Russia does not invade its neighbour again. He said any European forces deployed would not fight today or at the frontline, but would be there to guarantee any peace in Ukraine once it had been signed.
France and Britain are aiming to finalise with Ukraine a peace plan, possibly “in days”, to present to the US, according to Reuters. The details of the plan have not been divulged, but would likely initially outline a short truce but also eventually include broader security guarantees.
The French government hinted at plans for Macron to visit Washington with Zelenskyy and the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, in a further bid to convince Donald Trump of a need for security guarantees for Ukraine as part of the peace talks. An Elysée official later clarified there were no set plans for a trip to Washington by Macron at this point.
A Russian missile struck a building in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih late on Wednesday, killing two person and injuring seven others, local authorities said. The strike hit a hotel in the central Ukrainian city, triggering a fire, local officials said.
Greenland’s prime minister Múte B. Egede rejected Trump’s comments at his joint address to Congress, saying that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.” Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen backed the Greenlandic prime minister in saying that Greenland was not for sale and it was up for its people to determine its future.
Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, is facing a barrage of criticism from opposition politicians over his radical proposals to loosen rules on running up debt to allow for higher defence spending and boost the economy.
The death toll from a Russian missile strike on a hotel in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih has risen to two, according to local authorities.
In addition, seven people were injured after the strike hit a five-story hotel, authorities said.
