Volodymyr Zelensky suggests Ukraine is preparing for another winter at war with Russia despite hosting president Donald Trump’s peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Kyiv yesterday.
Lauding their “very substantive” conversation, Zelensky said Ukraine was ready for trilateral talks involving Russia, the US and Ukraine.
But, he added, “if the war continues into the winter, we are counting heavily on the winter package [of support], which I discussed in detail today with Steve, Jared, and our European partners.
"We are counting on support for air defence and the energy sector, as well as substantial volumes of American LNG and the ability to use them,” Zelensky said after his meeting with the two US officials.
Trump’s son-in-law Kushner and Witkoff met with Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday, after holding three hours of talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Saturday in Moscow.
Witkoff said he had "heard new ideas" in Moscow and hoped a new round of US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine would be announced "in short order”.
Zelensky said ending the war will ultimately come down to solving the matter of contested territory in eastern Ukraine. “The question of Donbas... I believe, is the question of this war,” he said.
Key Points
- Zelensky says window of opportunity for peace exists before 2028 US election
- US envoy Witkoff says he ‘feels good’ about Ukraine peace talks
- Putin praises Trump’s efforts to end Ukraine war
- Watch: Trump envoys arrive in Kyiv for peace talks after meeting Putin
‘Overnight we all became war correspondents’: Ukraine’s local newspapers face battle to stay alive
05:38 , Arpan Rai
In the weeks leading up to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the headlines in a Kyiv newspaper looked much like they would anywhere else.
There was some debate over whether Russia would actually attack its neighbour. But then, outside of politics, there was everything else: the tourists stuck abroad, changes to school meals and the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid.
On 24 February 2022, everything changed as Russian tanks rolled across the border. Businesses closed or relocated, martial law saw hundreds of thousands of working-age men recruited for military service, and around one million people fled the country in the first week.
A brave few stayed behind to keep a record of what happened as the missiles rained down. Local journalists observed and asked questions as their communities were torn apart by the war.
Watch: Trump envoys arrive in Kyiv for peace talks after meeting Putin
05:19 , Arpan Rai
US peace envoys' visit to Ukraine sparks cautious optimism on the streets of Kyiv
04:45 , Arpan Rai
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have visited Moscow several times in their roles as peace envoys. But Sunday marked their first visit to Kyiv in their capacity as US negotiators.
Their visit has long been sought by Ukraine's leadership, and on the streets of Kyiv, which has been bombarded heavily in recent weeks, some residents were hopeful.
“The issue can be solved in the blink of an eye. We want peace. I've fought myself, so I know what war is like. We need peace, because there's no other way,” said military veteran Stepan Yermak.
In previous talks, the sides have remained far apart on key issues, including the future of the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas.
Russia has demanded Ukraine's withdrawal from a belt of towns that it still controls there, but Kyiv has refused, reasoning that it can still hold on.
“The question of Donbas... I believe, is the question of this war,” Zelensky told reporters on Sunday.
US envoy Witkoff says he ‘feels good’ about Ukraine peace talks
04:20 , Arpan Rai
US envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that he felt good about peace talks in both Moscow and Kyiv.
The senior envoy from the Trump administration who held talks with Ukraine yesterday said that the US hoped to find a diplomatic solution to the war.
Hours earlier, president Volodymyr Zelensky said his talks with US peace negotiators were “very substantial”.
The two sides discussed security and economic guarantees for Ukraine and also supplies of air-defence missiles and a winter support package.
He also hoped that trilateral talks, including Ukraine, Russia and the US would restart soon.
One killed and three injured in Russia-held Sevastopol
03:59 , Arpan Rai
A girl was killed and three other people were wounded in a Ukraine drone attack on the Russia-held Black Sea port city of Sevastopol late on Sunday, officials said.
The attack was confirmed by Moscow-appointed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev on his Telegram channel.
Zelensky says window of opportunity for peace exists before 2028 US election
03:00 , Holly Evans
The Ukrainian president, who believes Washington will be key to any peace deal, has said a window of opportunity to make peace exists before the US begins focusing on its next presidential election in 2028.
The US envoys held several hours of talks with Ukrainian officials. British, French and German national security advisers, who were also in Kyiv, joined for the final hour. The US-Ukrainian discussions were due to continue on Sunday evening.
During a break, Volodymyr Zelensky said officials discussed the possibility of security and economic guarantees for Kyiv, as well as a post-war "prosperity plan."
"In the last 10 to 12 months, I believe we have got stronger," Mr Zelensky said, adding that the U.S. and Europe had noted this.
Read the full story: US envoys meet Zelensky in Kyiv after Putin talks
02:00 , Holly Evans
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv on Sunday for high-stakes negotiations with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, capping a high-wire weekend of shuttle diplomacy aimed at breaking a long-standing stalemate in the war.
The diplomatic mission follows a three-hour meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow a day earlier, and represents Washington’s most direct effort to revive peace talks since the outbreak of the US-Iran war in February.
The trip marks the American envoys' first official visit to the Ukrainian capital after traveling by train from Poland, having previously made eight visits to Moscow.
Read the full article here:
US envoys meet Zelensky in Kyiv after Putin talks as frontline battles rage on
‘Overnight we all became war correspondents’: Ukraine’s local newspapers face battle to stay alive
01:00 , Holly Evans
In the weeks leading up to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the headlines in a Kyiv newspaper looked much like they would anywhere else.
There was some debate over whether Russia would actually attack its neighbour. But then, outside of politics, there was everything else: the tourists stuck abroad, changes to school meals and the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid.
On 24 February 2022, everything changed as Russian tanks rolled across the border. Businesses closed or relocated, martial law saw hundreds of thousands of working-age men recruited for military service, and around one million people fled the country in the first week.
Read the full article here:
‘We were local journalists in Ukraine. Then overnight we became war correspondents’
Putin has no interest in peace – and Trump is falling into his trap
Monday 7 September 2026 00:00 , Holly Evans
Steve Witkoff is the real estate guy with zero diplomatic experience who Donald Trump appointed in 2024 as his personal “peace emissary”.
Jared Kushner is the president’s son-in-law, but did at least play some role in one of President Trump’s few foreign policy achievements – the Abraham Accords process that promised to deliver some stability to the Middle East during the first Trump term. As a team, they have enjoyed little success in securing the “settlement” to the war in Ukraine that Mr Trump so desires.
There is little reason to suppose that their latest exercise in shuttle diplomacy will succeed where their previous efforts failed. Indeed, the prospects for an end to the war, let alone one that will prove just and lasting, are as dismal as at any time since Vladimir Putin launched his ill-fated “special military operation” more than four and a half years ago – its duration now longer than the Soviet Union’s four-year “great patriotic war” against Adolf Hitler.
Just as in that epoch-defining conflict, it is the civilian population of Ukraine that will face some of the harshest consequences as winter approaches.
Read the full editorial here:
Putin has no interest in peace - and Trump is falling into his trap
Watch: Trump envoys arrive in Kyiv for peace talks
Sunday 6 September 2026 23:00 , Holly Evans
US envoy says he 'feels good' about peace talks
Sunday 6 September 2026 22:00 , Holly Evans
US envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that he felt good about peace talks in both Moscow and Kyiv, adding that the US hoped to find a diplomatic solution to the war, which is now in its fifth year.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters that they discussed security and economic guarantees for Ukraine and also supplies of air-defence missiles and a winter support package.
He also hoped that trilateral talks, including Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. would restart soon.
Russian casualties approach 1.5 million since 2022, Kyiv reports
Sunday 6 September 2026 21:00 , Suha Kidwai
Russia has lost approximately 1,496,440 troops in Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s latest tally.
The updated figure includes 1,390 casualties suffered by Russian forces over the past 24 hours.
Alongside personnel losses, Ukrainian military reports state Russia has lost 12,331 tanks, 25,278 armored combat vehicles, 49,260 artillery systems, and over 500,000 tactical operational drones since the war began.
Ukraine continues to keep its own military casualty figures strictly confidential, citing operational security during ongoing wartime operations.
Ukraine intercepted over 4,600 aerial targets in August, latest data shows
Sunday 6 September 2026 20:00 , Suha Kidwai
Ukrainian air defense forces intercepted more than 4,600 missiles and long-range drones in August, according to defence officials.
Intercepts included 71 cruise and ballistic missiles, 101 S8000 Banderol loitering munitions, and 3,336 Shahed-series attack drones.
In August, Ukraine's air defense intercepted more than 4,600 Russian drones and missiles.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 6, 2026
Another 50,000+ tactical-level UAVs were neutralized.
Ballistic missiles remain the primary challenge. But the enemy is also scaling jet-powered drones. During some massive attacks they…
Defence officials have noted a growing tactical challenge from high-speed, jet-powered drones. Models like the Shahed-238 and S8000 Banderol reach speeds between 400 km/h and 600 km/h, making them significantly harder for mobile fire groups and standard interceptors to shoot down.
To counter the threat, Kyiv has renewed calls for international support to fund domestic interceptor drone production and speed up missile deliveries.
Ukrainian delegation protests UN world map resolution over Crimean border
Sunday 6 September 2026 19:00 , Suha Kidwai
Ukraine has refused to support a UN General Assembly resolution adopting a new global map projection after the proposed model depicted Russian-occupied Crimea as distinct from the rest of Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine could not support the UN resolution on a new world map because it depicts occupied Crimea in a way that separates it from Ukraine.
— Kira Rudik (@kiraincongress) September 5, 2026
In 2026, the UN should not need a reminder: Crimea is Ukraine.
Shame. pic.twitter.com/wcFMKGVnse
"In 2026, the U.N. should not need a reminder: Crimea is Ukraine. Shame," Ukrainian lawmaker Kira Rudik said in a post on X following the vote.
Ukraine's delegation formally registered its objection, calling the Equal Earth projection's depiction of the country "wholly unacceptable" for undermining territorial integrity and violating prior UN resolutions on Russia's illegal annexation.
The "Correct the Map" resolution — spearheaded by Togo and the African Union to replace the Mercator projection with one preserving accurate landmass proportions — passed with 164 votes.
Cautious optimism on the streets of Kyiv as residents weigh peace prospects
Sunday 6 September 2026 18:00 , Suha Kidwai
Residents across Kyiv are expressing cautious hope as US special envoys meet with Zelensky following a series of diplomatic stops in Moscow.
The visit comes after weeks of intense aerial bombardment on Kyiv, leaving many weary locals eager for a durable diplomatic resolution.
"The issue can be solved in the blink of an eye. We want peace. I've fought myself, so I know what war is like. We need peace, because there's no other way," said military veteran Stepan Yermak.
Despite local optimism, obstacles remain.
Previous talks stalled over the future of the Donbas region, where Russia demands a full Ukrainian pullout from fortified positions — a condition Kyiv firmly rejects, citing its ability to maintain control indefinitely.
For many citizens, any potential resolution hinges on binding international security guarantees to prevent future aggression. "We need an agreement that will never be broken," said Svitlana Kurylenko, a 19-year-old cafe worker. "Just leave Ukraine alone and let people live in peace."
Frontline combat continues amid peace Talks
Sunday 6 September 2026 17:00 , Suha Kidwai
Despite a temporary halt in strikes on Moscow and Kyiv while US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner hold peace talks in the capitals, active combat continues along the 1,200-kilometre front line.
The temporary capital strike halt, running through Monday, was agreed upon by both sides to allow safe passage for the US delegation following weeks of heavy aerial bombardment, including a Russian strike Friday on Ukraine’s SBU security service headquarters in Kyiv.
However, operations outside the capitals remain intense. Russia bombarded several Ukrainian regional centers over the weekend, while Ukrainian forces launched deep strikes targeting the Ryazan oil refinery — roughly 300 miles inside Russia — hitting an isomerisation unit and triggering a major fire.
Ground combat across the Donbas continues unabated, underscoring that broader military action persists uninterrupted.
US-Ukraine talks to focus on winter ahead, reports local media
Sunday 6 September 2026 16:00 , Suha Kidwai
A significant portion of Sunday's high-level talks between president Zelensky and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to centre on Ukraine’s winter energy needs, according to reports made by The Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine is bracing for a fresh wave of Russian strikes against its critical infrastructure as cold weather approaches.
Previous Russian aerial campaigns severely crippled Ukrainian energy production, where Russian strikes destroyed 9 gigawatts of power generation capacity last winter.
Following initial bilateral discussions with Zelensky, the talks are expected to include national security advisers from the UK, France, and Germany to coordinate joint Western security guarantees and energy defence strategies.
Moscow suffered 42,000 Casualties for 5km of territory in August, says foreign minister
Sunday 6 September 2026 15:15 , Suha Kidwai
Russian forces suffered over 42,000 casualties killed and wounded for a net gain of just roughly five square kilometers of territory in August 2026, according to shared released by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
In a post on X, Sybiha said open-source data showed Russian territorial advances over the first eight months of 2026 were 3.5 times slower than the previous year, with Moscow occupying less than 0.2% of additional Ukrainian land during that period.
Here are a few independently verified figures about the frontline dynamics, showing that Russia is not winning and will not win this war:
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) September 6, 2026
- According to open sources, the net balance between areas occupied by Russia and those liberated by Ukraine in August 2026 was roughly +5…
The minister added that Russian forces still control less than 80 per cent of the Donetsk region, calculating that it would take more than two years at the current pace to capture the remaining territory.
The figures come as both sides escalate long-range strikes targeting critical infrastructure.
Moscow 'not in a position to dictate terms,' says Kyiv
Sunday 6 September 2026 14:30 , Suha Kidwai
Russia is in “no position” to dictate conditions for ending the war, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said.
In a post on X, Sybiha shared that Russian forces have occupied less than 0.2 per cent of additional Ukrainian territory over the first eight months of 2026 — progress 3.5 times slower than the previous year.
While the minister acknowledged the war is taking its toll on Ukraine, he said “Moscow is not in a strong position either. And certainly not in a position to dictate terms,” warning that Moscow’s economic strain and mounting military losses will only deepen as the war enters its fifth year.
Moscow open to Trump-Putin-Xi summit, but says clear agenda needed
Sunday 6 September 2026 13:45 , Suha Kidwai
Russia has not ruled out a potential three-way meeting between Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Xi Jinping, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has said.
According to state news agency TASS, Ryabkov emphasised that formal preparations depend on establishing a concrete framework.
"Here, the main question boils down to how the substance of the meeting will be formulated, and what we can expect as a result," the minister said.
The proposal follows statements made earlier this month by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, who revealed that Putin and Xi discussed the potential three-way meeting during talks in Bishkek.
Moscow warns German allegations mark 'start of real war'
Sunday 6 September 2026 13:00 , Suha Kidwai
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared Sunday that German accusations attributing an attempted airport drone strike to Moscow mark "by and large the start of a real war," according to state news agency TASS.
Lashing out at German chancellor Friedrich Merz, Lavrov claimed Berlin’s response to the allegations demonstrates an active step toward direct military confrontation. "All these statements by Merz about making Germany the leading military power in Europe once again — they are being put into practice," Lavrov said. "He is, in effect, declaring war on us."
The sharp rhetoric follows Berlin's formal announcement blaming Russian intelligence for placing an explosive-laden drone near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August.
US envoys arrive in Kyiv for peace talks after meeting Putin
Sunday 6 September 2026 12:57 , Suha Kidwai
Negotiations between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have officially begun in Kyiv.
We began talks.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 6, 2026
Почали перемовини.
🇺🇦 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/UkJV6CzOag
Zelensky posted video footage showing him greeting and embracing both U.S. representatives upon their arrival in the capital, captioning the update: "Negotiations have begun."
The envoys arrived in Kyiv by train following a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday.
All the ways Putin could attack the UK with devastating consequences
Sunday 6 September 2026 12:30 , Shahana Yasmin
As Europe directly calls Russia out over an attempted drone attack on a German airport, defence expert Francis Tusa explains how a Russian hybrid warfare campaign could easily cause widespread disruption and panic at home
All the ways Putin could attack UK with devastating consequences
Kyiv faces tougher winter as Russian drone attacks intensify
Sunday 6 September 2026 11:45 , Shahana Yasmin
Kyiv is facing a more difficult winter after Russia moved towards sustained, round-the-clock drone attacks, with faster jet-powered drones increasingly striking infrastructure and disrupting electricity, transport, and food supplies.
Vitaliia Poliakova, who was injured when a drone struck near her car, told Reuters: “We were just driving along, talking about our own things. There was a sudden hit, the airbags deployed and we had to climb out the window.”
The attacks have repeatedly halted Kyiv’s metro, disrupted shopping, and forced schools to move lessons underground during air-raid alerts. The city of about three million people has also seen power outages and damage to warehouses and other infrastructure as the attacks intensify.
“To be honest, this winter we’re planning to move away from Kyiv,” a resident named Bohdan said. “After this, as you can see, it will probably be even harder, so we’re moving away.”
Ukraine is trying to strengthen its defences and prepare its energy system for another winter of Russian strikes, but shortages of interceptors remain a major concern. Russia has increasingly used jet-powered drones that are faster and harder to intercept, while Ukraine says US-made Patriot systems remain its only effective defence against Russian ballistic missiles.
Zelensky says Russia deliberately targeted Kyiv airports ahead of US visit
Sunday 6 September 2026 11:00 , Shahana Yasmin
Russia struck Kyiv’s Zhuliany and Boryspil airports overnight on Friday and Saturday, in what president Volodymyr Zelensky said was a deliberate response to preparations for US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner potentially flying into Ukraine.
“Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine and land at Kyiv Airport or Boryspil Airport,” Zelensky said. He said Ukraine had recorded the move and would adjust its operations concerning Russian airspace the following week.
The overnight attacks also damaged a nine-storey residential building in Boryspil, where two women were injured, while fires were reported in the Kyiv region. The strikes came hours before Witkoff and Kushner met Putin in Moscow; the pair are due to travel to Kyiv on Sunday.
India ready to help end Russia-Ukraine war, says foreign minister on visit to Kyiv
Sunday 6 September 2026 10:15 , Shahana Yasmin
India is ready to help bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, the country’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday during his visit to Kyiv.
“If India can be of any help, in any manner, we are there,” he said, standing alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha, Reuters reported.
The foreign minister’s visit to Kyiv comes just days after Indian prime minister Narendra Modi met Russian president Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit at Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan on Monday.
During the meeting, Mr Modi told Mr Putin that “India supports all efforts towards peace, and will continue to do so”.
Russia’s wartime budget deficit reaches 2.8 per cent of GDP
Sunday 6 September 2026 09:30 , Shahana Yasmin
Russia’s budget deficit increased by 40 per cent between January and July to 2.8 per cent of GDP, as the cost of its war in Ukraine continues to weigh on government finances, Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
The official target for the full year is 1.6 per cent of GDP, with Moscow relying on higher taxes and borrowing to help finance spending.
Putin dismissed concerns over the widening deficit, saying: “Considering that we have one of the lowest levels of national debt in the world, there is nothing critical here.” He said Russia would manage the shortfall despite the deterioration in its finances.
Russia shifts tactics with round-the-clock attacks on Kyiv, disrupting daily life
Sunday 6 September 2026 09:10 , Shahana Yasmin
Russia shifts tactics with round-the-clock attacks on Kyiv, disrupting daily life
G7 and IMF assess Ukraine’s finances as war strains economy
Sunday 6 September 2026 08:50 , Shahana Yasmin
G7 ambassadors in Kyiv have met an International Monetary Fund mission led by Gavin Gray to discuss Ukraine’s economic outlook, with the G7 saying reforms aligned with EU standards remain a priority.
The IMF mission began meetings on 31 August and is examining Ukraine’s macroeconomic policies and reforms under its four-year, $8.1bn Extended Fund Facility, as well as the draft 2027 budget.
Ukraine’s $8.1bn four-year IMF programme remains a key source of international financing. The IMF approved a $690m disbursement in July, taking total payments under the programme to about $2.2bn, but said the economic outlook had weakened because of intensified Russian attacks on critical infrastructure and spillovers from the Middle East war.
ICYMI: Putin meets Trump envoys as limited truce takes effect
Sunday 6 September 2026 08:30 , Shahana Yasmin
Russian president Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on Saturday, with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov describing the meeting as “substantive, very frank, and constructive”.
Ushakov said the envoys “put forward a number of ideas on possible routes to a settlement” and would take Putin’s views to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
A White House official said the sides had discussed “substantive plans for next steps”, to be announced in the coming weeks.
Putin told the envoys Russia was making “real progress” on the battlefield and insisted that “all the root causes of the conflict” had to be addressed. At the start of the meeting, he asked them to convey his “very best wishes and words of gratitude” to Trump, saying the US president was continuing efforts to resolve the conflict despite “a difficult situation”.
The talks took place during a limited pause in strikes on the two capitals. Putin said he had ordered Russian forces not to strike Kyiv for three days after receiving a request through diplomatic and intelligence channels, saying: “I issued the relevant order, and no strikes have been carried out on Kyiv since midnight.”
Zelensky said Ukraine would refrain from striking Moscow through Monday.
Germany once cosied up to Putin. Now they are Russia’s public enemy number one in Europe
Sunday 6 September 2026 08:10 , Shahana Yasmin
Germany once cosied up to Putin. Now they are Russia’s public enemy number one
Norway seizes Russian vessel over $4.2bn Ukraine claim
Sunday 6 September 2026 07:50 , Shahana Yasmin
Norway seized a Russian research vessel in Svalbard on Wednesday at the request of Ukraine’s state-owned energy company Naftogaz, as part of efforts to enforce a $4.22bn arbitration award over Russia’s seizure of Ukrainian energy assets in Crimea.
An arbitration tribunal in The Hague ordered Russia to pay the sum in 2023, but Moscow has refused to do so.
The vessel, the Professor Molchanov, was seized after Naftogaz sought enforcement through Norwegian courts. The company has been pursuing Russian commercial assets in several countries as it tries to recover the award stemming from Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
US NATO envoy calls Leipzig drone attack ‘more concerning’
Sunday 6 September 2026 07:30 , Shahana Yasmin
NATO’s US ambassador Matthew Whitaker has described an attempted Russian-linked drone attack at a German airport as a concerning example of Moscow’s alleged hybrid warfare against Europe.
A drone carrying explosives was found in a restricted area at Leipzig on 4 August, near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft. The device failed to detonate, but its discovery forced the closure of a runway and disrupted flights.
German authorities later found traces of military explosives and concluded that Russia was behind the attempted attack, saying individuals involved had acted on behalf of Russian state agencies.
“Then you have what I would call the more concerning hybrid actions, as we saw in Leipzig, as we have seen in Poland,” Whitaker said on Saturday. “If we can identify who's doing it – which Germany did – we make sure we express strongly that is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it.”
Russia has denied involvement. Germany has said it will close Russia’s consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin in response to the incident.
Russian oil refinery hit as Ukraine launches overnight drone barrage
Sunday 6 September 2026 07:10 , Shahana Yasmin
Ukrainian drones targeted an oil refinery in Ryazan and several cities across Russia overnight, with explosions reported in Rostov-on-Don and a child injured in the southern city.
Rostov region governor Yuri Slyusar said air defences destroyed around 30 drones over the region. Two apartment buildings in Rostov-on-Don were damaged and a child was hospitalised, while damage was also reported to homes in other parts of the region, according to the Kyiv Independent.
An oil refinery in Ryazan was also targeted, with a fire reported at the site. The plant, which accounts for about 5 per cent of Russia's refining capacity, has previously been hit by Ukrainian drones and suffered an operational shutdown in July.
Kyiv urges Europe to unlock frozen Russian assets for war effort
Sunday 6 September 2026 06:50 , Shahana Yasmin
Ukraine is pushing European governments to revive plans to use some €210bn (£180.4bn) in frozen Russian central-bank assets to help finance its war effort, as Kyiv faces a €27bn (£23.2bn) defence funding gap for 2026.
The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden have backed reopening the debate, while Belgium, where most of the money is held through Euroclear, remains opposed because of legal and financial risks.
Ukraine’s finance minister Sergii Marchenko has proposed moving custody of the assets from Belgium to the EU level, saying this would spread the risks across all 27 member states. “It will help settle everything and mitigate the risk,” he told Euronews.
Putin and Trump envoys discuss potential Russia-US business projects
Sunday 6 September 2026 06:30 , Shahana Yasmin
Talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow went beyond efforts to end the Ukraine war, with the two sides also discussing potential major Russian-US economic projects, the Kremlin said.
Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said: “Economic issues and potential major, mutually beneficial Russian-American projects were discussed in some detail.” He said the meeting was not simply an exchange of views over the war and described the discussions as “timely and highly useful for both sides.”
Global food prices rise to highest level in nearly four years
Sunday 6 September 2026 06:10 , Shahana Yasmin
Global food prices rose to their highest level since November 2022 in August, with escalating attacks in the Black Sea disrupting grain exports from both Ukraine and Russia, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said.
Russian and Ukrainian attacks on ports, grain terminals, and commercial vessels have delayed or cancelled dozens of cargoes during the peak export season. Some Asian buyers have already turned to wheat from Australia and Argentina to replace delayed Black Sea shipments, Reuters reported.
The FAO’s cereal price index rose 2.2 per cent in August, while wheat prices climbed 2.6 per cent and were 15 per cent higher than a year earlier. The agency specifically cited “persistent disruptions to Black Sea export logistics” as a factor behind the increase.
IAEA brokers ceasefire to restore power to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Sunday 6 September 2026 05:50 , Shahana Yasmin
A local ceasefire has taken effect around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to allow repairs to a damaged power line, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.
“This is a much-needed step at a critical time for nuclear safety and security. With diesel fuel supplies under increasing strain, the damaged power line must be repaired without delay so reliable external power can be restored,” Director General Grossi said.
Ukrainian technicians, monitored by the IAEA, began work on the 330kV Ferosplavna-1 line after demining, and the repairs are expected to take several days. The plant has been without external power since 20 August and has been relying on diesel generators to run essential cooling systems, with fuel supplies under increasing strain, the IAEA said.
Grossi added that the situation was “deeply concerning”, warning the plant could face a station blackout within days without restored external power or continued diesel supplies.
Russia says it will not strike Kyiv for three days during US visit
Sunday 6 September 2026 05:30 , Shahana Yasmin
Russia has ordered its military not to strike Kyiv for three days as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travel to the Ukrainian capital, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Putin later told the envoys he had received a request through diplomatic and intelligence channels to guarantee their safety. “I issued the relevant order, and no strikes have been carried out on Kyiv since midnight,” he said.
Watch: Modi urges Putin to end Ukraine war ‘for humanity’s sake’
Sunday 6 September 2026 05:15 , Shahana Yasmin
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi urged Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine during talks in Bishkek on 31 August, saying “every step toward peace gives all of humanity real hope”.
Putin thanked Modi and replied: “We are moving forward along this path.”
Putin praises Trump’s efforts to end Ukraine war
Sunday 6 September 2026 05:00 , Shahana Yasmin
Vladimir Putin praised Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine as he met the US president’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow.
Speaking at the start of the meeting, Putin said: “Understanding that he is entering a difficult situation, he nevertheless does not stop his efforts to help bring about a settlement and to make his contribution to resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.”
Witkoff, meanwhile, said Trump had sent his best wishes and thanked Putin for the limited ceasefire during their visit.
The talks lasted more than three hours, with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov later describing them as “highly useful”, although no breakthrough was announced.
Kremlin says Putin’s Ukraine peace demands remain ‘unshakeable’
Sunday 6 September 2026 04:45 , Shahana Yasmin
The Kremlin said on Friday that Vladimir Putin’s demands for ending the war in Ukraine remained “unshakeable”, one day before the Russian president was due to meet US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow.
Moscow says Ukraine must cede the entirety of the four regions claimed by Russia – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – and abandon its ambition to join NATO. Kyiv has consistently rejected surrendering territory.
Trump said on Friday that Witkoff and Kushner were taking “a proposal to end the war”, but did not disclose its contents. After their meeting with Putin on Saturday, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the US envoys had “outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement”.
Kremlin says Putin’s Ukraine peace demands remain ‘unshakeable’
Sunday 6 September 2026 04:30 , Shahana Yasmin
The Kremlin said on Friday that Vladimir Putin’s demands for ending the war in Ukraine remained “unshakeable”, one day before the Russian president was due to meet US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow.
Moscow says Ukraine must cede the entirety of the four regions claimed by Russia – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – and abandon its ambition to join NATO. Kyiv has consistently rejected surrendering territory.
Trump said on Friday that Witkoff and Kushner were taking “a proposal to end the war”, but did not disclose its contents. After their meeting with Putin on Saturday, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the US envoys had “outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement”.
ICYMI: Russian attacks kill 4 in Ukraine as Moscow and Kyiv prepare for visit by US envoys
Sunday 6 September 2026 04:15 , Shahana Yasmin
Russian attacks kill 4 in Ukraine as Moscow and Kyiv prepare for visit by US envoys
Putin says Russia is making ‘real progress’ in Ukraine
Sunday 6 September 2026 04:00 , Shahana Yasmin
Russian President Vladimir Putin told US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner that Russia was making “real progress” on the battlefield and remained confident of achieving its goals in Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.
Ushakov said Putin also stressed the need to address “all the root causes of the conflict” during more than three hours of talks in Moscow on Saturday.
Ukraine said Russia launched ballistic missiles and 167 drones overnight on Saturday, with 128 drones shot down or suppressed and strikes recorded at 23 locations. Five people were killed and five injured when a Russian ballistic missile hit an industrial enterprise in Kamianske, while Russian drones struck an Epicenter shopping centre in Mykolaiv, injuring two people.
Putin has ordered Russian forces not to strike Kyiv for three days from midnight on Saturday, while Zelensky said Ukraine would refrain from strikes on Moscow through Monday.
Witkoff and Kushner left Moscow after the talks and are due to meet Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday.
Putin holds three-hour talks with Trump envoys with no breakthrough
Sunday 6 September 2026 03:48 , Shahana Yasmin
Russian president Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on Saturday, but there was no sign of a breakthrough in efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said the Americans had “outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement”, but did not disclose details. He described the talks as “timely and highly useful for both sides” and said they went beyond Ukraine to include economic issues and potential Russian-US projects.
A White House official described the talks as “substantive”, saying the next steps would be announced in the coming weeks. Witkoff and Kushner left Moscow after the meeting and are due in Kyiv on Sunday.
Putin meets with US envoys for three hours
Sunday 6 September 2026 03:04 , Holly Bancroft
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump's envoys on Ukraine held "useful" talks on Saturday on a range of ideas to end the war in Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
Another Russian official, Kirill Dmitriev, described Witkoff and Kushner’s trip to Moscow as an "important peacemaking visit," in the first Russian assessment following three hours of talks hosted by President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.
Dmitriev, who took part in the talks, posted the comment on X along with pictures of himself seeing off US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at a Moscow airport after the talks.
Serbia faces EU scrutiny over upcoming funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic
Sunday 6 September 2026 02:07 , Holly Bancroft
The European Union is closely watching how membership candidate Serbia will handle the funeral of the former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic, who was convicted of genocide by a UN court but remains a hero to many Serbs, an EU official said on Friday.
The EU's Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said that the next few days “will be a very important test” after Mladic's remains were flown to Serbia on a government plane Thursday from The Hague, Netherlands, following his death in a hospital there last week.
Mladic was sentenced in 2017 to life imprisonment for orchestrating the massacre of more than 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995; the yearslong siege of Bosnian capital of Sarajevo during the 1992-95 conflict; and other war crimes, including setting up concentration camps for detained non-Serb civilians and enemy soldiers.
Read more here:
Serbia faces EU scrutiny over upcoming funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic
Russian general accused of masterminding attack on children’s hospital ‘shot in head’
Sunday 6 September 2026 01:07 , Holly Bancroft
A Russian general who was linked with an attack on a children’s hospital in Ukraine is seriously injured after being shot in the head, according to reports, writes Alex Croft.
Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich is said to have been shot on Thursday morning in the village of Probuzhdenie near Engels, in Russia’s Saratov region.
Independent Russian outlet SotaVision said the attack was the third assassination attempt on Russian officers in the past two weeks.
Russian online newspaper Mash reported that the shooter rode up to a private home on a motorcycle and fired one bullet in the torso and one in the face. The air force officer’s driver was also reportedly shot but was able to call an ambulance.
Varpakhovich is believed to be in a critical condition in hospital, Mash reported.
Russian general accused of masterminding attack on school ‘shot in head’
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva unable to compete after neutral status revoked
Sunday 6 September 2026 00:36 , Holly Bancroft
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva is no longer eligible to compete in international events after her neutral athlete status was revoked, according to AP.
The latest twist in Valieva’s career comes more than four years after disputes about her positive doping test overshadowed the 2022 Beijing Olympics. She returned from a lengthy ban in December 2025 and has since competed in events in Russia.
A source told AP that Valieva was initially granted neutral status under a new International Skating Union rule for this season which states that skaters from Russia and Belarus are “presumed eligible unless they fall within the disqualifying criteria.”
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva unable to compete after neutral status revoked
Recap: Putin says talks with US envoys are 'beneficial'
Sunday 6 September 2026 00:04 , Holly Bancroft
Russian President Vladimir Putin told US special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Saturday that contacts between Moscow and Washington were always beneficial, and that Russia found it convenient to work with them.
Mr Witkoff said US President Donald Trump had sent his best wishes to Mr Putin and thanked him for a ceasefire during the US delegation's visit. Mr Putin said Russia would do its utmost to ensure the safety of the mediators.
The two US special representatives arrived in Moscow for talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian ministry reports fewer Ukrainian drones in airspace
Saturday 5 September 2026 23:17 , Holly Bancroft
The Russian Defence Ministry reported 53 Ukrainian drones in Russian airspace on Saturday, significantly fewer than the average seen in recent months. Moscow is celebrating City Day on Saturday, with hundreds of thousands of people taking part in open-air festivities across the city.
A vast gulf remains between Russia and Ukraine on how to end the war, the deadliest in Europe since World War Two. A source close to the Kremlin, speaking before reports emerged of a possible trip by Trump's envoys, said Mr Putin was still intent on capturing more territory.
"There is no chance of reaching an agreement regarding the front line until Mr Putin finishes securing the remaining part of the Donetsk region," the source told Reuters, adding that the Kremlin leader was confident based on reports from his commanders that this would happen by the end of the year.
US envoy Steve Witkoff thanks Putin for the 'incredible memories'
Saturday 5 September 2026 23:02 , Holly Bancroft
US envoy Steve Witkoff told Russian president Vladimir Putin in their meeting with Moscow that he was reflecting on all the “incredible and stories” that he will have when he retires.
The discussions reportedly lasted three hours but in a televised introduction Mr Witkoff told Mr Putin: “We were sitting outside just now, me, Jared, and Carol and then Yuri joined us, and we were all talking about when we retire we’ll have all these incredible stories and incredible memories and yours will be right at the top of it all”.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff tells Vladimir Putin, whose invading army has killed hundreds of thousands of people, raped and pillaged while waging the largest and bloodiest war on European soil since World War II, “when we retire, we’ll have all these incredible stories…
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) September 5, 2026
Putin tells Trump envoys that situation in Ukraine is 'difficult'
Saturday 5 September 2026 22:01 , Holly Bancroft
Russian president Vladimir Putin has told Trump’s envoys to Moscow that the situation in Ukraine is “difficult”.
Mr Putin also noted in his opening remarks that the intensity of Ukrainian attacks on Russia has also decreased and promised to ensure the safety of the US negotiators.
He said Russia did not yet agree to a broader three-day ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had spoken to the two US envoys set to visit Ukraine on Sunday, adding that Ukraine was prepared to refrain from strikes on Moscow through Monday.
Nato should not tolerate hybrid war, US ambassador says after Berlin blames Russia for drone attack
Saturday 5 September 2026 21:03 , Holly Bancroft
Nato members should not tolerate deliberate actions of hybrid war, and the United States will stand by countries as they deal with these incidents, Matthew Whitaker, the US ambassador to NATO, said on Saturday.
Mr Whitaker said last month's attempted drone attack at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport, which Berlin has blamed on Russia, was more worrying than other recent incidents Nato members have faced due to Russian drones targeting Ukraine that strayed off course.
The response to these challenges is primarily national, but the United States supports countries when they are dealing with these acts, he said.
"Then you have what I would call the more concerning hybrid actions like we saw in Leipzig, like we have seen in Poland," Mr Whitaker said speaking on the sidelines of a business conference in Italy.
Nato members must be prepared, vigilant and also deliver a strong message when they are challenged by these events, he said.
"If we can identify who's doing it which Germany did we make sure we express strongly that is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it," Mr Whitaker said. Critical infrastructure, including energy assets, could be targeted and should be monitored by national authorities, he added.
In pictures: US presidential envoys meet with Putin
Saturday 5 September 2026 21:02 , Holly Bancroft
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov and Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev attend a meeting with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, at the Kremlin in Moscow.
The US envoys are meeting both Mr Putin and later Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky in a bid to progress peace talks.
Recap: Russian drone strikes Ukraine ‘MI5’ headquarters ahead of US peace talks
Saturday 5 September 2026 20:06 , Holly Bancroft
Ukraine’s security service headquarters was set alight after a Russian drone struck it ahead of diplomatic talks with US officials on ending the war, writes Bryony Gooch.
Smoke could be seen above the SBU headquarters in Kyiv on Friday after a drone targeted the office of the acting head of the security service, Oleksandr Poklad, who was unscathed following the attack.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media that Russia would face a proportionate response.
“I spoke with the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Oleksandr Poklad. Unfortunately, a Russian drone struck the central building of the Security Service of Ukraine on Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv, across from St. Sophia Cathedral,” he said.
“All emergency services are on the scene. Everyone affected will receive the necessary assistance. The drone was aimed directly at the office of the Head of the Security Service in that building.
“I instructed Poklad to deliver an appropriate, tangible response and, where possible, one that mirrors this strike, to the Russians once everything is ready. Our military will support this response. Glory to Ukraine!”
Russian drone strikes Ukraine ‘MI5’ headquarters ahead of US peace talks
Putin welcomes talks with US envoys
Saturday 5 September 2026 19:37 , Holly Bancroft
Russian President Vladimir Putin told US special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Saturday that contacts between Moscow and Washington were always beneficial, and that Russia found it convenient to work with them, Reuters has reported.
Mr Witkoff said US President Donald Trump had sent his best wishes to Mr Putin and thanked him for a ceasefire during the US delegation's visit. Mr Putin said Russia would do its utmost to ensure the safety of the mediators.
The two US special representatives arrived in Moscow for talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
UN votes to adopt new world map that shows the true size of all countries
Saturday 5 September 2026 19:05 , Holly Bancroft
The UN general assembly has voted to replace the traditional world map with one that more accurately reflects the size of all nations, writes Stuti Mishra.
The approved resolution calls for the world to move away from the traditional Mercator map, which shrinks the size of Africa and exaggerates northern landmasses.
The "Correct the Map" resolution, sponsored by Togo, passed with the support of 164 nations, including the UK. The US was the only nation to vote against it, with six other abstentions.
The resolution is non-binding, but asks governments, schools, international organisations, and technology companies to adopt the Equal Earth projection and other equal-area maps wherever the true scale of continents matters, with the aim of establishing more proportionally accurate maps as a new global norm. It does not seek to ban the Mercator projection outright.
The Mercator projection, which is currently used worldwide, increases distortion the further a region sits from the equator. Since Africa straddles the equator, it seems comparatively smaller than its actual size, while Europe, North America, Greenland, and Russia all appear substantially larger than they are.
UN votes to adopt new world map
What we know about US envoys' trip to Moscow
Saturday 5 September 2026 18:00 , Holly Bancroft
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US president Donald Trump’s two envoys, have arrived in Moscow ahead of talks aimed at ending the Ukraine war.
Mr Trump has said that Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner would be “bringing with them a proposal to end the war”. They are expected to meet both Russian president Vladimir Putin and then travel to meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
The envoys were met at the airport by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s state news agency Tass said.
Mr Dmitriev shared photos of him meeting the US delegation as they disembarked, alongside the caption, “Welcome to Moscow Peacemakers.”
The last known visit to Moscow by Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, was in January, when they met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. They have never visited Kyiv, but Mr Zelenskyy said he was expecting them in the Ukrainian capital on Sunday.
Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner’s visit to Moscow comes just over a week after a visit by the head of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, to the capital.
In full: Update from Ukraine president about envoy talks
Saturday 5 September 2026 17:01 , Holly Bancroft
I have just spoken with the U.S. President’s envoys. They have already begun working with the Russian side today. From the moment of this conversation, we are ready to observe a ceasefire in airstrikes against the cities involved in the negotiation process. From now through the…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 5, 2026
Zelensky says there will be no strikes on Moscow while US envoys meet with Putin
Saturday 5 September 2026 15:59 , Holly Bancroft
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine will refrain from airstrikes on Moscow while US envoys are in the city for talks with Putin.
Posting on X on Saturday afternoon, Mr Zelensky said:”We are waiting for Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and are ready for a substantive conversation”.
He added: “I have just spoken with the US President’s envoys. They have already begun working with the Russian side today. From the moment of this conversation, we are ready to observe a ceasefire in airstrikes against the cities involved in the negotiation process. From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow, and we expect the Russians to do the same regarding Kyiv.”
Zelensky says Russia targeted Kyiv airports in response to US peace push
Saturday 5 September 2026 15:00 , Shahana Yasmin
Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of deliberately targeting airports in Kyiv and Boryspil overnight in response to preparations for US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to visit Ukraine.
Zelensky said the strikes were “a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine”, adding that Kyiv had recorded the move and would adjust its operations against Russian airspace next week.
“Of course, there are and will be no threats to diplomacy from our side,” he said.
The strikes came as Russia launched 167 attack drones and ballistic missiles overnight, according to Ukraine’s air force. Five people were killed and five wounded in a strike on an industrial facility in Kamianske, while Russian drones also hit shopping centres and residential areas across several regions.
Russian general accused of masterminding attack on children’s hospital ‘shot in head’
Saturday 5 September 2026 14:15 , Shahana Yasmin
A Russian general who was linked with an attack on a children’s hospital in Ukraine is seriously injured after being shot in the head, according to reports.
Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich is said to have been shot on Thursday morning in the village of Probuzhdenie near Engels, in Russia’s Saratov region.
Independent Russian outlet SotaVision said the attack was the third assassination attempt on Russian officers in the past two weeks.
Russian general accused of masterminding attack on school ‘shot in head’
Putin orders pause in Kyiv strikes, Moscow claims
Saturday 5 September 2026 13:41 , Shahana Yasmin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a 72-hour pause in strikes on Kyiv, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s Tass news agency Saturday.
“Putin has ordered that no strikes be carried out against Kyiv for three days, starting at midnight today,” Peskov said. He said the decision was tied to preparations for U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to visit Kyiv for peace talks.
Mr Peskov also said that the Russian leader would meet with Mr Kushner and Mr Witkoff today as well.
Russia strikes Ukraine’s security service headquarters in central Kyiv
Saturday 5 September 2026 13:30 , Shahana Yasmin
A Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) in central Kyiv on Friday, targeting the office of acting SBU chief Oleksandr Poklad, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The attack injured at least 15 people, Ukrainian authorities later said.
Zelensky said he had ordered Poklad to prepare an “appropriate, tangible response” and, if possible, one that “mirrors this strike”. “The geography of our response has been determined. The timing will be chosen to ensure results,” he said.
The SBU separately warned: “The Russians will receive a painful response to their strikes – more special operations, exposed agent networks and destroyed enemies.”
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack “a major escalation”, saying Moscow had launched it during a renewed push for peace.
Russia ignores ceasefire proposal as Trump envoys begin peace mission
Saturday 5 September 2026 12:45 , Shahana Yasmin
Ukraine says Russia has failed to respond to a proposed temporary ceasefire, as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday for talks with Vladimir Putin.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, told public broadcaster Suspilne that the proposal had been communicated directly to Putin, but Russia had not agreed to it, according to the Kyiv Post.
Russian attacks have continued, including strikes that killed five people at an industrial facility in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Budanov said he expected Russia would probably avoid striking Kyiv while Witkoff and Kushner are due to visit the capital on Sunday.
The pair arrived in Moscow on Saturday and were met at the airport by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, according to TASS.
