The White House has hit back at Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president called American pressure tactics "unfair" on Kyiv.
Zelensky made the remark at the start of three-way talks in Geneva to end the war in Ukraine.
Though US, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for six hours on Tuesday, the talks stopped after less than two on Wednesday with no breakthrough.
Asked about Zelensky's "unfair" comment, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt hit back that Trump believes the war has been "very unfair, not just for Russians and Ukrainians who have lost their lives, but also for the American people and the American taxpayer who were footing the bill for this war effort before President Trump put a stop to it".
All sides have said they are willing to continue peace talks in future, though it is not clear when or where this would take place.
Zelensky said he was dissatisfied with the lack of progress in Geneva, insisting that “sensitive political matters” and the need for compromise had not been addressed properly.
“As of today, we cannot say that the result is sufficient,” Zelensky said.
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Key Points
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Ukraine to boycott winter Paralympics over Russian participation
05:00 , Jane Dalton
Ukraine officials to boycott Winter Paralympics over Russia’s participation
In pictures: Protesters call for end to war as Geneva peace talks stall
04:17 , Shweta SharmaNegotiations in Geneva, the third round of direct talks organised by the US, have ended with no major breakthrough to end Russia's war on Ukraine.
The US delegation was led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and US president Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The Russian contingent was led by chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, who left after less than two hours on the second day of talks on Wednesday.
Outside the venue, several protesters gathered holding placards reading “Stop the war now”, calling for an immediate end to the conflict.
Zelensky ‘rival’ reveals deep rift between them after army ousting
03:45 , Jane Dalton
Zelensky’s ‘rival’ reveals deep rift between them after army ousting and raid
Ukraine imposes sanctions against Belarus' Lukashenko for aiding Russia's war
03:36 , Shweta SharmaVolodymyr Zelensky announced sanctions against Alexander Lukashenko on Wednesday, pledging to “significantly intensify countermeasures” over Minsk’s support for Russia’s war effort.
“We will significantly intensify countermeasures against all forms of Lukashenko’s assistance in the killing of Ukrainians,” Zelensky wrote on social media.
Belarus, one of Moscow’s closest allies, served as a staging ground for Russia’s 2022 invasion, allowing its forces to advance towards Kyiv before being pushed back by Ukrainian troops.
Zelensky said Belarus – which shares more than 1,000km of border with Ukraine – had also facilitated Russia’s large-scale drone attacks.
Although there has been no active fighting along the Belarusian frontier, he said Minsk allowed Russia in the second half of 2025 to deploy relay stations on its territory to control drones used in strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.
In his nightly address, Zelensky accused Lukashenko of continuing to align himself with Vladimir Putin in what he described as a “dangerous geopolitical game”, including hosting Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile system in Belarus.
“Belarus continues to be used as a supply base for components, equipment and machinery for the Russian army,” he said. “Minsk must understand this. The sanctions send a political signal.”
Ukraine launches 'massive missile strike' in Russia's Belgorod
03:22 , Shweta SharmaUkrainian forces launched a massive missile at Russia’s Belgorod city, causing power outages in large parts of the border city, local officials said.
Ukraine reportedly also struck an oil depot in Russia's Pskov Oblast.
"Unfortunately, there's been another massive missile attack on energy facilities in the city of Belgorod. There are major damages,” Belgorod Oblast governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
“We can see that there's a partial loss of electricity and heat, so we're currently investigating," he added.
The city where Ukraine struck is just 34kms from Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia.
Explosions and fires were reported overnight at an oil depot in the town of Velikiye Luki in northwestern Russia's Pskov Oblast.
Truce monitoring proposed as Geneva talks end without breakthrough
03:07 , Shweta SharmaThe US-mediated second day of peace talks in Geneva ended with no sign of a breakthrough and with both sides saying the talks were "difficult”.
The trilateral talks covered territorial arrangements, energy security, and control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky called it "difficult but practical" and said the next session is expected "soon."
"The negotiations were not easy," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said after the talks broke up and he spoke briefly by phone from Kyiv with his negotiating team.
Mr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces are prepared to oversee a ceasefire, provided there is sufficient political will to implement and uphold it.
“They have essentially agreed on almost everything,” he added, noting that the United States would certainly be involved in monitoring the truce. He described this as a constructive sign.
On the political front, Zelensky said the discussions addressed “all the sensitive issues”. He added that a more detailed account would be shared once the delegation returns.
Opinion: Talks little more than mafia-style shakedown
02:30 , Jane DaltonBy Sam Kiley:
Ukraine peace talks little more than a mafia-style shakedown by the US and Russia
Trump thinks it's unfair that both Ukrainians and Russians dying, says White House
01:15 , Jane DaltonDonald Trump’s spokeswoman says the US president believes it’s not fair that both Ukrainians and Russians are being killed.
Asked about Volodymyr Zelensky’s criticism of Mr Trump – that he was always pressuring Ukraine, not Russia, to make concessions, Karoline Leavitt said: "I think the president would respond to that by saying by saying he does not think it's fair that thousands of Ukrainians are losing their lives and Russians too in this deadly war.”
She said there would be another round of talks in future.
She went on: “But I think the president views this entire situation as very unfair, not just for Russians and Ukrainians who have lost their lives, but also for the American people and the American taxpayer who were footing the bill for this war effort before President Trump put a stop to it.
“And I would just remind remind everyone around the world that the United States is still selling weapons to Nato that are then being sent to Ukraine in their defence of their freedom in their borders."
Ukraine cuts electricity imports as cold weather relents
Wednesday 18 February 2026 23:59 , Jane DaltonUkraine was finally able to reduce reliance on power imports last week as the bitter winter cold relented, as Russia continued its attacks on the energy infrastructure.
“Electricity exports have remained at zero for three months in a row," said analyst DixiGroup said.
Ukrainians suffered record cold conditions in early February, with temperatures in some parts of the country hitting minus 30 degrees Celsius (-22°F) - just as Russian attacks knocked out large parts of the energy network.
Russia demands proof Navalny was poisoned
Wednesday 18 February 2026 22:59 , Jane DaltonRussia’s foreign ministry spokesperson has demanded that European nations accusing Russia of poisoning Alexei Navalany provide evidence.
"All the accusations against Russia were of the 'highly likely' variety. There were no specific details,” said Maria Zakharova.
“It was purely a proclamation to become the opening act of the Munich (security) conference and to overshadow the Epstein files.”
Britain, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said on Saturday that analyses of samples from Navalny's body had confirmed the presence of epibatidine, a toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America and not found naturally in Russia.
ICYMI: How big is Ukraine’s corruption problem?
Wednesday 18 February 2026 22:00 , James ReynoldsAnti-corruption investigators in Ukraine announced Operation Midas last November as they identified a large-scale corruption scheme in the country’s energy sector.
Several high profile arrests have followed, but the country still has a long way to go to rid itself entirely of corruption, experts say.
Here’s what Midas means for Ukraine:
How big is Ukraine’s corruption problem? The $100m energy scheme scandal explained
We're close to ceasefire-monitoring document, says Zelensky
Wednesday 18 February 2026 21:41 , Jane DaltonUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia and Ukraine are close to having a document establishing how any ceasefire to end the war would be monitored, following peace talks in Geneva.
Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Mr Zelensky said that progress on political issues had been slower and that the country's leaders could try to hammer out a deal among themselves over the most divisive issue of land.
Ukraine and Russia close to agreeing terms of monitoring ceasefire – Zelensky
Wednesday 18 February 2026 21:21 , Jane DaltonUkraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky says his country and Russia are close to having a document that will establish how any ceasefire will be monitored.
Earlier, two days of peace talks in Geneva ended without a breakthrough as President Zelensky said he was dissatisfied with the outcome while Washington reported "meaningful progress".
Mapped: The state of Ukraine's frontlines
Wednesday 18 February 2026 21:00 , James ReynoldsUS senators visit Odesa to propose new sanctions for Putin
Wednesday 18 February 2026 20:36 , Jane DaltonA delegation of US senators is returning from a trip to Ukraine, hoping to spur action in Congress for sanctions meant to economically cripple Moscow and pressure President Vladimir Putin to make concessions.
It was the first time US senators have visited Odesa, an economically crucial Black Sea port particularly targeted by Russia.
"Literally nobody believes that Russia is acting in good faith in the negotiations with our government and with the Ukrainians," Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said. "And so pressure becomes the key."
Legislation to impose tough sanctions on Russia has been on hold in Congress for months.
Senators have put forward a range of sanction measures, including a sweeping bill that would allow the Trump administration to impose tariffs and secondary sanctions on countries that buy Russia's oil, gas, uranium and other exports.
Foreign spies are reading Russian soldiers' texts, Kremlin claims amid crackdown
Wednesday 18 February 2026 20:00 , James ReynoldsForeign intelligence services are able to see messages sent by Russian soldiers using the Telegram messaging app, Russia's minister for digital development Maksud Shadayev said on Wednesday.
Telegram, one of the most popular messenger services in Russia, is widely used by Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, but is under pressure from the authorities who have imposed restrictions on it over what they say is its failure to delete extremist content.
"There are numerous indications that foreign intelligence agencies have access to the messenger's correspondence and are using this data against the Russian military," Shadayev was cited as saying.
Despite those issues, Russian authorities will not block access to Telegram for troops in Ukraine for now, Shadayev said, adding that they would need "some time" to switch to other means of communication. He did not provide details.
Recap: Second day of talks concludes within two hours
Wednesday 18 February 2026 19:00 , James ReynoldsThe second day of talks between Russia and Ukraine concluded within two hours this morning, following a six hour discussion on Tuesday.
The head of the Ukrainian delegation said that there was progress, and Zelensky told reporters that Kyiv had agreed to continue talks.
In Geneva, lead Ukrainian diplomat Rustem Umerov emerged confident that negotiations were “substantive” and that “a number of issues were clarified”.
Zelensky told reporters: "We can see that progress has been made but, for now, positions differ because the negotiations were difficult.”
Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s top negotiator, said the talks had been difficult but business-like, and that a new round of talks would be held soon.
"The negotiations lasted two days: a very long time yesterday in various formats, and then about two hours today," Medinsky, a senior Kremlin aide, told reporters in Geneva.
Talks substantive but political issues not addressed properly – Zelensky
Wednesday 18 February 2026 18:40 , Jane DaltonUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says the Geneva talks with Russian representatives on a military track were substantive but he said “sensitive political matters" had not been addressed properly.
He said he could not say the result was sufficient, and political issues needed further work.
He said he wanted the next round of talks this month.
Ukraine frontline mapped: Kyiv counteroffensive regains territory as peace talks resume
Wednesday 18 February 2026 18:00 , James ReynoldsAs Ukraine claimed a string of victories in the southeast, Emil Kastehelmi, military analyst with Finland-based open-source intelligence collective Black Bird Group, told The Independent that the latest figures may not represent a strategic shift, but could offer some political relief in talks:
Ukraine frontline mapped: Kyiv regains territory before fruitless US peace talks
Talks little more than mafia-style shakedown
Wednesday 18 February 2026 17:25 , Jane DaltonThe Trump administration has seen Russia’s war as a business opportunity, writes World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley, in Ukraine:
Ukraine peace talks little more than a mafia-style shakedown by the US and Russia
Recap: Ukraine cuts electricity imports as cold weather relents
Wednesday 18 February 2026 17:01 , James ReynoldsUkraine was finally able to reduce reliance on power imports last week as the bitter winter cold relented, with Russian attacks on energy infrastructure still straining the war-weary nation.
"This is the first decline in weekly import volumes in the last five weeks,” analyst DixiGroup said late on Tuesday, announcing an import reduction of three per cent.
“Electricity exports have remained at zero for three months in a row," it said.
Ukrainians suffered record cold conditions in early February, with temperatures in some parts of the country hitting minus 30 degrees Celsius (-22°F) - just as Russian attacks knocked out large parts of the energy network.
Watch: Russia's top diplomat speaks after Geneva talks conclude
Wednesday 18 February 2026 16:29 , James ReynoldsRecap: Ukraine and Russia emerge from talks without a deal
Wednesday 18 February 2026 15:52 , James ReynoldsUkraine and Russia emerged from talks in Geneva without a deal as the thorny issue of territory remained a sticking point in negotiations.
Zelensky’s delegation was led by Rustem Umerov, the former minister of defence, who tempered expectations ahead of time.
He said on Wednesday that talks had been “intensive and substantive” and that some issues had been clarified. But talks ended abruptly today after just two hours.
A Ukrainian diplomatic source told the BBC that the issue of land remained a sticking point.
Russia’s delegation, led by Putin aide Vladimir Medinsky, said talks had been difficult but business-like. He also held closed-door talks with the Ukrainian side without the Americans, according to Russian media.
Both sides relayed that they expected more talks would follow.
Aftermath: Top negotiators from Russia and Ukraine leave talks
Wednesday 18 February 2026 15:11 , James Reynolds
Russia demands European nations prove Navalny was poisoned
Wednesday 18 February 2026 14:29 , James ReynoldsRussia’s vocal foreign ministry spokesperson today demanded the nations accusing Russia of poisoning Alexei Navalany provide proof to support their claims.
"All the accusations against Russia were of the 'highly likely' variety. There were no specific details,” said Maria Zakharova.
“It was purely a proclamation to become the opening act of the Munich (security) conference and to overshadow the Epstein files.”
Britain, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said on Saturday that analyses of samples from Navalny's body had confirmed the presence of epibatidine, a toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America and not found naturally in Russia.
They said Moscow had the "means, motive and opportunity" to administer the poison to him.
Negotiations tough - but important, Kyiv concludes
Wednesday 18 February 2026 14:13 , James ReynoldsKyiv walked away from two days of talks in Geneva publicly optimistic about their importance.
Zelensky’s chief of staff said the discussions were “difficult but important” in comments on Wednesday.
He reiterated top diplomat Rustem Umervov’s insistence that more talks would soon follow.
"The latest round of negotiations in Geneva has ended. The discussions were difficult but important," Kyrylo Budanov said in a post on the Telegram app, posting a picture of Ukrainian negotiators.
"Together with our team, we are preparing for the next round, which will take place in the near future."
Russia's top diplomat held private meeting with Ukrainians after the end of formal talks: RIA
Wednesday 18 February 2026 13:54 , James ReynoldsRussia's chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky held a two-hour closed-door meeting with the Ukrainian side in Geneva after the end of formal talks, Russia's state RIA news agency reported.
The formal talks, which were mediated by the US, ended earlier on Wednesday after only two hours.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described them as "difficult" and accused Russia of deliberately delaying progress toward a deal to end the four-year-old war.
How the frontlines are evolving in the east
Wednesday 18 February 2026 13:35 , James ReynoldsUkraine frontline mapped: Kyiv counteroffensive regains territory as peace talks resume
Wednesday 18 February 2026 13:00 , James ReynoldsAs Ukraine claimed a string of victories in the southeast, Emil Kastehelmi, military analyst with Finland-based open-source intelligence collective Black Bird Group, told The Independent that the latest figures may not represent a strategic shift, but could offer some political relief in talks:
Ukraine frontline mapped: Kyiv counteroffensive regains territory as talks resume
Ukraine officials will boycott the Milano Cortina Paralympics next month over the participation of a handful of Russian and Belarusian athletes.
Ukrainian athletes will still take part in the March 6-15 Paralympic Games but Ukraine's Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi said no Ukraine official would be at the opening ceremony or any event of the Games.
Russia and Belarus will have a combined 10 para athletes at next month's Paralympics following Tuesday's decision by the International Paralympic Committee to allow them to compete under their flag.
Recap: Second day of talks concludes within two hours
Wednesday 18 February 2026 12:30 , James ReynoldsThe second day of talks between Russia and Ukraine concluded within two hours this morning, following a six hour discussion on Tuesday.
The head of the Ukrainian delegation said that there was progress, and Zelensky told reporters that Kyiv had agreed to continue talks.
In Geneva, lead Ukrainian diplomat Rustem Umerov emerged confident that negotiations were “substantive” and that “a number of issues were clarified”.
Zelensky told reporters: "We can see that progress has been made but, for now, positions differ because the negotiations were difficult.”
Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s top negotiator, said the talks had been difficult but business-like, and that a new round of talks would be held soon.
"The negotiations lasted two days: a very long time yesterday in various formats, and then about two hours today," Medinsky, a senior Kremlin aide, told reporters in Geneva.
What happened during talks on Tuesday?
Wednesday 18 February 2026 12:00 , James ReynoldsRussia and Ukraine have now concluded two days of talks.
Ukraine's lead negotiator Rustem Umerov, the head of the National Security and Defence Council, emerged from the conversations yesterday saying they had focused on "practical issues and the mechanics of possible decisions”.
Russian officials made no initial comments on the talks.
However, Russian news agencies quoted a source as saying that the talks were "very tense" and lasted six hours in different bilateral and trilateral formats.
Wednesday saw another two hours of conversation. Both sides said they expected more would follow at a later date.
Before this week’s talks began, Umerov played down hopes for a significant step forward in Geneva, saying the Ukrainian delegation was working "without excessive expectations".
The Kremlin said previously that the central issue of land would be in focus.
The Geneva meeting follows two rounds of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi that concluded without a major breakthrough as the two sides remained far apart on key issues such as the control of territory in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine cuts electricity imports as cold weather relents
Wednesday 18 February 2026 11:22 , James ReynoldsUkraine was finally able to reduce reliance on power imports last week as the bitter winter cold relented, with Russian attacks on energy infrastructure still straining the war-weary nation.
"This is the first decline in weekly import volumes in the last five weeks,” analyst DixiGroup said late on Tuesday, announcing an import reduction of three per cent.
“Electricity exports have remained at zero for three months in a row," it said.
Ukrainians suffered record cold conditions in early February, with temperatures in some parts of the country hitting minus 30 degrees Celsius (-22°F) - just as Russian attacks knocked out large parts of the energy network.
Second day of talks concludes within two hours
Wednesday 18 February 2026 10:39 , James ReynoldsThe second day of talks between Russia and Ukraine concluded within two hours this morning, following a six hour discussion on Tuesday.
The head of the Ukrainian delegation said that there was progress, and Zelensky told reporters that Kyiv had agreed to continue talks.
In Geneva, the lead Ukrainian diplomat emerged confident that negotiations were “substantive” and that “a number of issues were clarified”.
Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s top negotiator, said the talks had been difficult but business-like, and that a new round of talks would be held soon.
"The negotiations lasted two days: a very long time yesterday in various formats, and then about two hours today," Medinsky, a senior Kremlin aide, told reporters in Geneva.
Where the frontlines lie as negotiators meet for talks in Geneva
Wednesday 18 February 2026 10:35 , James ReynoldsUkraine hits Belarus with fresh sanctions
Wednesday 18 February 2026 09:05 , James ReynoldsVolodymyr Zelensky announced this morning that Ukraine had slapped Belarus’ longtime dictator with new sanctions.
He said: “Alexander Lukashenko has long been trading Belarus’s sovereignty for the continuation of his personal power, helping Russians circumvent global sanctions for this aggression, actively justifying Russia’s war, and now further increasing his own participation in scaling and prolonging the war. There will be special consequences for this.”
Zelensky said Ukraine would “significantly intensify countermeasures” against Lukashenko with help from unnamed partners to ensure a “global effect”, without specifying details.
Foreign spies can read soldiers' Telegram messages, says Russian minister
Wednesday 18 February 2026 08:29 , James ReynoldsRussia's minister for digital development said that foreign intelligence services can see messages sent by Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine using Telegram, Interfax reported today.
Russian authorities have imposed restrictions on the messaging app over what they say is its failure to delete extremist content amid speculation that the app will be completely blocked later this year.
Germany turns to Ukraine’s combat-tested troops to learn drone warfare
Wednesday 18 February 2026 04:11 , Arpan RaiGerman Armed Forces have said they will seek battle-hardened Ukrainian soldiers to train their troops in drone operations and defensive tactics.
A spokesperson for the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, confirmed that an agreement has been signed last week between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and German defence minister Boris Pistorius to send Ukraine troops to German military schools, reported Der Spiegel.
German officials are trusting Ukraine’s hard-earned experience in drone warfare, counter-drone tactics, and rapid deployment of modern command technologies into frontline units.
The Ukrainian troops are expected to travel to Germany soon and will focus on infantry training.
“No one in Nato currently has more war experience than Ukraine, and we must take advantage of that,” an unnamed German officer told Der Spiegel.
Details on the timing and duration of the training were not immediately clear.
German officials also believe their troops could learn from Ukraine’s experience with modern command-and-control systems.
“In a very short time, [Ukraine’s] armed forces developed relatively simple systems for planning combat operations and managing their own units, most of which can be operated via apps on standard mobile phones,” Der Spiegel wrote.
