Closing summary
Donald Trump has said that he has just discussed the recent drone attacks by Ukraine on Russia and developments concerning Iran in a phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin that lasted over an hour. For more details, see our US politics live blog here.
British defence secretary John Healey on Wednesday said Britain would increase tenfold the number of drones it would deliver to Ukraine, aiming for 100,000 drones. Speaking ahead of a meeting by Nato defence ministers, Healey added that Russia could sustain its current rate of fire in Ukraine through the end of the year.
Ukraine’s allies said they were willing to pay for defence manufacturing by Ukrainian companies in allied countries, defence minister Rustem Umerov said on Wednesday, after meeting his western counterparts at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels.
The European Commission proposed on Wednesday extending temporary protection for Ukrainians who have sought refuge in the European Union until March 2027, underlining the need for flexibility as Russia’s war in Ukraine drags on. The Commission, the EU’s executive body, also proposed steps to help displaced Ukrainians return home when the war eventually ends.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said on Wednesday he met US secretary of state Marco Rubio in Washington DC during his visit there. “We discussed the situation at the frontline and the need to strengthen support for Ukraine in the area of air defence,” he wrote on Telegram.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz will tell US president Donald Trump on his upcoming visit that Europe is firmly on Ukraine’s side in its war with Russia and that no chance for peace must be passed up, Germany’s foreign minister said on Wednesday. “Europe expects us, the United States and Europe, to bring Russia to the negotiating table. This opportunity for peace must not be missed. And this war must finally be brought to a just end,” Johann Wadephul said at a news conference with his Polish counterpart.
Talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey were sobering, German foreign minister Johann Wadephul said on Wednesday, adding Germany was pushing for new sanctions against Moscow which should be coordinated with the United States. “What we experienced at the recent talks in Istanbul is sobering. The Russian side presented nothing more than familiar maximum demands. A willingness to engage in dialogue looks different,” Wadephul said at a news conference with his Polish counterpart.
Russia’s top state investigator said on Wednesday that Ukraine’s security services blew up bridges at the weekend in Bryansk and Kursk regions, crimes that he said killed seven people and injured 115 others. Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia’s investigative committee, said that the controlling devices for the bombs were manufactured in Ukraine. The explosives were foreign made, he said.
Russia should not fall for Ukraine’s criminal provocations, and should use negotiations and all means to achieve the goals of the military operation in Ukraine, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday. After Lavrov’s remarks, President Vladimir Putin said: “I agree with this.”
The Polish defence ministry has confirmed media reports about unguarded containers containing ammunition and weapons which was found near an aero club in the town of Laszki in south-eastern Poland, less than 30km from the Ukrainian border. It stated that the containers did not belong to the Polish army.
The EU gave the green light on Wednesday for Bulgaria to adopt the euro from 1 January 2026, meaning it will become the 21st member of the single currency area, AFP reported.
Ukraine’s allies said they were willing to pay for defence manufacturing by Ukrainian companies in allied countries, defence minister Rustem Umerov said on Wednesday, after meeting his western counterparts at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels.
