Closing summary
And on that point, with updates from all sides of today’s talks, it’s a wrap.
US president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russian aggression on Ukraine “must end” (19:07, 19:33) as they discussed the earlier talks between Russian president Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff (8:59, 11:29).
Some European leaders joined their call, the leaders’ said, without disclosing the details (19:09).
The White House is expected to go ahead with its secondary tariffs on Russia on Friday, a White House official told media, despite Trump’s praise for a “highly productive” meeting in Moscow, (18:46, 19:00).
The Kremlin also described the US-Russia talks as “useful and productive,” without elaborating on the contents (14:32).
Elsewhere,
The nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki has been sworn in as the Polish president (9:17, 9:50, 10:00), using his inaugural address to criticise the EU as he vowed to represent “sovereign” Poland, in a sign of potential clashes to come with the country’s pro-European government (10:17, 10:33. 10:56, 17:22).
The Italian government has given the final approval for the construction of a multibillion-euro bridge linking Sicily to the mainland, a project that has been a topic of debate since at least the late 1960s but has been held back by a litany of concerns, including the huge cost, seismic risks and mafia infiltration (18:06).
Hundreds of firefighters are battling to stop the spread of a fast-moving wildfire in southern France, after one woman died and nine people were injured as the blaze scorched a vast area of the Corbières hills (18:12).
Lithuania’s ruling Social Democrats party picked social affairs minister Inga Ruginienė as its candidate for prime minister, making her the likely successor to Gintautas Paluckas who resigned on Monday (18:23).
And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at [email protected].
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
'War must end,' Zelenskyy says after talking to Trump and European leaders
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that he agreed with Trump that “the war must end” as they discussed the outcome of today’s meeting between Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Zelenskyy also disclosed that “European leaders were on the call” as he thanked them for their support for Ukraine.
“We discussed what was spelled out in Moscow. Ukraine will definitely defend its independence. We all need a lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that it itself started,” he said.
Updated
