Many elements of a final deal on Ukraine have been agreed but much remains, Donald Trump said ahead of his call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. Follow the latest here.
false,Monday 17 March 2025 23:59, UK
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Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin „are very good friends“ and are focused on ways to strengthen the bonds between the US and Russia, Tulsi Gabbard has said.
The US director of national intelligence said the ties between Russia and the US go „very far back“.
Trump is committed to expanding a relationship centred „around peace, prosperity, freedom and security,“ she added.
„We have two leaders of two great countries who are very good friends and very focused on how we can strengthen the shared objectives and shared interests,” Gabbard said in an interview with India’s NDTV.
Gabbard’s comments highlight the seismic shift in US-Russia relations propelled by Trump, who has blamed Ukraine for Russia’s invasion and started a shouting match with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House.
Gabbard has previously repeated Russian propaganda points about the war and expressed sympathy for Moscow.
Many elements of a final deal on Ukraine have been agreed – but much remains, Donald Trump has said ahead of a call with Vladimir Putin tomorrow.
„I look very much forward to the call with President Putin,“ he wrote on his social media site Truth Social.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has revealed its „significant lag in military thought and technology,“ a senior adviser to Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
„Modern technology is in short supply“ despite the „overwhelming amount of… ‚cannon fodder'“, according to Mykhailo Podolyak.
„In the 21st century, Russian generals wage war with a medieval indifference to the lives of their infantry, recruited from the poorest layers of society,“ he said in a statement on X.
„The once-bottomless arsenals of Soviet-era equipment have been burned by the Ukrainians. Now, the foundation of Russian tactical successes is, quite literally, the corpses of their own soldiers.“
It comes as Russia is trying to drive the last Ukrainian soldiers from the Kursk region in western Russia, using drones to hit retreating forces during the day.
Earlier we brought you the news that French politician Raphael Glucksmann had called for the return of the Statue of Liberty, saying the US was no longer worthy of keeping the monument (see 13.35 post).
The European Parliament member and co-president of the small left-wing party Public Place claimed some Americans „have chosen to switch to the side of the tyrants“.
„Give us back the Statue of Liberty,“ Glucksmann said. „It was our gift to you. But apparently you despise her. So she will be happy here with us.“
Asked about the comments during a news conference at the White House earlier, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US would „absolutely not“ return the statue.
„My advice to that unnamed low-level French politician would be to remind them that it’s only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now,“ Leavitt said, referring to the US joining allied powers to free France from Nazi occupation during the Second World War and fighting alongside the country in the First World War.
„They should be very grateful,“ she added.
She made no mention of France’s role in supporting the US during its war for independence from the UK.
Donald Trump has said he plans to speak to Vladimir Putin tomorrow to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, while considering concessions around land and „power plants“.
Earlier White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the US president will discuss a power plant on the border of Ukraine and Russia during his call with Putin tomorrow (see post at 18.24).
Here’s a look at the territorial demands of both Russia and Ukraine, as well as Ukraine’s energy infrastructure – which could be of high strategic importance in the ceasefire talks.
Earlier we heard from Emmanuel Macron about his call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy (see 19.28 post), and now Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is ready for „an unconditional 30-day ceasefire“ but „Russia must stop setting conditions“.
The Ukrainian president said he has spoken to his French counterpart about „formulating clear security guarantees“ for Ukraine.
„France’s position on this matter is very specific, and we fully support it. We continue to work and coordinate the next steps and contacts with our partners,“ Zelenskyy added.
Sir Keir Starmer has thanked his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney for his „approach to Ukraine“.
He thanked him for joining him on a call this weekend for his „coalition of the willing“ to enforce a peace deal in Ukraine.
„It doesn’t surprise me that our two countries see this through a similar lens, with the same objectives,“ Sir Keir said.
Carney said Canada and the UK have a „remarkable“ history built on „shared values“.
„We’re at a point in history where the world is being reordered, and your leadership, the leadership of the UK, I’ll use the example … of Ukraine, what you’ve been able to do with [French] President [Emmanuel] Macron to bring together a coalition of the willing at a crucial time, I think, will be decisive, must be decisive, in coming to a lasting solution there.“
It comes after Macron and Carney reaffirmed their „unwavering support for Ukraine“ in a statement.
Donald Trump is committed to conditions that must be met by Russia for a 30-day ceasefire, Emmanuel Macron has said.
The French president said in a post on X that it was up to Russia to prove it really wanted peace.
He also revealed he had spoken to Volodymyr Zelenskyy about his call with Trump yesterday.
„Enough deaths. Enough lives destroyed. Enough destruction,“ he said.
„The guns must fall silent. The abuses and sabotage must stop. The deported Ukrainian children must be reunited with their families. These are all conditions that Russia must fulfil. And I know President Trump’s commitment to this.
„We must now move forward with all our partners to present a concrete peace plan.
„A peace plan that provides solid security guarantees for Ukraine. A peace plan that guarantees lasting peace in Ukraine and Europe. A peace plan that prevents Russia from attacking again.“
Vladimir Putin could ask for more concessions from Ukraine before he signs a ceasefire agreement, Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia, tells Sky News presenter Mark Austin.
So far Donald Trump has given Russia „all concessions“, including saying Ukraine needs to give up territory, can’t become a NATO member and there will be no US peacekeepers.
In return „it’s been all sticks“ for Ukraine, he says, including cutting off military assistance and intelligence.
„Now the ball’s in Putin’s court and I wouldn’t be surprised if he signed it because he’s gotten so much in return already,“ he says.
As ambassador to Russia McFaul says he negotiated with the Putin administration and „I can tell you that you don’t just give them everything in the beginning and then hope for goodwill back.
„It doesn’t work that way with these guys. They pocket your concessions and ask for more.“
He adds: „I worry Putin has hinted that now he’s pocketed the earlier concessions, he wants more things.“
He says Trump is „not interested in the deals of any long-term negotiation“ and just wants to get a temporary ceasefire so he can declare victory.
On the other hand, from the Ukrainian perspective, „a ceasefire is just a baby step towards what they want to be a more long-term security settlement“.
Asked what will happen in the next few weeks, McFaul says he thinks „Putin is going to take one more run at some more demands.“
„He’s going to test the waters for that, and then he’ll probably sign an agreement. But it’ll be a very temporary agreement, just 30 days. I hope it launches a peace settlement because the Ukrainian people deserve peace. But I’m not optimistic about the long-term peace and stability under these current terms.“
One detail White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed in the news conference earlier was that Donald Trump will discuss a power plant on the border of Ukraine and Russia with Vladimir Putin tomorrow.
Leavitt did not give any details about which power plant she was referring to, but her comments may have been a reference to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant – the largest nuclear plant in Europe.
Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of risking an accident at the plant with their actions.
For context: The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has six units with a one gigawatt capacity each.
It was occupied by Russian troops in early March 2022 and shut down in September that year due to battles near the plant.
Ukraine’s state-owned firm Energoatom has said it does not know the state of the equipment and warned the Russian occupation could result in a serious disaster.
It said because of that it would take up to a year to restart operations at the plant.
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