The UK has accused Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet on a Ukraine ceasefire at a meeting of allies – at which more than £18bn in aid was pledged to Kyiv. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s envoy has travelled to Russia for a reported meeting with Putin. Follow the latest on the Ukraine war.
Friday 11 April 2025 14:32, UK
Security and defence analyst Michael Clarke is back next week for his regular Ukraine war Q&A.
He’ll be answering your questions on anything from the battlefield to peace talks – you decide.
Submit yours in the box above and he’ll get through as many as he can.
Estonia’s navy has boarded and detained an oil tanker bound or Russia.
The vessel, named Kiwala, was on its way to Russia via the Baltic Sea at the time of the seizure, MarineTraffic data showed.
„Estonia takes suspicious activities in the Baltic Sea very seriously,“ Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said.
Earlier this week, security and defence analyst Michael Clarke answered more of your Ukraine war questions, in a live Q&A hosted by Sky News presenter Kamali Melbourne.
You can watch his full Q&A here…
Have a question for Professor Clarke?
Submit yours in the box above and he’ll get through as many as he can.
Russian state media confirms that Vladimir Putin will meet with Steve Witkoff.
TASS says that the pair will discuss Ukraine, while RIA adds they may also talk about a potential meeting between Donald Trump and Putin.
It’s not specified when or where the pair will meet, with Witkoff in St Petersburg all of this morning for other meetings.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said not to expect a „momentus“ meeting and that no one should expect major breakthroughs.
The big news earlier this week was the Ukrainian claim that it had captured Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russians.
Read more about that here.
We were also shown a video by Ukraine of a man in military fatigues, purporting to be Chinese.
We get snippets of a conversation where the alleged combatant seems to be talking about the events that led to his capture.
„When we arrived at the place… and then my commander.“ The man gestures at the floor and ceiling, making shooting noises. „I was also injured.“
In this piece, international correspondent John Sparks takes a look at what we can learn from the video – and the serious questions it raises.
By Diana Magnay, international correspondent
As Steve Witkoff lands in Russia to push for what is at best a stalled effort to secure peace in Ukraine, the British, German and Ukrainian defence ministers – after talks between the Ukraine Defence Contact Group – pointed to the fact it is one month to the day that President Putin rejected ceasefire proposals.
They said instead of looking for peace, the Russian leader is instead pushing ahead with his spring offensive with an „unabated intensity“.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey also revealed a grim statistic for the annals of modern warfare – that 70-80% of all battlefield casualties in Ukraine now are the result of drones.
He outlined that the UK is pledging additional support in the form of hundreds of thousands of drones, as well as radar systems, anti-tank mines and extra funds to repair battlefield kit to keep Ukraine in the fight.
As for Pete Hegseth only attending the UDCG talks virtually?
Not a big deal, claimed the German defence minister.
There were other defence chiefs who didn’t make it in person either.
But it is one more indicator, as Boris Pistorius said, that Ukraine’s allies in Europe will have to rely on their own wits and resources.
That the US may be taking the lead on peace (wherever that goes) but both Ukraine’s defence now – and a just and lasting peace when the guns fall silent – is in the hands of its European partners.
A bit more on Steve Witkoff’s movements today (see 9.16 post for more context).
Donald Trump’s top envoy has met Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy in St Petersburg, according to Russian state media.
It’s unclear whether Witkoff will meet Putin, whose spokesperson said a meeting would be announced if it fit the Russian leader’s schedule.
„Europe is taking over on security assistance,“ Rustem Umerov says following the latest meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at NATO HQ in Brussels.
The Ukrainian defence minister says the meeting was productive, and that countries like the UK, Germany and others in Europe are leading in supporting his country militarily.
„The US is continuing its security assistance,“ he adds.
Umerov, Boris Pistorius and John Healey will now take questions from the assembled media.
Germany’s Boris Pistorius opens this news conference by confirming Berlin’s massive financial commitment to Ukraine (see 10.27 post).
„Peace in Ukraine appears to be out of reach,“ he says, so this support is necessary.
The UK’s John Healey speaks next, reminding those gathered of the £450m commitment made by London this morning (see 7.24 post).
Healey says £18.2bn has been committed by NATO allies today in total.
He accuses Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet over peace in Ukraine, as the Russian leader continues his bombardment from the sky and attacks from the ground.
He again repeats comments made ahead of today’s meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at NATO HQ in Brussels that 2025 is „the critical year“ for the conflict.
Ukraine’s defence minister is next to speak.
John Healey, the UK defence minister, is holding a joint news conference with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius after a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at NATO HQ in Brussels.
You can watch along in the stream at the top of this page, and we’ll be providing live updates here.
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Ukraine war latest: NATO allies pledge huge sum to Ukraine – as Trump told how peace talks can win him Nobel Prize – Sky News
