Trump says he has ‘no allegiance’ in Russia-Ukraine war and his own deadline on peace deal – Europe live
Trump says he has ‘no allegiance’ in Russia-Ukraine war
Donald Trump is speaking to reporters as he welcomes Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, at the White House for talks.
Asked about Norway’s staunch support for Ukraine, Trump says he has “no allegiance to anybody”.
“I have an allegiance to saving lives,” Trump said. “I want to save a lot of lives.”
Asked if he and Støre found any common ground on Ukraine, Trump said the Norwegian prime minister “wants to see people stop dying more than anything else … and he’s going to help us end it.”
Key events
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Russian strike on Kyiv used ballistic missile manufactured in North Korea, says Zelenskyy
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Trump says ‘we’re putting a lot of pressure on Russia’ but that ‘it takes two to tango’
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Trump says he has ‘no allegiance’ in Russia-Ukraine war
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Summary of the day so far
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Trump says he has his own deadline on Russian war in Ukraine
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Trump says he thinks Putin will listen to him on stopping strikes in Ukraine
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Poland strongly condemns Russian attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv
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US to demand peace agreement includes Ukraine’s right to an army – reports
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UK PM says overnight attacks on Kyiv are ‘reminder that Russia is the real aggressor’
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12 dead, 90 injured in Russian attack on Kyiv, emergency service says
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Von der Leyen warns against Russia weaponising energy supplies, using blackmail, as she calls for more cooperation
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Europe must never again risk blackmail from Russia, Starmer says, as he calls for ‘partnership with EU that meets needs of our time’
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Pope Francis’ funeral is loaded with potential for diplomatic awkwardness
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Student killed and three injured in stabbing attack at French high school
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Polish, Israeli presidents join thousands in March of the Living
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‘US anger should be directed at … Putin,’ Macron says, as he urged Russian leader to ‘stop lying’
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Zelenskyy calls for more pressure on Russia after massive Kyiv attack – video
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‘Vladimir, STOP!’, Trump demands, as he says he’s ‘not happy’ with ‘not necessary’ Russian strikes on Kyiv
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Zelenskyy cannot be expected to accept ceasefire while Kyiv is bombarded, Macron says
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Thousands of pilgrims pay respects to Pope Francis
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Zelenskyy’s press conference with SA’s Ramaphosa – snap analysis
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‘Clear message from Kremlin: Russia has no real interest in peace,’ Danish PM says
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Not enough strong pressure on Russia, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says
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Russia seeks to put pressure, isolate Ukraine, Zelenskyy warns, as he thanks for ‘not easy, but constructive’ London talks
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It is on Russia to issue orders to stop attacks, Zelenskyy says
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South Africa ‘deeply concerned’ about continuing Ukraine conflict, calls for ceasefire, Ramaphosa says
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Russia’s attacks ‘make a mockery’ of its claims about peace, EU’s Kallas says
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Swedish jets intercept Russian plane near Poland
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Britain does not recognise Russian claims to illegally occupied territory of Ukraine, minister says
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Russia claims strikes targeted Ukrainian defence industry
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Zelenskyy meets South Africa’s Ramaphosa in Pretoria
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Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight – map
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Russia blames Ukraine’s Zelenskyy for wrecking peace diplomacy
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Zelenskyy cuts visit to South Africa short after overnight attacks
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215 Russian strikes on Ukraine over night, Ukrainian air force says
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‘Particularly horrible’ attack on Kyiv leaves nine dead, over 70 injured, foreign minister says
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People shelter in the metro as Russian missiles hit Ukraine’s capital – video
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‘Major rescue operation’ after Russian attack, minister says
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Morning opening: Is this your idea of peace?
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his update on X, called for “real pressure” on Russia to stop its attacks on Ukraine.
“Even in the midst of international diplomatic efforts to end this war, Russia continues killing civilians,” Zelenskyy wrote. “That means Putin is not afraid.”
There must be a full and unconditional halt to the strikes, and Russia must agree to it. This war must be ended justly. And to truly guarantee the safety of our people, we need to strengthen our air shield.
“The cooperation of states that value people and life must stop the alliances of murderers,” he added.
Russian strike on Kyiv used ballistic missile manufactured in North Korea, says Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said preliminary information showed that a North Korean ballistic missile was used during the Russian air attack overnight that killed at least 12 people in Kyiv.
“Debris removal operations are still ongoing in Kyiv following the Russian missile strike,” the Ukrainian leader said in a social media update on Thursday. He said rescuers and emergency services are continuing to work on the scene. Zelenskyy said:
According to preliminary information, the Russians used a ballistic missile manufactured in North Korea. Our special services are verifying all the details.
If the information that this missile was made in North Korea is confirmed, this will be further proof of the criminal nature of the alliance between Russia and Pyongyang.
They kill people and torment lives together – that is the only meaning behind their cooperation. Russia continuously uses such weapons – missiles, artillery. In return, Pyongyang got the opportunity to make its weapons more deadly under real wartime conditions.
The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said the war in Ukraine is “end-able”. “Both sides just have to agree to it,” he tells reporters at the White House.
We’ve shown them a pathway forward. We’ve discussed those ideas … We’ve shown them the finish line.
Rubio said the Russian attacks on Kyiv overnight “should remind everybody of why their war needs to end. It’s horrible.” He added:
We can see the finish line, but both of them have to get there. We’re going to do everything we can to help them get there, but they have to ultimately say yes.
“We are using a lot of pressure on both,” Rubio said.
Trump says ‘we’re putting a lot of pressure on Russia’ but that ‘it takes two to tango’
Donald Trump says he thinks “we’re going to get this over with” hopefully “soon” in terms of ending the war in Ukraine.
“The next few days are going to be very important for the Ukraine war,” Trump says.
The US president says he “wasn’t happy” with Russia’s attack on Kyiv overnight, which has killed at least 12 people.
Asked whether he would consider imposing additional sanctions on Russia, he says he would “rather answer that question in a week”.
“We’re putting a lot of pressure on Russia, and Russia knows that,” Trump said. He noted also:
It takes two to tango and make a deal too, and [Ukraine is] being hit very hard, and I do believe they want to make a deal.
Trump says he has ‘no allegiance’ in Russia-Ukraine war
Donald Trump is speaking to reporters as he welcomes Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, at the White House for talks.
Asked about Norway’s staunch support for Ukraine, Trump says he has “no allegiance to anybody”.
“I have an allegiance to saving lives,” Trump said. “I want to save a lot of lives.”
Asked if he and Støre found any common ground on Ukraine, Trump said the Norwegian prime minister “wants to see people stop dying more than anything else … and he’s going to help us end it.”
Here are some of the latest images from Kyiv after at least 12 people were killed and more than 90 injured after Russia pounded the Ukrainian capital with missiles and drones.
Rescuers were still recovering bodies from the rubble over 12 hours after waves of drones as well as ballistic and guided missiles struck the Ukrainian capital early on Thursday.
“Mobile phones can be heard ringing under the ruins,” Ukraine’s interior minister, Ihor Klymenko, said. “The search will continue until everybody is got out.”
The UK Conservative party leader, Kemi Badenoch, declined to say whether Britain could still regard Donald Trump as an ally after his comments about Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Badenoch, speaking to broadcasters on Thursday, said:
President Zelenskyy is a hero and we need to do everything we can to support Ukraine to end this war.
They are fighting this war on behalf of all of Europe. Russia is the opponent here, they are not an ally.
And President Trump may have a different view, perhaps because of how they have been supporting Ukraine and the money they have spent, and this is why it is really important that our Prime Minister does everything he can to rebuild that relationship.
Here’s more from Donald Trump, who was speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, at the White House.
His comments came after the US president issued a rare rebuke of Russia, after Moscow carried out one of the most devastating air attacks against Ukraine for months, killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 90.
Trump said he believes Vladimir Putin is serious about securing a peace deal with Ukraine:
We are thinking very strongly that they both want peace, but they have to get to the table. We’re waiting a long time.
Trump added that there is a lot of “hatred, bad blood and disgust” between Russia and Ukraine:
I think we’re going to get peace … [I] hope we’re going to get there.
“I have my own deadline and we want it to be fast,” he said.
Asked if he believed Putin would listen to him, Trump replied: “I do.”
Summary of the day so far
This blog will be handed over shortly to the Guardian US team. Here is a summary of the day so far:
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US president Donald Trump said he thinks Russian president Vladimir Putin will listen to him on stopping the strikes on Ukraine, after urging Moscow’s leader in a Truth Social post earlier on Thursday to stop the attacks. As he entered the White House with Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Trump was asked by a reporter if he thought Putin will listen to him. “I do,” Trump said.
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The death toll from a Russian missile attack on Kyiv – the largest since last summer – rose to 12 people after two more bodies were pulled from under the rubble, Ukrainian rescuers said. They added that the number of wounded had risen to 90. The Ukrainian air force said Russia had fired at least 70 missiles and 145 drones at Ukraine overnight, the main target being Kyiv.
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Russia claimed it had targeted Ukraine’s defence industry, including plants that produced “rocket fuel and gunpowder” in overnight strikes. “Overnight, the Russian armed forces carried out a massive strike with long-range air, land and sea-based weapons, and drones, on Ukraine’s aviation, aerospace, machine-building and armoured vehicle industries,” the defence ministry said, adding: “The objectives of the strike have been achieved”.
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President Cyril Ramaphosa praised Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his first visit to South Africa on Thursday for agreeing to an unconditional ceasefire in the war with Russia so that peace talks could begin. “It is a good signal from president Zelensky that Ukraine is agreeable to an unconditional ceasefire so that discussions and negotiations can then ensue,” Ramaphosa told reporters after talks with the Ukrainian leader.
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Speaking at a press conference with Ramaphosa, Zelenskyy stressed once again that Ukraine, unlike Russia, agreed to president Trump’s request for an unconditional ceasefire. He said that Ukraine has done as much as possible to progress in talks with the US by signing a memorandum on minerals, after removing provisions that would contradict its constitution. He added that Ukraine does not “see strong pressure on Russia now” nor new sanctions against Moscow, despite its unwillingness to progress the talks.
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Russia – fresh after launching deadly attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight – accused Zelenskyy of wrecking diplomacy aimed at reaching a peace deal after he refused to agree to recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters that it was becoming clearer by the minute that Zelenskyy lacked the capacity to negotiate a deal to end the war.
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The United States will demand that Russia accept Ukraine’s right to have its own army and defence industry as part of a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. US special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to raise the issue with Putin when they next meet, the report added.
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Poland strongly condemned the Russian attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv. “We express our solidarity with Ukraine, extending our sympathy to the families of the victims and all those affected by this tragedy,” the Polish foreign ministry said on X. Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen also reacted to the overnight strikes on Kyiv, saying in her social media that the strikes sent “a clear message from Kremlin: Russia has no real interest in peace”.
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Moscow’s overnight strikes on Kyiv are a “real reminder that Russia is the aggressor”, UK prime minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday. Asked for his reaction to the attacks on a visit to Bristol, Starmer told broadcasters: “I think it’s a real reminder that Russia is the aggressor here and that is being felt by the Ukrainians, as it has been felt for three long years now. That’s why it’s important to get Russia to an unconditional ceasefire.”
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Seperately, at the Summit on the Future of Energy Security in London, Starmer spoke about the importance of getting off Russian sources of energy and their backing for Ukraine. Starmer said: “Europe must never again be in a position where Russia thinks that they can blackmail us on energy.”
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The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said Putin needed to “stop lying” over wanting peace in Ukraine while continuing to strike the country. “The only thing to do is for president Putin to finally stop lying,” Macron said during a visit to Madagascar. He accused the Russian leader of telling US negotiators “he wants peace” but then continuing “to bombard Ukraine”.
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EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight made a mockery of its claims of seeking peace. In a post on social media, she said:
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“While claiming to seek peace, Russia launched a deadly airstrike on Kyiv. This isn’t a pursuit of peace, it’s a mockery of it. The real obstacle is not Ukraine but Russia, whose war aims have not changed.”
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In a wide-ranging speech on Thusday, the EU’s von der Leyen talked about the need to “team up” with the UK to offer regulatory certainty to investors and about the potential for more clean energy investment in the North Sea. But she also spoke on Europe’s experience of how “Russia intentionally weaponised energy supplies,” also in other regions. She admitted that “for decades … we failed to recognise the costs that came with this dependence: the risk of blackmail, economic coercion, price shocks, that reality was exposed after the full scale invasion of Ukraine”.
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A British deputy foreign minister said that the UK does not recognise Russian sovereignty over any territory illegally seized from Ukraine. Stephen Doughty, responding to an urgent question on talks in London to broker peace, told the House of Commons: “The UK’s position regarding Ukrainian sovereignty is well known and our position has not changed, and we do not recognise Russian sovereignty over any territory illegally seized from Ukraine, including Crimea.”
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Thousands of pilgrims continue to pay their final respects to Pope Francis, as he lies in state in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Despite earlier announcements, the basilica closed for just one hour overnight for cleaning, in a push to accommodate more visits before Friday night.
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A student at a French high school stabbed four other students at his school on Thursday, killing at least one and injuring three others before being arrested, police said. The circumstances of the attack were not immediately clear. A national police official said it had taken place at the private Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides high school in Nantes on the Atlantic coast.
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The Polish and Israeli presidents joined thousands of Israeli youth and others in an annual march at the former German Nazi Auschwitz death camp on Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day. The group included Holocaust survivors and former Israeli hostages who were captured by Hamas and held in the Gaza Strip, organisers said.
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Two Swedish fighter jets under Nato command were scrambled over the Baltic Sea to escort away a Russian reconnaissance plane that was approaching Polish airspace, Sweden’s armed forces said.
Trump says he has his own deadline on Russian war in Ukraine
US president Donald Trump, who campaigned on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine on his first day in office, on Thursday said that he has his own deadline for the conflict and that Ukraine and Russia have to both negotiate.
“I have my own deadline,” he told reporters at the White House before his meeting with Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre, according to Reuters.
Trump says he thinks Putin will listen to him on stopping strikes in Ukraine
US president Donald Trump said he thinks Russian president Vladimir Putin will listen to him on stopping the strikes on Ukraine, after urging Moscow’s leader in a Truth Social post earlier on Thursday to stop the attacks.
As he entered the White House with Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Trump was asked by a reporter if he thought Putin will listen to him. “I do,” Trump said, reports Reuters.
President Cyril Ramaphosa praised Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his first visit to South Africa on Thursday for agreeing to an unconditional ceasefire in the war with Russia so that peace talks could begin, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Ramaphosa threw South Africa’s weight behind the push for an end to the more than three-year war, holding talks with Zelensky hours after agreeing in a call with US president Donald Trump that the conflict should be ended urgently.
“It is a good signal from president Zelensky that Ukraine is agreeable to an unconditional ceasefire so that discussions and negotiations can then ensue,” Ramaphosa told reporters after talks with the Ukrainian leader, according to AFP.
He added:
It is a confidence-building measure that should be a key ingredient in a negotiation process.
Even while welcoming Zelensky to South Africa, Ramaphosa has maintained warm ties with Russia. He said he had spoken to Putin earlier in the week and “we both committed to work together towards a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict”.
Earlier on Thursday, he spoke with Trump and they agreed “that the war should be brought to an end as soon as possible to stop further unnecessary deaths”, the South African president said.
They would “meet soon to address various matters regarding US-South Africa relations,” he said, referring to a nosedive in bilateral ties after Trump came to power this year.
US attacks on various South African domestic and international policies culminated in the cutting of aid and expulsion of Pretoria’s ambassador last month.
Ramaphosa said his country was ready to play a role in the “inclusive multilateral efforts” to reach peace in Ukraine.
He said:
And we call upon all parties, both Russia and Ukraine, to ensure that there is a comprehensive ceasefire, an unconditional ceasefire, so that discussions and negotiations can start between the two countries.
Poland strongly condemns Russian attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv
Poland strongly condemned the Russian attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv, which killed at least 12 people in Ukraine’s capital.
“We express our solidarity with Ukraine, extending our sympathy to the families of the victims and all those affected by this tragedy,” the Polish foreign ministry said on X.
US to demand peace agreement includes Ukraine’s right to an army – reports
The United States will demand that Russia accept Ukraine’s right to have its own army and defence industry as part of a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to raise the issue with Russian president Vladimir Putin when they next meet, the report added.
Russian president Vladimir Putin urged his economic officials on Thursday to take advantage of opportunities arising in the global economy from market turbulence and intensifying trade wars, reports Reuters.
Russia, whose trade with the United States and European Union has fallen sharply due to sanctions imposed over its ongoing war in Ukraine, has not suffered from the US tariffs on many countries announced by US president Donald Trump.
Russia’s economy has performed better than it expected during the three years of conflict despite sanctions, but the country is now bracing for a protracted period of lower oil prices – its main export – and declining budget revenues.
Speaking to officials, Putin said:
The global economic situation is becoming more complicated as commodities and financial markets experience significant fluctuations due to intensified global competition.
“It is necessary not only to monitor these factors and predict their changes but also to use the emerging opportunities to develop domestic production, trade relations and exports to strengthen the national economy as a whole,” Putin added.
The comments were Putin’s first on the global economic situation since the US tariffs were announced. Putin, who has engaged in diplomacy with the US to seek peace in Ukraine, has praised Trump and his policies on many occasions.
Putin’s meeting with officials took place one day before the central bank’s board meets to decide on its benchmark interest rate, which is currently at 21% – its highest level since the early years of Putin’s rule, reports Reuters.
Both the central bank and the finance ministry, whose heads attended the meeting with Putin, warned about the consequences of global turbulence on the Russian economy.
UK PM says overnight attacks on Kyiv are ‘reminder that Russia is the real aggressor’
Moscow’s overnight strikes on Kyiv are a “real reminder that Russia is the aggressor”, UK prime minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday.
Asked for his reaction to the attacks on a visit to Bristol, Starmer told broadcasters:
I think it’s a real reminder that Russia is the aggressor here and that is being felt by the Ukrainians, as it has been felt for three long years now.
That’s why it’s important to get Russia to an unconditional ceasefire.
Obviously, we had talks in London this week, Paris last week. We’re making progress towards the ceasefire. It’s got to be a lasting ceasefire.
But these attacks – these awful attacks – are a real, human reminder of who is the aggressor here and the cost to the Ukrainian people.
Meanwhile, 150 new trade sanctions against Russia have been introduced by the UK, the Foreign Office has announced. The ban impacts software and technology used in Russian defence and energy sectors, including banning video game controllers used to pilot drones on the frontlines in Ukraine.
Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said:
Putin thought he could use British markets to boost his war effort, buying harmless goods and turning them into tools of war – but the UK is exposing and acting on this sinister trade. Today’s action clamps down on Russia’s sneaky trading and deprives Putin of the goods he desperately needs to fight his barbaric war.
Cutting off Russia’s energy revenues will drain Putin’s war chest – that’s why we’re shutting down the sale of sophisticated software used to cash in on new oil and gas reserves, preventing UK expertise from being used to pour fresh fuel into Russia’s war machine.
We’re also banning outright video game controllers going to Russia, preventing them from being used to pilot drones on the frontline, meaning gaming consoles will no longer be repurposed to kill in Ukraine.
And our tough new measures will also degrade Russia’s military machine – new export sanctions mean Putin will no longer be able to get his hands on specialist technology used to produce weaponry for his illegal war.
