Trump’s claim he could ‘end war in one day’ dismissed by Putin’s UN ambassador

Russia’s UN ambassador has responded to Donald Trump’s claim that he could solve the war in Ukraine in one day if he is elected as US president.

At a CNN town hall in May 2023, he said: “They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours.”

During last week’s debate with President Joe Biden, Mr Trump claimed, “If we had a real president, a president that knew — that was respected by Putin … he would have never invaded Ukraine.”

Vassily Nebenzia told reporters on Monday that “the Ukrainian crisis cannot be solved in one day.”

It comes as Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has urged Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky “to consider a quick ceasefire” during his first visit to Kyiv since the full-scale invasion.

During a press briefing in the Ukrainian capital, Mr Orban said: “I asked the president to think about whether we could approach this a little differently, to take a break, to cease fire, and then proceed with negotiations.”

Key points

• Trump’s claim he could ‘end war in one day’ dismissed by Putin’s UN ambassador

• Hungary’s Orban asks Zelensky to ‘consider a quick ceasefire’

• British charity founder dies in Ukraine

• Why is there tension between Hungary and Ukraine?

• Hungary’s Orban arrives in Kyiv to meet Zelensky

Richard Tice refuses to back Nigel Farage’s Ukraine comments in fiery clash with BBC’s Nick Robinson

19:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Reform chair Richard Tice refused to endorse Nigel Farage’s views on the Ukraine-Russia conflict in a tetchy clash with the BBC’s Nick Robinson.

Mr Tice was asked on Radio 4’s Today programme if he thought it was a mistake for Reform’s party leader to say that the West provoked Russia’s war with Ukraine.

He said: “Let me tell you what’s a mistake, it’s a mistake to pretend we’ve got everything right. To pretend that we’ve never made any foreign policy mistakes whether its this country or other countries. You look at what Nigel talked about, Libya, Syria, we’ve made serious foreign policy mistakes.”

Tice refuses to back Farage’s Ukraine comments in clash with Nick Robinson

Viktor Orban urges Ukraine ‘to consider quick ceasefire’ during first trip to Kyiv

18:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has urged Ukraine “to consider a quick ceasefire” during his first visit to the war-torn country since Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion.

After crunch talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, during which the two countries pledged to strengthen relations, Mr Orban urged Ukraine to halt fighting and enter negotiations with Russia, adding that the war was having a “very intense effect on the security of Europe”.

“We highly appreciate all the initiatives of President Zelensky for the sake of achieving peace,” he said. “I told Mr President that these initiatives take a long time. It is precisely because of the rules of international diplomacy that they are very complicated.

Orban urges Ukraine ‘to consider quick ceasefire’ during first trip to war-torn Kyiv

Trump’s claim he could ‘end war in one day’ dismissed by Putin’s UN ambassador

17:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia’s UN ambassador has responded to Donald Trump’s claim that he could solve the war in Ukraine in one day,

Vassily Nebenzia told reporters Monday that “the Ukrainian crisis cannot be solved in one day.”

At a CNN town hall in May 2023, Trump said: “They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours.” He said that would happen after he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. And he keeps repeating the claim on the campaign trail.

During last week’s debate with President Joe Biden, Trump claimed, “If we had a real president, a president that knew — that was respected by Putin … he would have never invaded Ukraine.”

Nebenzia said the war could have ended in April 2022 in Istanbul when Russia and Ukraine were “very close” to an agreement.

The Russian ambassador blamed Ukraine’s Western backers for blocking the April 2022 peace deal and telling Kyiv to keep fighting Russia.Now, he said, Zelenskyy “is running around with his so-called peace plan which, of course, is not a peace plan but a joke.”

Russian forces launch recruitment drive in Africa to fight war in Ukraine

17:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia is conducting a new recruitment drive for fighters in Africa for its war in Ukraine after suffering heavy casualties on the ground in lethal combat, according to Western intelligence officials.

The enrolment campaign has intensified following the rapid spread of Moscow’s influence on the continent, boosted by the overthrow of pro-Western governments in several countries by military regimes and the subsequent withdrawal of US and European forces.

Mercenaries formerly with the Wagner Group – which was disbanded after the failed coup attempt by its Russian leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was subsequently killed along with his senior hierarchy in an air crash – are training young men, some from tribal militias, for battle in Europe.

Kim Sengupta has more:

Putin’s forces launch recruitment drive in Africa to fight war in Ukraine

World Athletics leader Sebastian Coe visits Ukraine and invites Zelenskyy to Olympic track meet

17:00 , Tom Watling

World Athletics leader Sebastian Coe visits Ukraine and invites Zelenskyy to Olympic track meet

Kyiv hits back at UN as Russia assumes presidency of Security Council

16:35 , Tom Watling

Ukraine has hit back at the “mockery” of Russia taking over the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council while it is still waging a war against them.

Olena Shuliak, head of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, said the security council was now being run by “a country that is the exact opposite of security”

You can read her full comment below.

The UN security council, of which Russia, China, the UK, US and France are permanent members with ultimate veto powers, handles the organisation’s global response to issues of conflict.

Earlier, Russian ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said Ukraine would not be on the agenda for this month.

Instead, he said, the Security Council will discuss the conflict in the Middle East, particularly the situation in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.

We have some more photos from the frontline

16:10 , Tom Watling

Below we have some more photos from the frontline in the northeast Ukrainian region of Kharkiv.

US to announce a multi-billion weapons package to Kyiv

15:44 , Tom Watling

The US will soon announce an additional $2.3 billion (£1.8 bn) in weapons and ammunition for Ukraine, the US secretary of defence has said.

Lloyd Austin made the announcement after meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov in the Pentagon. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s key advisor Andriy Yermak was also in attendance.

The additional package comes a little over two months after US Congress belatedly approved $61 billion in military support, having blocked the bill for seven months.

That delay caused Ukraine’s armed forces to suffer significant ammunition shortages on the frontline, ultimately handing the fighting initiative to Russia, who proceeded to take back territory throughout Ukraine. A potentially fatal advance, however, was prevented.

Orban: Peace is important not only to Ukraine

15:15 , Tom Watling

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has said peace between Moscow and Kyiv is “important not only to Ukraine but to the security of the whole of Europe”.

“My first trip as the president of the European Union led to Kyiv, because the question of peace is important not only to Ukraine but to the security of the whole Europe,” he wrote on Facebook after a visit to Kyiv, where he spoke with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine to get ‘good news’ on air defence at Nato summit, US official says

14:51 , Tom Watling

Ukraine is expected to get “good news” in its quest for more air defence systems at a Nato summit in Washington next week, a senior US State Department official said on Tuesday.

“We hope we’ll be able to get to the summit and make some new announcements on air defence,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“You’ve heard that the Ukrainians are keen to secure additional Patriots or similar systems. And I think we’ll have some additional good news for them on that front.”

The official did not provide any further details.

Ukrainian officials have been urging their allies for months to supply more air defence systems to defend against frequent missile and drone attacks from Russian forces following Moscow’s 2022 invasion.

Leaders gather for a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Washington from July 9 to July 11, intended in part to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the military alliance.

Litvinenko’s widow ‘disgusted’ by Farage and Reform UK candidate’s praise for Putin

14:30 , Tom Watling

Litvinenko’s widow ‘disgusted’ by Farage and Reform UK candidate’s praise for Putin

Troops look for weak spots as Russia sets the stage for another push in Ukraine

14:00 , Tom Watling

Troops look for weak spots as Russia sets the stage for another push in Ukraine

Ukraine’s air force says it destroyed Russian ammunition depot in Crimea

13:45 , Tom Watling

Ukraine‘s air force commander, Mykola Oleshchuk, said on Tuesday the military had carried out a “destructive strike” on a Russian ammunition depot in Moscow-occupied Crimea on Monday.

“Once again, Ukrainian aircraft ‘destroyed’ by enemy propaganda continue to successfully perform combat missions,” Mr Oleshchuk said on Telegram, referring to a report by Russia’s defence ministry that five Ukrainian military jets had been destroyed on an airfield in the central Poltava region.

We have some more details from the Orban visit to Kyiv

13:28 , Tom Watling

Below we have some more details of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban’s visit to Kyiv.

Mr Orban said during a press conference that he wanted to improve ties with Ukraine and to sign a broad bilateral cooperation agreement.

At the joint media briefing, President Volodymyr Zelensky said discussions between the two leaders in Kyiv could serve as a basis for a future agreement between Ukraine and Hungary.

Hungary’s Orban asks Zelensky to ‘consider a quick ceasefire’

13:11 , Tom Watling

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban asked Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a surprise visit to Kyiv to consider a quick ceasefire that could accelerate peace talks, Mr Orban said during a news conference with Mr Zelensky.

Mr Orban also said that Hungary would like to have much better bilateral relations with Ukraine and his country was ready to take part in the modernisation of Ukraine‘s economy.

Photos from the frontline – Russian MoD

13:00 , Tom Watling

Photos published by the Russian ministry of defence appear to show Kremlin soldiers on the frontline somewhere in Ukraine.

Richard Tice refuses to back Nigel Farage’s Ukraine comments in fiery clash with BBC’s Nick Robinson

12:30 , Tom Watling

Tice refuses to back Farage’s Ukraine comments in clash with Nick Robinson

ANALYSIS: Why is there friction between Hungary and Ukraine?

11:58 , Tom Watling

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has arrived in the Ukrainian capital today in what is his first visit since the Russian full-scale invasion more than two years ago.

While the European Union has been a staunch ally of Ukraine, Mr Orban has routinely opposed such support. To date, Budapest has supplied no weapons to Kyiv.

And on two separate occasions in the past year – once last week in Brussels and, prior to that, in Buenos Aires for the inauguration of Argentine president Javier Milei last December – Mr Orban and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky have been papped in heated exchanges.

But why?

To speak Ukrainian or not to speak Ukrainian

Before Mr Zelensky assumed power in 2019, Kyiv passed a law requiring all schools to teach students over the age of 10 in the Ukrainian language.

Hungary saw this as a breach of the rights of roughly 150,000 ethnic Hungarians living in the far west of Ukraine.

Kyiv has denied any such infringements but has said it will do everything to address Budapest’s concerns, which centre around the ethnic Hungarian minority’s language rights and native-language schooling.

Some changes were made in December 2023 when the issue became critical for Kyiv’s EU accession talks, but Budapest said the changes were an improvement that didn’t go far enough.

Mr Orban then used these complaints to block an EU decision to send €50 billion (£42 billion) to Ukraine last year. The action required unanimity among the EU’s 27 members.

That money was only approved after Mr Orban left the room before an EU meeting on the issue, effectively abstaining from the decision.

Orban and Putin: a liquified love affair

Mr Orban is one of only a few European leaders to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin since the autocrat launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

During their meeting last October, Mr Orban told Mr Putin that Hungary had never wanted to oppose Russia.

The source of their friendship: liquified natural gas.

While countries in western Europe have made serious efforts to wean themselves off Russian gas since Moscow’s invasion, landlocked Hungary has been receiving 4.5 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas per year from Russia under a 15-year deal signed in 2021.

And during a visit to Putin’s hometown of St Petersburg for an economic forum this year, Hungarian officials said they had no intention of halting their importing of Russian gas despite pressure to do so, and accusations that they are helping fund Putin’s war machine.

Experts suggest this dependency – as well as fears that Russia could shut off the taps – is driving Budapest’s approach to Kyiv.

Russia says it destroys five Ukrainian SU-27 jet fighters at airfield

11:40 , Tom Watling

Footage appears to show Russian strikes on a Ukrainian air base, with multiple aircraft damaged or destroyed.

“At least one Ukrainian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet was destroyed while a few other were possibly damaged,” wrote Status-6, a military news outlet on X, formerly Twitter.

Russia said earlier this morning that it had destroyed five Ukrainian SU-27 fighter jets with Iskander-M missiles and damaged two more at the Myrhorod airfield in Ukraine’s central Poltava region.

Ukraine acknowledged there had been a strike at the airfield but added that Russia was exaggerating the damage caused. Ukraine did not detail exactly what had been damaged.

Russia is targeting Ukrainian airfields just as Kyiv prepares to receive the first US-designed F-16s, which Moscow has vowed to destroy.

A Ukrainian air force official, Yuriy Ihnat, said there had been a strike on Myrhorod.

“There was an attack. There are some losses, but not the ones the enemy claims, after all, they have always done this since the beginning of the invasion,” Ihnat wrote in a statement on Facebook late on Monday.

Orban issues first message during Kyiv visit

11:24 , Tom Watling

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has issued his first message since arriving in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

It is his first visit since Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Mr Orban is one of only a few European leaders to meet with Putin since the war in UKraine.

“The aim of the Hungarian presidency is to contribute to the solution of the challenges facing the European Union,” he wrote on Facebook, referring to Hungary’s assumption of the rotating presidency of the EU. “My first trip, therefore, led to Kyiv.”

Orban arrives in Kyiv – pictures

11:02 , Tom Watling

Some pictures have dropped on the wires showing Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban’s arrival in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, where he is meeting with president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte urged support for Ukraine, EU and NATO in his farewell speech

10:40 , Tom Watling

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte urged support for Ukraine, EU and NATO in his farewell speech

Zelensky in phone call with future Nato chief

10:20 , Tom Watling

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has held a phone call with future Nato chief Mark Rutte.

“I congratulated Mark on his appointment, and we discussed Ukraine’s future cooperation with the Alliance,” Mr Zelensky wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Lord Coe says Ukraine trip reaffirmed his Russian and Belarusian athletes stance

10:00 , Tom Watling

Lord Coe says Ukraine trip reaffirmed his Russian and Belarusian athletes stance

Russia takes aim at Ukrainian air base as wait for F-16 fighter jets continues

09:40 , Tom Watling

Russia takes aim at Ukrainian air base as wait for F-16 fighter jets continues

We have some photos from the frontline

09:20 , Tom Watling

Below we have some more photos from the frontline in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine.

Russia is ordering its troops to kill Ukrainian prisoners of war – why?

09:00 , Tom Watling

Russia is ordering its soldiers to kill Ukrainian prisoners of war – why?

Here we have some photos from Ukraine

08:44 , Tom Watling

Below we have some more photos from Ukraine.

Orban arrives in Kyiv, sources say

08:27 , Tom Watling

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has arrived in Kyiv ahead of crunch talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, sources have reported.

Bertalan Havasi, the prime minister’s press chief, confirmed their arrival from the Ukrainian capital.

The visit comes as Hungary assumes the rotating presidency of the European Union.

Zelensky and Orban pictured in Brussels ahead of Kyiv visit

08:05 , Tom Watling

As Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban reportedly arrives in Kyiv today for his first visit to the Ukrainian capital since Russia’s full-scale invasion, we remind you of the below photo from last week.

Mr Orban and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky were pictured on the sidelines of a European Union leaders’ summit in Brussels on 27 June in a heated exchange.

The details of the conversation have not been made public, but Mr Orban has consistently opposed weapons supplies to Ukraine and the country’s accession to the bloc.

During the inauguration of Argentine president Javier Milei last year, Mr Orban and Mr Zelensky were filmed in another heated exchange.

Pentagon confirms talks between Ukraine’s defence minister and US defence secretary

07:50 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s defence minister Rustem Umerov will hold talks with US defence secretary Lloyd Austin in Washington today as the two discuss firming up military cooperation between the two countries, the Pentagon said.

“Secretary Austin and minister Umerov will discuss bilateral defence cooperation, regional security issues and ways to strengthen the defence partnership between the United States and Ukraine,” deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said at a press briefing, according to a transcript on the US Department of Defence website.

The talks come after Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his plea to Kyiv’s allies over the weekend for more weapons after a Russian air strike in Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhia region killed seven people.

Last week, the administration said it would provide Ukraine with $150m worth of weapons and ammunition, including HAWK air defence interceptors and 155 mm artillery munitions

“The sooner the world helps us deal with the Russian combat aircraft launching these bombs, the sooner we can strike – justifiably strike – at Russian military infrastructure, military airfields, the closer we will be to peace,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address over the weekend.

But after two years of Kyiv’s asking allies for F-16 fighter jets to help it fight Russian forces, the planes are yet to arrive.

The US is the largest provider of military assistance to Ukraine in the war that Russia launched against its smaller neighbour with a full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Ukrainian air base under fire as Russia aims at F-16 arrivals

07:30 , Arpan Rai

Explosions reverberated across the pre-dawn sky as Ukrainian air defences fended off a Russian attack on this small city in western Ukraine, home to an important air base and a frequent target of Moscow’s strikes.

Hours after the assault, the tidy streets of Starokostiantyniv had returned to a semblance of normality.

But the 27 June attack was a stark reminder of the challenges Kyiv faces as it rebuilds its depleted air force and deploys the first US-designed F-16s – fighter aircraft that Russia will be determined to ground or destroy.

The first planes are expected to arrive this month, and Ukraine hopes they will boost forces struggling to repel a Russian onslaught along the front line, which includes devastating glide bombs that F-16s could potentially disrupt.

Officials have not revealed where the F-16s will be based, but Moscow said after the strike on Starokostiantyniv last Thursday that it had targeted airfields it believed would house them.

The air base has come under frequent attack since the first days of Russia’s February 2022 invasion, including from drones and hypersonic missiles.

Residents of this historic military outpost of around 30,000 people, nicknamed Starkon, in Ukraine‘s Khmelnytskyi region have learned to adjust to the constant danger.

“In short, it’s ‘fun’ to live here,” said city official and local culture expert Vasyl Muliar with a wry smile, speaking after the recent attack.

A Ukrainian air force spokesman said the strikes presented “certain difficulties”, but would not undermine the delivery of F-16s or their use in battle.

Officials are tight-lipped about details of attacks on objects such a military bases and critical infrastructure.

Military analysts said the Russians were probably targeting air base infrastructure such as runways and storage facilities to make getting F-16s airborne more difficult, and, when they arrive, the Western jets themselves.

The Ukrainian military, which is low on air-defence ammunition, is also likely to be forced to move the prized planes around airfields, said Justin Bronk, of the Royal United Services Institute.

“Any ground-based air defence coverage can be saturated if the Russians care enough to fire enough missiles at one target,” he said.

Hungary PM Orban arrived in Kyiv for talks with Zelensky

07:09 , Arpan Rai

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban arrived in Kyiv this morning for talks with Volodymyr Zelensky, Orban’s press chief said.

Orban and Zelensky are going to discuss the chance to create peace and current issues of Hungarian-Ukrainian bilateral relations, Bertalan Havasi said.

Troops look for weak spots as Russia sets the stage for another push in Ukraine

07:05 , Arpan Rai

Russian troops are forging through Ukraine‘s outgunned and undermanned defenses in a relentless onslaught, prompting the West to push for new weapons and strategies to shore up Kyiv.

That, in turn, has brought new threats by President Vladimir Putin to retaliate against the West — either directly or indirectly.

The moves by the West to blunt the offensive and the potential Kremlin response could lead to a dangerous escalation as the war drags through its third year — one that further raises the peril of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.

Russia took advantage of its edge in firepower amid delays in U.S. aid to scale up attacks in several areas along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front. Relatively small units are probing Ukrainian defenses for weak spots, potentially setting the stage for a more ambitious push.

Troops look for weak spots as Russia sets the stage for another push in Ukraine

Russia is ordering its troops to kill Ukrainian prisoners of war – why?

06:20 , Arpan Rai

Russian commanders are ordering their forces to kill surrendering Ukrainian soldiers in a plan to “terrify” droves of Russian troops into not giving themselves up.

Many newly conscripted and poorly trained Russian soldiers realise their lives are being squandered in human-wave attacks, according to Ukrainian officials.

Petro Yatsenko, a spokesperson for Kyiv’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, says orders to kill Ukrainians who could be taken prisoner come from the “highest level” – the Kremlin. The instructions are designed to “terrify” their own soldiers, he adds.

The department has representatives from various Ukrainian ministries, with the country’s military intelligence agency playing a key role.

Askold Krushelnycky reports:

Russia is ordering its soldiers to kill Ukrainian prisoners of war – why?

British charity founder dies in Ukraine after getting ‘badly injured in combat against Russian forces’

05:28 , Arpan Rai

A British man who founded a charity providing military and humanitarian support in Ukraine has died while fighting in the country, the organisation has said.

Peter Fouche died on Thursday “in the battlefield” after getting badly injured “in combat against Russian forces”, Halyna Zhuk, commercial director and co-founder of Project Konstantin, said in a video message.

Mr Fouche set up the charity in 2022 as a team of independent volunteers in Ukraine that provide essential supplies such as drones and food to Ukrainian soldiers.

It also evacuates the soldiers and civilians and delivers humanitarian aid to conflict zones near the front line.

British charity founder dies in Ukraine after getting ‘badly injured in combat’

Netherlands to start F-16 deliveries to Ukraine soon – officials

05:17 , Arpan Rai

he Netherlands will supply Ukraine with the first of 24 promised F-16 fighter jets soon, the outgoing Dutch government said.

The necessary permits to deliver the jets to Ukraine have been granted, defence minister Kajsa Ollongren said in a letter to parliament ahead of a government transition today after months of coalition building following an election last year.

She did not specify how many planes would be in the first delivery and when they would arrive in Ukraine for security reasons.

The Netherlands has been one of the driving forces behind an international coalition to supply Ukraine with F-16s to strengthen its air defences against Russia.

The Dutch government earlier supplied F-16s to a training facility in Romania, where Ukrainian pilots and ground staff are being taught to fly and maintain the planes in battle.

In April, Ollongren said she expected promised deliveries by Denmark, the Netherlands and the United States to start within months.

Russia sent Kilo attack submarine toward Irish Sea twice – report

04:56 , Arpan Rai

Russian attack submarines have conducted missions around the Irish Sea twice since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, three people familiar with the matter said.

The first deployment of a Russian Kilo-class submarine close to the Irish Sea, happened around 18 months ago while the second occurrence took place more recently, the report added. Officials said the extent of the submarine movements went beyond what British officials had previously seen.

US officials were aware of the sub movements, the report further said citing two people familiar with the matter.

Russia’s and Ireland’s defence ministries, Britain’s foreign ministry and the White House have not issued a comment on the report.

The Kilo-class submarine is a diesel-electric attack submarine capable of firing Russia’s Kalibr cruise missiles, as well as torpedoes and naval mines, Bloomberg said.

Russia in 2022 said its navy would stage a sweeping set of exercises involving all its fleets from the Pacific to the Atlantic, the latest show of strength in its military standoff with the West.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney commented at the time that they were not welcome.

Zelensky meets US House of Representatives delegation, seeks Patriot systems

04:36 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky pushed his allies from the US to provide more Patriot air defence systems as he met the leaders from the US House of Representatives last night.

“I held a meeting with a bipartisan delegation from the US House of Representatives. We discussed key areas of further American assistance, including additional air defense systems. This is critically important, as the Patriot systems save lives and protect infrastructure,” he said.

He added: “I thank US president Joe Biden, both chambers and parties of Congress, and the entire American people for their unwavering leadership in supporting Ukraine.”

In April this year, the US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington will provide Ukraine additional Patriot missiles for its air defence systems as part of a massive $6bn additional aid package.

The missiles will be used to replenish previously supplied Patriot systems. The package also includes more munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, and additional gear to integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles and radars into Ukraine’s existing weaponry, much of which still dates back to the Soviet era.

Hungary’s Orban to meet Zelensky on trip to Ukraine – report

04:18 , Arpan Rai

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban will make his first trip to Kyiv today to meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, the Financial Times reported.

This will be the Hungarian leader’s first visit to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion of its smaller neighbour in 2022.

Mr Orban, an outspoken critic of Western military aid to Ukraine, is visiting a day after Hungary assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union Council. He will meet with Mr Zelensky and other senior officials in Kyiv just days after the two spoke at an EU summit in Brussels, people familiar with the matter said, the report added.

The European leader is among the very few closest ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin among EU leaders and has frequently opposed many EU initiatives to support Ukraine in its defence against Moscow’s aggression since its February 2022 invasion.

Ukraine rejects Russian claims of capturing two villages

04:01 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine has rejected Russian defence ministry claims that its forces had captured two villages in eastern Ukraine, and said the fighting continues to rage in the region.

The Russian ministry said its forces were in control of the settlement of Stepova Novoselivka in Kharkiv region, and of Novopokrovske in Donetsk region. Military statements from Ukraine’s Armed Forces denied the Russian assertion in parts.

The Ukrainian military earlier said it had repelled Russian attacks near two towns in Donetsk region – Novooleksandrivka and Spirne, a day after Russian forces claimed control of them. The evening report said fighting continued near both localities.

The evening report identified the Pokrovsk front as the theatre of the fiercest fighting. At least 44 Russian assaults had been repelled in the last 24 hours, with 14 clashes still going on.

The military said Russia maintained a military presence across the border from Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv and Sumy regions, adding that Moscow’s forces were increasing the density of minefields and conducting sabotage activities.

That area is under scrutiny for any sign that Russia plans to open a new front to pressure Ukraine‘s outnumbered defenders.

It was the second day in succession that Moscow has announced the capture of new localities. Russia has announced a string of incremental gains since capturing the city of Avdiivka in Donetsk region in February.

Donetsk and Kharkiv regions remain focal points along the 1,000km (600-mile) frontline in Ukraine’s east and south.

Litvinenko’s widow ‘disgusted’ by Farage and Reform UK candidate’s praise for Putin

01:00 , Tom Watling

Litvinenko’s widow ‘disgusted’ by Farage and Reform UK candidate’s praise for Putin

Ukraine offers prisoners release at a high price

Tuesday 2 July 2024 00:00 , Tom Watling

Ukraine offers prisoners release at a high price

Troops look for weak spots as Russia sets the stage for another push in Ukraine

Monday 1 July 2024 23:00 , Tom Watling

Troops look for weak spots as Russia sets the stage for another push in Ukraine

What happens next if the far-right win in France and what do the results mean for the future of the EU?

Monday 1 July 2024 22:00 , Tom Watling

What happens next if the far-right win in France?

Ukraine’s president urges EU leaders to make good on their arms promises

Monday 1 July 2024 21:00 , Tom Watling

Ukraine’s president urges EU leaders to make good on their arms promises

7 killed and dozens wounded after missiles slammed into a town in southern Ukraine, officials say

Monday 1 July 2024 19:00 , Tom Watling

7 killed and dozens wounded after missiles slammed into a town in southern Ukraine, officials say