Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin envoy claims ‘significant progress’ towards ceasefire in US talks

Russian president Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev said on Thursday that he saw a “positive dynamic” in relations between Moscow and Washington, though more meetings were needed to sort out differences.

Mr Putin has been accused of dragging out or actively blocking efforts to finalise the terms of a deal to end the war, with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky calling them “fake conditions to buy time and then try to seize even more land”.

Mr Dmitriev, speaking to both Russian and US media outlets after talks with officials from president Donald Trump’s administration, said he saw prospects for the beginning of a solution to the more than three-year-old war in Ukraine.

He said his talks in Washington had touched on matters as wide-ranging as rare metals production, cooperation in the Arctic and even crewed flight to Mars. He said work was proceeding on restoring direct air links.

Mr Dmitriev’s visit to Washington follows US-Russian talks in Saudi Arabia and agreement on US-brokered ceasefires against energy targets and allowing problem-free navigation in the Black Sea.

“Without doubt, we note a positive dynamic in our relations,” Russian news agencies quoted him as telling journalists in Washington.

“A series of meetings will still be needed for us to resolve all our differences. But the main thing we see a positive, creative attitude.”

“We see absolutely clearly that the president’s administration is intent on solving questions, unlike President (Joe) Biden. They conduct themselves with great respect, ask a lot of questions, find compromises,” he said.

Ukraine has informed the US about Russia’s energy ceasefire violations, providing evidence to support the claims, senior Zelensky aide Pavlo Palisa told Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne.

He said Ukraine had not provided a full list of infrastructure targets to be included in the ceasefire, arguing that this strategic information would be abused by Russia.

“Under no circumstances are the coordinates or complete lists of critical infrastructure facilities given to anyone,” he said.

While Kyiv had agreed to a full 30-day ceasefire in US-mediated talks in Jeddah, Russia declined to adhere to it, demanding it include restrictions on Ukraine’s military capabilities, such as a halt on foreign military aid to Ukraine.

Russia is set to increase its military presence in Ukraine by 150,000 troops next year, a senior Ukrainian official has said, equivalent to around 15 motorised infantry divisions.

Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said Russia was actively recruiting personnel and forming new units.

“Their formation is ongoing. The Russians have no problems with recruiting personnel now. However, it should be understood that all these formations cannot be put into action at the same time,” he said, according to Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne.

This buildup comes as Moscow pushes forward on the battlefield, despite supposedly engaging in ceasefire talks with the US. Mr Palisa said Russia was uninterested in broader peace talks, except for negotiations on maritime security, where a truce aligns with its strategic interests.

Kyiv had agreed to a 30-day ceasefire in US-mediated talks in Jeddah on 11 March, but Russia refused unless it included restrictions on Ukraine’s military capabilities. Instead, a limited agreement was reached to protect energy infrastructure and the Black Sea.

Since then, both sides have accused each other of violating the energy truce, while Russia has tied the implementation of the Black Sea agreement to the easing of Western sanctions.

On the frontlines, Russian forces continue to press forward in targeted areas, making tactical gains, Mr Palisa said. However, he noted that Ukrainian troops were mounting counteroffensives.

“If they do this, they will continue to stall (peace talks) to get time,” he added.

Almost a decade after the Brexit referendum, Amber Rudd is hoping to rebuild bridges between the Tories and Europe.

The former home secretary is one of the driving forces behind a new informal Conservative European Affairs Council (Ceac) that aims to encourage pro-European Tories and help the party talk to Europe.

And with US president Donald Trump stepping back from European defence and Russia continuing to threaten the continent, she sees an even stronger case for improving Conservative relations with Europe.

US president Donald Trump’s inner circle is advising him against a call with Vladimir Putin until the Russian president commits to a full ceasefire with Ukraine, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing administration officials.

The report added that the officials were concerned Mr Trump could suddenly decide he wants to talk to Mr Putin, regardless of their guidance.

Mr Trump told NBC News on Sunday he planned to talk to the Russian president this week.

The United States and Russia have made major strides toward reaching a ceasefire in Ukraine, a senior Kremlin envoy has said following high-level meetings in Washington.

Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian negotiator and head of the state-run Russian Direct Investment Fund, announced that “significant progress has been made on the ceasefire agreement in Ukraine,” according to comments reported by Russian state media.

Mr Dmitriev held talks with officials from the administration of former US president Donald Trump over two days, on 2 and 3 April, representing Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Praising what he described as a constructive and respectful dialogue, Mr Dmitriev said both nations were working to revive diplomatic and economic ties, reported Tass.

He also claimed that American firms were showing interest in returning to Russia to occupy the market space left by European businesses that exited following the invasion of Ukraine.

“US companies are ready to occupy the niches left by European companies that left the Russian Federation,” he was quoted as saying.

Among other issues discussed were cooperation in the Arctic and joint ventures on rare earth metals. Talks also touched on the potential resumption of direct flights between the two countries, according to Mr Dmitriev.

While details of the proposed ceasefire have not been made public, the Kremlin envoy said the Trump administration “is listening to the position of the Russian Federation” and that a date for the next round of negotiations would be determined “in the near future.”

Ukraine has addressed some of its manpower shortages in the fight against Russia by broadening its recruitment base, a senior US military official has said.

General Christopher Cavoli, who leads the US European Command and serves as Nato’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, told American lawmakers that Kyiv had taken steps to replenish its ranks.

He warned, however, that any halt in US support, particularly in weaponry and intelligence, would have a devastating effect on Ukraine’s battlefield capabilities.

Testifying before the US Senate on Thursday, General Cavoli stressed the critical role of American-supplied advanced weapon systems. He noted that Ukraine remains heavily reliant on Washington for larger anti-aircraft and missile defence platforms.

“If the Ukrainians were not able to receive intelligence from us, they would struggle to target, especially in-depth operational level targets such as command posts, logistics areas and things like that,” he told senators.

He said Ukrainian forces were maintaining control of territory in Russia’s Kursk region and that Moscow had lost around 4,000 tanks since the start of the invasion – almost equivalent to the total tank fleet of the United States.

The trial of a former Russian minister accused of breaching sanctions in the UK is “not about Vladimir Putin” or the war in Ukraine, jurors have been told.

Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, 48, the former mayor of Sevastopol in illegally annexed Crimea, is facing seven counts of circumventing sanctions between February 2023 and January 2024.

He is said to have deliberately avoided sanctions by opening a Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) account on or before February 2023 and having tens of thousands of pounds transferred to it by his wife, Ekaterina Ovsiannikova, who is facing four counts of breaching sanctions by assisting with the payments totalling £76,000.

During closing arguments yesterday at Southwark Crown Court, his defence barrister, Rosemary Davidson, told jurors that the case is not about the war in Ukraine or Ovsiannikov’s work as governor of Sevastopol.

The Foreign Secretary has accused Russia’s Vladimir Putin of “dragging out and obfuscating” efforts to find a peace deal to end the war.

David Lammy called on the UK’s Nato counterparts to increase pressure on Russia and stressed the need for Europeans to step up spending on defence to be “fairer” to the US.

Mr Lammy said: “Russia continues to rain down bombs on Ukrainian families, on Ukrainian armed soldiers and, of course, on Ukraine’s infrastructure.

“And they are dragging out and obfuscating all efforts to negotiate.

“Putin – we see you, and it’s hugely important that Nato allies come together to place more economic pressure on Russia so that they respond and are responsive to the negotiation attempts that President Trump has set out.”

Ukraine appears to have resolved some of its shortages of troops fighting Russia, including by widening the pool of eligible recruits, the top US general in Europe says.

US Army General Christopher Cavoli also stressed that any US cutoff in provision of weapons and intelligence to Ukraine would be extremely harmful to its war effort, despite Kyiv’s attempts to diversify its weapons suppliers.

Donald Trump temporarily cut off some assistance to Ukraine after an Oval Office blow-up with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, in which vice-president JD Vance complained about Kyiv’s manpower shortages and Mr Trump said Zelenskiy didn’t “have the cards” to end the war without US backing.