Ukraine updates: Trump says Zelenskyy hindering peace deal

The death toll from a Russian missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight has risen to nine, with more than 60 people injured, officials said.

"Russia has launched a massive combined strike on Kyiv. According to preliminary data, nine people were killed, 63 injured", Ukraine's State Emergency Service said on Telegram.

Six children were among the injured who have been hospitalized, the service added.

Images from the scene showed severely damaged residential buildings and emergency workers searching through rubble for survivors.

The deadly attack comes just hours after US President Donald Trump said a peace deal was "very close".

Russia has struck the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the country's second city Kharkiv with ballistic missiles and drones, according to Ukrainian officials.

"Kyiv is undergoing a combined attack, including from ballistic missile strikes from various directions," Timur Tkachenko, the Head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said on Telegram.

He confirmed that civilian infrastructure, including garages, houses and cars, had been struck, while multiple fires were reported in several districts.

At least two people have been killed, Kyiv's mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said on Telegram, adding that 54 people, including six children, were injured. 

Tkachenko said Ukraine's air defenses were repelling some of the air strikes, but warned that "the threat from the Russians will persist for the next few hours" as he urged residents to remain in bomb shelters.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv, was also coming under attack, the city's mayor said.

"Kharkiv was hit by seven rockets last night. The consequences of this attack are being clarified. There is currently no information about casualties," Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram.

Kharkiv, which lies just 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the border with Russia, has frequently come under missile attack since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The strikes come a day after Russia targeted several Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv and Odesa, with mass drone and missile strikes.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he believes Russia has agreed to a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump also implied that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was hindering progress and that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had been easier to deal with.

"I think we have a deal with Russia. We have to get a deal with Zelenskyy," Trump told reporters at the White House.

"I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelenskyy. So far it's been harder," the US president said. 

"But, I think we have a deal with both. I hope they do it, because I'm looking to save and, you know, we spent a lot of money, but this is about a lot of humanity," Trump added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump had slammed Zelenskyy for making "it so difficult to settle this war" in a post on Truth Social, after the Ukraine leader refused to recognize Crimea as Russian territory.

US media reports suggest that a US peace proposal includes recognizing Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula. 

During the press briefing in the Oval Office, Trump dodged questions about Crimea, insisting that he wants to bring the war to an end and that he has "no favorites" between Ukraine and Russia.

Hours earlier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had said Trump was "frustrated" and that his "patience is running very thin."

"He wants to see the killing stop, but you need both sides of the war willing to do that, and unfortunately, President Zelenskyy seems to be moving in the wrong direction," Leavitt said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has indicated that he thinks Washington will not abandon a first Donald Trump administration promise that the US will not recognize Crimea as Russian.

Zelenskyy's comments come after Vice President JD Vance laid out the US vision for a peace deal that would see Russia keep already occupied swaths of Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula.

In a post on X in which he thanked partners who took part in talks in London, among them US, European and Ukrainian officials, Zelenskyy signaled his belief that the White House would remain committed to Ukraine's territorial integrity.

"Ukraine will always act in accordance with its constitution and we are absolutely sure that our partners in particular the USA will act in line with its strong decisions," the Ukrainian president wrote.

Zelenskyy attached a 2018 statement by then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In it, Pompeo says: "The US rejects Russia's attempted annexation of Crimea and pledges to maintain this policy until Ukraine’s territorial integrity is restored."

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after sending in unmarked Russian special forces, commonly referred to as "little green men."

US President Donald Trump has said the Black Sea peninsula "was lost years ago" and "is not even a point of discussion."

Donald Trump says a peace deal to end the Ukraine war is "very close," while lashing out at President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over his refusal to cede Crimea to Russia.

Trump's remarks came as Vice President JD Vance warned the US would "walk away" unless Russia and Ukraine strike a deal soon. Envoys from Washington, Kyiv, and Europe met in Britain for scaled-down peace talks, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pulled out at the last minute.

US media reports suggest Trump is willing to recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea.

But Zelenskyy told journalists this week: "It was, is, and will be Ukrainian territory," adding that recognizing it as Russian "is against our constitution."

“It's inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy's that makes it so difficult to settle this War," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “They only prolong the 'killing field.'"

"We are very close to a Deal," he added, "but the man with 'no cards to play' should now, finally, GET IT DONE."

Ukrainian, European and US diplomats convened in London on Wednesday for a series of "substantive technical meetings … on how to stop the fighting" in Ukraine, according to a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The meetings were supposed to feature high-level talks between respective foreign ministers but were downgraded after the withdrawal at short notice of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, raising questions as to how much progress was really being made.

Instead, the United States was represented by General Keith Kellog, US President Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, in the meetings with European officials, plus a Ukrainian delegation including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who had initially planned to host his peers, was instead expected to "drop in" on the lower-level sessions.

"The foreign minister-level meeting isn't happening," one diplomat told The Washington Post, adding: "Without [Trump's special
envoy Steve] Witkoff, the secretary of state [Rubio], [and] the French and German foreign ministers, there's no reason for the foreign secretary to chair."

The talks reportedly focussed on establishing what ceasefire terms Kyiv could feasibly accept after US envoy Witkoff presented proposals at a similar gathering in Paris last week which reportedly appeared to demand more concessions from Ukraine than from Russia.

"We remain absolutely committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and these talks today are an important part of that," Prime Minister Starmer's spokesperson said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's top aide Yermak said Ukraine was "committed" to US-led peace efforts. "We are grateful to our partners for their firm support and common desire to end the war as soon as possible," he said after the talks in London.

Kyiv has rejected any deals which propose the recognition of Russia's authority over the occupied Crimean peninsula, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Wednesday, stressing that "Ukraine is ready to negotiate—but not to surrender."

"There will be no agreement that hands Russia the stronger foundations it needs to regroup and return with greater violence," Svyrydenko wrote on X.

"A full ceasefire - on land, in the air, and at sea - is the necessary first step," Svyrydenko added, saying that if Moscow opted for a limited pause to the conflict, Kyiv would respond similarly. However, she stressed that "our people will not accept a frozen conflict disguised as peace."

The US had reportedly proposed a deal that would involve Ukraine recognizing Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, unnamed sources close to the talks told media outlets.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pushed for an unconditional ceasefire.

The Ukrainian delegation is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump's Ukraine envoy, General Keith Kellogg, and officials from the UK and European countries in London after a planned meeting of foreign ministers was postponed. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha thanked UK for its "leadership and support" as he arrived in London on Wednesday.

US Vice President JD Vance said that Moscow and Kyiv must conclude a deal, or Washington will withdraw from peace talks. 

"We've issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it's time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process," Vance told reporters during his four-day visit in India.

Vance's statement came as envoys from Washington, Kyiv, and European countries met for talks to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine.

"It's now time, I think, to take, if not the final step, one of the final steps, which is, at a broad level, the party saying we're going to stop the killing, we're going to freeze the territorial lines at some level close to where they are today," Vance added.

"Now, of course, that means the Ukrainians and the Russians are both going to have to give up some of the territory they currently own," he reiterated.

Vance also mentioned that Russia and Ukraine will need 'territorial swaps' to conclude a deal. Earlier this week,the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said that territorial concessions were non-negotiable.

Donald Trump's proposal for an unconditional ceasefire in March was accepted by Ukraine but rejected by Russia.

The White House welcomed a new agreement by both sides to suspend attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days, but the Kremlin has stated that it believes this moratorium has ended.

The Russian government said on Wednesday that there were "many nuances" in finding a way to end Russia's war in Ukraine, and the positions of different countries involved in peace talks need to be further narrowed in order to come to an agreement. 

Kremlin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia will continue discussing a possible deal with the US, and it has not been in contact with Europe or Ukraine. 

"Russian President Vladimir Putin remained open to talks with all parties," Peskov added.

Kremlin made its remarks after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancelled his trip to London and talks between the US, Ukraine and European officials focused on ending the war in Ukraine was downgraded.

Russia's air defense system destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia's state RIA news agency reported on Wednesday.

"During the past night, on-duty air defense means destroyed 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type," the report said.

Most of the drones were shot down over the territory of the Tula region.

A Ukrainian delegation will hold talks with allies in London on Wednesday focused on a "full and unconditional ceasefire," the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said on the platform X.

The Ukrainian delegation is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump's Ukraine envoy, General Keith Kellogg, in London after a planned meeting of foreign ministers was postponed.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he would not attend peace talks in London, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Tuesday. 

"I look forward to following up after the ongoing discussions in London and rescheduling my trip to the UK in the coming months," Rubio said in a post on X.

Rubio's cancellation also postponed a broader meeting of foreign ministers from Ukraine, Britain, France and Germany. However, talks on Wednesday will take place at a lower level.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he hoped Moscow and Kyiv would make a deal this week to end the three-year war.

He also warned that Washington could walk away if there was no progress.

Beijing dismissed as "groundless" Ukraine's allegation that Chinese fighters and companies were directly assisting Russia's military on Wednesday.

"China firmly opposes groundless accusations and political manipulation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press conference.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it had summoned Chinese Ambassador Ma Shengkun to express "serious concerns" over Chinese involvement in Russia's war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused China in a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday of providing a workforce at a drone production site in Russia and suggested that Moscow may have "stolen" drone technology from China.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said that at least 155 Chinese citizens were fighting with the Russian army, two of whom were detained by Ukraine. Also, he had "information" that China was supplying arms to Russia.

Ammunition explosions at a military unit in Russia's Vladimir region, east of Moscow, is "gradually ending," regional Governor Alexander Avdeev said.

Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that the fire was caused by a breach of safety requirements and resulted in the detonation of ammunition stored in a warehouse.

About 450 people living near the military unit were evacuated after the explosion. Four people were injured in the explosions of shells.

Schools, streets and businesses in Vladimir's Kirzhach district, remain closed on Wednesday, Avdeev said. 

The "surveys and an assessment of the consequences are required," he added.

A state of emergency was declared on Tuesday in Vladimir, reported Russia's state news agency TASS, citing emergency services.

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to halt the invasion in Ukraine on the current front line, as part of a peace deal with the US President Donald Trump, said the Financial Times in a report published on Tuesday. 

The report cited anonymous sources described as "people familiar with the matter."

Putin made the proposal during a meeting with Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg earlier this month.

"We have always talked about this, that we have a positive attitude towards any peace initiatives. We hope that representatives of the Kyiv regime will feel the same way," Putin told state TV reporter Pavel Zarubin on Tuesday. 

According to the Financial Times, the Russian president said he would consider withdrawing Moscow's claims to parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — four regions of Ukraine that Russia partially occupies.

The United States would accept Russia's other significant demands, including recognizing its sovereignty over the Crimean peninsula, occupied in 2014, and stopping Ukraine from joining NATO, stated the report.

The London-based newspaper also reported that Kyiv and its European allies have demanded a complete restoration of Ukraine's pre-2014 borders. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described Ukraine's demand as "unrealistic".

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said in a media briefing that he is open to dialogue with Russia but only after a ceasefire.

Ukrainian representatives are also set to meet with allies — the United Kingdom, France, and the United States — in London on Wednesday.