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Agence France-Presse

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday a ceasefire with Russia was not under discussion with European allies and urged more Western support ahead of a tough winter during his lightning tour of four capitals.
Zelensky was seeking a military and financial boost during a 48-hour trip to London, Paris, Rome and Berlin, amid fears of dwindling support if Donald Trump becomes US president next month.
Speaking to reporters after talks with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, Zelensky denied media reports that he was discussing the terms of a ceasefire with Russia.
“This is not the topic of our discussions,” he said. “It’s not right. Russia works a lot with media disinformation so it [such reports] is understandable,” he said.

Zelensky has rejected any peace plan that involves ceding land to Russia, arguing Moscow must first withdraw all troops from Ukrainian territory.
Zelensky also said he and Macron had discussed Kyiv’s “victory plan” to defeat Russia, expressing gratitude to the French president for all his support.
“Before winter we need your support,” he added, acknowledging “a difficult situation in the east” and a “big deficit” in terms of some equipment.
Without elaborating, Macron said Zelensky had outlined Ukraine’s “plan for the next weeks” and the pair had discussed strategy for the “next weeks and months”.
Macron emphasised he had reaffirmed France’s support “for the Ukrainian resistance against the Russian invasion”.

Ukraine is facing its toughest winter since the full-scale invasion started in February 2022, as Russia launches strikes on the country’s power grid and advances across the eastern front line.
The talks came after Macron on Wednesday made a highly unusual visit to a military camp in eastern France, the precise location of which was not disclosed, to meet part of a brigade of Ukrainian troops France is training.
Zelensky arrived in Paris from London where he had held talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Nato chief Mark Rutte.
Speaking after his Downing Street meeting, Zelensky said he had “outlined the details of our victory plan”, adding that it “aims to create the right conditions for a just end to the war”.
The meeting, Starmer said, had been a chance to “go through the plan, to talk in more detail”.




Zelensky maintains that Ukraine desperately needs more aid to fight back after Russia captured dozens of small towns and villages in the east.
He is also pushing for clearance to use long-range weapons supplied by allies, including British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles, to strike military targets deep inside Russia.
Washington and London have stalled on giving approval over fears it could draw Nato allies into direct conflict with Russia.
Zelensky said he had raised the subject at the Downing Street meeting.
Rutte told reporters “legally, that is possible because legally, Ukraine is allowed to use its weapons, if they can hit targets in Russia, if these targets present a threat to Ukraine”.
“Whether individual allies do, that’s in the end, always up to individual allies,” Rutte said.
Rutte and Britain cautioned against placing too much focus on long-range missiles.
“No war has ever been won by a single weapon,” Starmer’s spokesman said. The talks were instead about “the range of support” for Ukraine.
A planned meeting of Ukraine’s allies in Germany on Saturday was postponed after US President Joe Biden called off his visit to focus on the threat from Hurricane Milton.
On the ground, questions are growing about the long-term strategy of an offensive into Russia’s Kursk region, given Moscow’s push in the east of Ukraine.


On Thursday, the Kremlin said its missiles had struck two launchers of a US-made Patriot air-defence system, which Ukraine uses against Russian missiles.
“If this is a short-term operation, it will strengthen us,” Bogdan, one serviceman sitting at a cafe in Druzhkivka, near Kramatorsk, told Agence France-Presse.
“If it’s a long-term operation and we plan to stay in Kursk, it will deplete our main resources.”
Ukraine relies on billions of dollars worth of US aid to fight Russia’s invasion, and the US presidential election in November could prove pivotal.
The German-based Kiel Institute warned on Thursday Western military and financial aid to Kyiv could halve to about €29 billion (US$31 billion) in 2025 if Trump wins the November 5 election.
Trump has promised to end the war “in 24 hours” if he is elected – a prospect Kyiv fears means being forced to make massive compromises to achieve peace.


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Ukraine war

Zelensky denies ceasefire with Russia under discussion on Europe trip

(From left) Volodymyr Zelensky, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte meet at 10 Downing Street. Photo: TNS

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Thursday. Photo: AFP

France’s President Emmanuel Macron (left) welcomes Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris. Photo: AFP

Trump secretly sent Putin Covid tests in 2020 despite US shortage, new Bob Woodward book says

Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7, 2017. Photo: AP

Bob Woodward’s new book also claims Trump has had multiple phone calls with Putin since leaving office. Photo: TNS

Nato’s new chief Mark Rutte visits Ukraine in first trip since taking office

Mark Rutte, the new head of Nato, has vowed to help shore up Western support for Ukraine. Photo: AFP

Zelensky meets Biden after US unveils Ukraine military aid surge

US President Joe Biden, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in Washington on Thursday. Photo: Ukrainian Presidency / dpa

A rescuer removes debris at a site of a residential area heavily damaged by a Russian air strike in Zaporizhzhia. Photo: Reuters

US Vice-President Kamala Harris and Zelensky hold a joint press conference during a meeting in the Vice-President’s Ceremonial Office in Washington on Thursday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Zelensky, centre, walks with US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, right, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at the US Capitol in Washington on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Harris, Trump and Biden mark October 7 attacks as US election looms

Donald Trump at an October 7 remembrance event at the Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami. Photo: AFP

US first lady Jill Biden and US President Joe Biden take part in a yahrzeit candle lighting. Photo: Bloomberg

US Vice-President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff after planting a memorial tree. Photo: AP

Donald Trump at a Miami event marking one year since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Photo: AP

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Europe

Zelensky seeks military, financial boost on trip to UK, France, Italy and Germany amid fears of dwindling support if Trump wins US election


Zelensky seeks military, financial boost on trip to UK, France, Italy and Germany amid fears of dwindling support if Trump wins US election.
