Ukraine-Russia battle newest: Trump claims it’s Zelensky, not Putin, holding up peace deal | EUROtoday

Nato secretary basic Mark Rutte spoke to Ukraine president ‌Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday to debate the most recent Russian assaults on ‌Ukraine, ​which have ​led to widespread energy outages ‍within the nation.

“Spoke ‍with @ZelenskyyUa ​about the ‍energy situation in Ukraine, with Russia’s attacks causing ‍terrible human ⁠suffering, as well as on the ongoing efforts to bring an end to the war.” wrote Rutte on X on Thursday.

“We’re committed to ensuring that Ukraine continues to get the crucial support needed to defend today and ultimately secure a lasting peace.”

Russian forces ‌have destroyed a big power facility in Ukraine’s second-biggest metropolis Kharkiv, the mayor stated on Thursday, the most recent goal of a winter air marketing campaign by ‌Moscow that has plunged hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians into darkness and chilly.

Russia has attacked the ability grid and different power services whereas urgent a battlefield offensive that has left Kyiv on ‌the again foot because it ​faces ​US stress to safe peace.

Ihor Terekhov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, didn’t specify what kind of facility had been hit, however stated emergency crews had been on the scene and dealing across the clock.

Kharkiv, simply 25 km from the Russian border, has been commonly focused by drones, missiles and glide bombs all through the battle, which enters its fifth yr subsequent month.

President Emmanuel Macron stated on Thursday that France was now offering two-thirds of intelligence info to Ukraine, largely changing the United States, which till final yr had delivered the majority of these companies.

In March 2025, Washington made the choice to droop intelligence sharing with Ukraine as a part of efforts to crank up stress on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to cooperate with President Donald Trump’s bid to convene peace talks with Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

The relationship has had its ups and downs since, however there was no indication that Washington has drastically lower its intelligence provision to Ukraine.

In a New Year’s speech to the French army, Macron praised Europe’s efforts during the last two years in taking on main strands of weapons assist to Ukraine.

He stated a coalition of some 35 nations was now offering the entire assist, together with monetary, to Kyiv after Washington had determined to not fund or immediately give weapons to Ukraine.

“Where Ukraine was extremely dependent on American intelligence capacity, huge majority (of it) a year ago, in (the space of) a year, two-thirds is today provided by France,” Macron stated.

Spain is sceptical of the probabilities of a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, based on the nation’s defence minister Margarita Robles.

“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin does not seem to want peace,” she informed an occasion in Madrid on Thursday.

She added that Russia wouldn’t settle for international troops on a peace mission there, which was earlier confirmed in statements made by the nation’s international ministry.

Greece has warned its transport fleet to evaluation its safety measures when traversing the Black Sea after drone assaults on two Greek-operated tankers this week.

“It is recommended that the security managers of shipping companies, the masters and the security officers of Greek ships proceed with an updated threat assessment for commercial ships located in the Black Sea and the maritime areas close to it,” a transport ministry doc seen by Reuters learn.

One of the tankers hit on Tuesday was Matilda, which was hit by two drones. Another vessel was chartered by US oil main Chevron as they approached a Black Sea terminal on Russia’s Black Sea coast.