‘Something good just may be happening,’ Trump says on Ukraine talks
US president Donald Trump responded to the reports coming out of Geneva overnight, posting on his Truth Social account:
“Is it really possible that big progress is being made in Peace Talks between Russia and Ukraine??? Don’t believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
Key events
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Romania scrambles jets in response to drones near its border, defence ministry says
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Keir Starmer welcomes ‘significant progress’ in Ukraine talks
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‘Peace in Ukraine won’t happen overnight,’ Germany’s Merz says
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EU leaders hail ‘new momentum’ in Ukraine talks, but say issues remain to be solved
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‘Peace settlement on Ukraine needs to strengthen, not weaken, our security,’ Poland’s Tusk says
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Four killed, 13 injured in overnight Russian attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine
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‘Lot of work remains to be done,’ EU says after early constructive talks on Ukraine
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‘Something good just may be happening,’ Trump says on Ukraine talks
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Poland arrests third suspect after Russian rail sabotage
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Ukrainian drone downed en route to Moscow, mayor says
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EU’s Costa spoke with Zelenskyy before EU leaders’ talks on Ukraine
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No plans for Russia-US meetings this week so far, Kremlin says
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Ukraine needs to be at table for peace talks to avoid new Munich agreement, Czech Republic’s Pavel says
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Lithuania’s Budrys welcomes Geneva talks, raises concerns about Belarus
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Sweden will not recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories, Swedish foreign minister says
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Ukraine ready to move to peace with three key red lines, Ukrainian parliament speaker says
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Ukraine working with US to look for ‘compromises that strengthen, not weaken us,’ Zelenskyy says
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Morning opening: Can Europe change the US-Russian plan?
Romania scrambles jets in response to drones near its border, defence ministry says
Amid talks to bring about an end to the war, Russia resumed its night-time drone attacks on Ukraine’s civilian and port infrastructure close to Romania’s border, the Nato member’s defence ministry said earlier today.
A statement from the defence ministry read:
Radar monitoring systems detected air targets heading to Ismail, and two German Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft conducting enhanced air policing missions scrambled to monitor the air situation.
The drones disappeared from the radar, shortly after explosions were reported in Ismail.
No incursions of unmanned aerial vehicles into the Romanian airspace were detected, and the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft returned to the 57th airbase at 01.01.
Romania shares a 650 km (400 mile) border with Ukraine. It has had Russian drone fragments fall on its territory repeatedly as Moscow attacks Ukrainian port infrastructure across the river Danube from Romania.
Keir Starmer welcomes ‘significant progress’ in Ukraine talks
Along with French President Emmanuel Macron, the UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, has been leading European diplomatic efforts to try to secure a deal to end the war that (more) fairly accounts for Ukrainian interests and deters future Russian aggression.
We have some fresh quotes from the prime minister’s spokesperson, who said Starmer welcomed “significant progress” in the weekend talks that discussed peace in Ukraine.
“The prime minister obviously welcomes the significant progress made at yesterday’s meetings between the US and Ukraine in Geneva,” the spokesperson said, adding “there are some outstanding issues” which will be discussed in “coming days and weeks”.
Asked if the UK would send troops to enforce any deal agreed between Kyiv and Moscow, the Downing Street spokesperson reportedly said they would not “get ahead” of ongoing discussions.
The foreign ministers of several European countries – including Germany, France, Britain and Finland – met Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, this morning, a German official was quoted by the Telegraph as having said. It is not clear exactly what was said in the discussions.
‘Peace in Ukraine won’t happen overnight,’ Germany’s Merz says
Meanwhile, German chancellor Friedrich Merz said that while “some issues were clarified” in the Geneva talks, “we also know: peace in Ukraine will not happen overnight.”
Merz also made it clear that Europe must be consulted and agree to any Ukraine peace plan given its consequences for European security, as he called for Russia to come to table and engage with the talks more directly.
“It is important to us that there can be no peace plan for Ukraine if we do not give our consent to issues that affect European interests and European sovereignty,” he said.
EU leaders hail ‘new momentum’ in Ukraine talks, but say issues remain to be solved
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president António Costa are also briefing the media after the EU leaders’ meeting this morning.
Costa welcomed “the new momentum” in peace negotiations, and said that while “some issues remain to be solved, the direction is positive,” as he commended the efforts of the Ukrainian and US teams involved in the talks.
“It is also clear that the issues that concern directly the European Union, such as sanctions enlargement or immobilised assets, require the full involvement and decision by the European Union,” he said.
von der Leyen used similar language, talking about “good progress” in the Geneva talks.
“While work remains to be done, there is now a solid basis for moving forward. As we do, we must remain united and keep placing Ukraine’s best interest at the centre of our efforts,” she said.
She pointedly added that “moving forward, Ukraine’s territory and sovereignty must be respected,” adding that “only Ukraine, as a sovereign country, can make decisions regarding its armed forces.”
“The choice of their destiny is in their own hands. I also want to emphasise Europe’s centrality in the country’s future,” she said.
‘Peace settlement on Ukraine needs to strengthen, not weaken, our security,’ Poland’s Tusk says
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said the EU leaders attending an informal meeting in Angola had a “serious” discussion on the Ukraine peace talks, agreeing that the 28 points proposed by US and Russia “need reworking” as some of the proposals as “unacceptable.”
Speaking from Luanda, he said that it was particularly important that no agreement would weaken Poland and Europe’s broader security.
Tusk added that the peace settlement must not “favour the aggressor,” and said that the leaders are leaning towards moving forward on what to do with the frozen Russian assets.
“It cannot be the case that Europe ends up paying for Russia’s actions,” he said.
He acknowledged that some countries remain unconvinced, but he thought the leaders were “much, much closer” to an agreement on this issue to use the frozen assets to “help Ukraine now and during reconstruction.”
Tusk also said the EU was clear that it would not agree to limiting the number of soldiers in the Ukrainian armed forces.
The Polish PM said the talks remained “delicate” as European leaders are keen to keep the US on side.
Tusk also stressed that the sanctions imposed on Russia were working and they needed to be kept in place to force Russia into a peace settlement.
“Europe must be united. We will do everything we can so the US is on the same side. We should talk [act towards Russia] as Nato, together, and not as individual states,” he added.
“Any peace settlement on Ukraine needs to strengthen, not weaken, our security,” he said.
Four killed, 13 injured in overnight Russian attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine
Overnight, Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv was hit by what officials said was a massive drone attack that killed four people and injured at least 13, Reuters and AP reported.
Eight residential buildings, an educational facility and power lines were damaged in the attack, according to the head of the regional military administration, Oleh Syniehubov.
Ukraine’s air force says Russia fired 162 strike and decoy drones over the country overnight, AP noted.
‘Lot of work remains to be done,’ EU says after early constructive talks on Ukraine
Over in Brussels, the European Commission is hosting its daily midday press briefing.
Chief spokesperson Paula Pinho said the bloc welcomed the constructive progress made in early Ukraine talks over the weekend, although “a lot of work remains to be done,” which is also being discussed by the EU leaders taking part in further discussions on the margin of the EU-Africa summit in Angola today.
The EU’s three red lines remain unchanged: borders cannot be changed by force, no limitations on Ukrainian armed forces, and return of all Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.
The commission spokesperson also reiterated that “it is critical that the aggressor, Russia, pays for the destruction,” with talks on the use of the Russian frozen assets through a Ukraine reparations loan “even more urgent now.”
It was also revealed that a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing is expected to be convened online, on video, on Tuesday.
‘Something good just may be happening,’ Trump says on Ukraine talks
US president Donald Trump responded to the reports coming out of Geneva overnight, posting on his Truth Social account:
“Is it really possible that big progress is being made in Peace Talks between Russia and Ukraine??? Don’t believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
Poland arrests third suspect after Russian rail sabotage
A Ukrainian man has been arrested by Polish authorities investigating a recent Russian rail sabotage, with prosecutors alleging he was involved in aiding the main two suspects in preparing their attack.
The man, identified only as Volodymyr B. under Polish privacy laws, was detained last Thursday and charged over the weekend, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement this morning.
The prosecutors allege that back in September he drove one of the two suspects to the area of the railway tracks going towards Ukraine, helping him to scout the site ahead of the attack.
The incident, earlier this month, saw an explosion along a section of railway line used for deliveries to Ukraine and another reported attempt to derail trains moving on this route.
Polish authorities have previously identified two Ukrainian men, allegedly working for the Russian intelligence services, as the key suspects in two cases of rail sabotage. They had reportedly arrived in Poland from Belarus and left soon after placing explosive devices on the rail tracks, and so remain beyond the reach of the Polish prosecutors.
Polish leaders condemned the attack at the time as “state terrorism” by Russia, who they allege deliberately recruited Ukrainian men to conduct the attacks to stir up anti-Ukrainian sentiment in the country, which hosts a major Ukrainian community.
Ukrainian drone downed en route to Moscow, mayor says
Russian air defences downed a Ukrainian drone en route to Moscow on Monday, the city’s mayor said as reported by Reuters, forcing three airports that serve the capital to temporarily restrict all incoming and outgoing flights.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a statement that emergency services were working at the scene of the downed drone.
Flight restrictions were introduced and quickly lifted on the capital’s three airports.
EU’s Costa spoke with Zelenskyy before EU leaders’ talks on Ukraine
European Council president António Costa said he spoke with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy “to get his assessment of the situation” ahead of today’s informal EU leaders’ meeting on Ukraine on the sidelines of the EU-Africa summit.
“A united and coordinated EU position is key in ensuring a good outcome of peace negotiations – for Ukraine and for Europe,” he added.
No plans for Russia-US meetings this week so far, Kremlin says
Meanwhile, we are getting a line from the Kremlin saying there are no plans for meeting of Russian and US delegations this week so far, and that Moscow has now been kept informed about the progress made in Geneva.
A Kremlin spokesperson also denied to comment on reported changes requested by European leaders, saying it’d be wrong to conduct these negotiations via the media, Reuters reported.
Ukraine needs to be at table for peace talks to avoid new Munich agreement, Czech Republic’s Pavel says
Over the weekend, Czech president Petr Pavel insisted that Ukraine must be fully included in any peace settlement talks with Russia, stating the country’s exclusion from talks would prompt parallels with the 1938 Munich Agreement, saying: “it is their territory, it is their country, their people, their lives.”
Speaking to Polish broadcaster TVN24+ in an interview conducted before the Geneva talks, Pavel warned that any decisions without Ukraine’s substantial involvement would risk drawing similarities with Munich “and we Czechs know very well how it feels.”
In 1938, the UK, the French Republic, fascist Italy, and Nazi Germany signed an agreement that was meant to appease Adolf Hitler’s growing appetite for territorial expansion by allowing for the annexation of parts of Czechoslovakia (which was not represented). It was formally called “the Munich agreement,” although the Czechs and the Slovaks often refer to it as “The Munich betrayal.”
Pavel also pushed back on some of the other reported original demands from Russia, for example restrictions on Ukraine’s ability to join alliances, such as Nato or the EU.
But the Czech president, a former Nato general who served on the alliance’s military committee, also conceded that while he fully understood that “the very notion of losing even an inch of territory is extremely painful” to Ukrainians, with the current state of play on the battlefield “realistically, some loss of territory [to Russia] is very probable.”
He insisted, however, that any such territory should never be recognised as “legally Russian territory.”
Drawing on his security experience, Pavel also said that the collective west should be looking to settle some broader issues with Russia, renewing treaties on arms control and regulating military exercises.
But he stressed:
“I have never seen any idea within my time in Nato – and I spent in Nato many years – I haven’t seen any single plan that would suggest attacking Russia.
I asked the Russians, when they were still in Nato, in a number of Nato-Russia Council meetings, if they seriously mean that there is anyone in Nato who would like to invade Russia.
We only act to defend the territory. We don’t have any interest in controlling vast Russian territory with so many problems. They will have to deal with their problems themselves. … It’s to protect against a country that proved number of times to be aggressive.”
Pavel also warned Nato members about showing internal divisions, saying that if Russia ever “comes to an understanding that we are weak or undecisive enough for them to act, they would use the opportunity.”
“So far, we were able to deter effectively [any] Russian aggression against a Nato ally.
But he said that if Nato partners show that they “lack determination to defend each other,” it could create some space for Russia to exploit it: “if not to grab a new territory, then to humiliate us, because this [has been] one of their objectives over a long time: to destabilise both Nato and the EU, to sow disunity and distrust to institutions.”
“How how can you better demonstrate the weakness of Nato then by doing a limited military action against a remote Nato country, let’s say part of Estonia, and create internal debate [on] if we all really want to go to war with Russia over a piece of land in Estonia? And if the decision is not to launch Article 5, not to stand firmly by a small ally and by a small chunk of his territory, it will be a big victory for Russia.”
Asked if Nato had what it needed to defend an allied territory or was there a question mark over its ability to respond, he said:
“I wouldn’t say it’s a big question mark. but, frankly, we have some more homework to do.”
Lithuania’s Budrys welcomes Geneva talks, raises concerns about Belarus
Over in Brussels, EU ministers are meeting for discussions on trade, including specifically with the US, with two senior US representatives – trade representative Jamieson Greer and treasury secretary Howard Lutnick – joining them for lunch.
EU trade commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, described his talks with US counterparts as “constructive,” even as he added that “more work lies ahead.”
But numerous ministers chose to address the Ukraine talks over the weekend in their comments, stressing the need to find a way forward that works for Europe.
Lithuania’s Kęstutis Budrys said that “it was good that we once again have the [peace] process” and he welcomed signals that “the talks are progressively improving.”
But he also warned that several parts concerning Europe’s security must not be discussed without Europe, as “we know what Russia wants: Russia wants to dismantle Nato, … to push out Americans from Europe, and to review the security architecture” in Europe.
Budrys also spoke about Lithuania’s growing frustration with continuing airspace violations by meteorological balloons launched from Belarus, which regularly force airport closures, with Vilnius airport closing twice in the last 24 hours.
He said he would raise these issues during today’s talks, as more than 30,000 passengers were affected in recent weeks, and more than 200 flights redirected. “We cannot function normally,” he said.
But he said that Belarus also keeps seizing Lithuanian trucks and semitrailers “and blackmailing us, putting pressure on our economy.”
“This combined attacks has to be met with response from the EU,” he said.
Sweden’s Maria Malmer Stenergard also said it was “nothing but a disgrace” that the EU’s support for Ukraine remained “smaller than the collective purchase of Russian oil and gas since the full scale invasion.”
“This needs to change now,” she said.
She pointedly supported the idea of “moving forward with the reparations loan,” which continues to be blocked over Belgium’s concerns about the legal side of such move.
“As Russia’s brutal war of aggression enters its fourth winter, I am urging international partners to help strengthen Ukraine by providing substantial military and civilian support,” she said.
Sweden will not recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories, Swedish foreign minister says
Speaking on behalf of the hosts, the Swedish foreign minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, struck similar tones, stressing that Ukraine has repeatedly signaled its readiness to agree to a full, unconditional ceasefire, negotiate the peace settlement – but Russia has not.
She said:
“Since Russia has not changed its position, neither has Sweden nor the EU.
Our position remains that to achieve a just and lasting peace, borders cannot be changed by force. There cannot be limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces that will invite further Russian aggression, and there cannot be any limitations on the full sovereign rights of the Ukrainian people to choose their own path, which includes the path to EU membership.
An agreement that includes those main elements that truly respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and that has the support of its people … will also have our support. But as long as the Russian aggression continues, Sweden has a clear two point plan to strengthen Ukraine and weaken Russia. You can count on our support.”
She pointedly says that in Sweden’s view, Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia all remain Ukrainian.
“Let me be clear, Sweden will not recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea or any other part of Ukraine’s territory. We will not reward aggression.”
Ukraine ready to move to peace with three key red lines, Ukrainian parliament speaker says
Speaking at the same event, Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, Verkhovna Rada, insisted that Ukraine was ready to move to “a genuine peace,” but outlined three red lines for Kyiv in any talks “which no one has the right to cross: physically, legally, morally.”
He listed them as:
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no legal recognition of the Russian occupation of Ukrainian territories
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no restrictions on Ukraine’s defence forces
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no veto on Ukraine’s right to choose its future alliances.
Stefanchuk added that “any genuine peace process must be based on a very clear principle: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, and nothing about Europe without Europe.”
He also stressed that any agreement must not violate the country’s constitution, which also repeats some of these points, for example on territory.
He also picked up Zelenskyy’s points on Russian frozen assets, saying diverting them for Ukraine to use would be “the price for the lives taken and the price for the destruction inflicted” by Moscow.
Stefanchuk also said that Ukraine’s membership of the EU and Nato should be part of future security guarantees, arguing that “only under these conditions will Russia retreat, because it will finally understand it cannot overcome” Ukraine’s yearning to confirm its status as part of the democratic world.
Ukraine working with US to look for ‘compromises that strengthen, not weaken us,’ Zelenskyy says
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted that “the core principle that kept Europe peaceful longer than at any other time in its history must be respected,” as borders should not be changed by force.
Speaking via a videolink at the opening session of the Crimea Platform parliamentary summit in Sweden, he warned that if this principle “does not work in Europe, then were will it work?”
Talking about the Geneva talks this weekend, he said Ukraine was “working closely with the US, with European partners, and many, many others to define steps that can end Russia’s war against us … and bring real security”
He said that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, wanted to get “legal recognition for what he has stolen to break the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
He praised the talks with the US, saying they agreed on “extremely sensitive” points on the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war and Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, but noted that “to achieve real peace, more is needed.”
“We all continue working with partners, especially the United States, and look for compromises that strengthen but not weaken us, and we will continue explaining how dangerous it is to pretend that aggression is something one can simply overlook and move on.”
He urged leaders to “not be passive observers of history” and “do not stay silent,” but defend the key principles of postwar peace in Europe: “that borders cannot be changed by force, that war criminals must not escaped justice, and that the aggressor must pay fully for the war it started.”
Picking up on that last point, he said that “this is why decisions on Russian assets are essential,” as he asked them to “support these decisions and keep pressure on Russia.”
Morning opening: Can Europe change the US-Russian plan?
Jakub Krupa
As my colleague Luke Harding reported overnight, the US and Ukraine said they had created an “updated and refined peace framework” to end the war with Russia, hours after European countries proposed their own radical alternative that omitted some of the pro-Russia points made in an original US-backed document that was leaked last week.
It is not clear what’s the current text of the proposed peace deal.
But the European counterproposal sought to radically overhaul the original plan in a bid to force the US to change its thinking and consider Ukrainian and European interests, too.
Offering his first reaction to the progress made over the weekend, Germany’s Johann Wadephul struck an optimistic tone as he said this morning that the talks produced a “decisive success” for the European side, and insisted that “all issues concerning Europe, including those concerning Nato, have been removed from this plan.”
“It was clear from the outset, as we have repeatedly said, that any agreement must not be reached over the heads of Europeans and Ukrainians,” he added.
Finland’s influential president, Alexander Stubb, considered to be one of the European leaders with best access to US president Donald Trump, was markedly more cautious.
After his debrief call with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he said the talks marked “a step forward,” but “there are still major issues which remain to be resolved.”
But the talks don’t stop here, and the EU leaders will be meeting to discuss the issue further in Luanda, the capital of Angola, on the margins of the EU-Africa summit.
Lots to cover today as talks on Ukraine enter what could be a decisive phase. I will bring you all the key updates here.
It’s Monday, 24 November 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
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