Putin ready to meet Zelenskyy in ‘final phase’ of talks, but defiant about aggression’s focus on military targets, progress made
For what it’s worth, Russia’s Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he was ready to meet with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy but only during a “final phase” of negotiations “so as not to sit there and divide things up endlessly, but to put an end to it”.
But his broader comments were not really conciliatory, and will do little to raise hopes of a negotiated settlement.
In the course of his briefing with foreign media, Putin made his customary false accusation that Zelenskyy is not Ukraine’s legitimate president.
Asked by AP about Russia condemning Israel’s strikes on Iran even as Ukrainian civilians are killed in attacks by Moscow, Putin responded that Russia was targeting the country’s arms factories – despite a recent attack on a nine-story residential building, which saw several dead.
“The strikes were carried out against military industries, not residential quarters.”
Putin also warned Germany against delivering long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, saying that it could draw it into a direct military conflict with Russia but won’t help stem Russian advances, AP said.
“Our troops are advancing along the entire line of contact,” he said, warning Ukraine to accept Russia’s terms for a peace deal or face tougher conditions in the future. “If they fail to agree, the situation could change for the worse.”
On Nato, he added:
“We do not consider any Nato rearmament to be a threat to the Russian Federation, because we are self-sufficient in terms of ensuring our security.”
Courting Trump, he praised his push for peace in Ukraine, seconding the American leader’s repeated claims that the 3-year-old conflict wouldn’t have started if he had been in the White House in 2022, AP noted.
“If Trump had been the president, the conflict indeed might not have erupted.”
Key events
British, German and French foreign ministers plan meeting with Iranian counterpart
Patrick Wintour
The foreign ministers of the UK, France and Germany are planning to meet the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, in what could represent a potential diplomatic breakthrough after five days of Israeli bombing.
The meeting is due to take place in Geneva on Friday but final confirmation from Tehran is still pending; if confirmed it would represent the first face-to-face diplomatic meeting since Benjamin Netanyahu launched Israel’s attack on Iran’s military and nuclear sites.
Araghchi spoke to the three European foreign ministers by phone earlier this week, but has so far refused to meet with Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, arguing that Israeli attacks across Iran were approved by the US. Araghchi has said it is impossible to meet Witkoff while the Iranians are under assault from Israel.
Before the planned Geneva meeting, the British foreign secretary, David Lammy, will meet the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, in Washington for discussions focused “on addressing the current situation in the Middle East”.
The meeting would also be attended by the head of EU foreign affairs, Kaja Kallas.
The substance of Friday’s talks – which would be coordinated with the US – will focus on how Iran is willing to reduce or close its nuclear programme.
Russia spurns ceasefire and chooses to kill, Zelenskyy says
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just posted a video of his visit to the site of the Russian “vile attack” earlier this week, which killed 23 civilians.
This strike is a reminder to the world that Russia spurns a ceasefire and chooses to kill.
I am grateful to all our partners who understand that Ukraine must grow stronger every single day. I thank everyone who is ready to exert pressure on Moscow in a way that makes them feel the true cost of this war.
Putin ready to meet Zelenskyy in ‘final phase’ of talks, but defiant about aggression’s focus on military targets, progress made
For what it’s worth, Russia’s Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he was ready to meet with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy but only during a “final phase” of negotiations “so as not to sit there and divide things up endlessly, but to put an end to it”.
But his broader comments were not really conciliatory, and will do little to raise hopes of a negotiated settlement.
In the course of his briefing with foreign media, Putin made his customary false accusation that Zelenskyy is not Ukraine’s legitimate president.
Asked by AP about Russia condemning Israel’s strikes on Iran even as Ukrainian civilians are killed in attacks by Moscow, Putin responded that Russia was targeting the country’s arms factories – despite a recent attack on a nine-story residential building, which saw several dead.
“The strikes were carried out against military industries, not residential quarters.”
Putin also warned Germany against delivering long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, saying that it could draw it into a direct military conflict with Russia but won’t help stem Russian advances, AP said.
“Our troops are advancing along the entire line of contact,” he said, warning Ukraine to accept Russia’s terms for a peace deal or face tougher conditions in the future. “If they fail to agree, the situation could change for the worse.”
On Nato, he added:
“We do not consider any Nato rearmament to be a threat to the Russian Federation, because we are self-sufficient in terms of ensuring our security.”
Courting Trump, he praised his push for peace in Ukraine, seconding the American leader’s repeated claims that the 3-year-old conflict wouldn’t have started if he had been in the White House in 2022, AP noted.
“If Trump had been the president, the conflict indeed might not have erupted.”
Morning opening: 100 days later
Jakub Krupa
US president Donald Trump had originally promised to stop the Russian invasion of Ukraine within 24 hours (or before!) of taking the office on 20 January.
Well, it’s been 149 days since then – and 100 days since Ukraine accepted the most recent US-backed offer of an unconditional ceasefire. Russian aggression, however, continues unabated.
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha marked the occassion, saying “it has been exactly 100 days since Russia has been rejecting this basic first step towards peace.”
When Nato meets in The Hague for its annual summit next week, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be hoping Trump sticks around long enough for that item to make it on to the agenda.
European leaders may offer continued backing for Ukraine, but with the Israel-Iran situation evolving by the hour, it’s tough to know what will happen by the end of the day – never mind next week.
Whatever happens, I will bring you the latest here.
It’s Thursday, 19 June 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
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