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Moscow said a European counterproposal ‘does not work for us’ in a sign that both sides remain far apart
Maira Butt,Arpan Rai,Tom AmbroseMonday 24 November 2025 16:34 GMTComments
CloseWhat's Included In Trump’s 28-Point Ukraine Peace Plan?
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Russia has sunk Donald Trump’s hope that a peace deal in Ukraine can be achieved by Thanksgiving after the Kremlin said Europe’s counterproposal was not constructive and did not work for Moscow.
In a sign that both sides remain far apart, the Kremlin said that Europe’s demands for Ukraine would not be accepted by Vladimir Putin but said that an earlier proposal by the US seemed “quite acceptable to us”.
Trump claimed on Monday that progress was being made in peace talks in Geneva between US and Ukrainian officials. Washington and Kyiv said in a joint statement that they were working to narrow the gaps in the 28-point peace plan revealed by the US last week.
The US president had given Ukraine until Thanksgiving, which takes place this Thursday, to agree to the plan - but US officials later indicated the deadline could change.
Some EU leaders met to discuss Ukraine on the sidelines of an EU-African Union summit in Luanda on Monday, with others dialling in via video conference.
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Key Points
- Kremlin dismisses European proposal to counter Trump's peace deal
- Zelensky ‘could visit US this week’
- Poland charges Ukrainian with Russia-backed railway sabotage
Comment: Peace deal or not, this must be Europe’s next brave move to counter Russian aggression
Europe is taking baby steps towards walking away from America and ending the Russian threat against its democracies. But the time has come to take giant leaps for mankind.
The first move is immediate Nato membership for Ukraine, for Georgia and for Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The idea would probably be vetoed immediately by the US, along with Hungary and Slovenia which are run by pro-Putin autocrats.
But a non-Nato, Nato-style alliance of the West would be a powerful entity that would give Putin pause for thought if it acted together and with the sort of confidence the Kremlin has shown on the world stage.
Peace deal or not, this must be Europe’s next move to counter Russian aggression
The West does not need America to hold its hand in the confrontation with the Kremlin - it is easily powerful enough on its own, writes world affairs editor Sam KileyTom Ambrose24 November 2025 16:34European officials welcome progress in talks on US proposals to end Russia-Ukraine war
European officials said Monday they were comforted by the outcome of discussions on U.S. peace proposals for Ukraine that they had viewed as tilted in Russia's favor, but they didn’t disclose details of the weekend talks and warned of a long road to peace.
“The negotiations were a step forward, but there are still major issues which remain to be resolved,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb wrote on social platform X about Sunday’s meeting in Switzerland between U.S. and Ukrainian officials.
European officials welcome progress in talks on US proposals to end Russia-Ukraine war
European officials have expressed cautious optimism after discussions on U.S. peace proposals for UkraineMaira Butt24 November 2025 16:15Reform breaks silence on ‘treacherous’ Nathan Gill over taking Russia bribes
A key ally of Nigel Farage has broken Reform UK’s silence on its former party leader in Wales who was jailed last week for taking bribes from Russia.
Zia Yusuf, the party’s former chair and key member of Reform’s leadership, claimed that it was “unreasonable” to link Gill’s crime with the softer stance that the party and Mr Farage have taken on Vladimir Putin’s Russia and its criticism of the Ukraine war.
Mr Yusuf described Gill as “treasonous, horrific, awful” in an interview with Sir Trevor Phillips on his Sunday morning political show on Sky News.
Reform breaks silence on ‘treacherous’ Nathan Gill over taking Russia bribes
Zia Yusuf has become the first senior figure in Reform to comment on the party’s former leader in Wales after he was jailed for taking money from the KremlinMaira Butt24 November 2025 15:45Xi urges all parties to 'reduce differences' in call with Trump
Xi Jinping urged “all parties to reduce [their] differences” during a call with US president Donald Trump today.
A White House official confirmed the Chinese president had spoken with Trump by phone.
Tom Ambrose24 November 2025 15:31'We are making progress' says Starmer as he calls for 'just' and 'lasting' peace
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has outlined the UK’s priorities when supporting a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
“Talks in Geneva are ongoing, and we are making progress, and that is a good thing,” he said on Monday.
“Everybody is absolutely focused on what we need to get out of this, and that is a just and lasting peace.
“Both of those words matter. It's got to be just, and obviously matters for Ukraine have to be determined by Ukraine, but it's also got to be lasting, and it's got to endure.
“So that's the focus. There’s more work to do.”
He added that a “coalition of the willing” would meet virtually on Tuesday, led by Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron.
(PA Wire)Maira Butt24 November 2025 15:15Kremlin says European counter-proposal for Ukraine peace does not work for Russia
The Kremlin on Monday said that a European counter-proposal to a US 28-point peace plan for Ukraine was not constructive and that it simply did not work for Moscow.
The publication of the 28-point draft US peace plan last week deepened concerns in Ukraine and among European powers that Russia's core demands on NATO, territory and the chronology of any peace deal had been accepted by Washington, Reuters reported.
The European plan significantly changes the meaning and significance of key points on NATO and territory, according to a copy seen by Reuters.
"The European plan, at first glance... is completely unconstructive and does not work for us," Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters in Moscow.
President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that US proposals for peace in Ukraine could be the basis of a resolution of the conflict but that if Kyiv turned down the plan then Russian forces would advance further.
Tom Ambrose24 November 2025 15:01Poland charges Ukrainian with Russia-backed railway sabotage
A Ukrainian man has been charged over allegedly assisting in a Russia-backed operation targeting Polish railways.
Poland previously called the attack, which took place on a track 80 miles from the Polish-Ukrainian border used to deliver aid to Ukraine, an “unprecedented act of sabotage”.
Two others were previously charged earlier this month.
Maira Butt24 November 2025 14:45Zelensky ‘could visit US this week’ as Trump races to seal Ukraine peace deal by Thanksgiving
Volodymyr Zelensky may travel to the US in the coming days as Ukrainian and American officials work to secure a peace deal before Thanksgiving on Thursday.
The trip is dependent on how negotiations between US officials and their Ukrainian counterparts in Geneva are perceived to have gone, Ukrainian and US officials told CBS News.
The US secretary of state Marco Rubio said the talks in Switzerland had been “meaningful” but warned the two sides were still apart in terms of reaching a final agreement.
Tom Ambrose reports:
Zelenskiy could visit US later this week in attempt to seal peace agreement
The trip is dependent on how negotiations over a peace deal in Geneva are perceived to have goneMaira Butt24 November 2025 14:15Thousands without heating as Ukraine launches drone attack deep inside Russia
The Shatura Power Station, located approximately 120 km (75 miles) east of the Kremlin, was hit early on Sunday, Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov confirmed.
Video footage on Telegram showed balls of flames and black smoke rising into the night sky from the power station. Reuters was able to confirm the location, though not the date of the video.
Thousands without heating as Ukraine launches drone attack deep inside Russia
The Shatura Power Station, located approximately 120 km (75 miles) east of the Kremlin, was hit early on SundayMaira Butt24 November 2025 13:45As Trump bends to Putin’s will again on Ukraine, it is time for Europe to go it alone
It may feel like a rip in the time-space continuum. On one side of the tear, there’s a universe in which America is run by a wannabe king who uses the invasion of an ally as an opportunity for profit, who lies, cheats and backstabs his friends. On the other stand America’s closest comrades, insisting that Washington’s a force for good.
There is only one reality, and it is time to confront it.
America is no longer the leader of the West, let alone the rest of the world. It’s got the biggest armed forces. It has the biggest economy and the widest cultural reach the world has ever seen. But its democracy is collapsing, and it has been captured by a cult of ignorant grifters.
The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley reports:
As Trump bends to Putin’s will again on Ukraine, it is time for Europe to go it alone
A new deal cooked up by the Trump administration will benefit only Moscow and Washington. Sam Kiley, world affairs editor, says it is time for Europe and other allies to establish military and intelligence independence from the USMaira Butt24 November 2025 13:15Newer1 / 5OlderMore about
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