Zelenskyy says Trump residing in ‘disinformation area’ after blaming Ukraine for Russian invasion – Europe reside

Zelenskyy now calls out the US and US representatives in Riyadh for describing Russian unlawful invasion of Ukraine as “a battle,” and never “merely a struggle by Putin towards us.”

“This softens it,” he says.

He says he had comparable dialog with the earlier US administration, when he “fought” towards an official paper describing the struggle “as a battle.”

“There was a[n attempted] shift within the coverage to melt the phrases to explain what Putin is doing towards us, and we’re standing up for Ukraine’s rights right here. There’s nothing horrible, however we should recognise what’s occurring,” he says.

Zelenskyy says the US “have helped Putin to come back out of isolation” which he says was “utterly truthful due to their full scale invasion” on Ukraine.

He additionally rebukes Trump’s feedback that the majority of Ukraine’s help comes from the US.

“The reality is some other place,” he says, however provides he stays “grateful for the help” and desires “the Trump staff to have true info.”

He goes on in regards to the talks:

“This isn’t constructive for Ukraine. What it does is that they’re bringing Putin out of isolation, and the Russians are pleased as a result of the dialogue focuses on them,” he says.

He provides that Russia appears to be presenting itself “as a sufferer, and that’s one thing new.”

Zelenskyy now responds to Trump’s feedback in a single day.

He says that he “by no means feedback on reputation scores, particularly my very own or different leaders.,” however he factors out that the newest ballot exhibits 58% of Ukrainian belief him.

“So if anybody needs to switch me proper now, that won’t work,” he says.

He additionally calls out “plenty of disinformation coming from Russia,” as he says that these figures appear to be shared with the US.

“Sadly, President Trump, with all due respect for him because the chief of a nation that we respect drastically … resides on this disinformation area,” he says.

Zelenskyy says he’ll look into amassing extra information on belief in key international leaders to counter Russian disinformation, as he says he warns towards “the misinformation circle round President Trump,” which he says contains representatives linked with Hungarian and Slovak governments.

“That is all regarding. The whole lot they’re doing is to guarantee that Ukraine is weak,” he says.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is talking now.

He says that there was “a robust message given to Europe from Ukraine” in his conferences with European leaders in current days, and extra conferences are coming, together with within the UK, “within the subsequent few weeks.”

He says the dialog focuses on “what Europe is ready to do to assist Ukraine if there’s a discount within the help from the US or one thing else,” as he stresses that “we should depend on an allied place in Europe.”

He says there are plans for an hybrid assembly on the anniversary of the full-scale invasion on 24 February and provides feedback on his conversations with the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, floating the suggestion that Ankara might doubtlessly present safety ensures for Ukraine.

I’ll carry you the newest shortly.

Nordic correspondent

Sweden and Poland are right now anticipated to signal an settlement that can see the 2 nations collaborate on civil defence in gentle of the worsening safety state of affairs throughout Europe.

The letter of intent, because of be signed by the Polish inside minister Tomasz Siemoniak and Swedish defence minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin in Stockholm later right now, is predicted to cowl safety of civilians, Baltic safety and hybrid menace resilience.

In the meantime, in Copenhagen, Mette Frederiksen’s authorities, seeking to show its preparedness within the face of criticism from the US which needs to realize management of Greenland, a part of the Danish kingdom, is predicted to current a brand new 50bn DKK defence settlement.

Russian officers seize on Trump’s false declare on Zelenskyy’s approval ranking

Pjotr Sauer

Russian affairs reporter

Russian officers on Wednesday seized on Donald Trump’s newest remarks, by which he questioned Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s legitimacy as Ukraine’s president.

Talking on Tuesday night, Trump falsely claimed that Zelenskyy’s approval ranking was “at 4%” and described Ukraine as a rustic “blown to smithereens.”

Whereas Zelenskyy’s reputation has declined in current months, a contemporary February ballot by the Kyiv Worldwide Institute of Sociology (KIIS) discovered that 57% of Ukrainians trusted the president, up from 52% a month earlier.

Pyotr Tolstoy, a senior member of Russia’s State Duma, referred to as Trump’s remarks “vital” and steered they might be “of nice curiosity to those that name themselves politicians in Kyiv.”

Russia can be relying on Trump’s remarks to sow discord amongst Kyiv’s political elites and society at giant, doubtlessly weakening Ukraine’s capability to withstand Russian forces.

Putin has beforehand dismissed negotiations with Zelenskyy, claiming his presidency is “illegitimate.”

Lavrov says 2025 marks 80 years for the reason that finish of the second world struggle as he goes on a rant about “manifestations of neo-nazism” globally, throwing false accusations towards Ukraine, the Baltics, and Canada.

Following this aggressive line, he says that “there is no such thing as a different to eradicating the basis causes of the Ukrainian disaster,” as he repeatedly accuses Ukraine of a marketing campaign towards Russian tradition.

No indicators of softening his language after yesterday’s talks with the US there.

Lavrov now talks up the significance of the BRICS group of countries saying that Russia and the bloc are “stopping the West from imposing a Ukrainian agenda.”

BRICS include Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

He then strikes on to speak in regards to the significance of diplomacy and cultural diplomacy, as he claims many Russian teams “are having a troublesome time due to the Russophobia unleashed by the West.”

Lavrov additionally speaks about Russia’s alliances with Belarus, North Korea, China and Iran, and nations in Africa.

He says the “complete partnership with China” was “at an unprecedented degree and exceeding any prior alliances of a basic kind,” with each leaders attending vital anniversaries in one another’s nations.

He additionally praises Russia’s relations with India.

He additionally talks about Russia’s plans to “change the Euro-Atlantic mannequin that’s bankrupt,” with a brand new initiative “open to all alliances on the continent, together with the European a part of the larger Eurasia.”

Russian overseas minister Sergei Lavrov is talking within the Russian parliament in Moscow.

He says that Russian diplomacy is “finishing up duties set by the President, who has talked about it in particulars at his annual press convention and in lots of interviews.”

However he talks in regards to the broader change in international politics:

I’ll let you know one thing that could be a key challenge for us at this stage of worldwide growth, and that’s our transfer in direction of a multipolar world. It’s a historic course of, and it’s to do with the subjective pattern of recent energy centres showing on the world map.

He continues:

Our companions within the International South and within the east are distinctive civilisations and religions and are members of varied integration associations, however all of them are united by a need in direction of growth, progressive growth with out exterior strain…

He then turns to assault the West, amusingly attempting to painting Russia because the chief of “progressive humanity” revolting towards the West’s dominance in international politics.

On the similar time, we should state that the collective West, though verbally are in settlement and accepting the multipolar realities, in actuality, they nonetheless need to protect their former dominance within the West.

…

The collective West can’t unite and is unable to surrender the egocentric habits that it was ruled by within the final 5 centuries when it dominated the world.

He additionally repeats his verbal assaults on Ukraine.

New EU sanctions on Russia

Jennifer Rankin

in Brussels

EU sanctions towards Russia can be prolonged to cowl aluminium imports and dozens extra “shadow” vessels covertly exporting Russian oil under a value cap imposed by western allies.

The approval of the bundle carries additional weight, amid fears in Brussels that Donald Trump will search to elevate US sanctions towards Russia as a part of his effort to make a peace deal.

The brand new bundle, sixteenth for the reason that full scale invasion in 2022, contains a ban on imports of Russian aluminium into the EU, mentioned by EU officers to generate vital revenues for Russia. An additional 73 vessels believed to be circumventing the oil value cap can be banned from EU ports, though that doesn’t cowl all of the ageing tankers considered serving to Russia evade sanctions.

A complete of 48 folks and 35 entities face asset freezes and journey bans, though their names haven’t been revealed. The EU can also be eradicating broadcasting licences from 8 Russian media retailers and excluding 13 banks from Swift worldwide funds system.

In an earlier draft the EU deliberate to cease the sale of video games consoles and joysticks to Russia, that are considered repurposed to be used in drone warfare. Diplomatic sources didn’t instantly affirm if this stuff made the ultimate record, forward of the anticipated publication of the sanctions subsequent week.

Jakub Krupa

Zelenskyy’s press convention has been pushed again, so we might have to attend a bit longer – however be assured that we are going to carry you all the important thing strains when it occurs.

The Kremlin mentioned this morning that any Putin-Trump assembly would take time to organize, however might come earlier than the top of the month, Tass and Interfax information companies are reporting.

This can alarm European allies, after Trump was requested in a single day if he might meet with Putin in February, and mentioned: “In all probability.”

UK prime minister Keir Starmer is the primary European chief anticipated to satisfy with Trump in individual sooner or later subsequent week and European allies will hope this occurs earlier than the US president meets Putin.

Elsewhere, we’ve additionally hear from the Vatican this morning, as they issued a medical replace on Pope Francis after his fifth night time on the Gemelli hospital in Rome.

“The pope spent a peaceable night time, wakened and had breakfast,” the Vatican mentioned.

On Tuesday night, the Vatican mentioned that “the laboratory checks, chest X-ray, and the Holy Father’s scientific situation proceed to current a fancy image,” with “the onset of bilateral pneumonia, which required further drug remedy.”

US Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg has simply arrived to Kyiv.

Talking to reporters on the prepare station, he says the US administration is listening to Ukrainian arguments, and stresses the US administration understands the necessity for safety ensures.

“My mission is to sit down and hear and say, what are your issues, … then return to the US, speak to president Trump, secretary Rubio and the remainder of the staff, and simply make sure that we get this one proper,” he says.

Requested how assured he’s {that a} good answer may be discovered, he says he’s at all times assured of all the things.

Kellogg was in Brussels and Warsaw yesterday, the place he met with European Fee president Ursula von der Leyen, European Council president António Costa, and Polish President Andrzej Duda.

And simply earlier than Zelenskyy speaks, we’re getting experiences that EU envoys agreed on the sixteenth bundle of sanctions towards Russia, EU diplomats informed Reuters.

Sanctions embrace a Russian major aluminium import ban and itemizing of 73 new shadow fleet vessels.

We’ll get extra element on this quickly from the EU, little question.

Jakub Krupa

We expect to listen to from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy quickly.

We’ll carry you the newest right here when he speaks.

Morning opening: Trump confuses Europe, once more

Jakub Krupa

You simply by no means know the place issues are going to go together with US president Donald Trump.

When he began speaking about Ukraine final night time, at first, he appeared to offer his approval to the thought of deploying European peacekeeping forces there (“all for” and “advantageous”) and mentioned he had no plans for pulling out US troops from Europe, regardless of some recommendations that Russia’s Putin would ask him to do this. Up to now, so good.

However the longer his assertion continued, the more severe it grew to become for Ukraine.

Trump finally mentioned that Zelenskyy “ought to have by no means began it, … might have made a deal,” as if it was Ukraine who invaded Russia and never the opposite approach spherical, and repeated Russian key calls for for elections in Ukraine, with unfounded allegations on president Zelenskyy’s poor approval ranking.

This can ring alarm bells in Ukraine and throughout Europe once more.

The US president additionally mentioned final night time that he was “rather more assured” of a deal after the talks, including “they had been excellent,” and that Russia “need to cease the savage barbarism.”

(Whisper it, however they’ll do it fairly simply, being those who invaded.)

As Sean Savett, who was the spokesperson for the White Home Nationwide Safety Council below then-president Joe Biden, mentioned extra bluntly in a social media publish: “Appears like Trump purchased Putin’s propaganda hook, line, and sinker.

On Tuesday, US state secretary Marco Rubio debriefed the Quint – France, Germany, Italy and the UK – and the European Union on the talks, promising they’ll keep “in shut contact as we work to realize a sturdy finish to the battle in Ukraine.”

However EU overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas issued a pointed warning: “Russia will attempt to divide us. Let’s not stroll into their traps.”

One challenge that was mentioned throughout final night time’s talks was a proposed moratorium on assaults on the vitality infrastructure of Russia and Ukraine. It was rejected by Russian overseas minister Sergei Lavrov, who insisted at his press convention that the Russians would by no means do this anyway as they solely assault authentic army targets.

You’ll be shocked – shocked! – to listen to that Ukraine reported in a single day a Russian assault on vitality infrastructure within the southern area of Odesa, leaving a minimum of 160,000 residents with out heating and energy. It’s -7 levels Celsius there.

Extra European allies are anticipated to satisfy in Paris right now after protests over their exclusion from the hand-picked group invited for Monday’s first spherical of talks. The invitees reportedly embrace Norway, Canada, the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, Greece, Finland, Romania, Sweden and Belgium. We’re but to formally hear about it from the Élysée Palace.

Little doubt there can be extra consultations happening behind the scenes, and US Ukraine envoy Keith Kellog can be in Kyiv right now.

I’ll carry you the newest.

It’s Wednesday, 19 February 2025, and that is Europe reside. It’s Jakub Krupa right here.

Good morning.