Ukraine war briefing: EU foreign policy chief warns of Russian peace talks ‘trap’
UK intelligence suggests almost half a million Russian soldiers have died in Putin’s invasion
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned the bloc should not fall into a Russian “trap” of discussing who would represent Europe in potential peace talks, emphasising that negotiations are a collective effort and the substance of any agreement is more important than the individual negotiator.
GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler revealed that nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed over the course of the Ukraine war, highlighting the high human cost of the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Sweden to prepare a major defence package and a “strong step” on Gripen fighter jets.
Nato’s German-Netherlands Corps will establish a tactical headquarters for Estonia and Latvia by mid-year, a move intended to strengthen the alliance’s cohesion and enhance deterrence against Russia in the eastern flank.
Ukraine’s parliament ratified a €90 billion loan agreement with the European Union, designed to bolster Kyiv’s defence, with the repayment of these interest-free loans for 2026-2027 intended to come from frozen Russian central bank assets as war reparations.
