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Comes after Russia fired 550 missiles and drones, in an attack Kyiv says is the largest since the war began
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Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky held a “very important” conversation on Friday afternoon, the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff said.
The presidents discussed the supply of air defences to Ukraine, which was partially halted by Washington this week over concerns about stockpiles at home, according to a report in Axios.
They also discussed escalating Russian aerial attacks, after Moscow’s forces fired 550 drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight on Friday – which Kyiv says is the largest attack of the war so far.
“A very important and meaningful conversation between the Presidents,” said Andriy Yermak, adding that further details would come “soon”.
The phone call took place after a Polish minister warned Donald Trump that Vladimir Putin is “mocking” his efforts towards peace, following a huge Russian air attack on Kyiv.
Kyiv’s authorities said at least 23 people were injured and heavy damage was sustained to railway infrastructure, buildings and cars.
“President Trump, Putin is mocking your peace efforts,” Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski told the US president in an X post.
Meanwhile, Dutch and German intelligence agencies both said on Friday Russia has made “widespread” use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky discussed air defence and escalating Russian attacks on Ukraine during their phone call, according to a report in Axios.
Washington halted the transfer of some air defence systems to Ukraine over concerns about its systems at home, a decision which Kyiv says will damage its ability to defend itself against increasingly intense Russian air attacks overnight.
From Thursday night into Friday, Russian forces fired 550 drones and missiles into Ukrainian territory, which Kyiv says is the most since the war began.
The largest drone attacks from Russia have all come in the past month, as it scales up drone production.
Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Friday an “important conversation between presidents” had taken place.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky had been expected to talk to US president Donald Trump on Friday.
It comes one day after a call between Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin brought “no progress” towards peace.
Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Ukrainian service personnel had been returned home in a fresh prisoner swap with Russia.
Moscow’s Defence Ministry had earlier announced the swap.
Unusually, Mr Zelensky did not specify how many prisoners had been returned.
Germany expects Slovakia to approve a new European Union sanctions package on Russia soon, as Bratislava’s reservations have been addressed, a government spokesperson said in Berlin on Friday.
“There were reservations on the part of Slovakia, which, to my knowledge, have been resolved in negotiations over the last few days,” said the spokesperson.
The announcement that the US is suspending promised weapons such Patriot air defence missiles, will inevitably entrench the already strong belief that Trump has taken Putin’s side after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and that the US is no longer a real ally in the defence of Europe.
Pentagon officials suggested the suspension was a “pause” in delivery of Patriots, precision artillery and Hellfire missiles mounted on Ukrainian F-16 aircraft as part of a review of US supplies worldwide.
But the US has not declared a pause in supply to any other nation. Israel is the largest recipient of US military aid by far and has recently enjoyed an uptick in supplies of bombs and missiles even as it stands accused by the United Nations of “ethnic cleansing” and its prime minister has been indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court.
Our world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
According to an authoritative battlefield map, Russian forces appear to have gained ground in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region.
The villages of Milove and Stroivka have been occupied by the Russian army over the past day, the DeepState group of military analysts said according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Russia also advanced near Topoli in the Kharkiv region and Piddubne in the eastern Donetsk region.
Russia has been accused by European intelligence agencies of “widespread” use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine.
While it was already accused of using tear gas in its three-year war in Ukraine, German and Dutch intelligence agencies say Moscow has expanded its use of chemical weapons on the battlefield, including the use of potentially-lethal chemical choking agent chloropicrin.
Dutch intelligence said the chemical is dropped from Russian drones to force soldiers out of trenches so they can be shot, as Russia looks to continue making gains on the battlefield despite international efforts towards peace.
The chemical, which was widely used during World War One, can cause irritation of the lungs, eyes and skin and can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea.
Read the full report:
Germany’s new military service scheme will train recruits over a six-month period in simple tasks like guard duties, sources familiar with the plans told Reuters on Friday, as the country seeks to boost its defences after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
With the help of the scheme – which is to be voluntary, with the possibility of drafting recruits if uptake is deemed too low – Germany hopes to double the number of its trained reservists from the current 100,000.
The defence ministry declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski has told Donald Trump that Vladimir Putin is “mocking” his peace efforts.
He urged the US president to restore full weapon supplies to Ukraine, after the US withdrew some military support citing the need to keep some of its machinery at home.
“Massive Russian attack last night has caused fires and much damage, including to the Polish consulate in Kyiv,” Mr Sikorski wrote on X.
“President Trump, Putin is mocking your peace efforts.
“Please restore supplies of anti-aircraft ammunition to Ukraine and impose tough new sanctions on the aggressor,” he added.
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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump in ‘important’ call with Zelensky after US president told Putin ‘mocking’ peace – The Independent
