Donald Trump has threatened Vladimir Putin with high tariffs and sanctions if he does not end the Ukraine war soon, saying: ‘It’s time to make a deal.” Meanwhile, a Russian spy ship has been tracked “gathering intelligence” in British waters. Follow the latest and listen to our podcast.
Wednesday 22 January 2025 20:50, UK
Thanks for following our live coverage of the war in Ukraine today.
Before we go, here’s a list of the key things you need to know from today:
These images come to us from the key logistics town of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, which has been under Russian bombardment for months.
Ukraine’s special forces has claimed to have killed 21 North Korean soldiers and injured scores more after an eight-hour standoff in Russia’s Kursk region.
“Special Operations Forces operators killed 21 and wounded 40 North Korean soldiers who were attacking Ukrainian positions,” it said in a statement.
“The attack of the North Koreans, who were fighting on the side of Russia, was held back for more than eight hours by operators of the 8th SSO regiment of the armed forces of Ukraine, together with friendly infantrymen, with small arms and grenade launchers.”
North Korean soldiers have been supporting Russian units in attempting to re-take the Ukrainian-occupied parts of Kursk – territory that could prove pivotal in future peace negotiations.
Almost 100 people have been arrested after Ukraine’s SBU security service conducted some 150 “special operations” across the country.
After 222 people were accused of suspicious activity, the SBU carried out a series of raids across Ukraine between Saturday and Monday.
At least 85 people were arrested following the massive operation, a statement from the SBU read.
Those included, according to the SBU:
The European Union’s foreign policy chief has pushed back against claims by Donald Trump that Europe has not been paying its fair share towards supporting Ukraine.
Trump said yesterday that the US has contributed more to Ukraine than Europe, but Kaja Kallas claimed Europe was the biggest contributor.
“By my account, we have given more than €134bn (£113bn) to Ukraine. That makes us the biggest international donor,” Kallas told Reuters.
She also said that the EU should be involved in any peace talks, amid suggestions that the US could run the negotiations alone.
“Whatever negotiation or agreement there is between Russia and Ukraine, that also concerns Europe. So ‘nothing about Europe without Europe’ is also the main thing here,” she said.
Russia’s deputy envoy to the United Nations has responded to Donald Trump’s economic threats against Moscow.
Earlier, the US president said he would impose tariffs and sanctions “if we don’t make a ‘deal’ and soon”.
Now, Dmitry Polyanskiy has said the Kremlin would need to see what Trump thinks a deal comprises of before proceeding.
“It’s not merely the question of ending the war,” Polyanskiy told Reuters.
“It’s first and foremost the question of addressing root causes of Ukrainian crisis.”
He continued: “So we have to see what does the ‘deal’ mean in President Trump’s understanding. He is not responsible for what the US has been doing in Ukraine since 2014, making it ‘anti-Russia’ and preparing for the war with us, but it is in his power now to stop this malicious policy.”
By Sarah Taaffe-Maguire, business and economics reporter
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine preceded the worst cost of living crisis in the UK since the 1970s – but its own economy is one of the worst-affected by inflation.
It today prompted Vladimir Putin to call on the Russian government and central bank to react to high inflation and act to moderate price rises.
Figures showed inflation kicked up to 9.52% in 2024, the fourth highest in the last 15 years and up from 7.42% in 2023.
For comparison, the figure in the UK stood at 2.5% last month, according to official figures.
These images come to us from Kyiv, where a different kind of art exhibition has opened.
The “Altar of Freedom” exhibition sees Orthodox icons painted on armoured plates that have stopped bullets hitting Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russia.
More from the defence secretary now, who has said that the UK could learn lessons from countries like Sweden after it issued its people with brochures on how to prepare for war.
Stockholm distributed leaflets titled “In Case Of Crisis Or War” last year, which featured advice about seeking shelter during an air raid and what foods to eat.
Asked in the House of Commons whether he thought this was a good idea, John Healey said: “One of the benefits of all Nordic countries now being part of NATO, of the very close defence and security relationships we have with those countries, is that we can indeed learn from each other.
“I think there are certainly some lessons for us in the UK as we consider the future and we consider a rising level and complexity of threats that we may face in the years ahead.”
It is “elementary” to think Vladimir Putin will respond to economic threats like the one made by Donald Trump a short time ago, says our international correspondent Diana Magnay.
Trump threatened sanctions, taxes and tariffs on Russian goods coming into the US should Putin not come to the negotiating table.
“There’s been no trade of any significance between Russia and the US since the beginning of this war,” Magnay says.
“There’s nothing to put taxes or tariffs on that will in any way persuade Putin to change his behaviour,” she adds.
She also recalls that Trump often boasted of his massive sanctions on Russia in his first term, but that they didn’t stop Russia launching the war in Ukraine.
“We have also seen that sanctions imposed by the international community have not in any way deterred Putin from continuing this war,” Magnay says.
“So to feel or argue, as President Trump seems to be doing, that he can use economic leverage on Vladimir Putin to end this war, seems to be a very elementary way of viewing the nature of the conflict.”
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