Donald Trump issues a warning to Vladimir Putin, and says he expects to talk to him over the coming days. Earlier, Putin claimed there was “light at the end of the tunnel” for the conflict in Ukraine. Follow the latest on the Ukraine war and listen to The World podcast as you scroll.
Wednesday 3 September 2025 19:25, UK
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Paris ahead of tomorrow’s meeting of the coalition of the willing.
The group of more than 30 countries have signed up to help defend a peace deal in Ukraine, once one is struck, in an effort to ward off a future attack by Russia.
Emanuel Macron met Zelenskyy at the Elysee Palace earlier, telling reporters that the coalition is ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine “on the day a peace deal is signed”.
Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is in Paris ahead of a meeting of the coalition of the willing group tomorrow, two diplomatic sources have told the Reuters news agency.
The diplomats did not say whether he would attend tomorrow’s meeting of the coalition, but was likely to hold talks with the Ukraine delegation.
If you missed it earlier, you can now watch our Ukraine Q&A with military analyst Professor Michael Clarke in full.
He answered your questions on a number of subjects, including:
Watch the full Q&A below.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to arrive in Paris shortly as he joins Emmanuel Macron for a working dinner.
The pair will also take part in talks tomorrow with Ukraine’s allies to discuss security guarantees before speaking with Donald Trump.
Watch live below, and watch it back by rewinding the YouTube stream.
By Ivor Bennett, Moscow correspondent
Vladimir Putin said there’s light at the end of the tunnel regarding peace in Ukraine. But I think Kyiv will only see darkness – the wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The Russian president said a lot of things that made it sound like he wants peace, but there’s still no evidence that Moscow is prepared to give any real ground.
On security guarantees, for example, Putin agreed that Ukraine has a right to them. But only yesterday, he reiterated Russia’s long-held stance that Kyiv can’t join NATO, while continuing to rule out the presence of any European peacekeepers. So still no concessions there.
On territory, he said that Russia isn’t fighting for land, but for human rights and the protection of Russian speakers. So why is he still demanding Ukraine surrender territory that his forces haven’t conquered?
And then on whether he’s prepared to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he said that he is, if it’s in Moscow. But the security concerns make that impossible for Zelenskyy to agree to. Would Putin go to Kyiv? Obviously not.
All of this was an attempt to push the right buttons with Donald Trump. He’s trying to present Russia as the party that wants peace and that’s flexible in its approach.
Ukraine’s defence minister has attacked Vladimir Putin’s “knowingly unacceptable proposals” for a summit between the Russian president and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Donald Trump asked Putin if he would commit to meeting Zelenskyy when he met the Russian leader in Alaska last month, with several neutral cities since suggested as a potential host for talks.
Speaking in Beijing today, Putin put forward Moscow as the ideal location for a summit with Zelenskyy, though he also questioned whether such a meeting “made sense” (see 14.54 post).
But Andrii Sybiha says Putin “continues to mess around with everyone by making knowingly unacceptable proposals”.
“Right now, at least seven countries are ready to host a meeting between leaders of Ukraine and Russia to bring an end to the war,” he wrote on X.
“Austria, the Holy See, Switzerland, Turkiye, and three Gulf states. These are serious proposals and President Zelenskyy is ready for such a meeting at any point of time.”
Donald Trump says he will speak with Vladimir Putin “very shortly”.
“We’ve taken very strong action, as you know, and in other ways,” he says.
“We’ve taken very strong action. But I’ll be speaking to him over the next few days, and we’re going to see with him. I’m going to know exactly what’s happened.”
Trump says he believes “we’re going to have a good solution” to the war in Ukraine.
He adds: “War is a very interesting thing. You never know with war. War is complex and dangerous and what a mess. What a bloody mess.
“It’s going to get done one way or the other. But they have to stop killing all of these souls.”
Donald Trump has just been speaking in the Oval Office alongside Polish President Karol Nawrocki.
Asked about the military parade in Beijing, Trump says he thought it was a “beautiful ceremony” and “very, very impressive”.
“But I understood the reason they were doing it,” he added. “And they were hoping I was watching. And I was watching.
“My relationship with all of them is very good. We’re going to find out how good it is over the next week or two.”
Asked if he was upset that he was not invited to the parade, Trump said: “I’ve not even thought about it until just now. It wouldn’t have been my place to be there.”
Trump teases further Russia action
A Polish reporter asks Trump why there has been “no US action” against Russia since he took office, which Trump refutes, citing US sanctions on India over its continued purchase of Russian oil.
“You call that no action? And I haven’t done phase two yet. Or phase three,” he says.
When later asked if he has a message to send Vladimir Putin, Trump says he does not, as the Russian “knows where I stand”.
“He’ll make a decision one way or the other. Whatever his decision is, we’ll either be happy about it or unhappy. And if we’re unhappy about it, you’ll see things happen.”
Several European leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will call Donald Trump tomorrow afternoon after a summit to discuss security guarantees, the French presidency said.
Some 30 leaders will take stock “of the progress of discussions on security guarantees for Ukraine,” according to a concept note seen by Reuters sent to attendees.
Security guarantees, the note adds, are a “necessary prerequisite for any future peace agreement”.
Zelenskyy is expected to arrive in Paris this evening ahead of the talks, having spent today in Denmark with leaders of the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been in Denmark today for talks with leaders of the Nordic and Baltic countries.
It comes ahead of the Ukrainian’s trip to Paris this evening, where he’ll meet with Emmanuel Macron before joining coalition of the willing talks tomorrow.
Earlier this morning, a joint statement from the Nordic-Baltic Eight (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden) reaffirmed the group’s “unwavering support” to Ukraine and promised to “step up military support”.
Denmark also announced that a Ukrainian weapons manufacturer will begin production of fuel for long-range missiles in the country, marking the first expansion abroad by a Ukrainian defence company.
Speaking in Copenhagen this afternoon, Zelenskyy said he had a “substantive discussion” about Ukraine’s defence and security guarantees with the Nordic-Baltic Eight leaders.
He said those talks included “investments in weapons production” and “strengthening the capabilities of both ourselves and our partners”.
“We also discussed security guarantees. We are developing a framework. And thank you that among the “eight” there is a willingness to support in all dimensions: on land, at sea, in the air, and in cyberspace.”
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