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Ukraine’s president is lobbying Trump to provide the missiles to help in the war against Russia
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Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Vladimir Putin is “afraid” of Donald Trump supplying Kyiv with potentially game-changing Tomahawk missiles, despite the US President refusing to offer a firm commitment during a meeting at the White House.
The Ukrainian leader was in Washington DC for a high-stakes meeting to strengthen US support for Kyiv, eight months after he was hounded out at a disastrous Oval Office summit in February.
In an interview with NBC News’s Meet the Press, Zelensky said he believed that Putin was fearful of the consequences of Ukraine having Tomahawks.
“It’s good that President Trump didn’t say ‘no’, but for today, didn’t say ‘yes’,” he said about the supply of the missiles. “I think that Putin [is] afraid that United States will deliver us Tomahawks. And I think that he [is] really afraid that we will use them.”
Trump welcomed Zelensky on Friday and praised his “strength”, but remained guarded on the issue of giving Ukraine Tomahawk cruise missiles as it could lead to “a bigger escalation” in the war.
Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, in the first weeks of Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
It is not currently generating electricity but relies on external power to keep the nuclear material cool and prevent a serious accident.
However, repair works have now begun on damaged off-site power lines after a four-week outage.
Ukraine cannot win its war with Russia and should negotiate peace terms with the Kremlin, according to Britain’s most senior army officer.
Field Marshal Lord Richards said Kyiv will not be able to drive Vladimir Putin’s soldiers out of Ukraine without the help of Nato forces – who won’t get involved on the ground.
Lord Richards, who was promoted to UK military’s most senior “five star” rank earlier this year and led Nato forces in during its troops surge in Afghanistan, said Ukraine’s allies have failed Kyiv.
“What we have done in the case of Ukraine is encourage Ukraine to fight, but not given them the means to win,’ the former chief of the defence staff told The Independent’s podcast World of Trouble.
Reflecting on the Ukraine’s chances of success against Russia, he said: “My view is that they would not win.”
You can read our full exclusive story below.
The Russian Defence Ministry claims that its forces had taken control of three more villages in eastern Ukraine.
According to the Russian ministry, Moscow’s troops took control of Pryvillia in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where Moscow’s forces have established a foothold in recent weeks.
Also captured were the villages of Pishchane, near the virtually destroyed town of Kupiansk that Russia sees as a target in its drive westward, and Tykhe, just inside the border with Russia.
The Ukrainian military noted fighting around at least two of the settlements, but made no acknowledgement that any of them had changed hands.
Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Vladimir Putin is “afraid” of Donald Trump supplying Kyiv with potentially game-changing Tomahawk missiles, despite the US President refusing to offer a firm commitment during a meeting at the White House.
In an interview with NBC News’s Meet the Press, Zelensky said he believed that Putin was fearful of the consequences of Ukraine having Tomahawks.
“It’s good that President Trump didn’t say ‘no’, but for today, didn’t say ‘yes’,” he said about the supply of the missiles. “I think that Putin [is] afraid that United States will deliver us Tomahawks. And I think that he [is] really afraid that we will use them.”
Putin sneaked in a call to the White House before Zelensky arrived in the US, turning Trump back to his side after the president drifted towards democracy. Our world affairs editor Sam Kiley in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, explains how.
Russia’s Defence Ministry has claimed that its forces have captured the village of Pleshchiivka in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.
The Independent could not independently confirm the battlefield report.
Repair work has started on damaged off-site power lines to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant following a four-week outage, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog has said.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said work began after local ceasefire zones were established.
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