Britain said on Monday that several proposals had been made for a truce in fighting between Ukraine and Russia, after France floated a plan for a one-month pause leading to peace talks, but US President Donald Trump suggested his patience was running out.
The US was drawing up a plan to potentially give Russia sanctions relief as Trump seeks to restore ties with Moscow and stop the war in Ukraine, a US official and another person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Ukraine had to engage in “substantive” diplomacy to bring to a rapid end the three-year-old war with Russia, and he hoped to be able to rely on US support in securing peace.
Trump threatens to lose patience as Europeans float truce proposals
Britain said on Monday that several proposals had been made for a truce in fighting between Ukraine and Russia, after France floated a plan for a one-month pause leading to peace talks, but US President Donald Trump suggested his patience was running out.
European countries, led by Britain and France, are rallying around Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and trying to hatch a peace plan that includes Kyiv after last week’s Oval Office rupture between Zelensky and Trump.
“There are clearly a number of options on the table,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson.
France, Britain and potentially other European countries have offered to send troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire — something Moscow has already rejected — but say they would want support from the US, or a “backstop”.
Trump has reversed US policy by opening talks with Moscow over the head of Ukraine and without consulting its other Western allies. On Friday, he publicly harangued Zelensky to fall in line or see the US cut off crucial military aid.
On Monday, the US president responded angrily to an AP report quoting Zelensky as saying the end of the war was “very, very far away”.
“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the US”.
Zelensky says a ceasefire must carry explicit security guarantees from the West to ensure that Russia, which invaded Ukraine three years ago and holds about 20% of its land, does not attack again. Trump has refused to give any such guarantees.
Starmer hosted European leaders in London on Sunday and said they had agreed to draw up a peace plan to present to the US
In an interview on his way to the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron raised the possibility of a one-month truce, though there was no immediate public endorsement from other allies.
“Such a truce on air, sea and energy infrastructure would allow us to determine whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is acting in good faith when he commits to a truce,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
“And that’s when real peace negotiations could start.”
European ground troops would only be deployed to Ukraine in a second phase, Macron said in the interview, published in Le Figaro.
Zelensky, asked if he was aware of that proposal, told reporters in London: “I’m aware of everything.”
European leaders are processing what some describe as Washington’s biggest policy reversal since World War Two, after Zelensky left the White House abruptly on Friday following a dressing-down in front of cameras by Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Zelensky had been in Washington to sign a deal to give the US access to Ukrainian minerals, but left without signing it.
White House national security adviser Mike Waltz told Fox News that Zelensky must apologise.
“What we need to hear from President Zelensky is that he has regret for what happened, he’s ready to sign this minerals deal and that he’s ready to engage in peace talks,” he said.
“I don’t think that’s too much to ask. We’ll see what happens in the next 48 hours, but we are certainly looking to move forward in a positive way.”
Friedrich Merz, the conservative due to become Germany’s chancellor after winning the largest share of the vote in an election a week ago, suggested Friday’s Oval Office argument, in which Zelensky was pressed to commit publicly to a diplomatic solution, had been a pre-planned trap.
“It was not a spontaneous reaction to interventions by Zelensky, but obviously a manufactured escalation,” said Merz.
“We must now show that we are in a position to act independently in Europe.”
Privately, and sometimes publicly, European officials are fuming at what they see as a betrayal of Ukraine, which had enjoyed staunch support from Washington since Russia’s invasion.
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said there had been “two victims” from the Oval Office clash: Ukraine’s security and Europe’s eight-decade alliance with the United States.
In the French parliament, he thanked Zelensky for standing firm. He spoke of “a staggering scene, marked by brutality, a desire for humiliation, whose aim was to force Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to surrender by threat”.
But Europeans are also still working to keep the US onside. Peter Mandelson, Britain’s ambassador to the US, said Ukrainian-US relations needed to be reset, as Trump’s initiative to end the war was “the only show in town”.
Trump spoke by phone with Putin last month and then announced negotiations to end the war would begin quickly, blindsiding both Zelensky and his other Western allies, including the European Union and Britain.
European leaders now agree they must spend more on defence to show Trump the continent can protect itself. The EU will hold an emergency summit on Thursday.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she would inform member states on Tuesday about plans to strengthen the European defence industry and the EU’s military capabilities:
“We need a massive surge in defence, without any question. We want lasting peace, but lasting peace can only be built on strength, and strength begins with strengthening ourselves.”
Russia has not concealed its delight, praising Trump for changing US policy and denouncing Zelensky for challenging him.
“We see that the collective West has partially begun to lose its collectivity, and a fragmentation of the collective West has begun,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
White House seeks plan for possible Russia sanctions relief
The US was drawing up a plan to potentially give Russia sanctions relief as Trump seeks to restore ties with Moscow and stop the war in Ukraine, a US official and another person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The White House has asked the State and Treasury departments to draft a list of sanctions that could be eased for US officials to discuss with Russian representatives in the coming days as part of the administration’s broad talks with Moscow on improving diplomatic and economic relations, said the sources.
The sanctions offices were now drawing up a proposal for lifting sanctions on select entities and individuals, including some Russian oligarchs, according to the sources.
So-called options papers are often drafted by officials working on sanctions, but the White House’s specific request for one in recent days underscores Trump and his advisers’ willingness to ease Russian sanctions as part of a potential deal with Moscow.
It was not immediately clear what Washington could specifically seek in return for any sanctions relief.
Ukraine needs ‘substantive’ diplomacy to end war, says Zelensky
Zelensky said on Monday that Ukraine had to engage in “substantive” diplomacy to bring to a rapid end the three-year-old war with Russia, and he hoped to be able to rely on US support in securing peace.
“It is very important that we try to make our diplomacy really substantive to end this war the soonest possible,” wrote Zelensky on X.
“We are working together with America and our European partners and very much hope for US support on the path to peace. Peace is needed as soon as possible.”
Rubio, Czech counterpart discuss Ukraine after Trump-Zelensky clash
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed Russia’s war in Ukraine with Czech foreign minister Jan Lipavsky on Monday as Washington and Europe seek to regroup following Trump’s clash with Zelensky last week.
The two officials discussed US-Czech relations “including our support of peace and stability, increasing defense spending for Nato, and buying US technology to help meet Czechia’s energy needs”, said US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
Rubio also “emphasised President Trump’s determination to bring a durable end to the Russia-Ukraine war”, she added.
Lipavsky, in a post on X, said separately that working with the US on a just and lasting peace for Ukraine remained a priority for the Czech government.
“We discussed mutually beneficial transatlantic cooperation including Europe significantly stepping up its burden sharing,” he said.
Russia adds Japan’s foreign minister and eight others to entry ban
Russia has permanently banned nine Japanese citizens from entering the country, according to a list published by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday.
The ministry said that the decision was made in response to Japan’s sanctions against Russia related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The list includes Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwai, the president and representative director of carmaker Isuzu, Shinsuke Minami, and Shohei Hara, senior vice president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
In late July 2024 Russia took similar measures against another 13 Japanese nationals, including the chairman of another carmaker, Toyota Motor. Tokyo has protested against that decision.
Entry bans for foreigners are a common measure employed by Moscow in retaliation for sanctions or other opposition against Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.
Similar lists exist for several countries, including the US and Canada and include hundreds of people.
Ukraine probes negligence after Russian strike on military training camp
Ukraine acknowledged on Monday that a Russian missile strike on a military training ground at the weekend had inflicted deaths and injuries and said a criminal investigation was under way into possible negligence.
Russia’s defence ministry shared a video of what it described as an Iskander-M ballistic missile strike on a camp in Dnipropetrovsk region on Saturday, saying it inflicted heavy casualties.
It did not provide evidence and Reuters could not independently verify the incident.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s army chief, said via Telegram that Russia had struck with cluster munitions but did not disclose casualty details.
Ukraine’s law enforcement agency, the State Bureau of Investigations, said it had opened a criminal investigation into possible negligence over the attack, without giving details of what wrongdoing might have taken place.
“We are witnessing untimely decisions and unlearned lessons,” said Ukraine’s land forces commander Mykhailo Drapatyi on Telegram, adding that those responsible would be found. “No one will hide behind explanations or formal reports.”
Kremlin says someone needs to force Zelensky to make peace
The Kremlin said on Monday that someone would have to force Zelensky to make peace and that the Ukrainian leader’s public clash with Trump had shown just how hard it would be to find a way to end the war.
“What happened at the White House on Friday, of course, demonstrated how difficult it will be to reach a settlement trajectory around Ukraine,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. “The Kyiv regime and Zelensky do not want peace. They want the war to continue.
“It is very important that someone forces Zelensky himself to change his position. Someone has to make Zelensky want peace. If the Europeans can do it, they should be honoured and praised.” DM