Ukraine's president urges US to expand sanctions on Russia to force it to peace talks

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged nan United States to grow sanctions connected Russian lipid from 2 companies to nan full assemblage connected Friday, and appealed for long-range missiles to deed backmost astatine Russia.

Zelenskyy was successful London for talks pinch 2 twelve European leaders who person pledged subject support to shield his state from early Russian aggression if a ceasefire stops nan much than three-year war.

The meeting, hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, aimed to measurement up unit connected Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding momentum to caller measures that person included a caller information of sanctions from nan European Union and United States connected Russia’s captious lipid and state export earnings.

The talks besides addressed ways of helping protect Ukraine's powerfulness grid from Russia’s almost regular drone and rocket attacks arsenic wintertime approaches, enhancing Ukrainian aerial defences and supplying Kyiv pinch longer-range missiles that tin onslaught heavy wrong Russia.

Zelenskyy has urged nan US to nonstop Tomahawk missiles, an thought US President Donald Trump has flirted pinch but truthful acold refused to do.

The Ukrainian leader said Trump's determination this week to enforce lipid sanctions was "a large step," and said "we person to use unit not only to Rosneft and Lukoil, but to each Russian lipid companies."

"Besides, we are carrying retired our ain run of unit pinch drones and missiles specifically targeting nan Russian lipid sector," he said astatine a news convention astatine nan Foreign Office successful London.

Putin has truthful acold resisted efforts to push him into negotiating a bid colony pinch Zelenskyy and has based on that nan motives for Russia’s all-out penetration of its smaller neighbour are legitimate.

Russia has besides been adept astatine uncovering loopholes to circumvent nan effects of Western sanctions.

And nan Russian leader's refusal to participate into meaningful bid talks pinch Kyiv has exasperated Western leaders.

"He's rejected nan opportunity for talks erstwhile again, alternatively making ludicrous demands for Ukrainian land, which he could not and has not taken by force," Starmer said astatine a news convention alongside Zelenskyy and respective different European leaders.

"Of course, that is simply a complete non-starter."

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Putin's goals stay unchanged but he "is moving retired of money, troops and ideas."

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof besides attended Friday's gathering of nan "Coalition of nan Willing" successful person. About 20 different leaders joined by video link.

Building a 'reassurance force'

Ukraine's Western friends request to resoluteness immoderate large questions astir nan early portion they will play arsenic Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II heads toward its 4th anniversary.

The uncertainties see really they tin thief money war-ravaged Ukraine, what postwar information guarantees they mightiness beryllium capable to supply and what Washington’s commitments to early information arrangements mightiness look like.

Details of nan imaginable early "reassurance force" are scant and nan London gathering aimed to further create nan idea, moreover though immoderate bid statement appears astatine nan infinitesimal to beryllium only a distant possibility.

The unit is apt to dwell of aerial and naval support alternatively than Western troops deployed successful Ukraine, according to officials.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey says it would beryllium "a unit to thief unafraid nan skies, unafraid nan seas, a unit to thief train Ukrainian forces to take sides their nation."

The warfare has shown nary motion of subsiding, arsenic a front-line warfare of attrition kills thousands of soldiers connected some sides while drone and rocket barrages origin harm successful rear areas.

Russia says it has captured Ukrainian villages

Meanwhile, nan Russian Defence Ministry claimed connected Friday that complete nan past week its forces person captured 10 Ukrainian villages.

The mini conquests are portion of Russia's slow but dependable slog to envelop nan remaining Ukrainian strongholds successful nan Donetsk region from some nan northbound and nan southbound and create footholds for pressing further westbound into nan Dnipropetrovsk region.

The Defence Ministry besides said its forces downed 111 Ukrainian drones complete respective regions overnight, pinch debris causing harm to homes and infrastructure.

One drone deed an flat building successful Krasnogorsk connected Moscow's northwestern edge, injuring 5 people, including a child, according to Andrei Vorobyov, nan politician of nan Moscow region.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that aerial defences downed 3 drones heading to nan city, which forced flights to beryllium suspended astatine 2 Moscow airports.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities said Russian artillery struck a residential artifact successful nan southeastern metropolis of Kherson connected Friday, sidesplitting 2 group and injuring 22 others, including a 16-year-old.

Russian planes besides dropped astatine slightest 5 powerful glide bombs connected nan northeastern metropolis of Kharkiv, injuring six group and damaging homes, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

And for nan first time, Russia fired glide bombs connected Ukraine’s confederate Odesa region Friday, according to Oleh Kiper, caput of nan Odesa Regional Military Administration, calling it "a new, superior threat" successful nan area.

Glide bombs are importantly cheaper than missiles and transportation a heavier payload.

Ukraine’s obstruction company, Ukrzaliznytsia, announced train delays and way changes successful 3 regions caused by "massive shelling" that damaged infrastructure, which Russian forces person targeted successful caller months.