As world leaders converge on Turkey for this week's Nato summit, a critical juncture looms large: US President Donald Trump is set to meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an effort to reignite faltering peace talks over the 'frozen' battlefield of Ukraine. The conflict, which has left thousands dead and countless more displaced, remains a pressing concern for Britain's own security and economic interests, with UK trade ties to Europe and NATO's collective defence commitments hanging in the balance.
Beyond discussions on Ukraine, Trump is also expected to press Nato allies – including the UK – to increase their defence spending, a long-standing demand from the US leader that will be delivered in person during the summit. The planned meeting with Zelenskyy follows a recent lengthy telephone conversation between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, during which the US President reportedly offered to assist in finding a solution to the war, according to a Kremlin aide. Zelenskyy himself confirmed a "very good" conversation with Trump, which included detailed discussions about the 1,200km frontline.
The diplomatic push comes as hostilities continue on the ground. Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, was subjected to a fresh Russian missile attack early on Monday, with Mayor Vitali Klitschko reporting that a residential building in the historic Podil district had been hit, and concerns raised about residents trapped on the seventh to ninth floors. Drone debris also fell in other parts of the city. This attack follows intelligence warnings from Zelenskyy on Sunday about a potential large-scale Russian strike – just days after a prior assault on Kyiv killed at least 27 people and injured dozens, described by Klitschko as the worst attack on the city since the war began.
Meanwhile, the city of Sevastopol, located on the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula, experienced a power outage on Monday after what Moscow-appointed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev described as a Ukrainian attack on energy infrastructure. Earlier on Sunday, Moscow-installed officials also reported one fatality and two injuries, one serious, from a Ukrainian attack in northern Crimea – highlighting the persistent and widespread nature of the conflict that continues to impact civilian populations and critical infrastructure across the region.
Frontline fighting remains intense, with Zelenskyy confirming on Sunday that Ukrainian and Russian forces are still locked in battle for the key strategic eastern town of Kostyantynivka, despite earlier claims from the Kremlin of its capture. "Putin has already claimed as his own," Zelenskyy asserted in his daily address, "but it is obvious he will never dare to appear there." Russia's defence ministry further alleged that Ukraine had refused to halt shelling of Kostiantynivka to allow for the handover of control – a claim denied by Ukrainian officials.