Putin says captured Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk will be treated as ‘terrorists’
Russia’s chief of general staff, Valery Gerasimov, said his forces had captured about 430 Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region, state news agency Tass reports.
Gerasimov, in a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin at a command post in Kursk, said:
The Ukrainian military, seeing futility of further resistance, started surrendering. Four hundred and thirty fighters were captured.
Putin said the captured fighters should be “treated as terrorists, in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation,” Agence-France-Presse reports.
Putin’s comments suggest the captured soldiers could face trials in Russian courts and be jailed for decades.
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Key events
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Opening summary
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Here are some images released by the Kremlin showing Vladimir Putin visiting an armed forces’ command centre in Russia’s Kursk region.
Vladimir Putin visits the army command centre in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in the Kursk region, Russia. Photograph: Kremlin.ru/ReutersRussian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov in the Kursk region, Russia. Photograph: Kremlin.ru/ReutersShare
Ukraine to keep fighting in Kursk ‘as long as necessary’, says army commander
Ukraine’s top army commander Oleksandr Syrsky said his troops will continue to fight in Russia’s Kursk region “as long as appropriate and necessary”.
In a statement on Wednesday, Syrsky said:
In the most difficult situation, my priority has been and remains saving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers. To this end, the units of the defence forces, if necessary, manoeuvre to more favourable positions.
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Donald Trump has suggested he could target Russia financially if it refused a ceasefire deal with Ukraine.
Trump said he had got “positive messages” regarding the ceasefire, but “a positive message means nothing”. US envoys were currently en route to Russia, he added.
He did not directly promise to target Russia with sanctions if Russian president Vladimir Putin does not sign the deal, but said he could “do things financially that would be very bad for Russia”.
“I don’t want to do that, because I want to get peace,” he added.
Trump says US wants peace but could do ‘devastating’ things to Russia financially – videoShare
Putin says captured Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk will be treated as ‘terrorists’
Russia’s chief of general staff, Valery Gerasimov, said his forces had captured about 430 Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region, state news agency Tass reports.
Gerasimov, in a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin at a command post in Kursk, said:
The Ukrainian military, seeing futility of further resistance, started surrendering. Four hundred and thirty fighters were captured.
Putin said the captured fighters should be “treated as terrorists, in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation,” Agence-France-Presse reports.
Putin’s comments suggest the captured soldiers could face trials in Russian courts and be jailed for decades.
Share
Putin visits Kursk for first time since Ukrainian incursion
Russian president Vladimir Putin visited troops involved in the counteroffensive in the Kursk region on Wednesday, according to state media.
Putin’s visit to the western Russian region was his first since Ukrainian forces seized some territory in the region.
In televised remarks reported by Agence-France-Presse, Putin said:
I am counting on the fact that all the combat tasks facing our units will fulfilled, and the territory of the Kursk region will soon be completely liberated from the enemy.
Russian state news agency Tass reported that Putin held a meeting at a command post used by Russian forces, where he received an update from Valery Gerasimov, chief of general staff.
SharePatrick Wintour
Russia is attempting to push the UK embassy in Moscow towards closing and has no regard for the escalatory impact of such a move, the Foreign Office has said.
The UK expelled a Russian diplomat and their spouse on Wednesday in a tit-for-tat response to the expulsion of two British diplomats for alleged espionage, a claim UK officials strenuously deny. In a strongly worded statement, the Foreign Office said:
During the past 12 months, Russia has pursued an increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats, pumping out malicious and completely baseless accusations about their work.
“It is clear that the Russian state is actively seeking to drive the British embassy in Moscow towards closure and has no regard for the dangerous escalatory impact of this,” it added.
A senior Foreign Office official summoned the Russian ambassador, Andrey Kelin, and told him that the UK would not stand for the intimidation of British embassy staff and their families.
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White House confirms Trump envoy to visit Moscow this week
The White House has confirmed that the US national security adviser, Mike Waltz, spoke to his Russian counterpart today.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also said that US envoy Steve Witkoff is going to Moscow this week for talks on a Ukraine ceasefire.
“Mr Witkoff is travelling to Moscow later this week,” Leavitt said, after Donald Trump said US negotiators were “going to Russia right now”.
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‘Putin, over to you’: UK’s Healey calls on Russian leader to accept ceasefire
Britain’s defence secretary John Healey has called on Russian president Vladimir Putin to “accept the ceasefire, start negotiations and end the war.”
Healey, at a joint press conference with his French, German, Italian and Polish counterparts in Paris, said:
I say to President Putin, over to you now. You say you want to talk. Prove it. Accept the ceasefire, start negotiations and end the war.
“Make no mistake, the pressure is now on Putin,” he added.
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The defence ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK have been speaking at a news conference following a meeting in Paris on support for Ukraine.
France’s Sébastien Lecornu said about 15 countries had expressed interest in discussing a new security architecture for Ukraine.
Germany’s Boris Pistorius said Europe needs a much more unified approach regarding the procurement of military equipment.
“We don’t have that time, it’s superfluous and costly,” Pistorius said.
eFrom left, Defense ministers Sebastien Lecornu, of France, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, of Poland, Boris Pistorius, of Germany, Italy Guido Crosetto of Italy in Paris, Wednesday. Photograph: Aurélien Morissard/APShareShaun Walker
As journalists filtered out of the presidential administration in central Kyiv on Wednesday afternoon after a 30-minute press conference with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the general consensus was that he had not said anything that would immediately make for a dramatic headline.
That, it seems, was the point. Eager to show the White House that Ukraine is onboard for negotiations and not an obstacle to Donald Trump’s desire to bring peace, Zelenskyy seems to be trying to erase the memories of the nightmare meeting in the White House two weeks ago.
Then, he rose to the bait of the US vice-president, JD Vance, and ended up in an argument with him and Trump. Now, the Ukrainian president is making a concerted effort to retain an air of diplomatic zen.
For three years of war, Zelenskyy’s natural ability to communicate – through the media and his nightly videos – and his personal charm when in the room with other world leaders, has largely been an asset. In the White House, though, it became very clear that when dealing with Trump and his entourage, a change of strategy was required.
Read the full analysis: Cautious Zelenskyy keeps cards close to his chest after Ukraine ceasefire proposal
Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave little away during a briefing on Wednesday. Photograph: Efrem Lukatsky/APShare
Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk, at the joint news conference with Turkey’s leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said he hoped Ankara would play an important role in promoting peace in Ukraine. Tusk said:
I made a clear proposal to President Erdoğan: that Turkey assumes the greatest possible responsibility in the peace process, in ensuring stability and security throughout our region.
He added that it was “very important that Nato and European countries simultaneously and effectively guarantee the stability… of the Russian-Ukraine border” after any truce was signed.
“Turkey’s role could be crucial in this respect,” he added.
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Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has described the news that Ukraine accepted a 30-day ceasefire with Russia as “positive and important”, adding that he hopes Moscow will respond “constructively”.
Erdoğan, at a joint news conference with visiting Polish prime minister Donald Tusk, said:
Turkey’s attitude towards this war has been very clear since the first day. We do not want any more bloodshed and we hope that our two neighbours end the war by a just peace.
He reiterated Turkey’s proposal to host any peace talks “if the latest developments bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table”.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (R) in Ankara, Turkey. Photograph: Leszek Szymański/EPAShareJakub Krupa
And on that note, it’s all from me, Jakub Krupa in London, and it’s over to Leonie Chao-Fong in Washington who will guide you through the evening, including the upcoming press conference of E5 defence ministers in Paris.
Stay with us for more updates on Europe Live.
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Trump says EU targets Apple, recalls asking Merkel how many Chevrolets are in Munich in swipe at bloc’s trade rules
Lisa O’Carroll
in Dublin
Donald Trump also accused the EU of treating Apple badly over last year’s lawsuit over €14bn ($16bn) back taxes due in Ireland.
Ireland fought and lost the case at the European court of justice last year and is now considering what to do with the windfall.
“Apple has been treated very badly. Apple had tremendously bad luck. I thought they had a very good lawsuit but they lost $16bn… See that is unfair,” he said in his Oval Office meeting with the Irish premier Micheál Martin.
Turning to Martin, Trump said: “I’m not blaming you. I’m blaming the European Union. The European Union’s gone after our companies,” he added before launching a broadside against the bloc.
“We have a problem with the European Union. They don’t take our farm products. They don’t take our cars. We take millions of cars, BMWs and Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagens and everything. We take millions of cars,” he said.
Referring to the former German chancellor Angela Merkel, he added:
I said to Angela Merkel at the time, I said, Angela, how many Chevrolets do we have in the middle of Munich? … None [she said] … You’re right. We have none. That’s the way it is. We have none. No, I’m not happy with the European Union.
“We have the greatest farmers in the world. They don’t accept our farm products, so you know things are going to change,” he said.
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US ‘could do things very bad’ to Russia financially but wants peace, Trump says
During his meeting with Irish prime minister, Donald Trump was repeatedly asked about the progress on Ukraine, as he played up the prospect of a ceasefire and his role in stopping the war.
He said that the US has “people going to Russia right now, as we speak,” as he said “hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia.”
The US president stressed the scale of devastation and killing as a result of Russian invasion of Ukraine, explaining why the war needs to be stopped.
Pressed further on what the US could do to pressure Russia into the ceasefire, he said he hoped “it is not going to be necessary” as he criticised previous presidents for their record of dealing with Moscow. “What I did to Russia was very tough, the toughest ever,” he said, explaining his criticism of the Nord Stream pipeline.
“They never took anything from me. They took them from Obama and Bush, and they took from sleepy Joe Biden. With Biden, they wanted to take the whole country, but I think I’ve stopped that, but we’ll see,” he said.
But Trump said that if needed, “there are things you can do that wouldn’t be pleasant in a financial sense,” and would be “very bad for Russia.”
“We could do things very bad for Russia. Would be devastating for Russia. But I don’t want to do that because I want to see peace,” he said.
Irish taoiseach Micheál Martin meets US president Donald Trump in Washington DC. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersShare
Updated at 13.18 EDT
‘I think the Irish love Trump,’ US president says
Lisa O’Carroll
in Dublin
Donald Trump has seesawed on Ireland in the space of half an hour.
He started off his meeting with taoiseach Micheál Martin claiming Ireland has stolen US pharmaceutical companies and tax.
But within half an hour he was love-bombing Martin.
I think the Irish love Trump. We won the Irish with a tremendous amount of vote I want to thank you very much.
“I’ve been there many times, as you know, and we don’t want to do anything to hurt Ireland,” he said adding that maybe if he “drained” Ireland of all the pharmaceutical companies he would lose the Irish vote.
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Irish companies create thousands of jobs, Martin tells Trump in response
Lisa O’Carroll
in Dublin
Irish taoiseach Micheál Martin visits Washington Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Micheál Martin has tried to redress Donald Trump’s claims that Ireland has stolen US business and tax in a lively meeting in the Oval Office in which the US president repeatedly took aim at Ireland and the high presence of American pharmaceutical companies.
He told Trump that Irish firms Ryanair and Aercap, the world’s biggest aircraft leasing company, are the biggest purchasers of Boeing aircraft.
“It is a little known fact. It doesn’t turn up on different statistics,” he said adding about 700 Irish companies based in the US create “thousands of jobs” for Americans.
Trump told Martin: “I’m not upset with you. I think I respect what you’ve done.”
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Trump accuses Ireland of stealing US pharma industry
Lisa O’Carroll
in Dublin
US president Donald Trump reacts during a meeting with Irish taoiseach Micheál Martin, with US vice-president JD Vance sitting near them, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington DC. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Donald Trump has accused Ireland of stealing its pharmaceutical industry and the taxes they should have paid in the US in a meeting with the Irish taoiseach Micheál Martin.
“The Irish are smart, yes, smart people. And you took our pharmaceutical companies and other companies. … proper taxation, and they made it very, very good for companies,” he said.
“And this, this beautiful island of its island of 5 million people, it’s got the entire US pharmaceutical industry,” he said.
Trump’s broadside dashes hopes of a superficial love in at the Oval House to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
Ireland’s trade surplus with the US is largely driven by pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, Boston Scientific and Lilly all manufacturing in the Ireland.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office he was “going to take back” the country’s rightful “wealth”.
He said he would have said “fine” to pharmaceutical companies that wanted to set up in Ireland decades ago, but he would have made it unviable.
“When the pharmaceutical company started to go to Ireland, I would have said that’s OK. If you want to go to Ireland, I think it’s great, but if you want to sell anything into the United States, I’m going to put a 200% tariff on you so you’re never going to be able to sell anything into the United States.”
Trump has also said the “EU was set up in order to take advantage of the US” during his meeting in the Oval Office.
He said Ireland was no exception.
Asked if Ireland was also taking advantage by an Irish reporter, he replied:
Of course, they are… I have great respect for Ireland or what they did, and they should have done just what they did, but the United States shouldn’t have let it happen.
We had stupid leaders.
American pharmaceutical companies manufacturing packaged medication in Ireland and selling back to the US pay taxes on profits in Ireland, not the US, something that has enraged Trump and his commerce secretary Howard Lutnick.
Ireland sells about €72bn worth of goods a year to the US.
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Updated at 12.20 EDT
