Kremlin: Europe is hindering Trump’s peace efforts on Ukraine

The Russian army had sped up its rate of advance in Ukraine and was taking control of 600-700 square km a month. Above, damaged buildings in Kyiv. (AFP)
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Updated 31 August 2025
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Kremlin: Europe is hindering Trump’s peace efforts on Ukraine

  • European powers say that they do not believe Vladimir Putin wants peace in Ukraine

MOSCOW: The Kremlin said that European powers were hindering US President Donald Trump’s efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine and that Russia would continue its operation in Ukraine until Moscow saw real signs that Kyiv was ready for peace.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media reporters that the “European party of war” was continuing to hinder US and Russian efforts on Ukraine.
“We are ready to resolve the problem by political and diplomatic means,” Peskov said. “But so far we do not see reciprocity from Kyiv in this. So we shall continue the special military operation.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops to invade Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of fighting in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops.
The United States says over 1.2 million people have been killed and injured in the war since 2022. Russia currently controls a little under one fifth of Ukraine.
European powers say that they do not believe Putin wants peace in Ukraine. Putin has repeatedly said he is ready to discuss peace but that Russia will not give up any of the land that it has taken in Ukraine.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said on Friday that the Russian army had sped up its rate of advance in Ukraine and was taking control of 600-700 square km (502 square miles) a month compared to 300-400 square km at the start of the year.


Trump tells Britain he does not need its help to win Iran war

Updated 6 sec ago
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Trump tells Britain he does not need its help to win Iran war

  • Rejects deployment of UK aircraft carriers to help the US and Israel in their war with Iran
  • Trump was reacting to reports that the UK was preparing the Prince of Wales aircraft carrier for possible deployment

Trump was reacting to reports that the UK was preparing the Prince of Wales aircraft carrier for possible deployment

DOVER, US: President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Britain is giving “serious thought” to ​sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East, but added that the US does not need them to win the war with Iran, in the latest clash between the military allies.

“The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle ⁠East,” 

Trump said. "That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer,” Trump posted to his Truth Social account.
“But we will remember,” he said. “We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!“

Trump posted the message shortly after attending the return of the first six US service members killed in the Middle East war, at Dover Airforce Base in the northeastern state of Delaware.

British media reports say the Royal Navy is preparing the HMS Prince Wales, an aircraft carrier currently at Portsmouth in southern England, for possible deployment to the Middle East, but no final decision had been made.

Trump has said he is “not happy with the UK,” mocking Starmer by saying “this is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”

The social ‌media post comes after the British Ministry of Defense said on Saturday it was preparing the Prince of Wales aircraft carrier for possible deployment.

But no final decision has ‌been taken about whether to deploy the aircraft carrier to the Middle East, a ⁠British ⁠official said.

Starmer has defended his decision not to allow US forces to use British bases to support initial strikes on Iran, saying he needed to be satisfied that any military action was legal and well planned.

He later granted US forces permission to use British bases for what he called defensive strikes against Iranian missiles in storage depots or launchers.

Starmer earlier this year criticized Trump’s desire to buy Greenland and ​said his comments ​that European troops avoided frontline combat in the war in Afghanistan were “frankly appalling.”