The Russian invasion

Negotiations
Trump's secret demands on Ukraine created panic in Kyiv

US President Donald Trump's demands on Ukraine have created concern and panic in Kyiv, reports The Telegraph, which has seen a draft of the agreement dated February 7.

The draft shows that the US demands on Ukraine are significantly more extensive than control over the country's critical minerals as previously discussed. The demands also include oil and gas resources, ports and other infrastructure - and are so extensive that they mean almost total control over Ukraine's resource economy, the newspaper writes.

The terms of the agreement are described as more onerous than the war reparations imposed on Germany after World War I.

The information comes at the same time as Russia and the US meet in Saudi Arabia for talks on Ukraine - without Ukraine being invited.

Kremlin: Putin ready to talk to Zelensky “if necessary”

Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to talk to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “if necessary”, the Kremlin said after the US-Russia meeting in Saudi Arabia.

– But the legal basis for the agreements needs to be discussed, given that Zelensky’s legitimacy can be questioned, says Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

At the same time, the Kremlin says that Ukraine has the “right” to join the EU, but not NATO because it concerns security issues and military alliances.

– Here we have a different position that is well known.

Russia has repeatedly claimed that Zelensky is not a legitimate president because his mandate expired in May 2024 and the country has not been able to hold elections due to the war.

The world's response
Analysis: Three men who have the same view of authority

How did the talks about the future of Ukraine and Europe end in Saudi Arabia? It's not really that strange, writes CNN's Mostafa Salem. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has a good relationship with both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump – and today's meeting between the US and Russia is just another step in the kingdom's ambition to take on the position of global peacemaker, writes Salem.

Mohammed bin Salman is not really particularly interested in the sovereignty of countries, writes DN's Emma Bouvin. However, he is very keen that authoritarian countries should be allowed to govern as they wish, a view he shares with both Putin and Trump.

"Now that Joe Biden has been replaced by Donald Trump, the three men can form a trio that divides the world between them in a way that is – for them – advantageous."

The choice of meeting place is perhaps mainly about Trump's plans to broker a peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, writes Jesper Sundén in SvD. The president's idea of ​​making Gaza the new Riviera has not been immediately applauded by the Arab countries, but the aim may actually be to get the countries to come up with their own proposal for Gaza – under Saudi leadership, writes Sundén.

"Then it could be good to strengthen Saudi Arabia's role as someone who can resolve difficult disputes."

EU chief: "Want to work with the US for peace in Ukraine"

Europe wants to work with Washington to achieve peace in Ukraine – and is ready to do more to arm Ukraine. This is what European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told US envoy Keith Kellogg, according to AFP.

"We want to work with the US to deliver a just and lasting peace in Ukraine," she writes on X after meeting Kellogg in Brussels.