Russia open to foreign investment, says Kremlin
Russia is open to foreign investment, the Kremlin said on Thursday, following reports that Donald Trumps’ Ukraine peace plan included major proposals to invest in Russia rare earths and energy.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the plans were detailed in appendices to peace proposals handed to European counterparts over recent weeks.
They include a plan to restore Russian energy flows to Europe and for U.S. financial firms and other businesses to tap $200 billion of frozen Russian sovereign assets for projects in Ukraine, the paper said.
Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, was interested in foreign investment. When asked about the US frozen asset proposals reported by the Journal, Peskov declined comment.
Alex Croft11 December 2025 21:00
Coalition of the Willing leaders meet to discuss progress on mobilising frozen Russian sovereign assets
Leaders of the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ group of nations discussed progress on mobilising frozen Russian sovereign assets during a virtual meeting on Thursday, British prime minister Keir Starmer’s office said.
The call came a day after Britain, France and Germany spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump about Washington’s latest push for a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.
Kyiv has pushed back against a US backed plan proposed last month that would require major concessions to Moscow, while European powers are working on security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a potential accord.
The leaders agreed on Thursday that the U.S.-led peace plan was a “pivotal moment” for Ukraine.
Bryony Gooch11 December 2025 20:30
Russian forces seize village in Kkharkiv region, Moscow claims
Russian forces took control of the village of Lyman in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region, state news agencies cited the Defence Ministry as saying on Thursday.
The Independent could not independently verify the battlefield reports.
Moscow’s forces have continued advancing forwards on the Ukrainian frontline, as US mediators work to hash out a deal between the two countries.
Alex Croft11 December 2025 20:01
Elections in Ukraine would require ceasefire, says Zelensky
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that holding elections in Ukraine during wartime would require a ceasefire.
“There must be a ceasefire – at least or the duration of the election process and voting. This is what needs to be discussed. Frankly speaking, here in Ukraine, we believe that America should talk to the Russian side about this,” he told a meeting of the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ group of nations.
Wartime elections are forbidden by law but Zelensky, whose term expired last year, is facing renewed pressure from president Donald Trump to hold a vote.
Bryony Gooch11 December 2025 19:30
Ukraine drones hit Russian oil rig for first time – SBU
Ukrainian drones hit a Russian oil rig in the Caspian sea for the first time, a source in Ukraine’s SBU security service said according to Reuters.
The drones struck the Filanovsky oil rig, which belongs to Russian oil major Lukoil. At least four strikes were recorded on the target.
The strikes halted the facility’s extraction of oil and gas, the source said.
Lukoil did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Alex Croft11 December 2025 19:00
Russia claims it’s taken full control of Ukraine town Siversk, Kyiv officials deny this
President Vladimir Putin thanked the Russian army on Thursday after commanders told him that their forces had taken full control of the town of Siversk in eastern Ukraine, but Ukraine’s military said it remained in control there.
Reuters could not verify the battlefield claim around Siversk, a longstanding target in Russia’s slow drive to capture all of Donetsk region.
Commanders told Putin that the capture of Siversk, a town with a pre-war population of over 10,000 people, was a stepping stone towards taking Sloviansk, one of the two biggest cities in Donetsk still under Ukrainian control.
They told Putin that Ukraine had tried to defend Siversk, which Russians call Seversk, with various trenches and fortifications, and that the Russian army had defeated it by choking off its logistics routes, outflanking its troops and carrying out targeted assaults.
Bryony Gooch11 December 2025 18:46
White House: Trump will send official to Europe talks on Ukraine if real chance for peace
President Donald Trump will send a representative to talks in Europe on Ukraine this weekend there is a real chance of signing a peace agreement, the White House said on Thursday.
“The president is extremely frustrated with both sides of this war, and he is sick of meetings just for the sake of meeting,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
Bryony Gooch11 December 2025 18:45
In pictures: the Coalition of the Willing meet on video call over Ukraine
(via Reuters)(via Reuters)
Bryony Gooch11 December 2025 18:33
Bulletin | Trump says ‘strong words’ exchanged during call with European leaders
Read everything you need to know about Donald Trump’s latest comments in just five bullet points with The Independent’s Bulletin…
Alex Croft11 December 2025 18:26
Zelensky holds ‘constructive and in-depth discussion’ with US delegation on peace talks
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Kyiv’s team have had a “constructive and in-depth discussion” with the US delegation.
The call included Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Generals Keane and Grynkewich, and Josh Gruenbaum from the US side.
He also thanked Nato secretary general Mark Rutte.
“We greatly value the active engagement of the American side at all levels – not only in working to end the war, but also in ensuring Ukraine’s security and preventing a new Russian invasion.
“This reflects the seriousness of America’s intentions and its clear focus on achieving outcomes. Security guarantees are among the most critical elements for all subsequent steps. We have already got the negative experience of the Budapest Memorandum.”
He continued: “Everyone remembers this, as well as the occasions when Russia repeatedly violated all its other commitments. That is why it is essential that this document on security guarantees provides concrete answers to what concerns Ukrainians the most: what actions partners will take if Russia decides to launch its aggression again.
“It was agreed that the teams will work actively to ensure that, in the near future, there will be a clear understanding of the security guarantees. I thank everyone who is helping!”
Bryony Gooch11 December 2025 18:07
