European leaders and military brass meet over Ukraine peace plans / Photo: Tetiana DZHAFAROVA, Brendan Smialowski, YURI KOCHETKOV - AFP/File
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European leaders and military brass meet over Ukraine peace plans
Senior military figures and European leaders gathered Thursday to thrash out plans for long-term peace in Ukraine, as the United States and Russia prepared for fresh talks on ending the war.
Around 30 military leaders from countries keen to help police any lasting ceasefire in Ukraine were to meet north of London, while on the other side of the Channel, EU leaders headed to Brussels.
The flurry of European activity comes with lingering concern about the United States' commitment to backing security on the continent, and fears of future Russian aggression against Baltic and Nordic countries.
Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia's Vladimir Putin both held talks with their US counterpart Donald Trump this week, and have indicated they are prepared to halt attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days.
But there has since been no let-up in strikes in the grinding three-year war, and both countries reported a barrage of new drone strikes overnight, as questions remained about the exact details of any lasting peace deal.
Trump, who has spooked European and NATO allies by his overtures to Putin and lukewarm commitment to European security, suggested on Wednesday night the United States could take over and run Ukraine's power plants.
Putin, for his part, has made an end to further Western military support for Ukraine a red line for Russia agreeing to a long-term truce.
Zelensky, who is on a visit to Norway and is due to address EU leaders in Brussels, has said that will make Ukraine vulnerable to further attack and warned against making concessions that would embolden Moscow.
- Air defences -
In the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to address the closed-door meeting of military leaders at the Permanent Joint Headquarters north of London.
Starmer has spearheaded efforts with French President Emmanuel Macron to form a so-called "coalition of the willing" to police any truce in Ukraine, and both say they are willing to put their own troops on the ground.
Russia has said it will not accept the presence of any NATO troops foreign soldiers in Ukraine but Washington has not yet indicated whether it would be willing to provide a security backstop.
Despite Trump going cold on support for Ukraine, the United States is looking at acquiring additional air defence systems for Kyiv to counter Russia's ballistic missiles.
"This is extremely important," said the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas, who is pushing member states to meet a Ukrainian request for two million shells worth five billion euros ($5.4 billion).
According to a White House readout, Zelensky on Wednesday asked Trump for help in obtaining US-made "Patriot missile systems" to bolster its current stock provided by the United States, Germany and Romania.
At the Kremlin, spokesman Dmitry Peskov questioned whether Europe, where governments are looking at steep increases in domestic defence spending, was committed to ending the fighting.
"For the most part, the signals from Brussels and European capitals concern plans to militarise Europe," he said.
- Talks -
UK armed forces minister Luke Pollard said Washington and Kyiv were "closer than ever" despite Zelensky's public dressing down in the Oval Office last month and concerns about Trump's intentions for Ukraine.
"Now the ball is really in Russia's court here. They're the ones that aren't seeking an immediate ceasefire," he told Sky News.
Peskov said the next talks between Russia and the United States could take place on Sunday or early next week, as Washington is also due to hold talks with Kyiv in Saudi Arabia in the coming days.
In the meantime, attacks continue by both sides.
Ukraine's air force said Thursday that Russia launched 171 drones over its territory overnight, with two people were killed in the northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv regions and several others wounded.
A drone attack in the town of Kropyvnytsky, far from the front line, wounded 10, including four children.
"With each such launch, the Russians expose to the world their true attitude towards peace," Zelensky wrote on social media.
Russia meanwhile said its air defence units had shot down 132 Ukrainian drones in several regions across the country.
Two people were wounded in the southwestern city of Engels and schools and a hospital were damaged, it added.
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