Live. War in Ukraine: The 30 European leaders of the coalition will meet this afternoon via videoconference.

The meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin should take place in Europe, according to French President Emmanuel Macron, who is advocating for it to be held in Geneva. "More than a hypothesis, it's even the collective will," Emmanuel Macron declared in an interview broadcast on LCI. "It will be a neutral country, and therefore perhaps Switzerland, I'm advocating for Geneva, or another country. The last time there were bilateral discussions was in Istanbul," he recalled.

Russia claims the entirety of Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, which it occupies only 70% of. Donbass is at the center of Vladimir Putin's expansionist ambitions, as he seeks to restore the historical unity of the Russian-speaking population.

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Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, reiterated her opposition to the possibility of NATO troops being deployed to Ukraine as a possible security guarantee. "Any scenario involving a NATO military contingent in Ukraine is unacceptable and could lead to an uncontrolled escalation of the conflict," she said.

"A massive attack on Poltava Oblast" took place on the night of Monday to Tuesday, the region's military administrator reported. While no casualties were reported, administrative buildings were hit.

In Kremenchuk, "dozens of explosions rang out, targeting energy and transport infrastructure ," says Vitali Maletsky, the city's mayor, said this was proof that "Putin doesn't want peace; he wants to destroy Ukraine."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday that Ukraine should not be forced to make territorial concessions as part of a possible peace agreement with Russia. "The Russian demand that Kiev give up the free parts of Donbass corresponds, frankly, to a proposal that the United States give up Florida," he told reporters.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he had "very good discussions" with Donald Trump, particularly on the security guarantees that the United States has promised to provide as part of a peace agreement in Ukraine, the outlines of which are still very vague.

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Emmanuel Macron stated on Monday that one of the security guarantees that must accompany any peace agreement with Russia will be a "robust" Ukrainian army, "one that can resist any attempted attack and deter it, and therefore no limitations in numbers, capacity, or armament."

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Monday that his Russian counterpart was "untrustworthy." "Putin is rarely trustworthy. So it remains to be seen whether he has the courage to come to this kind of meeting. Does he have the courage to come to a trilateral meeting, or is he once again trying to buy time?" Stubb told the Finnish press.

Emmanuel Macron said Monday that the issue of Ukraine's possible territorial concessions was not addressed during the White House talks. "We didn't talk about this topic at all today," the French president told reporters. "And for two reasons. First, the priority is security guarantees, and second, we said, 'This is what needs to be discussed bilaterally and trilaterally.'"

kyiv's Western allies will formalize security guarantees for Ukraine "within 10 days" to prevent any further Russian attacks on the country in the event of a peace agreement with Moscow, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Washington on Monday.

"There will be more and more details, as everything will be written down and made official (...)," he said after Monday's negotiations. The American president had earlier stated that these guarantees "would be provided by European countries, in coordination with the United States."

Emmanuel Macron called on Monday for "increasing sanctions" against Russia if negotiations on Ukraine fail after the meeting at the White House. "If this process is rejected, we also all agree that sanctions will have to be increased and, in any case, a stance that puts more pressure on the Russian side," the French president told reporters in Washington.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Washington on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed, during a telephone conversation with his US counterpart Donald Trump, to meet with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky within the next two weeks.

Donald Trump said Monday that he had "begun preparations" for a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, after speaking with the two leaders earlier in the day.

"After this meeting, we will organize a trilateral meeting, bringing together the two presidents and myself," the American president added on his Truth Social platform, specifying that the first summit between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin would take place "at a location to be determined."