Russia explodes at the UK ahead of Ukraine peace talks as WW3 fears soar

Russia has accused Britain of seeking to sabotage Donald Trump’s bid for a peace settlement in Ukraine. This comes amid claims that Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to make territorial concessions to end the war despite his strong rhetoric to the contrary.

Ahead of Friday’s in Alaska, the Kremlin hit back out at Britain after No 10 warned Putin cannot be trusted “as far as you could throw him”. There are concerns that Ukraine’s fate could be decided without the presence of Kyiv or any NATO members from Europe, and that a ceasefire should precede any peace deal, a move Moscow opposes.

“We note the incessant attempts by London and some of its partners to disrupt a peaceful resolution of the conflict [that can be reached] by addressing its root causes,” said Putin’s embassy in London.

“This is clearly demonstrated by the statements and activities of the British leadership in the run-up to the Russian-American summit in Alaska. Such a policy once again confirms the opportunistic approach of the European capitals, which are counting on continuing to use Ukraine as an anti-Russian battering ram.”

Putin is “open to settling the Ukrainian conflict through political and diplomatic means… We are talking about a lasting and long-term peace, which can only be achieved by eradicating the root causes of the crisis.”

Zelensky has warned that Putin has no intention of seeking peace.

“The Russians simply want to buy time, not end the war,” he said. “The situation on the battlefield and Russia’s wicked strikes on civilian infrastructure and ordinary people prove this clearly.”

He claimed Putin was seeking to fool Trump.

The Russian despot “is definitely not preparing for a ceasefire or an end to the war,” he said, citing Ukrainian intelligence.

“Putin is determined only to present a meeting with America as his personal victory and then continue acting exactly as before.”

He was “redeploying their troops and forces in ways that suggest preparations for new offensive operations.

“If someone is preparing for peace, this is not what he does.”

Russia today claimed it had broken through Ukraine’s “main line of defence” north of the strategic city of Pokrovsk.

But there are signals Zelensky is ready to accept Russia's de facto control over land it has invaded with a freeze on the frontline, giving Putin control but not sovereignty over Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Crimea.

But Trump said he hoped to get back some land for Ukraine, including on its invaded coastline.

“Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine; they occupied prime territory,” said Trump. “We are going to try to get some of that territory back for Ukraine.”

Russia overnight hit a Ukrainian army training unit, killing one and wounding 11.

Another dozen servicemen suffered acoustic trauma and acute stress.

Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence today claimed that in Monday’s strikes, it hit the “only Russian facility producing helium for rockets” in Orenburg, 750 miles behind the frontline.

Early today, footage from the Stavropol region showed two military-linked plants targeted by long-range Ukrainian drones.

Monocrystal is one of the world's leading producers of synthetic corundum-sapphire, which was ablaze.

This is used for optical systems in Russian military devices.

Neptune plant - making control systems for marine vessels - was also targeted.

A giant paint plant in Yaroslavl, Russia, which makes special coatings for the corrosion protection of military equipment, was engulfed in flames amid suspicions of a sabotage attack.

A pensioner, 68, was wounded after Putin’s forces launched aerial bombs at the Zaporizhzhia region.