Ukraine plans new talks with US after intelligence sharing ends

Ukraine plans new talks with US after intelligence sharing ends

Amidst increased speculation about Russia-Ukraine peace talks, Russia has continued drone attacks on its neighbour

Ukraine said on Wednesday it planned to hold new talks with the United States after Washington suspended its intelligence sharing, delivering a fresh blow to Kyiv as it battles Russia's invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been scrambling to contain the fallout from his explosive meeting with Donald Trump last week, in which the US leader berated him in front of international media and kicked him out of the White House.

"Today, Ukrainian and American teams began working on an upcoming meeting. We're seeing forward momentum," Zelensky said in a late-Wednesday address, without saying when or where new talks would take place.

Zelensky also said he would join EU leaders for a Brussels summit on Thursday.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said European military forces could be sent to Ukraine if a peace deal is signed to ensure that Russia does not invade its neighbour again.

The United States said earlier on Wednesday it had "paused" intelligence sharing with Ukraine, two days after announcing it was also suspending military aid.

The moves have cemented fears in Kyiv and Europe that Ukraine could be forced to accept a peace settlement on terms favourable to Moscow or risk losing US support entirely.

"We all want a safe future for our people. Not a temporary ceasefire, but an end to the war once and for all. With our coordinated efforts and US leadership, this is entirely achievable," Zelensky wrote Wednesday on social media following a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

A day earlier, he said he was "ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer", and that he wanted to "make things right" with Trump. 

- 'Generally positive' -

In an address to US Congress on Tuesday, Trump read aloud from a letter he said he had received from Zelensky in which the Ukrainian leader said he was ready for peace talks.

Trump has made ending the war one of his top foreign policy priorities, though has yet to outline his plan for a deal both sides could endorse.

Zelensky wants security guarantees from the United States to deter Russia from invading again in the future.

Moscow, meanwhile, has refused to rule out giving up any of the land it has captured in its three-year military campaign, and has been buoyed by the suspension of US military aid.

The Kremlin welcomed news of the Ukrainian leader's letter to Trump.

"This approach is generally positive," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in answer to a question from AFP.

However, the Kremlin has repeatedly thrown doubt on whether it would hold talks with Zelensky.

On Wednesday, Peskov cited a decree passed by Zelensky that rules out direct negotiations with Putin.

The Ukrainian president has since said on multiple occasions he would be willing to meet Putin -- but only after Kyiv and its Western allies agree on a common negotiating position.

Moscow has also accused Zelensky of not being a legitimate leader, citing the expiration of his five-year mandate following his 2019 election as president.

Under Ukrainian martial law, elections are banned during wartime. Zelensky's key European backers have supported the suspension of any vote amid Russia's full-scale offensive.

Trump has falsely claimed the Ukrainian leader is widely unpopular at home and called on him to hold elections.

- Intelligence pause -

Outgoing German Chancellor Scholz on Wednesday gave his backing to Zelensky's calls for a truce in the sky and at sea as a first step towards ending the fighting.

"The Chancellor welcomed the Ukrainian president's willingness to start negotiations as soon as possible. Both agreed on the importance of the American president's leadership," Scholz's office said in a statement.

Macron is mulling a joint visit to Washington alongside Zelensky and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to present a united European front to Trump, the French government said Wednesday.

Macron, in a televised address, said European troops could be deployed to Ukraine once a peace treaty is signed. 

"They won't go to fight today, they won't go to fight on the front line, but they would be there once a peace deal is signed, to guarantee it is fully respected," he said.

Macron added that chiefs of staff of European militaries would meet in Paris next week to discuss how to support Ukraine after a peace deal.

Trump is pushing for Europe to do more for Ukraine's defence.

CIA director John Ratcliffe said on Wednesday the United States had "paused" intelligence sharing with Ukraine after the dramatic breakdown in relations between Kyiv and the White House.

The Ukrainian presidency declined to comment.

On the battlefield, Russia's forces said they had captured another small village in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.

The gains come as AFP analysis of US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) data showed Moscow's advance had slowed in February after a series of accelerating territorial gains throughout the winter.

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Originally published as Ukraine plans new talks with US after intelligence sharing ends