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Ukrainian leader says trilateral peace talks to end war can be held in Turkey or Switzerland
Bryony Gooch & Stuti MishraWednesday 04 March 2026 04:30 GMT- Bookmark
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A Russian-flagged LNG tanker caught fire in the Mediterranean on Monday, maritime sources told Reuters.The vessel, identified as the Arctic Metagaz, was said to be ablaze early on Monday near Malta or the Libyan coast. Images circulating on social media showed flames rising from the ship but there was no immediate word on crew casualties.
Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russia's military failed to achieve aims it set out last year and would have difficulty fulfilling advances that Moscow hoped to achieve.
Addressing journalists in Kyiv, the Ukrainian president said Moscow's plans of seizing all of eastern Ukraine and areas further south remained unchanged.
Russian president Vladimir Putin’s forces want the occupation of the east of Ukraine, specifically the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Zelensky said, but added that Kyiv “does not see that they have the capability to accomplish the tasks” for the moment.
The assessment from Kyiv comes at a time when the planned trilateral peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, brokered by the US, are in peril due to the escalating conflict in the Gulf region.
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Key Points
- Sanctioned Russian LNG tanker reported on fire in Mediterranean
- Putin's troops will have difficulty fulfilling planned advances, says Zelensky
- Russian army sees slowest advance since 2024 after Starlink snapped
- ‘I’m not the best father’: Zelensky shares personal impact of war
- Kyiv sees EU membership as key to Ukraine's future
Merz says he urged Trump to increase pressure on Putin
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking after a meeting with Donald Trump yesterday, said he had urged the president to put pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine.
"Russia is playing for time here, and in doing so is also acting against the will of the American president. In today's talks, I called for increasing the pressure on Moscow," he told reporters.
The United States, Russia and Ukraine are taking part in trilateral talks aimed at securing a peace deal. Mr Merz though said only a pact supported by Europe could be lasting.
"We are not prepared to accept an agreement that is negotiated over our heads," he said.
Stuti Mishra4 March 2026 04:30Watch: Trump says he is 'working very hard to end the slaughter' in Ukraine
Trump says he is 'working very hard to end the slaughter' in UkraineStuti Mishra4 March 2026 04:03Sanctioned Russian LNG tanker reported on fire in Mediterranean
A Russian-flagged liquefied natural gas tanker linked to Moscow’s “shadow fleet” has reportedly caught fire in the Mediterranean Sea, according to maritime sources cited by Reuters.
The vessel, identified as the Arctic Metagaz, was said to be ablaze early on Monday. Some reports placed the incident near Malta, while others suggested the fire may have started closer to the Libyan coast.
Images circulating on social media appeared to show flames coming from the ship, though there was no immediate information about the condition of the crew.
One maritime source told Reuters the blaze could have been caused by a Ukrainian naval drone attack, but the cause has not been confirmed. Ukraine’s military has not commented.
The tanker is believed to be part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet – ships with opaque ownership structures used to transport Russian energy exports despite Western sanctions.
Stuti Mishra4 March 2026 03:30Russia keen to break Ukraine peace talks deadlock
Kremlin says Russia remains open to peace talks despite impasse
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated Russia's commitment to the discussions, stating its approach was unchangedBryony Gooch4 March 2026 03:00Analysis: The two ways to overcome the Ukraine-Russia stalemate
Mark Webber, Professor of International Politics, University of Birmingham
For me, the biggest surprise so far has been the resilience and adaptability of the Ukrainian war effort. Most observers, myself included, assumed in 2022 that the Ukrainians would buckle under the Russian onslaught.
Nato-led training programmes have undoubtedly been important for Ukrainian defenders. But seemingly more vital has been the determination provided by national identity. Putin’s 2022 claims that Ukraine had been committing genocide against Russian speakers and that its government was a neo-Nazi dictatorship were both spurious and counterproductive.
I too believe Russia’s war methods in Ukraine were grimly predictable. Waves of infantry assaults designed to overwhelm defences through sheer volume have been a recurring strategy in previous Russian military campaigns in Chechnya, Georgia and Syria.
But this strategy has resulted in a stalemate in Ukraine with the frontlines effectively frozen. There are two things that could alter this. The first is a change of approach by China, which has effectively subsidised Russia’s war effort through technology transfers and energy purchases.
Beijing could cut off some of the technology it provides Russia and exert pressure on Moscow to encourage flexibility in the peace negotiations. But, at present, it has no interest in abandoning Russia. Their alliance is a way of balancing the US and Nato in the global competition for influence.
The second possible agent of change is a massive armament effort on behalf of Ukraine. This would require Germany, France and Britain to boost already significant arms provisions and to allow their use in a manner that is not constrained by fears of escalation.
However, this scenario also seems unlikely. These three countries lack the domestic political imperative to back Ukraine to victory. And the US, which was overly cautious even under the presidency of Joe Biden, has now left the field of battle.
Bryony Gooch4 March 2026 02:00In pictures: Zelensky gives press conference in Kyiv
(AFP/Getty)Bryony Gooch4 March 2026 01:00Watch: Zelensky calls Ukrainian air defence skills 'irreplaceable' amid Europe’s growing role in Iran conflict
Zelensky calls Ukrainian air defence skills 'irreplaceable' amid Europe’s growing role in Iran conflictBryony Gooch4 March 2026 00:00Oman and Russia have calls to discuss situation around Iran
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov held a phone call on Tuesday with his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi to discuss the situation around Iran, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The ministers urged the earliest possible halt to hostilities and a return to political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis. Both sides said they were ready, including at the United Nations, to support peaceful, compromise solutions based on international law.
Bryony Gooch3 March 2026 23:00Russia bans a prominent LGBTQ+ rights group as extremist in a new blow to the beleaguered community
A court in Russia on Tuesday designated a prominent LGBTQ+ rights group as an extremist organization, the latest blow to the country's beleaguered community that has faced an intensified crackdown in recent years under president Vladimir Putin.
In a hearing that took place behind closed doors, the St. Petersburg City Court banned the Coming Out group as "extremist." The authorities did not reveal any details of the lawsuit filed last month by Russia's Justice Ministry and classified as secret.
The group, which now operates from abroad, said it will continue to help LGBTQ+ people in Russia and beyond, and fight for their rights despite the ruling.
"We have been preparing for this development for a long time. We enhanced security, developed sustainable work formats and continue to act responsibly, first and foremost for those who count on us," Coming Out said in an online statement.
"Today it is especially important not to give into fear and not to be alone. Our community is stronger than any labels, and history has proven that."
Coming Out is the first LGBTQ+ rights group to be designated since the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that effectively banned any LGBTQ+ activism.
Russia's LGBTQ+ community has been under legal and public pressure for over a decade, but especially since the Kremlin invaded Ukraine four years ago. Putin has argued that the war in Ukraine is a proxy battle with the West, which he says aims to destroy Russia and its "traditional family values" by pushing for LGBTQ+ rights.
Bryony Gooch3 March 2026 22:00Five injured in huge Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian port
Five injured in huge Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian port city
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