Russia-Ukraine news latest: Zelensky rules out Putin talks as Moscow praises Musk tweets

The UK intends to extend the deployment of an air defence system in Poland, British defence minister Ben Wallace has revealed.

During his visit to the southern Polish city of Zamosc, Mr Wallace told reporters:

“I am pleased to announce that we will extend the current posting of our medium air defence… for another period to make sure that as Poland helps continue that logistical support to Ukraine it is safe in doing so.”

Russia’s retreat from a key Ukrainian city over the weekend elicited outcry from an unlikely crowd – state-run media outlets that typically cast Moscow’s war in glowing terms.

A series of embarrassing military losses in recent weeks has presented a growing challenge for prominent hosts of Russian news and political talk shows scrambling to find ways to paint Ukraine‘s gains in a way that is still favorable to the Kremlin.

Frustration with the battlefield setbacks has long been expressed in social media blogs run by nationalist pundits and pro-Kremlin analysts. But it now appears to be spilling out on state TV broadcasts and the pages of government-backed newspapers.

Will President Vladimir Putin pull the nuclear trigger?

For Kremlin watchers trying to figure out whether the Russian leader’s nuclear threats are just bluffs, there is no more pressing — or tough — question.

For now, analysts cautiously suggest that the risk of Putin using the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal still seems low. The CIA says it hasn’t seen signs of an imminent Russian nuclear attack.

The Kremlin has praised Tesla boss Elon Musk for suggesting a possible peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.

In a Twitter poll posted on Monday, the Tesla boss suggested Ukraine permanently cede Crimea to Russia, that new referendums be held under UN auspices to determine the fate of Russian-controlled territory, and that Ukraine agree to neutrality.

That drew a furious response from Ukraine, with one diplomat even telling Musk to “f*** off”.

The European Union summoned Russia’s envoy to the bloc to condemn and reject Moscow’s “illegal annexation” of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, the bloc’s diplomatic service said on Tuesday.

Russia declared the annexations on Friday after holding what it called referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine. Western governments and Kyiv said the votes breached international law and were coercive and non-representative.

The EU said it urged Moscow to reverse its “unlawful act” and unconditionally withdraw all its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine during Monday’s meeting with Russia’s charge d’affaires, Kirill Logvinov.

“The EU does not, and will never, recognise this illegal annexation by Russia,” the bloc said in a statement. “These decisions by Russia are null and void and cannot produce any legal effect whatsoever.”

A heartwarming video of a disabled Ukranian soldier proposing to his girlfriend has gone viral on social media.

Roman Dobryak proposed to his partner, Julia Matushchak, this summer amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.

Dobryak sustained an injury to one of his legs from shelling during an attack by Russian troops in May. Sharing an update to Instagram at the time, he said his leg “could not be saved” and was amputated from the knee down.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a decree formally declaring that any talks between Kyiv and President Vladimir Putin were “impossible.”

The decree formalised comments made by Mr Zelenskiy at the end of last week.

Speaking on Friday, he said said: “He [Putin] does not know what dignity and honesty are. Therefore, we are ready for a dialogue with Russia, but with another president of Russia.”

Mr Zelenskiy did however leave the door open to talks with Russia.

President Vladimir Putin will “likely” sign laws to incorporate four Ukrainian territories into Russia at some point on Tuesday, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Peskov said that its “special military operation” in Ukraine will not end if Kyiv rules out talks, adding that it “takes two sides to negotiate”.

He said: “We will either wait for the current president to change his position or wait for the next president to change his position in the interests of the Ukrainian people.”

This month is the sixth since the first Ukrainians were resettled in Britain through the government’s “Homes for Ukraine” scheme.

Many people across the country were keen to help those fleeing violence and generously opened their homes.

I was proud that in Sheffield alone, 500 Ukrainian refugee households were matched with hosts. The scheme has certainly been successful in highlighting the widespread desire in this country to help those escaping a warzone.

A crowdfunding campaign in the Czech Republic successfully raised nearly $1.3m to gift a modernised Soviet-era tank called “Tomas” to Ukraine.

Backed by the country’s defence ministry and Ukraine’s embassy in Prague, the campaign received donations from more than 11,288 individuals.

The T-72 avenger tank, which first entered production in 1969, has been modernised to improve protective systems and has upgraded night-vision and communications equipment.