Zelensky to meet European allies after Trump criticism

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky is due to meet with European allies in London today, after President Donald Trump accused him of not reading the US proposal to end the war with Russia.

It comes after days of talks between Ukrainian and US officials in Miami ended on Saturday with no apparent breakthrough, with Mr Zelensky committing to further negotiations.

The Ukrainian president will be received in London by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, along with the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French president Emmanuel Macron to discuss the negotiations.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is meanwhile expected in Washington, where she will meet her US counterpart Marco Rubio.

"The UK and US will reaffirm their commitment to reaching a peace deal in Ukraine," the Foreign Office in London said, announcing Ms Cooper's visit.

Russia has meanwhile continued to strike its neighbour, wounding at least nine people overnight, according to Ukrainian officials.

'Disappointed'

Mr Zelensky said he joined his negotiators for a "very substantive and constructive" call with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during the Miami negotiations.

"Ukraine is committed to continuing to work honestly with the American side to bring about real peace," Mr Zelensky said on Telegram, adding that the parties agreed "on the next steps and the format of the talks with America".

But Mr Trump criticised his Ukrainian counterpart, telling reporters "I have to say that I'm a little bit disappointed that President Zelensky hasn't yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago".

Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner had met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin last week, with Moscow rejecting parts of the US proposal.

French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the talks has slammed what he called Russia's "escalatory path".

"We will continue these efforts with the Americans to provide Ukraine with security guarantees, without which no robust and lasting peace will be possible," Mr Macron wrote on X.

He added: "We must continue to exert pressure on Russia to compel it to choose peace."

Hot and cold

The initial US plan to bring an end to the almost four-year war involved Ukraine surrendering land that Russia has not been able to win on the battlefield in return for security promises that fall short of Kyiv's aspirations to join NATO.

However, the nature of the security guarantees that Ukraine could get has so far been shrouded in uncertainty, beyond an initial plan saying that jets to defend Kyiv could be based in Poland.

Latest on the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Mr Trump has blown hot and cold on Ukraine since returning to office in January, initially embracing Mr Putin and chastising the Ukrainian president for not being grateful for US support.

But he has also grown frustrated that his efforts to persuade Mr Putin to end the war, including a summit in Alaska, have failed to produce results and he recently slapped sanctions on Russian oil firms.