Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin says he is ready to meet Zelensky if he comes to Moscow

NATO chief Mark Rutte said on Wednesday that he expects clarity at tomorrow’s Paris meeting or soon afterward on what the “coalition of the willing” can deliver in terms of security guarantees for Ukraine.

He made the remarks during a joint press conference with Estonian President Alar Karis.

Putin said on Wednesday that Trump had a sense of humour for suggesting that the Russian leader had conspired with his Chinese and North Korean counterparts against the United States.

Putin said that all countries with which Moscow held talks in China supported the Russia-US summit in Alaska and had expressed hopes that the talks could help end the war in Ukraine.

It comes after Trump said he was “very disappointed” with Putin, and suggested in a post on Truth Social that Xi, Putin and Kim were conspiring against the United States.

Asked whether there is a chance that the war will end soon, Putin said there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

“If common sense is there, then it is possible to agree an acceptable way of ending this conflict,” he said a press conference in Beijing.

“The current administration of the United States… has the will and desire to find this solution. I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Putin has said he is ready to meet Zelensky if the meeting is “well prepared” and if the Ukrainian leader travels to Moscow.

“I’ve never refused to do that,” he said. “And by the way, Donald asked me if it was possible and said it was possible. I said, let him come to Moscow.”

It comes as Putin and his North Korean counterpart were the guests of honour, flanked by Xi, at a massive military parade in Beijing.

Russia’s Putin has said “documents were signed” by all participants without providing further details.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing after attending a major military parade, the Russian leader said his visit had been positive and useful.

US President Donald Trump is set to welcome Polish President Karol Nawrocki back to the White House today, with their meeting likely to focus on Ukraine and energy security.

Trump invited Mr Nawrocki after backing the conservative nationalist at a crucial moment of the Polish elections.

The president previously hosted him at the White House in May.

“Coalition of the willing” countries taking part in a hybrid call on support for Ukraine in Paris on Thursday are considering inviting US President Donald Trump, a German government spokesperson said.

“I can’t pre-empt anything but there are deliberations to dial in the US president,” the spokesperson said during a press briefing in Berlin.

An International Monetary Fund mission has started work in Ukraine as Kyiv seeks funds to cover a gaping hole in its wartime budget next year.

Kyiv’s spending on the army is continuing to rise as Russia’s war in Ukraine drags on, and the financing gap is growing.

“Our focus: budget 2026, fiscal forecast, structural reforms. We align the next steps of cooperation, taking into account the needs of the state budget for the coming years,” Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said in a post on X.

The government is yet to unveil its draft budget for next year. This year’s budget deficit is planned at about $38 billion.

A Ukrainian weapons manufacturer will begin production of fuel for long-range missiles in Denmark, the Danish government said on Wednesday, marking the first expansion abroad by a Ukrainian defence company.

The Ukrainian company is Fire Point, maker of the Flamingo missiles, which President Volodymyr Zelensky has described as his country’s most successful weapon.

In June, Zelensky said Ukraine was in talks on joint weapons production with Denmark, Norway, Germany, Canada, Britain, and Lithuania.

The fuel production will be located near Denmark’s Skydstrup air force base, home to the Nordic country’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets.