Ukraine war latest: War in Ukraine could end 'within weeks,' Putin open to peacekeepers, Trump claims

Key developments on Feb. 24:

• War in Ukraine could end 'within weeks,' Putin open to peacekeepers, Trump claims
• UN adopts Ukraine's resolution condemning Russia's invasion — US, Russia, Belarus vote against
• European leaders arrive in Kyiv on 3rd anniversary of full-scale war
• Around 165,000 Russian troops killed in Ukraine, media reports
• Ukrainian drones reportedly strike Russian refinery in Ryazan Oblast for 3rd time in 2025
• Moscow open to ceasefire only when talks yield results that 'suit Russia,' Lavrov says
• Zelensky sent Trump list of all 'ceasefires' violated by Russia

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 24 that Russia's war against Ukraine could end "within weeks" and claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin would allow European peacekeepers to be stationed in Ukraine as part of a potential agreement.

"I think we could end it within weeks. If we're smart. If we're not smart, it'll keep going, and we'll keep losing young, beautiful people that shouldn't be dying," he said, speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House.

Trump claimed the U.S. supported sending European troops to monitor a ceasefire and that he had discussed the proposal with Putin, who "would accept it."

When asked whether Ukraine should be willing to cede territory to Russia as part of a negotiated settlement, Trump responded, "We'll see," noting that talks are still in the early stages.

Macron said Europe is prepared to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, including peacekeepers, in case of a ceasefire.

American and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18 without Ukrainian or European participation, with a follow-up meeting scheduled for Feb. 25.

Macron has recently rallied European counterparts to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to visit Washington later this week to meet with Trump.

The U.K. is reportedly preparing to propose a plan to deploy 30,000 European peacekeepers to Ukraine as a post-ceasefire security guarantee. Macron has also led calls for a European-led mission to ensure stability in Ukraine.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants Europe to take over responsibility for funding and overseeing Ukraine's security.

His administration has also pressured Kyiv to sign a minerals deal with the U.S., which President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized for offering no security guarantees in return.

UN adopts Ukraine's resolution condemning Russia's invasion — US, Russia, Belarus vote against

The UN General Assembly approved a Ukrainian resolution on Feb. 24 condemning Russia's full-scale invasion, with 93 countries voting in favor and 18 against.

The U.S., Israel, Hungary, Russia, and Belarus have voted against the resolution.

The resolution, drafted by Kyiv and supported by all EU states except Hungary, reaffirms Ukraine's territorial integrity. It explicitly names Russia as the aggressor.

On the same day, the General Assembly passed a separate U.S. resolution marking the third anniversary of the invasion. That resolution also received 93 votes in favor but avoided directly calling Russia the aggressor. Ukraine abstained from voting on the U.S. version.

According to Suspilne, Washington sent letters to UN member states urging them to support its resolution. The move aligns with recent U.S. efforts to soften language on Russia in international statements.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz both declined to explicitly name Russia as the aggressor in Fox News interviews. Hegseth referred to the war as "a very complicated situation" when asked if Russia attacked Ukraine unprovoked.

U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia while adopting increasingly hostile rhetoric toward Kyiv.

He recently called President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" and falsely claimed Ukraine started the war — before later conceding that "Russia attacked, but they shouldn’t have let him attack."

The shift in U.S. language extends beyond the UN. The Financial Times reported that the U.S. opposed referring to Russia as the aggressor in a G7 statement commemorating the invasion's anniversary.

European leaders arrive in Kyiv on 3rd anniversary of full-scale war

European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on Feb. 24 on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

European leaders and other partners are arriving in Kyiv for a summit to discuss the country's strategy for possible negotiations and security guarantees. The meeting is taking place amid uncertainty about the U.S.'s continued commitment to Ukraine's and Europe's security under President Donald Trump.

"We are in Kyiv today, because Ukraine is Europe," von der Leyen said on X.

"In this fight for survival, it is not only the destiny of Ukraine that is at stake. It’s Europe’s destiny."

Thirteen leaders are expected to join the summit in person, and 24 would join the event online, President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed at a press conference on Feb. 23.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal arrived soon after Costa and von der Leyen.

Other leaders, including Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, Icelandic Prime Minister, Kristrun Frostadottir, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson are also in the capital, Suspilne reported.

Boris Johnson, the former U.K. prime minister, also announced his arrival.

"I am proud to be here in Kyiv on the third anniversary of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s invasion. I salute the continuing heroism of the Ukrainian people in resisting a vile act of unprovoked aggression and I categorically reject the bizarre untruths currently being peddled about the origins of that war," Johnson said on X.

Around 165,000 Russian troops have been killed since the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to a report by Meduza and Mediazona, independent Russian media outlets, on Feb. 24.

Using open-source research and statistical analysis, the report suggests that Russian losses have increased each year.

In 2022, approximately 20,000 Russian soldiers were killed. That number more than doubled in 2023, reaching between 47,000 and 53,000, and surged to nearly 100,000 in 2024.

The assessment does not account for foreign fighters or conscripts from occupied Ukrainian territories, whom Russia forcibly recruits to replenish its forces. The estimate is based on comparing roll call lists of the deceased with Russia's Register of Inheritance Cases.

Russia's total losses — including killed, wounded, missing, and captured personnel — are significantly higher, with Ukraine's General Staff reported on Feb. 24 of 868,230 such cases.

President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on Feb. 15 that Moscow had lost around 250,000 soldiers, with 20,000 killed in battles for Russia's Kursk Oblast alone. Over 610,000 Russian troops have been wounded since the invasion began, according to Zelensky.

Kyiv launched a cross-border incursion into Kursk in August 2024, initially seizing about 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory.

Up to 12,000 North Korean soldiers were deployed to Kursk Oblast last fall to support Russian forces after they failed to push out Ukrainian troops.

The rising casualties have fueled a surge in missing persons cases in Russia, with courts handling 20,000 such claims in 2024 — two-and-a-half times the pre-war annual average, Mediazona reported on Feb. 4.

Ukrainian drones reportedly strike Russian refinery in Ryazan Oblast for 3rd time in 2025

Drones operated by Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces struck an oil refinery in Russia's Ryazan Oblast, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Feb. 24.

Kyiv considers oil refineries to be valid military targets, as profits from the fossil fuel industry fund Russia's war machine.

This is the third time since the beginning of 2025 that drones have attacked the Ryazan Oil Refinery, according to the independent Telegram channel Astra. The Ryazan Oil Refining Company's facility was previously struck overnight on Jan. 24 and Jan. 26.

At least five explosions were heard near the facility. According to preliminary data from the General Staff, the attack caused a fire near the primary oil processing facility. The full consequences of the attack are still being determined, according to the statement.

Ryazan Oblast Governor Pavel Malkov confirmed that falling drone debris had caused a fire at "one of the enterprises" in the region. According to Malkov, no one was injured.

Ryazan lies almost 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border.

The Ryazan Oil Refinery is one of Russia's five largest oil refining facilities, according to Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation. Its capacity is 17.1 million metric tons of oil per year.

Kovalenko added that the fuel produced at the enterprise is used by the Russian army's strategic long-range aviation, which launches missile strikes against Ukraine.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.

The Ryazan Oil Refinery previously suspended operations due to damage from Ukrainian drone attacks, Reuters reported on Jan. 27, citing two industry sources. Ukraine confirmed hitting the plant in an overnight drone strike on Jan. 24.

Moscow open to ceasefire only when talks yield results that 'suit Russia,' Lavrov says

Russia will agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine only once negotiations provide a "sustainable result" that "suits" the Russian leadership, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Feb. 24, Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Lavrov's comments come as the White House said a peace deal with Russia could be hashed out this week. U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified diplomatic outreach to Russia, announcing a second round of talks in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 25.

"The president (Vladimir Putin) has clearly said that we are ready to negotiate with Ukraine, with Europe, and with any representatives who, in a spirit of goodwill, would like to help achieve peace," Lavrov claimed.

"But we will cease hostilities only when these negotiations produce a firm, sustainable result that suits the Russian Federation. Of course, the realities on the ground must be considered," Lavrov added.

Lavrov added that consultations with U.S. officials on the reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and the Russian Embassy in Washington are scheduled for this week.

Preparations are also underway for a meeting between Trump and Putin, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Feb. 22. Trump previously said he would "probably" meet Putin before the end of February.

The U.S. held the first round of talks directly with Russia on Feb. 18, excluding Ukraine from the meeting. The decision sparked a backlash in Europe and Ukraine, with European leaders worried they were being sidelined by the U.S.

Zelensky sent Trump list of all 'ceasefires' violated by Russia

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 24 he had provided U.S. President Donald Trump with a list of all ceasefires violated by Russia, warning against a quick peace deal without clear security guarantees.

"Peace cannot be concluded in an hour, a day, today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow," Zelensky said in an address to world leaders at the Support Ukraine summit in Kyiv.

"When General (Keith) Kellogg was in Kyiv, I handed him and the U.S. president a document with all the ceasefires, along with specific dates, that Russia had violated."

According to Ukraine's president, Russia has violated 25 ceasefires since the start of its aggression in 2014.

Zelensky's comments come amid growing concerns that Trump is seeking to sideline Ukraine and Europe in possible peace negotiations to cut a deal with Russia.

U.S. and Russian delegates held talks in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18 without Ukraine's participation, with a follow-up meeting scheduled for Feb. 25. While no specific plans for a peace deal were announced, Trump's diplomatic outreach to Moscow comes hand-in-hand with his increasingly hostile rhetoric toward Ukraine and Zelensky.

The U.S. president has lambasted Zelensky as a "dictator without elections," echoing Russian propaganda narratives about the latter's legitimacy. Trump's aides have also been pushing Kyiv to sign a deal on Ukraine's natural resources, which Zelensky said provides no security guarantees in return.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned that a swift ceasefire deal without strong security guarantees, such as continued military support or NATO membership, would give Russia time to regain strength and resume its aggression at a later date.

"Therefore, peace must be based on balanced diplomacy and clear security guarantees," Zelensky said at the summit.

Note from the author:

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