Zelensky: I spoke with Trump, talks rise to leader level

A trilateral meeting between Russia, the US and Ukraine at presidential level can take place to "finalise the agreement", Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed today. "Here we have to agree that the three presidents should meet only to finalise agreements or, as the Americans say, an agreement. This is probably true,' said the Kremlin spokesman. As for the prospect of arranging a meeting between the Russian president and Zelensky, "for the time being let's just recall his statements of last week and ask: does it make sense to meet at the highest level if the Kiev regime still maintains such a position? How can they even imagine it?" he added. Peskov went on to stress, however, that the invitation to Zelensky to travel to Moscow remains valid. "Putin always keeps his word," Peskov concluded.

On the European front, Ursula von der Leyen's Commission has adopted a proposal to allow the EU to become a founding member of the International War Damages Compensation Commission for Ukraine. The proposal will now have to be approved by the member states and the EU Parliament," the EU executive said in a statement. The commission, set up on 16 December in The Hague under the auspices of the Council of Europe, will be responsible for examining, assessing and deciding on claims for compensation for damage, loss and injury caused by Russia to Ukraine and the Ukrainian population. "If you start a war, you pay the bill. And as the large-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth year, the price of Russian aggression only increases," said the High Representative, Kaja Kallas. "Hundreds of billions will be needed to rebuild Ukrainian homes and infrastructure and to clear the country of scattered explosives. Every Ukrainian citizen,' he emphasised, 'can already file claims for damages, losses or injuries thanks to the Compensation Commission. And when the war is over, Russia will have to pay for the damage it has caused'. The EU had signed the convention establishing the commission together with 35 other countries in December, pledging up to EUR 1 million to support its start-up within the framework of the Council of Europe. The new body builds on the work already done by the damage register, created in May 2023 to collect and catalogue eligible claims.

Also in Brussels, steps are being taken to overcome Hungary's veto on the concession of the EUR 90 billion loan to Ukraine: "I cannot confirm that there is a specific discussion between President von der Leyen and Prime Minister Orbán, but it is clear that there are ongoing discussions with Orbán on this topic at various levels," said EU Commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho answering reporters' questions at the usual press briefing.

"President" Ursula von der Leyen," Pinho later recalled, "reiterated and reassured thatone way or another we will grant the loan and that there are several options we will use. We are currently examining and discussing them, assessing their feasibility with the Member States and the Parliament'. "At this stage," the Commission spokeswoman continued, "I will not go into the specific options. What I can say is that we are examining them further, discussing them with all stakeholders, i.e. the Member States and the Parliament."

Meanwhile Orbán accuses Kiev of plotting to take power away from Budapest. "I have listened to the reports of the national security services and I see that Ukraine is preparing further actions to disrupt the Hungarian energy system. I have ordered increased protection of critical infrastructure, deployment of troops where necessary, increased police presence and a ban on drones in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county. Hungary cannot be blackmailed'. So said the Hungarian prime minister in a video posted on the social channels of Zoltan Kovacs, government spokesman.

Ukraine has informed the European Union that "ultimatums are unacceptable" regarding the restoration of the Druzhba pipeline. The responsibility for the suspension of Russian oil transit to Europe via the Druzhba pipeline lies with Russia, whose attacks have damaged it, and the ultimatums and political pressure exerted on Ukraine by some EU member states on this issue are unacceptable. This is stated in the document 'Ukraine's position on the Druzhba pipeline situation', sent to the meeting of the EU Coordination Group on Oil and Petroleum Products on 25 February 2026, reviewed by the Ukrainian newspaper European Truth.

"Full responsibility for the suspension of oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline lies solely with the Russian Federation, following its terrorist attack against Ukraine's critical infrastructure," the letter reads.

Meanwhile, in Kiev high officials of the Ukrainian Air Force and the Security Service (Sbu) were arrested for corruption. This was reported by Rbc-Ukraine, citing a statement by the Sbu and law enforcement sources. The Security Service denounced the commander of the logistics of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the head of the Sbu in the Zhytomyr region for corruption during the construction of aircraft shelters. Rbc-Ukraine sources revealed that they are the logistics commander of the Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel Andriy Ukrainets, and the head of the Sbu Office in the Zhytomyr region, Colonel Volodymyr Kompanychenko.

"Whoever holds state office must work for Ukraine and in the interests of Ukraine. There will be no alternative," Ukrainian President Zelensky said on the issue. "Today the relevant arrests have been made and it is very important that there are fair sentences," he specified.

On the battlefield, however, Ukrainian forces have advanced in recent weeks in a way they have not since the incursion into the Russian Kursk region in August 2024 and have cleared the largest portion of territory from the counter-offensive launched in September 2023. This was calculated by analysts of the Institute for the Study of War. The new Ukrainian counter-offensive began in the Kupyansk area of the Kharkiv region in mid-December 2025: Kiev forces managed to stabilise control of the town, as well as, between 11 and 25 December, regain control of at least183 square kilometres of territory. In February, in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions they regained control of 165 square kilometres of net territory (they advanced 200 square kilometres and lost 35), with multiple offensive actions in the direction of Oleksandrivka, Novopavlivka and Hulyaipole.

"We are expanding joint production of drones to defend against Russian attacks today and to defend and deter in the future. Yesterday four defence framework agreements were signed, two between Ukraine and Finland, one between Ukraine and Denmark and one between Ukraine and Latvia. These Build With Ukraine joint production initiatives contribute to laying the foundations for a truly self-sufficient European defence industrial base, which will strengthen our shared security in the future". Ukrainian President Zelensky stated this in a post on X. "We encourage other partners to join these efforts by contributing through the Safe programme to further increase joint production. This will not only strengthen our collective security today, but also enable future exports after the war. I am grateful to all those who are helping to strengthen our shared security'. In a later message, Zelensky thanked Canada for approving a new C$2 billion defence aid package.