Thursday, July 3 news on the conflict in Ukraine, live. USA: Less weapons to Ukraine. Kiev shock, Zelensky: We must somehow ensure the defense of our people. Moscow: The conflict will end soon

20:13 | July 03

Ukraine: Bild, Berlin Wants to Buy US Patriots and Give Them to Kiev

Germany has asked the Pentagon for authorization to purchase two US Patriot air defense systems that it intends to sell to Kiev, covering the costs. This was revealed to Bild by well-informed sources, according to which, during yesterday's cabinet meeting, Friedrich Merz's government concluded that Europe is not able to compensate for the arms supplies to Ukraine suspended by Washington. Berlin, the sources add, is aware that a refusal could come from the Pentagon, which has been examining the request for weeks.

18:47|July 03

Putin: Yes to negotiations on Ukraine, but causes of conflict must be eliminated

Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated in his phone call with US President Donald Trump today that eliminating the root causes of the conflict in Ukraine is non-negotiable. Of course, the Ukrainian issue was raised. Donald Trump again raised the issue of a ceasefire as soon as possible, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told Russian media after the conversation between the two leaders.

Putin briefed Trump on the implementation of the Istanbul agreements of a humanitarian nature, reached during the second round of direct Russian-Ukrainian contacts in Istanbul, the Kremlin aide said, adding that Putin also assured his American counterpart that Russia continues to seek a"negotiated solution" to the conflict in Ukraine.

18:45|July 03

Putin to Trump: We are not retreating from our goals

Russian President Vladimir Putin made it clear in his talks with US President Donald Trump today that Moscow will not back down from its goals in Ukraine but is interested in a negotiated solution to the conflict. This was stated, Tass reports, by Yuri Ushakov, the Kremlin's foreign policy adviser. Trump, for his part, added Ushakov, has once again called for a quick end to the conflict.

18:39|July 3

Putin to Trump: Iran? We need to solve the issue with diplomacy

In their telephone conversation today, US and Russian presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed the situation with Iran and the Middle East in general, and Putin stressed the importance of resolving the Middle East issue through political and diplomatic means, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said, Tass reports.

18:33|July 3

Moscow: Trump-Putin Talks Pragmatic and Concrete

Today's telephone conversation between the presidents of the United States and Russia, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, was pragmatic and concrete and the two leaders found themselves on the same wavelength, said Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov, reports Tass.

18:30|July 03

Putin to Trump: Willing to continue negotiations

In his talks with his American counterpart Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed Moscow's readiness to continue the negotiation process with Ukraine, Putin's diplomatic adviser Yuri Ushakov said, Tass reports.

18:25|July 03

Kremlin: Hour-long phone call between Putin and Trump

Today's phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump lasted an hour, the Kremlin said today.

Another telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and US President Donald Trump, which lasted almost an hour, has just ended, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said. During the call, Putin congratulated Trump on the upcoming US Independence Day and told him about the idea of a film exchange between Russia and the United States, the Kremlin aide added.

17:43|July 3

Kremlin: Briefing at the end of the Putin-Trump phone call

The Kremlin will hold a briefing following the ongoing telephone conversation between Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Tass news agency. There will be a briefing, he answered journalists' questions.

17:40|July 03

Von der Leyen: Putin Does Not Want Peace, Sanctions to Hit Him

We all know that Putin does not want peace, so we must pressure him to come to the negotiating table. Eighteen packages of sanctions are hitting the heart of the Russian war economy. This was stated by the President of the European Commission Ursula 

von der Leyen during the press briefing from Marselisborg Castle.

The most important thing is to be able to complete the eighteenth package of sanctions, stressed von der Leyen, calling on member states to activate Safe, the instrument created for European security. Safe can help Ukraine defend itself, she stressed.

17:38|July 03

Zelesnky: In Russia only Putin decides, a summit at the highest level is needed

I don't know if they can have many ideas in common, Putin and Trump are different people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this during his visit to Aarhus, speaking about the phone call between the two. We are ready for meetings in any format, but in Russia only Putin decides, that's why a summit at the highest level is needed, he added.

17:26|July 03

Zelensky: Putin-Trump Phone Call? I'm Not Sure They Have Many Common Ideas

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, I am not sure that they have many common ideas, common topics to discuss because they are different people. But if we talk about Ukraine, we support President Trump's idea of an unconditional ceasefire from the beginning. I have said more than once that we are ready for any kind of meeting format. I think that in Russia only Putin is the real decision maker, that is why we need meetings at the leader level if we really want peace. That is why we need meetings at the leader level if we really want peace. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, answering a question about the phone call between Trump and Putin, at a press point in Aarhus, Denmark, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, European Council President Antonio Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

17:07|July 3

Zelensky: I hope to hear from Trump soon, I count on his support

I hope that tomorrow or in the next few days I will be able to speak with President Trump. This was stated by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, at a press point in Aarhus, Denmark, together with the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Obviously, we count on continued American support, but there are some elements that Europe is a bit lacking in today, such as the Patriot missile systems, he added. However, we are also counting on Ukrainian production. We need more funding for this. We also talked about it today, and we have excellent relations, he added.

17:01|July 3

Zelensky: Ukraine has done what is necessary to start accession negotiations

Ukraine has already done everything that was required to start negotiations on accession to the European Union, including preparing to open the first cluster, the fundamental one, and we will be ready for the other clusters by the end of this year. It is time to open the clusters. This was stated by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, at a press point with the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, in Aarhus, Denmark. When there are doubts about the continuation of US support in Europe, it is even more important to increase our cooperation and coordination, he added.

16:56|July 03

Trump-Zelensky likely to meet tomorrow

A telephone conversation between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky is being worked on, and could take place tomorrow. A high-ranking Ukrainian official told AFP, following reports by the Financial Times and Politico. A conversation is being prepared, hopefully on Friday, but it all depends on the commitments of both presidents, the source said, while Trump announced a conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin for this afternoon.

15:37|July 3

Former Pro-Russian Mayor of Lugansk Killed in Explosion

Manolis Pilavov, the former pro-Russian head of the city administration of Lugansk, a Ukrainian region partially occupied by Moscow, was killed in an explosion in the center of Lugansk, Ria Novosti reported. The explosion occurred not far from the local history museum, around 11:39 local time (10:39 in Italy). The pro-Russian administration reported one dead and three injured, without specifying the names of the victims. Pilavov, 61, had been mayor of Lugansk from 2014 to 2023. Since February 2015, he had been wanted by the Ukrainian security service, the SBU, on charges of violating the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, actions aimed at violently changing or subverting the constitutional order, and creating a terrorist group or terrorist organization.

14:57|July 03

Frederiksen: I don't believe for a second that Putin wants to stop

We need to step up our support for Ukraine. Right now, Ukraine is fighting for all of us. I don't see any signs that Putin wants peace, and I don't believe for a second that Putin wants to stop with Ukraine. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said this at a press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Aarhus. Therefore, we need to put Ukraine in the best possible position. The European Union needs to further weaken the Russian economy. We need to increase sanctions, block Russian gas imports and target the Russian shadow fleet, she added.

14:54|July 03

EU Presidency: US Arms Ban on Kiev a Serious Obstacle

It is a clear signal to increase our efforts in supporting Ukraine, not only at the EU level but at the European level. This was stated by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen at a press conference in Aarhus, answering a question about the arms ban that Donald Trump has decided. If the US has decided this way, it will be a serious obstacle for the EU and NATO. We hope that the partnership with Kiev will continue, added Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, head of the rotating EU presidency.

14:43|July 3

Frederiksen: The European family is incomplete without Ukraine

Danish President Mette Frederiksen said this during a press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Aarhus.

14:13|July 3

Zelensky: Agreement with a US company for the production of drones

The visit to Denmark begins with an important step for our defense. There is an agreement on Ukrainian-American cooperation for the production of drones, and in particular interceptor drones. This was written on X and Telegram by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to whom thanks to the agreement with the US company Swift Beat hundreds of thousands of drones can be produced this year with the possibility of significantly increasing production next year. In Aarhus we will continue to work on new agreements of this kind for joint production in defense, Zelensky adds.

14:11|July 3

Kiev: Russian missile hits Odessa port, two dead

Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on Odessa, killing two people and wounding three others, the head of the Odessa military administration Oleg Kiper said, cited by Ukrainska Pravda. The port infrastructure was hit by a cluster ballistic missile, the use of which is prohibited. Unfortunately, two people died and three were injured, and they are currently receiving the necessary medical care on site, he said.

13:52|July 03

Ft, Zelensky to talk to Trump tomorrow

The Financial Times reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to speak to US President Donald Trump tomorrow to discuss the sudden halt in some major US arms supplies to Kiev.

13:06|July 3

Orban: Kiev aggressive, accept our no to EU membership

Ukraine is increasingly aggressively attacking Hungary because we in Brussels have blocked their accession to the EU. They must understand that Hungary, for fundamental and strategic reasons, does not support Ukraine's accession to the EU. We do not want war and will not allow the destruction of the European economy, including Hungary's. This was Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's quote in a tweet by government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs. Kiev - he adds - must accept that it is not up to them to tell the Hungarian people what to think.

12:54 PM|July 3

Pope meets Polish president, Ukraine among topics

Pope Leo XIV received in audience, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, who subsequently met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, accompanied by Msgr. Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. During the cordial discussions in the Secretariat of State, mutual appreciation for the solid bilateral relations was reiterated - a note from the Holy See reports - and attention was paid to the socio-political situation of the country. In the continuation of the conversation, international issues were addressed, with special attention to the war in Ukraine.

12:17 PM|July 3

Governor: Deputy Chief of Russian Navy Killed in Kursk

Russian Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief General Mikhail Gudkov was killed in the Kursk region, Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of the Far Eastern region of Primorye, where the senior officer was from, announced. Kozhemyako did not specify the circumstances of Gudkov's death, but Russian military Telegram channels had reported in recent days that a Ukrainian missile had hit a post in the Russian region, killing the general and other servicemen.

12:04|July 3

EU Presidency: We will do everything for Ukraine's accession

Ukraine belongs to the European Union. It is in the interests of both Denmark and Europe. Therefore, the Danish Presidency of the EU will do everything possible to help Ukraine on its path to EU membership. This was stated by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who organized a summit in Aarhus with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. We must strengthen Ukraine. And we must weaken Russia. The former by increasing military support, she added.

11:55 AM|July 3

Moscow: Village in the Northeast Conquered

The Russian military has announced that it has captured the village of Milove in the northeastern Kharkiv region of Ukraine. As a result of decisive action, the village of Melovoye in the Kharkiv region has been liberated, the Russian Defense Ministry said, using the Russian term for the village.

11:53 AM|July 3

Kremlin: No obstacles to possible new Moscow-Kiev talks

The Kremlin claims that there are no obstacles in scheduling a possible third round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the Interfax agency reported. There are no obstacles: all the approval procedures simply need to be completed. Both sides are waiting for proposals on dates, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Russian news agency. Kremlin troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine took place in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2.

11:52 AM|July 3

Zelensky landed in Denmark, in the afternoon in Aarhus

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has landed in Copenhagen. From there he will travel to Aarhus, Denmark's second city, where he is expected to attend the ceremony marking the start of the Danish EU Presidency. In Aarhus, Zelensky will meet with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. The Ukrainian president will hold a press conference.

11:09 AM|July 3

Russian Z-channels: Attack in Kursk, Russian Marines Chief General Gudkov Killed

Ten senior officers were reportedly killed, including Gudkov, who was deputy commander of the Russian Navy and was personally selected by Putin in March to oversee Russia’s marines and naval missile forces.

10:55 AM|July 3

Woman Arrested in Russia for Preparing a Drug Deal

Russian FSB officers have detained a 23-year-old Russian woman in St. Petersburg who was preparing a terrorist attack on an employee of a defense company on the orders of the Ukrainian special services. This was reported by the Public Relations Center (PRC) of the Russian FSB, cited by the news agency Tass. According to the FSB, in June 2024, she proactively established contact with a representative of the Ukrainian special services via the Telegram and WhatsApp messaging apps (owned by Meta, whose activities are recognized as extremist in Russia), declaring her willingness to participate in sabotage and terrorist activities in exchange for assistance in leaving the Russian Federation and obtaining citizenship of one of the EU countries. On the instructions of her curator, she left pro-Ukrainian graffiti in public places in the Moscow region and attempted to set fire to railway infrastructure. In April 2025, she went to St. Petersburg, where she monitored an employee of a defense company with the aim of blowing up his car with an improvised explosive device provided to her. When she was about to place the device under her target's car, she was stopped by FSB officers.

10:52 AM|July 3

Wsj: US weapons headed for Kiev blocked in Poland

U.S. weapons already in Poland and headed to Ukraine have been blocked, including advanced air defense systems and precision missiles, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Pentagon confirmed the blockade in a July 2 briefing, citing an ongoing capabilities review aimed at ensuring U.S. military assistance aligns with its strategic defense priorities. The shipment to Poland includes more than two dozen Patriot PAC-3 missiles, more than two dozen Stinger air defense systems, Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and more than 90 AIM air-to-air missiles intended for use with Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets, according to U.S. administration and congressional officials cited by the Wall Street Journal. We see this as a pragmatic, common-sense step toward a framework for what munitions are being sent where, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said.

10:20 AM|July 3

Kiev: Russian airstrike in Poltava, 2 dead, 11 injured

A Russian attack in Poltava, central Ukraine, killed two people and wounded 11, local officials and the military said, according to Ukrainian media. The attack, which occurred around 9 a.m. local time, sparked fires and damaged civilian infrastructure, according to Governor Volodymyr Kohut. The Ukrainian military added that one of the attacks caused a fire at the Poltava conscription office, a local military facility. Another attack near the Poltava conscription office set fire to a private residential property, authorities said.

10:12 AM|July 3

Media, Trump and Zelensky phone call in preparation

The U.S. and Ukraine are working to arrange a call between Trump and Zelensky after the U.S. halted the delivery of some weapons, including air defense systems, to Kiev, Politico reports. The U.S. is briefing Ukraine in Kiev today and a call between Trump and Zelensky will be arranged soon, a European diplomat familiar with the planning said. The U.S. is still in the process of determining how best to support Ukraine's defense. That remains a priority.

9:49 AM|July 3

Russian General Gudkov reportedly killed in Kursk

Russian General  Mikhail Evgenievich    Gudkov, deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy and commander of the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade, was reportedly killed in a Ukrainian attack on July 2 in Korenevo, Kursk region. The news was reported by Russian Telegram channels, but has not yet been officially confirmed by the Kremlin.

9:30 am|July 3

Tajani: We do not rule out new sanctions against Russia

To maintain pressure on Russia, we cannot rule out the use of new sanctions: this was stated by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking at a hearing before the joint Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees of the Chamber and the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Senate. Tajani reiterated NATO's support for Ukraine, underlining how the massive and indiscriminate Russian attacks demonstrate the urgency of a ceasefire. And again: The government supports the US Administration's commitment to a negotiated solution, but Putin must demonstrate that he wants dialogue and currently the facts tell us that this will is not there. As far as we are concerned, military assistance to Ukraine must proceed hand in hand with civil assistance and we are working towards the conference on reconstruction that will be held in Rome on 10 and 11 July.

8:41 AM|July 3

The Nightmare of Russian Kamikaze Drones: A Thousand Launches a Week, Will Kill More Children

by Marta Serafini 

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​Even more children will die. Gheorgy is an engineer from Kiev and a captain in the 59th army brigade. At the end of last summer he was wounded at the front by a drone near Pokrovsk and is now following a psychophysical rehabilitation program. I can accept that a soldier is wounded or killed. But that Putin can strike innocent civilians while they sleep in their beds, no.

Gheorgy is angry: like everyone else he has read the news of the suspension of US military aid. But better than others he is aware of the risk that the number of attacks with Russian drones will increase both on the front and in the cities, especially since his colleagues, in the space of a few months, will find themselves without weapons to shoot down the Shahed. Three, four or months at most and then it becomes really complicated to defend oneself, he sighs. Also, like anyone who has survived an Iranian-made drone, the captain knows that after the impact you have to watch out for flames because among the various materials with which the warheads are loaded there are powerful incendiary substances. 

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​Read the full article here

8:37 AM|July 3

Moscow: 69 Ukrainian drones destroyed overnight

Russian air defense forces destroyed 69 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. Last night, the Kiev regime's attempts to carry out terrorist attacks using 69 airborne drones aimed at targets located on the territory of the Russian Federation were thwarted, the message said. 27 drones were destroyed on the territory of the Belgorod region, 22 on the territory of the Voronezh region, ten on the territory of the Lipetsk region, eight on the territory of the Kursk region and two on the territory of Crimea, the ministry said.

8:36 AM|July 3

Zelensky to US investors: Don't stop aid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with US investors in Ukraine to ask them to use their influence in their country to ensure the continued flow of military aid to Kiev, after Washington announced a pause in this flow to assess whether the United States has sufficient weapons reserves to continue providing this type of assistance. It is important for all of us in Ukraine that everyone now uses their personal influence to achieve a collective result. The continued support of the United States to Ukraine, to our defense, to our people, is in our common interest, Zelensky said in his address to the nation last night. 

Zelensky stressed the importance of the continued supply of air defense equipment to Ukraine, saying that this ensures protection for all companies operating in our state. 

Among the types of weapons that the United States has temporarily stopped sending to Ukraine are missiles for Patriot anti-aircraft systems, which Ukraine uses to shoot down Russian ballistic and hypersonic missiles.

8:11 AM|July 3

Kiev: 52 drones launched tonight on Ukraine, Odessa hit

Russian troops attacked Ukrainian territory tonight with 52 drones, 40 of which were destroyed by air defense forces. This was stated by the Ukrainian Air Force cited by RBC. On the night of July 3, the enemy attacked with 52 Shahed attack drones and other UAVs, the Air Force statement said. By 8 am local time, air defense had neutralized 40 drones in the east and south of the country. According to reports, Russian troops attacked mainly the southern and northern regions of Ukraine. Late yesterday evening, explosions were heard in Kiev and air defense operations were reported in the capital. In addition, the Russians struck Odessa at night: Mayor Gennady Trukhanov reported that residential buildings were damaged as a result of the attack, including a building where a fire broke out from the seventh to the ninth floors. Four people were injured.

7:23 AM|July 3

Ukrainians' Despair After US Stops Arms

by Marta Serafini

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​It is a very unpleasant situation. Fedir Venislavskyi is a deputy of Servant of the People, President Zelensky's party, and like anyone close to Ukrainian power he knows not to use alarmist tones when commenting on issues concerning the complicated relationship with the US ally. But the fact that he comments on the US decision to suspend military supplies, a topic outside his competence, is a lot. The president's first advisor Mikhailo Podolyak can afford to be a little more and tries to reassure:
deliveries continue but if the supply were to be suspended it would be inhumane. Opposition MP Inna Sovsun is more free to speak, and she takes off her gloves on X and writes: Hundreds of deaths caused by civilian targets will be on the conscience not only of Putin, but also of Trump.

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​Read the full article here