As Trump demands a deal to end the Ukraine war in 50 days, Russia's deputy foreign minister says "demands, especially ultimatums, are unacceptable."

U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to ramp up arms shipments to Ukraine is a signal to Kyiv to abandon peace efforts, Russia said on Thursday, vowing it would not accept the "blackmail" of Washington's new sanctions ultimatum.

Republicans who previously have sounded off about U.S. aid to Ukraine sounded cautiously optimistic about the new plan to offer U.S. weapons to the war effort through a purchase by other NATO countries.

For a fleeting moment, Ukraine’s conflict may have come full circle. In the past 48 hours, US President Donald Trump has perhaps said his most forcefully direct words yet on arming Ukraine. And in the same period,

This suggests that Putin really is serious about trying to reestablish the former Soviet Empire. This cannot be allowed. On the other hand, Putin’s regime has shown a willingness to engage in nuclear blackmail, and a cornered Kremlin may not be bluffing.

The change in Trump’s approach may also mean that the $US8 billion (£6 billion) of frozen Russian assets in the US (and US$223 billion in Europe) could be released to aid Ukraine, which would provide a ready means to pay for the US arms transfers.

Ukraine will get its first new prime minister of the war on Thursday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy tries to wrestle wartime defence spending into shape and win over both Donald Trump and a war-weary public with fresh-faced leadership.

As President Donald Trump hardens his position toward Moscow and seeks new ways to bring its war in Ukraine to an end, he says he isn’t looking to deliver Kyiv longer-range missiles that could strike targets deeper into Russia.