“Bastards” one British defence official said of the Americans on hearing US purported plan for Ukraine

HERE below are dozens of news reports covering the past five days that shook US-UK-Europe relations while the 61st Munich Security Conference was held 14-16 Feb 2025. Much of the conference, a centre of international diplomacy, was live-streamed. Recordings can be found here.

__________________________

From BBC News Live Reporting
Edited by Alex Therrien and Frances Mao

Published Sunday 16 February 2025 at 20:09 PM GMT - full copy:

Timeline: Five days that shook US-Europe relations

Donald Trump's administration has been accelerating action to end the war in Ukraine, in a drastic shift in US policy on the conflict. 

Here's a run-down of the key moments day-by-day:

Wednesday 12 February: Trump shocks European allies by revealing he had a "lengthy" phone call with Russian President, with both leaders agreeing to begin negotiations to end the Ukraine war

Thursday 13 February: Zelensky says Ukraine will not agree to any peace deal drawn up without its involvement. European allies back him

Friday 14 February: JD Vance uses his Munich Security Conference speech to scald European democracies, almost entirely ignoring Ukraine – the conference’s key focus

Saturday 15 February: In his own speech to the conference, Zelensky calls for the creation of an “army of Europe”. The US announces peace talks will be held in Saudi Arabia. But it provokes further consternation by saying Europe will be consulted but not involved in the negotiations

Sunday 16 February: The BBC learns that Kyiv has not been invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia. European leaders schedule an emergency summit in Paris to discuss the war and European security

Share: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/crr0gngkjrvt?post=asset%3A3e01acb2-6c8c-42ff-bd8f-817d83d55b76#po

End

_____

From BBC News online

By James Waterhouse

Ukraine correspondent

Reporting from Kyiv

Maia Davies

BBC News

Dated Sunday 16 February 2025, 20:38 PM GMT - excerpt: 

Ukraine not invited to US-Russia peace talks, source tells BBC

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly ruled out accepting a peace deal negotiated without Kyiv's involvement. 

Kyiv has not been invited to talks between the US and Russia aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian government source has told the BBC. 

European leaders have also not been asked to join the discussions, and are due to meet instead on Monday [17 Feb] in Paris at a summit hastily arranged by the French president, as fears grow the continent is being locked out of negotiations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly ruled out accepting a peace deal negotiated without Kyiv's involvement

Full story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm292319gr2o

End

_____

“Bastards” one British defence official said of the Americans on hearing of the purported plan.https://t.co/9PJ2ughD4P

— Rob Crilly (@robcrilly) February 15, 2025

End

_____

Final day here of the Munich Security Conference as America tells Europe it needs to look after its own security and defence. #MSC2025 pic.twitter.com/OPSiAHDpTK

— Frank Gardner (@FrankRGardner) February 16, 2025

End

_______________________________

Related reports

From BBC News online

By Luke Mintz, The World This Weekend

Chas Geiger, Politics reporter

Dated Sunday 16 February 2025, 18:13 PM GMT - excerpt:

US isolation threatens global democracy, warns Major

Sir John Major has warned that democracy is under threat as the United States steps back from its leading role in the world.

The former prime minister told the BBC that US President Donald Trump's policy of American "isolation" was creating a power vacuum that would embolden nations like Russia and China.

Sir John, who was PM from 1990 to 1997, said the gains made since the collapse of the Soviet Union were now being reversed - and that there was "no doubt" Russia would invade elsewhere before long.

He said that "ugly nationalism" growing concurrently was making for a "very unsettled time".

His comments come as European leaders prepare for an emergency summit on Monday on the war in Ukraine.

US and Russian officials are due to open peace talks in the coming days despite concerns European nations including Ukraine were being locked out.

Full story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gwngxdd1vo

_____

BBC News Live Reporting - Some Summaries covering 12-16 Feb 2025

Donald Trump says he had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that they agreed to start negotiations to end the war in Ukraine "immediately"

Both Trump and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the two presidents agreed to visit each other's nations during the call

Volodymyr Zelensky's office has confirmed that the Ukrainian president also spoke to his American counterpart in an hour-long phone call

That Trump and Putin have something to talk about is quite promising, our security correspondent Frank Gardner writes - but today's development "has been a bit of a cold shower for both Ukraine and Nato"

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is answering reporters' questions in the briefing room - you can watch live at the top of this page

Earlier, a US House committee heard from witnesses about Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), after Trump signed an executive order to give more power to the body, which is not an official government agency

_____

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he has warned world leaders "against trusting Putin's claims of readiness to end the war"

This comes after the Kremlin confirmed Ukraine will "of course" take part in any peace deal negotiations

Donald Trump spoke to Vladimir Putin on Wednesday before announcing they agreed talks to end the Ukraine war could start "immediately"

After a Nato meeting in Brussels, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said peace negotiations will involve elements neither Moscow nor Kyiv wants while Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said Putin must not be able to "grab another square mile" of Ukraine 

Earlier, Trump said there was now a "good possibility" of ending the war

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, eight years after it unilaterally annexed Crimea

______

Ukrainian officials will not attend Russia-US talks to be held in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, the BBC has learned

A government source tells BBC News that Ukraine has not been invited and will not send a delegation 

Two of Trump's closest foreign policy advisers - Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff - will travel to Saudi Arabia tonight ahead of the talks 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeatedly warned he would not accept any deal struck without his country's input

Elsewhere, European leaders will gather in France for an emergency summit tomorrow [Mon 17 Feb], amid US efforts to agree a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine

It comes after US President Donald Trump spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week to discuss a possible deal 

After a chaotic week, Zelensky is trying to re-assert his position, our correspondent in Ukraine James Waterhouse writes

______

Report from BBC News Live Reporting

Published Sunday16 Feb 2025 at 18:38 PM GMT - full copy:

Europe has been sending more aid to Ukraine than the US

Who in the West is giving more to Ukraine? Europe has overtaken the US in Ukraine aid, research from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, external shows.

In total, Europe has allocated €70bn (£58bn) in financial and humanitarian aid as well as €62bn in military aid.

This compares to €50bn from the US in financial and humanitarian allocations and €64bn in military aid. A nine-month battle over spending in US Congress in mid-2023 stalled Ukraine aid. 

When considering the aid as a share of donor GDP, Germany, the UK and the US have mobilised less than 0.2% of their annual GDP to support Ukraine. Other rich donor countries like France, Italy and Spain allocated roughly 0.1% of their annual GDP.

Share: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/crr0gngkjrvt?post=asset%3A7e02d38e-e256-43d8-8c0d-450a0cf5bee9#post

______

Report from BBC News Live Reporting

Published Sunday 16 Feb 2025 at 19:33 PM GMT - full copy:

US sent questionnaire to Europe on Ukraine security contributions

The US sent a document to European governments asking what the countries could contribute towards Ukraine's security arrangements, it has emerged.

The questionnaire sent last week, obtained by Reuters, also asked European nations what they would need from Washington to participate in security arrangements.

The document consisted of six points and questions, asking which countries could contribute to Ukraine's security, and which would be willing to send troops as part of a peace deal.

It comes after US President Donald Trump shocked Europe this week by phoning Russian President Vladimir Putin and declaring an immediate start to peace talks.

Share: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/crr0gngkjrvt?post=asset%3A5c2b7e27-0f34-458c-9739-330f51ff11b1#post

______

Further reading

Analysis: Zelensky joins a growing list of US allies who are finding that the world according to Trump is a more uncertain place for them, writes the BBC's Jeremy Bowen

News story: Zelensky says no peace deal without Ukraine involvement

Ukraine in maps: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60506682

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c4g97971rwnt

End

Darfur Sudan News from Strategy Page - Unrest in Jebel Marra - SLM Clashes with SAF or Internal Wrangling?

HERE is a news round-up on Darfur Sudan from StrategyPage.com, plus a report by Sudan Radio Service re unrest in Jebel Marra, southern Sudan. I have highlighted some text in bold, for future reference:

From StrategyPage.com
Arming Your Enemy, For A Price

February 17, 2010: A British medical journal has concluded that around 80 percent of the 300,000 deaths in the Darfur region (since the start of the war in 2003) have been caused by disease.

February 16, 2010: It's still unclear what the extent of the fighting between factions of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA). that broke out in late January in the Jebel Marra area of West Darfur state. Refugees also reported fighting between rebel factions in the Jebel Moon area.

Five Ethiopian helicopters arrived in Darfur for duty with UNAMID (UN-AU hybrid peacekeeping operation in Darfur). It has been a long wait, two years in fact. UNAMID asked for 18 helicopters. That means it is still thirteen choppers short.

February 12, 2010: Sudan is littered with minefields, and south Sudan in particular. Serous de-mining efforts began in 2002. A recent de-mining task force report said that since 2002, 31,600 kilometers of roads in south and central Sudan have been cleared of mines. All “major routes” have been cleared (usually with bulldozers and counter-mine vehicles), but many secondary roads, side roads, trails, and open areas have not been completely cleared.

February 6, 2010: Ibrahim Gambari, the new head of UNAMID said he would attend a new round of Darfur peace talks scheduled to take place in Qatar. Gambari recently said that UNAMID should shift its focus from peacekeeping in Darfur to peacemaking. Gambari indicated he thinks the Qatari initiative (Doha talks) are the best diplomatic forum for a peace deal.

February 5, 2010: Some 10,000 people have fled fighting (a series of engagements began in late January) in West Darfur state (in the Jebel Marra region). The fighting took place between factions of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA).

February 4, 2010: Southern leaders in the Government of South Sudan (GOSS) have renewed complaints about the extensive authority the national government (led by the northern-based National Congress Party) have given Sudanese intelligence officers. The GOSS leaders maintain that the national government intends to intimidate voters in the April 2010 national elections.

February 3, 2010: An international appeals court ruled that Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir can be charged with genocide by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC charged Bashir with war crimes and crimes against humanity. Bashir may now face at least one count of genocide. The Sudanese government responded to the decision by accusing the court of attempting to interfere in Sudan's upcoming national elections.

February 1, 2010: The UN accuses GOSS of receiving another shipments of arms. It is well known that the GOSS has access to small arms, with Kenya and Uganda identified as “routes” for the weapons. The UN believes GOSS is receiving some heavy weapons as well, but is unclear where they are coming from. Some believe that the heavy weapons are coming from “internal transfers.” That would mean sources in northern Sudan are providing the south with heavy weapons. How is this? Payoffs and corruption are the likely reasons.

January 28, 2010: An African Union (AU) spokesman said that the 2011 referendum on south Sudanese secession could reignite the north-south civil war. Interestingly enough, the spokesman added that Darfur could also seek independence from Sudan if the south became a separate country. This is northern Sudan's nightmare – a break up where Sudan loses territorial control and control of natural resources. What would an independent South Sudan look like? It would have an area of around 640,000 square kilometers (about the size of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda combined). It would have a population of eight to ten million people (remember, no one agrees on census figures). It would also be an oil exporter.

HERE is one of the latest reports from SRS - Sudan Radio Service re Unrest in Jebel Marra - SLM Clashes with SAF or Internal Wrangling?

Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - (Nairobi) - The anti-government group, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Abdelwahid al-Nur faction says its troops clashed with government forces on Monday in Jebel Marra, Western Darfur.

The advisor to the secretary of information in the SLM faction, Musa Ahmed Mohammed, told SRS on Monday that there have been clashes between the movement and government forces in Kidinir and Laba.

[Musa Ahmed]: “A group from the government moved to the area of Kidinir and clashed with a group from Abdelwahid’s SLM yesterday at around 11.30. Our forces however managed to push the government forces backwards and at the moment SLM is in control of that place and also in Laiba. SAF and Janjaweed clashed with our forces yesterday and the day before yesterday. These clashes had a negative effect on the government side and now the SLM is in full control of the Laba area.”

However, another SLM field commander in the Western Jebel Marra section of the Abdelwahid-controlled area, Mohammed Sharaf, denied that clashes with the government occurred, saying that there was internal wrangling within the movement.

[Mohammed Sharaf]: “There were no clashes between the government and us. What happened was that, amongst us there are people who claim that they belong to Abdelwahid’s group and they disagree on the unity issue. We had agreed in the past that there should be unity between us but there are people who do not want unity and they started to create problems with some of the leaders who are pro-unity like Abdallah Abakar and others. And so yesterday they rented around 500 horses from the Arab tribes and entered some SLM areas and stole a lot of things.”

The UNAMID spokesperson, Noureddine Mezni, appealed to those involved to end the fighting.

[Noureddine Mezni]: “We received some reports from Jebel Marra about the tension there and also the fights and clashes between some groups together with reports about the government and Abdelwahid’s group but because we don’t have an office there we can’t give proper details or confirm the reports that we are getting. However, we do appeal to the groups to stop fighting so that the UNAMID can be able to go to that area.”

The attacks come while other anti-government groups who have been meeting in Doha since 24 January are seeking to reach common ground ahead of direct talks with the government delegation.