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Kremlin plays down Zelensky talks as Trump warns Putin may not ‘want to make deal’
The Kremlin has played down talk of an imminent summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, as Donald Trump renewed his call for the two leaders to meet to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
The push for a bilateral meeting comes after the US president met Putin in Alaska last week, and welcomed seven European leaders and Zelensky to the White House on Monday.
Trump admitted the conflict was “a tough one” to solve and conceded it was possible the Russian president was not interested in ending hostilities.
“We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks,” he said on Tuesday. “It’s possible that he doesn’t want to make a deal.”
Putin faced a “rough situation” if that were the case, Trump added, without offering any details.
The Russian president on Monday told Trump he was “open” to the idea of direct talks with Ukraine, but the next day Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov watered down that already vague commitment.
Any meeting would have to be prepared “gradually… starting with the expert level and thereafter going through all the required steps”, he said, repeating a frequent Kremlin line.
Dmitry Polyanskiy, a Russian deputy representative to the UN, told the BBC “nobody [had] rejected” the opportunity for direct talks, “but it shouldn’t be a meeting for the sake of a meeting”.
On Tuesday, it was reported that Putin had suggested to Trump that Zelensky could travel to Moscow for talks, something Ukraine was never likely to accept.
The proposal may have been Russia’s way of putting forward an option so far-fetched Kyiv could not possibly have agreed to it.
Talks over the last few days appear to have given Trump a renewed understanding of the complexities of the war and the gulf between Moscow’s demands and Kyiv’s position.
The much-vaunted ceasefire he said he could get Putin to agree to has not materialised – and now the US president has said Ukraine and Russia should move directly to a permanent peace deal instead – but some headway was made in terms of security guarantees for Ukraine.
Zelensky and European leaders seem to have convinced Trump that such commitments would be paramount to Kyiv’s sovereignty in the event of a peace deal.
On Tuesday, Trump said the US was willing to help the Europeans “by air” if they provided boots on the ground in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire or peace deal, although he ruled out deploying US troops.
The US president, however, did not go into the specifics of whether such air support may entail intelligence or the use of fighter jets and war planes.
While Trump’s commitments remain vague, the France and UK-led Coalition of the Willing said it had been working to firm up plans for a reassurance force that could be sent to Ukraine if the hostilities end.
After a virtual meeting of the group on Tuesday, a Downing Street spokesperson said the group would meet US counterparts in the coming days to “further strengthen plans to deliver robust security guarantees”.
Following his summit with Putin and latest talks with Zelensky, Trump now appears to think direct talks between Ukraine and Russia could bring a peace deal closer – although he acknowledged there had been “tremendous bad blood” between the two leaders.
The last time they met was in 2019. Since then, Moscow’s war on Kyiv has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties as well as widespread destruction and ongoing aerial attacks on civilian targets.
Putin considers Zelensky illegitimate and views him as responsible for Ukraine’s growing proximity to the West. For years now, he has made baseless claims about Kyiv being ruled by a “neo-Nazi regime” and has said any ceasefire with Ukraine would need to entail a change in Kyiv’s leadership.
Russia also has little interest in agreeing to talks while its troops have the upper hand on the front line.
Still, European leaders and Zelensky have spoken out in favour of the idea of a bilateral meeting. The Ukrainian president said on Monday he was open to “any format” of meeting Putin, while the Europeans have been putting forward ideas for potential summit locations.
By enthusiastically supporting direct talks, they are likely hoping to convince Trump to revert to a tougher stance against Moscow should Putin remain unwilling to take steps to end the war.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s European partners appear significantly less optimistic than Trump that a resolution of the conflict could be within reach.
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron called Putin “a predator, and an ogre at our doorstep” and expressed “the greatest doubt” that the Russian president was willing to work towards peace.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Putin was “rarely to be trusted”, adding he was sceptical about a meeting with Zelensky materialising.
More high-level talks are planned for the coming days as questions over Trump’s level of support for Europe remain.
Britain’s military chief, Admiral Tony Radakin, is travelling to Washington for discussions on the deployment of a reassurance force in Ukraine, while Nato military chiefs are expected to hold a virtual meeting on Wednesday.
[BBC]
Australia has confirmed that two more members of the Iranian women’s football team have received humanitarian visas, after five players were earlier granted asylum over concerns for their safety should they return to Iran, following the team failing to simg their national anthem before a recent match.
A player and a member of the team’s support staff decided to stay in Australia after seeking asylum, Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke told reporters on Wednesday.
The pair has now joined five other team members granted humanitarian visas on Tuesday, Burke told reporters.
He said the pair sought asylum before the team departed the country late on Tuesday night, adding that all the women were taken aside individually by Australian officials and interpreters, without Iranian minders present, and offered asylum as they passed through security at Sydney airport.
“They were given a choice,” said Burke, who later posted images of the players on social media.
“In that situation, what we made sure of was that there was no rushing, there was no pressure,” he said.
Burke also said that some people linked to the team were not offered asylum, without providing details. One member of the delegation delayed boarding the departing flight from Sydney while they contacted family members and deliberated about staying in Australia, Burke said.The team’s departure from their hotel in Australia’s Gold Coast and arrival at the domestic airport in Sydney before their international departure took place amid protests, as Iranian Australians sought to prevent the women from leaving the country, citing fears for their safety in Iran.
“We weren’t sure which way that person would go,” he said. “That individual ultimately made their own decision.”
The seven team members who had requested asylum have received temporary humanitarian visas, which is a pathway to permanent residency in Australia, Burke said.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the visas offered to the team members are valid for 12 months and are similar to those granted to applicants from Ukraine, Palestine and Afghanistan.
The team’s departure from their hotel in Australia’s Gold Coast and arrival at the domestic airport in Sydney before their international departure took place amid protests, as Iranian Australians sought to prevent the women from leaving the country, citing fears for their safety in Iran.
Concerns about the players’ safety emerged after Iranian state television labelled the team “traitors” for refusing to sing the national anthem before their first Asia Cup match in Australia. The team later sang the anthem at other matches.
However, the office of Iran’s general prosecutor said on Tuesday that the remaining members of the team were invited home “with peace and confidence”, Iranian media reported.
“These loved ones are invited to return to their homeland with peace and confidence, and in addition to addressing the concerns of their families,” the general prosecutor’s office was quoted as saying by Iran’s Tasnim news agency.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, also urged the players to “come home”.
“To Iran’s women’s football team: don’t worry – Iran awaits you with open arms,” Baghaei wrote on X on Tuesday.
The Iranian team joined the Women’s Asian Cup tournament in Australia, just as the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, killing the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and many senior officials.
At least 1,255 people have been killed in the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has entered its 12th day and has seen devastating air strikes on the capital, Tehran, and other cities, as well as key infrastructure and civilian sites.
The high-profile offer of asylum to the football players also comes as the Australian government has moved to introduce legislation to ban people from certain countries traveling to Australia who authorities fear might overstay their visa due to the war in the Middle East.
According to the ABC, the proposed law would allow the government to stop people from nominated countries entering Australia for up to six months, even if they already have a valid temporary visa.
The Australian Greens party said on Tuesday that the law was “clearly aimed at preventing people from Iran from seeking safety in Australia”.
“We know who this is aimed at by Labor – it’s aimed at the people of Iran, the people of Lebanon, the people of Qatar and the entire Middle East. It is clearly designed to be a Trump-like mass visa freeze,” said Greens Senator David Shoebridge, referring to the governing Australian Labor Party and US President Donald Trump, who has also banned people from certain countries from entering the US.
The Iranian team joined the Women’s Asian Cup tournament in Australia, just as the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, killing the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and many senior officials.
At least 1,255 people have been killed in the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has entered its 12th day and has seen devastating air strikes on the capital, Tehran, and other cities, as well as key infrastructure and civilian sites.
The high-profile offer of asylum to the football players also comes as the Australian government has moved to introduce legislation to ban people from certain countries traveling to Australia who authorities fear might overstay their visa due to the war in the Middle East.
According to the ABC, the proposed law would allow the government to stop people from nominated countries entering Australia for up to six months, even if they already have a valid temporary visa.
The Australian Greens party said on Tuesday that the law was “clearly aimed at preventing people from Iran from seeking safety in Australia”.
“We know who this is aimed at by Labor – it’s aimed at the people of Iran, the people of Lebanon, the people of Qatar and the entire Middle East. It is clearly designed to be a Trump-like mass visa freeze,” said Greens Senator David Shoebridge, referring to the governing Australian Labor Party and US President Donald Trump, who has also banned people from certain countries from entering the US.
(Aljazeera)
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Heat Index at Caution Level in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and Monaragala district
Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. on 10 March 2026, valid for 11 March 2026.
The public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on the human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at
some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in Monaragala district.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard.
For further clarifications please contact 011-744649
Much of the centre of the German city of Dresden will be evacuated on Wednesday, after the discovery of a large unexploded British World War Two flying bomb.
The 250kg (551lb) device was discovered near the former Carola Bridge, which collapsed in the Elbe River in 2024.
The fire brigade in Dresden says this is the city’s largest evacuation to date for such an incident, affecting around 18,000 residents, tourists and commuters.
Much of the old town will be cordoned off by 09:00 (08:00 GMT), including some of the city’s most famous buildings – the iconic Frauenkirche Lutheran church, the Residenzschloss Palace and the Semper Opera.
The police headquarters, Saxony’s state parliament, several ministries, retirement and nursing homes, daycare centres and other social institutions are also located in the evacuated area.
The authorities are providing emergency accommodation at the Dresden Exhibition Centre from 07:00 (06:00 GMT), while additional buses and trams will be running to this location.
It is not clear how long it will take to defuse the bomb.
Dresden was attacked by British aircraft on 13 February 1945. In the days that followed, the British and their US allies dropped nearly 4,000 tons of bombs in the assault on the city.
The ensuing firestorm killed 25,000 people and ravaged the city centre, once known as the Jewel Box because of its Baroque and Rococo architecture.
Four other bombs were found during demolition work on the Carola Bridge last year.
(BBC)
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