Ukraine-Russia war latest: Over 1,000 Kenyans to fight in Putin’s war as EU says Kremlin not ready for peace

The United States scrambled fighter jets as Russian aircraft were spotted near Alaska.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reported on Friday it had tracked two Tu-95 strategic bombers, two SU-35 air superiority fighters, and an A-50 early warning aircraft operating “in the Alaskan air defense identification zone” on Thursday.

They did not specify exactly where the planes were sighted, or in which direction they were travelling.

NORAD subsequently scrambled two F-16s, two F-35s, an E-3 and four KC-135s to intercept and escort the aircraft out of the Alaskan ADIZ, they said.

NORAD is a bi-national mutual defence organisation in Canada and the United States.

Ukrainian state owned energy company Naftogaz announced this morning that Russian drones have struck oil and gas infrastructure in the central Poltava region.

The European Union has said it is not seeing any tangible signs from Russia of serious engagement to end the war in Ukraine after the latest round of peace talks in Geneva.

“We see that Russia continues its relentless attacks on Ukraine. This does reflect that Russia is not ready for peace. We still do not see tangible signs that Russia is engaging seriously in peace,” said European Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni.

“Even this week, ahead of the peace talks, Ukraine experienced another massive missile and drone strike, according to Ukrainian authorities. As long as the bloodshed continues, we will continue to put pressure on Russia,” he said.

The EU spokesperson added that “nothing can be decided about Ukraine without Europe at the negotiating table”.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is set to hold a peace talks discussion with the members of his negotiating team after talks in Switzerland.

"Today all members of our negotiating group will already be in Ukraine, and for tomorrow I have scheduled a special meeting with them regarding our next steps and decisions. There will be a report here in Kyiv on those aspects of the negotiations that should not be discussed over the phone. We will also define the further framework of talks with our partners – the American side, the Europeans – and with the Russian side," he said.

Polish president Karol Nawrocki has approved a legislation calling for an end to support measures for Ukrainian refugees entering Poland and moved help into the country’s general law for protection of foreigners seeking refuge.

The earlier legal framework was created when Russia launched a full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022 and offered simplified residence, employment, access to social benefits, and education for Ukrainians fleeing the war.

“I sign this law with the conviction that it protects our state finances, streamlines the system, and restores a sense of basic justice," Karol Nawrocki said.

These provisions will now incorporate Ukrainians into a broader foreigner protection legislation and will create a unified temporary protection system that apply to all foreigners.

However, Poland will continue to extend the legal stay of Ukrainian nationals on their territory till 4 March, 2027.

The law also offers residency rights for Ukrainians already granted protection or whose documents were extended due to the war.

The European Union is eager to begin Ukraine’s EU membership talks “as soon as possible”, European Council president António Costa said.

“I cannot say if it’s in 2027 or even in 2026 or later, but what is important is we cannot lose the momentum,” Costa said, speaking to reporters during a visit to Oslo.

The top official did not mention a specific date of Ukraine joining the bloc.

The US plan for an end to the war in Ukraine calls for Kyiv’s EU accession by January 2027, though experts generally consider that date highly unrealistic.

European intelligence chiefs do not believe a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine will be reached in 2026, Reuters is reporting citing the heads of five intelligence services.

Trilateral talks this year have failed to see any significant progress, despite positive sounds from both sides following earlier meetings.

Four of the five senior intelligence officials said Moscow is using negotiations with the US to seek sanctions being lifted and to help business deals be concluded. They have described the talks in Geneva as “negotiation theatre”, one said.

It marks a striking difference in views between Europe and the White House, which says talks have been constructive.

"Russia is not seeking a peace agreement. They are seeking their strategic goals, and those have not changed," one European intelligence chief said.

Russia’s foreign ministry has said they have "no reason" to believe that India has changed its position on buying Russian oil.

The US president Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that India has agreed to stop its crude oil imports from Russia.

“We have no reason to believe that India has changed its position on buying Russian hydrocarbons. India’s purchase of Russian hydrocarbons benefits both countries and helps maintain stability in the international energy market,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in her weekly briefing.

“There is nothing new in the claims of US president Donald Trump, as well as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who have grabbed the right to dictate to independent nations,” Ms Zakharova said.

However, Russian crude accounted for its smallest share of India’s oil imports since late 2022 in January, industry data showed.

India – the world’s third-largest oil importer and consumer – had sharply increased purchases of discounted Russian oil after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with volumes exceeding 2 million barrels a day in some months.

But western sanctions and pressure to secure a trade deal with the United States have led New Delhi to scale back imports.

Since November, China has overtaken India as the largest buyer of Russia’s seaborne crude.

Ukraine could export several billion dollars of military goods and services this year after authorising its first wartime foreign sales and is considering introducing a tax on those exports, a senior Ukrainian defence official said.

Earlier this month, the state commission handling related licences in wartime approved the majority of 40 applications from defence sector producers for exports of materiel and services, Davyd Aloian, deputy secretary of Kyiv's National Security and Defence Council, said in an interview to Reuters.

Ukraine halted weapons exports following Moscow's February 2022 invasion and has relied heavily on partners' arms supplies to defend itself against Russian forces.

At the same time, Kyiv poured resources into developing its armaments industry, particularly drones and missiles. Leveraging its vast battlefield experience, Ukraine has in recent years experienced a defence technology boom.

Asked about export potential for this year, Aloian said: "Taking into account ready-made products, spare parts, components, and services that can be provided, it amounts to several billion dollars."

Overall, the potential is "significantly higher" than pre-war exports, he said.

Volodymyr Zelensky has torn into Vladimir Putin after the latest round of negotiations in Geneva failed to achieve a breakthrough.

The increasingly frustrated Ukrainian president lashed out at the Russia leader in a post on X and an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan.

“I don't need historical shit to end this war and move to diplomacy. Because it's just a delay tactic. I read no less history books than Putin,” the Ukrainian president said in a furious post on X.

The remarks came hours after hopes of a Ukraine peace deal looked further than ever Wednesday, when critical talks with Moscow and Washington ended in less than two hours.