UK's Starmer discussed Ukraine in call with Trump, British government says

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday and discussed the situation in Ukraine, including the overnight Russian attacks on the country, the UK government said.

Russia's overnight attack knocked out heating in cities including the capital Kyiv during freezing temperatures as Ukrainian negotiators headed to Abu Dhabi for a second round of U.S.-brokered trilateral talks set for Wednesday and Thursday.

The leaders said they also recognised the strategic importance of the U.S.-UK military base Diego Garcia, the government added.

The conversation comes as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia on Tuesday of exploiting a U.S.-backed energy ceasefire to stockpile munitions and using them to attack Ukraine with hundreds of drones and a record number of ballistic missiles, a day before peace talks.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was waiting for U.S. reaction to Russia's overnight attack that damaged Ukraine's energy infrastructure, as Washington had prompted a short-lived ceasefire in attacks on energy targets.

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters Russian President Vladimir Putin had made an agreement that expired on Sunday.

"It was Sunday to Sunday, and it opened up and he hit them hard last night," he said at the White House.

"He kept his word on that ... we'll take anything, because it's really, really cold over there. But it was on Sunday, and he went from Sunday to Sunday."

Asked if he was disappointed, Trump replied, "I want him to end the war."

The attack knocked out heating in cities, including the capital Kyiv, during freezing temperatures, even as Ukrainian negotiators headed to Abu Dhabi for a second round of U.S.-brokered trilateral talks set for Wednesday and Thursday.

"It was a deliberate attack against energy infrastructure, involving a record number of ballistic missiles," Zelenskyy wrote on X, a day after saying Moscow had largely observed the moratorium agreed by the two sides on energy facilities.

"The Russian army exploited the U.S. proposal to briefly halt strikes - not to support diplomacy but to stockpile missiles."

• Russia hits Ukraine’s energy sector despite diplomacy, Zelenskyy says
• Ukraine agrees to multi-tiered ceasefire enforcement plan with Europe and U.S., FT reports
• Ukraine–Russia talks to resume as experts caution against high expectations

The first round of trilateral talks in late January brought no movement on territorial issues, with Moscow demanding Kyiv cede more land in eastern Ukraine, which it refuses to do.

Sharpening his tone from previous days, Zelenskyy said on Tuesday the work of Ukraine's negotiators would be "adjusted accordingly" after the attack, but offered no details.

Speaking to reporters in Kyiv at a press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, he said Ukraine would approach Washington to discuss new consequences for Russia.

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