{"id":648952,"date":"2026-06-20T12:59:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:59:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/648952\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T12:59:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:59:09","slug":"ukraine-russia-war-latest-kremlin-wont-accept-ultimatum-from-europe-as-putin-warns-of-major-retaliation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/648952\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kremlin \u2018won\u2019t accept ultimatum\u2019 from Europe as Putin warns of major retaliation"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>UK testing long-range missiles as part of military aid for Ukraine<\/p>\n

Britain has tested new long-range weapons system that it could soon offer to Ukraine to hit Russian targets, The Telegraph reported.<\/p>\n

These systems can hit targets situated more than 300 miles away and have been tested at a range in the Scottish archipelago Herbrides.<\/p>\n

The weapons system have experimental platforms, each carrying a 250kg warhead, and the range allows it to potentially reach Moscow.<\/p>\n

Further trials for the new systems are expected to take place in the UK over the coming months.<\/p>\n

Arpan Rai20 June 2026 12:30<\/p>\n

<\/a>Zelensky says Ukraine is ‘Nato’s de facto second army’<\/p>\n

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said Nato needs Ukraine as Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants the restoration of the Soviet Union.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, Ukraine is de facto the second army of Nato \u2013 one that is not inferior to the second army in the world. And that is why Nato needs us \u2013 specifically us \u2013 de jure. This is already a fact recognised by all leaders,\u201d Zelensky said yesterday.<\/p>\n

\u201cPutin will remain in the Kremlin until his death, and he has one goal: the restoration of the Soviet Union. Without Ukraine, this is impossible, and that is why things are so difficult for us,\u201d Zelensky said, underlining Kyiv\u2019s proximity to Russia as a key threat.<\/p>\n

Zelensky also said that Putin \u201cfears the return of his army home\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is why he is so afraid of the war ending without victory. And there will be no victory. He is physically afraid of his own army. That is why, if there is no ceasefire backed by specific security guarantees, he will return to war. And this time, others may be the ones under attack,\u201d Zelensky said.<\/p>\n

Arpan Rai20 June 2026 12:00<\/p>\n

<\/a>EU not seeking mediating role in Ukraine war, Costa says<\/p>\n

The European Union does not intend to be mediators in case of peace talks to end the war in Ukraine, as it sides with Kyiv, European Council president Antonio Costa said on Friday.<\/p>\n

A diplomatic overture to the Kremlin \u2060by European Council president Antonio \u200bCosta \u2060has exposed \u200cdivisions at a summit of EU leaders over how to \u200chandle relations with \u200cRussia.<\/p>\n

Costa at a press conference after the summit said there were “no credible signs” that Russia wanted to engage in serious negotiations.<\/p>\n

“What I’m doing through my office is to establish a diplomatic channel, \u200cbecause we cannot \u200bdepend only on others \u200cto interpret Russian \u2060messages and we must \u2060be able to convey to Russia \u200cour \u200bown messages,” \u200cCosta said.<\/p>\n

Arpan Rai20 June 2026 11:00<\/p>\n

<\/a>Zelensky stripped of Poland’s top honour over Second World War conflict<\/p>\n

Poland’s president has decided to strip Volodymyr Zelensky of the country’s top honour after the Ukrainian president caused outrage by renaming an army unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), nationalists who massacred Poles during the Second World War.<\/p>\n

President Karol \u2060Nawrocki’s decision looked likely to unleash a severe diplomatic crisis between the neighbours just days ahead of a conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction in the Polish city of Gdansk.<\/p>\n

“In light of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s consent to name one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Heroes of the UPA,… I have decided to revoke the Order of the White Eagle from the President of Ukraine,” Nawrocki said in a statement.<\/p>\n

“At this point, I would like to emphasize: this decision is not directed against the Ukrainian people. It does not signify a change in the strategic direction of Polish security policy.”<\/p>\n

While Warsaw is a strong supporter of \u2060Kyiv’s war effort, public sentiment towards Ukraine has become more and more negative in recent years due to weariness with \u200brefugees, disputes \u2060over grain imports and the legacy of the \u200cSecond World War massacres.<\/p>\n

Arpan Rai20 June 2026 10:00<\/p>\n

<\/a>One killed in drone attack on Panama-flagged ship in Black Sea<\/p>\n

One crew member was killed and two more injured \u2060after a drone attack on a Panama-flagged ship in the Black Sea, Panama’s Maritime Authority (AMP) said late \u2060on Friday.<\/p>\n

The AMP said the incident occurred on Thursday and that one of the injured sailors was in serious condition. The ship was able to continue on its course, it added.<\/p>\n

The authority \u200cadded that it has “activated \u200cthe relevant protocols to gather official information on the incident and maintains \u2060communication with the parties involved.”<\/p>\n

The AMP did not say where the drone attack came from, but advised ships to avoid traveling through Ukrainian and Russian waters in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, to the north.<\/p>\n

Panama operates the world’s largest \u2060ship registry with roughly 16 per cent of the \u200cglobal \u200bmerchant fleet sailing \u200cunder its flag. <\/p>\n

Arpan Rai20 June 2026 09:24<\/p>\n

<\/a>Lavrov says Nato and Russia escalation could lead to nuclear strikes<\/p>\n

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that an escalation between Russia and Nato could lead to a nuclear strikes exchange with catastrophic consequences.<\/p>\n

\u201cA direct confrontation between Nato and Russia could rapidly escalate into an exchange of nuclear strikes, with catastrophic consequences,\u201d he wrote in an article posted on the Russian foreign ministry\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnder the banner of \u2018strategic autonomy,\u2019 Europe is witnessing a significant build-up of its military capabilities, including in the nuclear sphere.<\/p>\n

\u201cParis’s intention to extend its \u2018nuclear umbrella\u2019 to several EU and NATO member states is a source of deep concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will do nothing to strengthen the security of France itself or the recipients of its so-called protection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arpan Rai20 June 2026 09:02<\/p>\n

<\/a>UK testing long-range missiles as part of military aid for Ukraine<\/p>\n

Britain has tested new long-range weapons system that it could soon offer to Ukraine to hit Russian targets, The Telegraph reported.<\/p>\n

These systems can hit targets situated more than 300 miles away and have been tested at a range in the Scottish archipelago Herbrides.<\/p>\n

The weapons system have experimental platforms, each carrying a 250kg warhead, and the range allows it to potentially reach Moscow.<\/p>\n

Further trials for the new systems are expected to take place in the UK over the coming months.<\/p>\n

Arpan Rai20 June 2026 08:37<\/p>\n

<\/a>Watch: Russian forces hit energy facilities in Ukraine’s Sumy regionRussian forces hit energy facilities in Ukraine’s Sumy region<\/p>\n

Arpan Rai20 June 2026 07:38<\/p>\n

<\/a>Poland committing ‘strategic error’, says Ukrainian foreign minister<\/p>\n

Poland\u2019s decision to strip Volodymyr Zelensky of the top honour is a “strategic error”, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said.<\/p>\n

Poland’s president Karol Nawrocki has decided to strip Zelensky of the country’s top honour after the Ukrainian president caused outrage by renaming an army unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), nationalists who massacred Poles during the Second World War.<\/p>\n

“We regret that instead of looking for solutions, the Polish side decided to escalate this conflict to an unacceptable and inappropriate level,” he wrote on Facebook.<\/p>\n

“No president \u200cof another country is going to dictate our history to us.” Polish prime minister \u200cDonald Tusk, a political opponent of Nawrocki who had sought to defuse the dispute, called for both presidents to cool emotions late on Friday.<\/p>\n

“The conflict between Poland and Ukraine delights Putin and shocks our allies. The task of presidents Zelensky and Nawrocki is to calm emotions, not to stoke tensions. \u2060The front line runs elsewhere,” he wrote in a post on X.<\/p>\n

Arpan Rai20 June 2026 07:15<\/p>\n

<\/a>Zelensky says Ukraine is ‘Nato’s de facto second army’<\/p>\n

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said Nato needs Ukraine as Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants the restoration of the Soviet Union.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, Ukraine is de facto the second army of Nato \u2013 one that is not inferior to the second army in the world. And that is why Nato needs us \u2013 specifically us \u2013 de jure. This is already a fact recognised by all leaders,\u201d Zelensky said yesterday.<\/p>\n

\u201cPutin will remain in the Kremlin until his death, and he has one goal: the restoration of the Soviet Union. Without Ukraine, this is impossible, and that is why things are so difficult for us,\u201d Zelensky said, underlining Kyiv\u2019s proximity to Russia as a key threat.<\/p>\n

Zelensky also said that Putin \u201cfears the return of his army home\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat is why he is so afraid of the war ending without victory. And there will be no victory. He is physically afraid of his own army. That is why, if there is no ceasefire backed by specific security guarantees, he will return to war. And this time, others may be the ones under attack,\u201d Zelensky said.<\/p>\n

Arpan Rai20 June 2026 07:00<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"UK testing long-range missiles as part of military aid for Ukraine Britain has tested new long-range weapons system…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":648953,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[49,50,51,47,52,48],"class_list":["post-648952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/648952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=648952"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/648952\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/648953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=648952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=648952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=648952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}