'Putin bluntly rejected Trump's ceasefire plan', former Ukrainian PM tells LBC
A former Ukrainian Prime Minister has told LBC that Vladimir Putin "bluntly rejected" the US ceasefire plan for his country after Tuesday's call.
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Arseniy Yatsenyuk told LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast that the deal to stop firing on energy infrastructure did not amount to a success - in contrast to some media reports.
In the hours afterwards, Russia targeted a Ukrainian energy plant.
During Tuesday's call, Mr Putin stopped short of backing a broader 30-day pause in fighting that the US administration is pressing for.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains sceptical that Mr Putin is ready for peace, and Mr Yatsenyuk agreed.
He said that the idea that "Putin accepted a partial ceasefire... [is] not true. If it quacks like a duck, it's a duck.
"Putin blatantly and bluntly rejected Trump's idea to impose a 30 day ceasefire, period. This is the reality and this is the truth. I hope that the time will come when we gonna get this kind of message in the media.
"So that's where we are right now."
The White House described it as the first step in a "movement to peace" it hopes will eventually include a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and a full and lasting end to the fighting.
The White House said negotiations would "begin immediately" in the Middle East on those steps.
Shortly after the call between Mr Trump and Mr Putin, air raid alerts sounded in Kyiv, followed by explosions in the city. Local officials urged people to seek shelter.
Mr Yatsenyuk told Nick: "We are well aware of what's happening right now. And it's clear cut that Putin actually tries to press on Trump administration in order for Trump administration to exert pressure on Ukraine to make an unlimited concession.
"So what Putin wants, he wants Ukraine to capitulate. And he's very clear saying this. Even the readout that Kremlin posted yesterday clearly states that Putin wants Ukraine to disarm, to demobilise Ukraine's army - and actually to change the shape of the post-Second World War global order because he wants to move the eastern flank of NATO too."
Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron have sought to act as a go-between for the US and Ukraine, and Mr Yatsenyuk said that he was doing "the right job".
"He mended the fences between Ukraine and the United States," the former Ukrainian PM said. "And we do understand that we need to have Americans on board."
He added: "I really commend your government and your Prime Minister as the new leader of free Europe.
"He's doing a great job and we are very grateful to him."