German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged Donald Trump not to pursue a Ukraine peace deal “above Europe’s head”, as he offered to host talks with Washington on potential territorial concessions to Russia to secure a ceasefire.

Cyprus joined the EU in 2004 as a war-divided island and could offer Ukraine a blueprint for accession. The island will take over the EU’s rotating presidency from Denmark on Jan. 1 and has promised to continue work on Ukraine’s bid.

Ukraine said Thursday its long-range drones had struck a major offshore oil platform in the Caspian Sea this week, signalling an expansion of its target list in a mounting campaign to cut off Russian energy revenues funding its war.

Undisclosed appendices to current peace proposals detail the Trump administration’s plan to unlock frozen Russian funds held in Europe and bring Moscow in from the cold.

European Union leaders have committed to funding Ukraine's economic and military needs for the next two years.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he and European leaders discussed proposals to end the war in Ukraine in “pretty strong terms” Wednesday.

Ukraine struck an oil tanker belonging to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet in the Black Sea on Wednesday, according to an official in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).