Ukraine-Russia war: US ‘to consider expanding Trump-led Gaza Board of Peace to Ukraine’

Ukraine says Russia has suffered about 1.23 million troop losses since launching its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, including 1,130 casualties in the past day, the Kyiv Independent reported.

According to Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Russia has also lost 11,569 tanks, 23,914 armoured fighting vehicles, 74,601 vehicles and fuel tanks, 36,261 artillery systems, 1,615 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,278 air defence systems, 434 airplanes, 347 helicopters, 108,605 drones, 28 ships and boats, and two submarines.

The Trump administration has been mulling the idea of expanding the Gaza “Board of Peace” to include Ukraine and other conflict-torn countries, the Financial Times reported.

The so called Gaza “Board of Peace” plan is modeled off US president Donald Trump’s plans for post-war reconstruction of Gaza.

The details of the plan are not known.

Trump first announced the creation of a Gaza Board of Peace on 15 January in a post on Truth Social, signaling the start of the second phase of a US-led plan aimed at establishing long-term peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The board, to be chaired by Trump, is expected to take temporary charge of Gaza’s administration and reconstruction efforts.

Trump named several world leaders to the board, including World Bank president Ajay Banga and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney.

The full list is expected to be unveiled next week at the World Economic Forum in Davos and includes senior figures involved in Ukraine–Russia peace talks, such as special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

A person briefed on the proposal told FT that the Trump administration views the concept “as a potential substitute for the UN… a kind of parallel unofficial body to deal with other conflicts beyond Gaza.”

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that allied supplies of air defence systems and missiles were insufficient, warning that Russia was preparing new large-scale strikes.

In his evening address, Zelensky said it was crucial that Ukraine’s partners heed Kyiv’s requests for additional support.

The Trump administration has been mulling the idea of expanding the Gaza “Board of Peace” to include Ukraine and other conflict-torn countries, the Financial Times reported.

A senior Kyiv official involved in talks with Washington said a separate “board of peace” is being discussed as part of proposals to end Russia’s war, reported the Financial Times.

The so called Gaza “Board of Peace” plan is modeled off US president Donald Trump’s plans for post-war reconstruction of Gaza.

The details of the plan are not known.

Trump first announced the creation of a Gaza Board of Peace on 15 January in a post on Truth Social, signaling the start of the second phase of a US-led plan aimed at establishing long-term peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The board, to be chaired by Trump, is expected to take temporary charge of Gaza’s administration and reconstruction efforts.

Trump named several world leaders to the board, including World Bank president Ajay Banga and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney.

The full list is expected to be unveiled next week at the World Economic Forum in Davos and includes senior figures involved in Ukraine–Russia peace talks, such as special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

A person briefed on the proposal told FT that the Trump administration views the concept “as a potential substitute for the UN… a kind of parallel unofficial body to deal with other conflicts beyond Gaza.”

The Czech Republic is set to provide Ukraine with combat aircraft capable of shooting down incoming drones in the near term, president Petr Pavel told Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky during talks in Kyiv on Friday.

Pavel did not provide details, but said two years ago that Czech-made subsonic L-159 fighter jets could be transferred to Ukraine, which has been fighting a full-scale Russian invasion for nearly four years.

“The Czech Republic can, in a relatively short time, provide several medium combat aircraft that are highly effective against drones, and I believe we can conclude this issue quickly and successfully,” Pavel said at a joint news conference with Zelensky.

He added that Prague may also supply early-warning systems, including passive radars.

Pavel, a former army general and former head of Nato’s military committee, has been a strong supporter of Ukraine and of a Czech-led initiative to supply Kyiv with large-calibre ammunition funded by Western donors.

A new Czech government led by populist Andrej Babis has agreed to continue the initiative but has pledged not to provide national funding for military aid to Ukraine.

The Czech military operates 24 L-159 aircraft in single- and two-seat configurations, primarily for training and ground-support roles. Its main fighter jets are 14 Swedish Saab JAS-39 Gripens, and it has ordered 24 US-made F-35 fighters, with deliveries expected after 2030.

Under the previous government, the Czech Republic supplied Ukraine with heavy equipment, including tanks and helicopters from army stocks, and received compensation from NATO allies as it rearmed with Western systems.

A Ukrainian delegation is heading to the United States for talks on security guarantees and a post-war recovery package, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday, adding that the documents could be signed on the sidelines of next week’s World Economic Forum in Davos.

Zelensky said Kyiv also wants clarity from Washington on Russia’s position toward US-backed peace efforts to end the nearly four-year war.

A White House official told the Kyiv Independent that the Ukrainian delegation is expected to meet US special envoy Steve Witkoff, as well as president Donald Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Ukraine hopes to gain greater clarity on “documents that we have actually drafted with the American side, and on Russia’s response to all this diplomatic work,” Zelensky said at a joint news conference with Czech President Petr Pavel in Kyiv.

“We have worked well with the American side, we are just not on the same side on some issues,” he said.

Zelensky accused Moscow of stalling peace efforts, citing recent strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. “They are not interested in agreements, but in the further destruction of Ukraine,” he said.

He also urged faster delivery of air defence aid, saying some systems had run out of missiles. “We need to fight for these packages with blood, with people’s lives,” Zelensky said.

Ukrainian capital Kyiv is only left with half the electricity it needs for its population as it faces the most severe wartime energy crisis following waves of Russian attacks on its infrastructure, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Kyiv, one of Eastern Europe’s largest cities, requires 1,700 megawatts of electricity to power the services for its 3.6 million people, Klitschko told Reuters.

Klitschko said the current energy crisis was the most difficult challenge facing the capital in nearly four years since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

“It’s the first time in the history of our city that, in such severe frosts, most of the city was left without heating and with a huge shortage of electricity,” Klitschko, a former world heavyweight boxing champion, said in an interview in his office at the heart of Kyiv.

Bitter cold weather with icy rain and snow exacerbated the challenges. Nighttime minimum temperatures have dipped to -17C in Kyiv this week.

Klitschko said Ukraine’s international partners had rushed in additional generators, and repair teams had worked round the clock to restore heating following a Russian strike last week that knocked out supplies to 6,000 apartment buildings.

About 100 buildings still have no heating, he said.

“We’re not just working during the day now, we’re working at night too,” he said. “There is no such thing as the start and end of the working day for us.”

David Lammy has insisted the UK stands “shoulder to shoulder” with Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv.

The deputy prime minister visited Ukraine’s capital to mark the first anniversary of a 100-year partnership agreement between the two countries, aimed at fostering closer defence and trade ties among other things.

During the trip, Mr Lammy visited a site struck by Russian missiles, spoke at a summit of business leaders, and met Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky.

The visit came as the government announced it was giving Ukraine a further £20 million to help bolster its energy infrastructure, a prime target of Russian strikes.

“I am privileged to be here to mark the first anniversary of our 100-year partnership because Ukraine’s security is our security,” Mr Lammy said during the visit.

He added: “This is more than just solidarity. Our friendship is a shared stand against Russian aggression across Europe.

“But today we go further: unlocking investment, deepening joint action, and reaffirming our leadership of the Coalition of the Willing. The UK and Ukraine stand shoulder to shoulder as true partners for freedom, committed to a just peace and a stronger, safer future for both our nations.”

Writing on social media, Mr Zelensky said he and the deputy PM had “discussed Russia’s daily missile strikes on our energy infrastructure and ways to strengthen protection against them”.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Friday it had secured an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to implement a localised ceasefire to allow repairs to begin on the last remaining backup power line to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

“The IAEA continues to work closely with both sides to ensure nuclear safety at the ZNPP and to prevent a nuclear accident during the conflict,” director general Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement on Friday.

Zaporizhzhia which is the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe was occupied by Russian forces in March 2022.

The plant’s six reactors have been shut down since the occupation but it still needs electricity to keep its nuclear fuel safely cooled.