The White House has said president Donald Trump “believes” Vladimir Putin is winning the war with Ukraine.The statement follows a Washington Post report that Mr Trump told European leaders after a phone call with Mr Putin that the Russian president is not ready to end the war.

P resident Trump asked an aide to dim the lights of the Oval Office, and then, with a line of reporters in the room, proceeded to ambush the leader of South Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa and his delegation watched in stunned silence at footage that Trump believed supported his claims that Ramaphosa’s government was turning a blind eye to violence against white Afrikaners.

Russia said on Wednesday its air defences shot down more than 370 Ukrainian drones, including some approaching Moscow, and the capital's airports were briefly shut down to ensure the safety of flights...

Trump has cut all U.S. assistance to South Africa and welcomed several dozen white South African farmers to the U.S. as refugees.