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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Helen Livingstone (now) and Donna Ferguson, Jakub Krupa and Yohannes Lowe (earlier)

Eight injured after drone strikes apartment block in Kharkiv – as it happened

Sir Keir Starmer European Union United Kingdom Volodymyr Zelenksyy Europe Ukraine

This blog is now closing. In the meantime you can read our full report on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the UK here, all our Ukraine coverage here, and a rundown of key developments below:

'We understand the importance of America,' Zelenskyy says

Kyiv understands “the importance of America” and “there hasn’t been a single day when we haven’t felt grateful” to the US, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said in his nightly video address to the nation. He said:

Of course, we understand the importance of America, and we are grateful for all the support we have received from the United States. There hasn’t been a single day when we haven’t felt grateful. Because this is gratitude for the preservation of our independence: our resilience in Ukraine is built upon what our partners do for us and for their own security.

The Ukrainian president also said there would be “diplomacy for peace. And for the sake of all of us standing together – Ukraine, the whole of Europe, and necessarily America.”

There was “clear support” from Europe for Ukraine, he said “even greater unity, even stronger readiness for cooperation” adding that “everyone is united on the main point – for peace to be real, real security guarantees are needed.”

He said Europe would shape its common positions in the near future, “the lines we must achieve and the lines we cannot compromise on”, and that these would be presented to “our partners in the United States”.

An oil refinery in the Russian city of Ufa is on fire, the state-run Ria news agency is reporting, citing the regional branch of Russia’s emergency ministry.

The ministry said there was no threat to nearby residents according to Ria.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire but Ukraine’s Kyiv Post suggested it was a Ukrainian drone strike, writing on X “Russian air defense has failed. Again.”

It was not possible to verify either report independently. Ufa is in the republic of Bashkortostan, hundreds of miles from the border with Ukraine.

The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, also spoke to the media in Canberra just a moment ago. Referring to Ukraine, Albanese said support for the nation is “an issue of doing what is right but also what is in Australia’s national interests”.

The brave people of Ukraine led so extraordinarily by President Zelenskyy are fighting not just for their national sovereignty and for their democracy, they are fighting for the international rule of law.

And it is an easy choice that Australia has made – it’s a bipartisan position that Australia has had – we have contributed $1.5bbn of support, $1.3bn of which is military support.

As leaders finished their talks in the UK, the war in Ukraine continues. A Russian drone struck a multi-storey apartment building late on Sunday in Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, triggering a fire and injuring eight people, the city’s mayor said. Reuters reports:

Kharkiv resisted capture in the early days of Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and has since been a frequent target of air attacks. A medical centre was damaged in one of several drone strikes in the city on Friday.

Mayor Ihor Terekhov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said the fire triggered by Sunday’s attack spread to several apartments on the top floor of the building.

None of the injured had required hospital treatment, he said. Three other residential buildings were damaged, with well over 100 windows smashed. Emergency crews were working at the site, the mayor added.

When Zelenskyy spoke to reporters at Stansted before flying out of the UK, he seemed in good spirits, Reuters reports.

Zelenskyy said he did not think the US would stop its assistance to Ukraine because as “leaders of the civilised world” they would not want to help Putin.

But he said he remained prepared for any outcome.

“As regards salvaging the relationship, I think our relationship will continue,” Zelenskyy said, speaking via a translator.

Updated

Some more details have emerged about Zelenskyy’s meeting with King Charles at Sandringham.

The president and the king had tea together for nearly an hour.

Zelenskyy arrived on the estate by military helicopter and then was taken by a motorcade through the grounds to Sandringham House, where the king greeted him at the doorstep.

They embraced and shook hands before chatting briefly and posing for photos, PA news agency reports.

The monarch then received Zelenskyy in Sandringham’s Saloon room, where tea was served.

Zelenskyy later posted on X that he was “grateful to His Majesty Charles III for the audience”, alongside pictures of the Ukrainian flag and the union jack.

Updated

Some more photos from today’s summit:

Updated

Leonid Slutsky, chair of Russia’s lower house’s committee on international affairs, has said the summit would not save Zelenskyy, Reuters reports.

“The London summit will not save the ringleader of the Ukrainian Nazis,” Slutsky wrote on Telegram. “Zero results, a failed attempt to restore the clown’s political reputation after his resounding failure in Washington.”

Updated

A Russian politician dismissed the summit in London today for producing “no plan” to settle the war in Ukraine and said Kyiv’s only hope for the future was an improvement in ties between Moscow and Washington, according to Reuters.

Writing on the Telegram messaging app, Konstantin Kosachev, head of the foreign affairs committee of Russia’s upper house of parliament, derided the outcome of the London meeting as “a desperate attempt to pass off as success the failure of a 10-year policy of inciting Ukraine towards Russia by the same Great Britain and, until recently, the United States”.

“Europe has no plan,” Kosachev wrote, “And if Ukraine should count on something, it can only be on progress (if there is any to come) in Russian-American relations.”

He said Zelenskyy and Starmer “cannot fail to understand this”.

Former Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, writing on X before the end of the summit, dismissed it as a “coven ... to swear allegiance to the Nazi nobodies in Kiev” and a “shameful sight”.

Updated

What we know after London summit – summary

As we approach 11pm in London and midnight in Europe, here’s a recap of all the latest events.

That’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, but our coverage here continues, so stay with us.

Updated

Czech Republic looks to increase defence spending to 3% GDP

Separately, Czech prime minister, Petr Fiala, said in a video update after today’s summit that he will work to increase the country’s defence spending to 3% GDP, from 2.1% in the latest Nato figures.

He also said that leaders taking part in the London talks agreed they would continue to support Ukraine “because the best security guarantee for the future is a strong Ukraine and a strong Ukrainian army”.

Updated

Zelenskyy was also asked about Lindsey Graham’s comments suggesting he should consider resigning the post of the Ukrainian president after his spat with Trump on Friday.

In response, he said he could offer Graham a Ukrainian citizenship, and only then his suggestions on this would “gain weight”.

But until then, the president of Ukraine will continue to be chosen by Ukrainians only, he said.

In another exchange, he added that he would be willing to exchange his presidency for a Nato membership for Ukraine, which he repeated would be the best security guarantee for the country.

Updated

What happened in Oval Office ‘best left to history’, Zelenskyy says

Zelenskyy refused to say what happened after the cameras stopped rolling in the Oval Office on Friday, and before he abruptly left the White House without having lunch or signing the minerals deal.

It has been reported that Trump’s team asked Zelenskyy to leave, though the Ukrainian president said it was best “to leave this to history”.

Updated

Security guarantees needed so Russia cannot violate peace deal again, Zelenskyy says

Speaking about the security guarantees for Ukraine, Zelenskyy stressed the importance of them being strong enough to be convincing for ordinary Ukrainians, who have first-hand experience of seeing previous agreements violated by Russia.

He raised concerns that if there are no hard guarantees, Russia would soon rush to restart hostilities, falsely claiming that the Ukrainians violated the deal.

“And who will win it that case? Russians. Not us for sure, not the US for sure … not the European colleagues, for sure,” he said.

Updated

Defiant Zelenskyy refuses to apologise to Trump, but wants to move conversation forward

A defiant but tactful President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused to apologise to Donald Trump after Friday’s spat in the White House, and declared that the row in the Oval Office “did not bring anything positive” to peace for Ukraine.

Speaking to journalists only in Ukrainian at the end of a two-day visit to the UK, the president said that when such delicate negotiations are held in public “foes can take advantage of them” though he said he hoped the row would eventually pass.

The Ukrainian leader would not say whether he believed he had been ambushed when he was berated by the US president and the vice-president, JD Vance, and insisted he would talk to Trump again if “invited to solve the real issues”.

However, when he was asked if would go back to the White House to “try again” to obtain clearcut US support in talks to end the three-year war with Russia, Zelenskyy said sharply he hadn’t “come to try” on his most recent visit.

He added: “I travelled in the train for 12 hours, then for 11 hours I flew because the president of the US invited me. The US is one of our main partners, and for me it is a show of respect to be in the White House when the president of the US invites me.”

Zelenskyy was speaking just before flying out of the UK, which came immediately after the disastrous White House meeting on Friday, where he was accused of not being grateful for US military support and told Ukraine could not win the war.

The Ukrainian leader said that were no communications at his level with the White House since the meeting, but said that a deal for the US to jointly exploit minerals in his country was now ready to sign.

He also said that he believed that an Anglo-French-led peace effort, discussed by European leaders in London on Sunday, would bear fruit “in the coming weeks” and indicated there were supportive declarations from other countries – such as Turkey, the Balts and the Nordics – to get involved.

The conference in London also discussed “what security guarantees could be given to Ukraine”, Zelenskyy said, adding that there had “been a very good start” in Sunday’s discussion, and a number of countries would soon “speak for themselves”.

But while he said he was aware of a proposal from France and Britain to for a one-month truce in the fighting, he would not say if he supported it. Speaking at the end of the interview he gave his only answer in English: “I am aware of everything.”

Ukraine “will never” recognise any Russian annexation of territory it occupies, even if it is to try to secure a peace deal, Zelenskyy added, and he repeated that he would only accept a ceasefire if it was followed by robust security guarantees that had the confidence of his country’s people.

Though Russia has said it will insist on incorporating territories that it occupies, for Ukraine it would always be “a temporary occupation”, Zelenskyy insisted, even if his country lacks the military muscle to expel Russia from all of the country at the moment.

​Zelenskyy said what he wanted “from partners” – a clear reference to the US White House – was for them to remember that Russia launched the full-scale invasion of his country three years ago. He did not want politicians rewriting history, he said, to suggest “that there are two parties in this war and it is vague who the aggressor is”.

The Ukrainian president appeared to provoke Trump on Friday when he had said that Putin “hates us” and “thinks we are not a nation”. Trump had spoken in Putin’s defence, and appeared to blame Zelenskyy for being embroiled in the war with his larger neighbour.

The Ukrainian leader refused to say what happened after the cameras stopped rolling in the Oval Office on Friday, and before he abruptly left the White House without having lunch or signing the minerals deal. It has been reported that Trump’s team asked Zelenskyy to leave, though the Ukrainian president said it was best “to leave this to history”.

Updated

Ukraine wouldn’t agree to give occupied territories away to Russia, Zelenskyy says

Zelenskyy also rejected a suggestion he could sign a peace deal giving away the Russian occupied territories, saying it would be “a forceful separation of our lands” and “a coercion” risking further hostilities in the future.

“I think that those countries … supporting us, or perhaps that want to be intermediaries in this war, [that] they understand that if the war is ended in an unfair way, then it will be a matter of time before people will try to get this justice,” he said.

“We don’t want anything that does not belong to us,” he stressed.

Updated

Our defence and security editor Dan Sabbagh was in the room where Ukraine’s Zelenskyy debriefed the press on the events of the last few days.

We will bring you his first report shortly.

Zelenskyy says minerals deal is ready to be signed as he seeks to move conversation on from White House spat

Asked by reporters about his White House trip on Friday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy talked about the difficulty of conducting any sensitive negotiations in public.

In a clip broadcast by the BBC, he said that it “was not right” to hold such talks completely open, as “foes can take advantage” of any disagreements between allies.

He said he did not want to talk about the spat, but instead was focused on moving on to “constructive” talks about the future.

“If we are constructive, the positive result will come,” he said.

He was also asked if he was ready to “go back and try again” to discuss these issues with Trump, prompting a reaction from Zelenskyy.

“I did not come to try. I travelled in the train for 12 hours, then I flew for 11 hours, because the president of the United States invited me, and that is one of our main partners. For me, it is a gesture of respect to be in the White House, when the president invites me,” he said.

He insisted that he never meant to “insult” anyone, and was always focused on bipartisan talks with all parties in the US.

But he said that it was “very important for me that Ukrainian position is heard”, but his focus was on moving on for “constructive” engagement with the US.

Zelenskyy said the deal on minerals was now ready to be signed.

The president also insisted on remembering that Russia was the aggressor in this conflict, and said he “would not want this war … to be presented in some new light, that there are two parties at war, and it is vague who is the aggressor.”

Notably, Zelenskyy spoke through an interpreter, and refused to speak in English.

Updated

Ukraine's Zelenskyy giving his reaction after turbulent week

We are now getting first comments from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy who spoke with reporters before leaving London, after 48 hours in the UK.

I will bring you the key lines shortly.

Macron suggests limited one-month truce ‘in air, on seas and in attacks on energy infrastructure’

French president, Emmanuel Macron, said he and Keir Starmer suggested a one-month truce “in the air, on the seas, and on energy infrastructure” to get more time to de-escalate the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

Macron said that a limited truce was needed, as he conceded it would be “very difficult” to police a complete ceasefire given the length of the frontline.

In an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, he suggested that any deployment of European troops on the ground would only follow later, “not in the coming weeks”, once the two sides negotiate the details of the deal.

“We want peace. But we don’t want it at any price, without guarantees,” he said.

Macron also spoke about the need to relax EU fiscal rules to allow countries to spend more, and use “innovative” financing to fund defence spending.

The French president suggested that EU countries should aim to spend 3 to 3.5% of GDP on defence spending to meet the current needs, way above the existing 2% Nato target.

Updated

Friedrich Merz backs Starmer and Macron’s efforts on Ukraine

Presumed next German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, reacted to today’s summit in London thanking Britain’s prime minister Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron for their efforts to “bring a lasting and just peace to Ukraine”.

“Your efforts are key to build bridges across the Atlantic. We have to remain united in our goal to end Russia’s war of aggression,” he said.

Updated

Europe works together on ‘basis for cooperation with America,’ Zelenskyy says on social media

Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posted a brief update after today’s talks on his social media accounts, acknowledging “the strong support for Ukraine and our people”.

He said that European leaders were working together to create “a reliable basis for cooperation with America for the sake of real peace and guaranteed security”.

He said that European unity was “at an extremely high level”, not seen in “a long time.”

He also expressed his thanks to “all our friends and partners” for their support.

Updated

Support Ukraine, hit Russia with sanctions, rearm Europe, Denmark's Frederiksen says

Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, told the TV2 television that Europe needed to find a way forward while continuing to support Ukraine – including further military support “here and now” to keep fighting against Russia.

She said that discussions on what security guarantees could be offered were now under way, and would be developed over the coming weeks.

She said her government was keeping “an open mind” on any involvement of Danish troops in peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, but she warned it would not be possible “to guard every centimetre” of the ceasefire line and further guarantees would be needed.

In a separate social media post, Frederiksen added that the leaders agreed on three things: making Ukraine “as strong as possible” with further supply of weapons, further weakening of Russia’s economy through sanctions, and rearming European countries.

“European unity is strong. That makes me optimistic. Because we need it more than ever,” she said.

Updated

‘We are all determined to take action for strong, lasting peace,’ Macron says

French president, Emmanuel Macron, has offered his take on today’s talks in London in a one-line comment on social media.

He posted a photo of all leaders involved in the summit and said:

At the table in London, we are all determined to take action for a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine and to ensure our collective security.

Updated

We need to avoid divisions between western countries on Ukraine, Meloni says

Speaking to Italian reporters after the meeting, Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni praised the talks on a “very delicate, complex” situation, saying that the key aim for her was to not allow for the west to be divided in its preferred approach to resolving the crisis.

She praised Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for his “rational” analysis despite the explosive meeting in the Oval Office on Friday, and said he was looking for solutions out of this situation.

She said there was no single specific plan for deployment on troops yet, but more general ideas that still need to be discussed further, but she confirmed there are no plans for sending Italian troops to Ukraine.

Meloni added that the focus was on finding a path to a “lasting” peace, urging leaders to “think outside the box” on potential transatlantic solutions that wound not necessarily involve a membership of Nato.

She also voiced her scepticism about the idea of a European nuclear umbrella, as she warned it could lead to a “disengagement” by the US.

Updated

What we know after London summit – summary

Updated

Dutch prime minister, Dick Schoof, has posted a social media update with his thoughts after today’s summit.

He said that “a safe Ukraine is in the interest of all of Europe and therefore also of the Netherlands”, as he said that European unity is “more important then ever”.

He called for “continued support for Ukraine”, and a European plan for “robust security guarantees” and deterrence against Russia.

“Good transatlantic relations are also indispensable here,” he added.

Updated

European Council president, António Costa, has also offered his reaction after leaving Lancaster House.

He said he would continue to work with all European leaders on next steps ahead of the European Council on 6 March.

The European Union is ready to work with all our European partners and other allies in the peace plan [for] Ukraine that ensure a just and lasting peace for Ukrainian people.

We must learn from the past. We cannot repeat the Minsk experience. We cannot repeat at all Afghanistan’s tragedy, and we need for this strong security guarantees and peace making go hand in hand with peacekeeping.

We will continue to work on this to ensure a lasting peace.

Updated

Post-cold war order ‘upended’ and increase in defence spending needed, Trudeau says

Trudeau also gets questions about Canada’s defence spending, which remains below the 2% Nato target (1.37% as per last Nato data).

He says “the world has changed”, as “the time of peace that we had after the cold war has been upended”.

“It is now necessary for countries to be spending significantly more on defence, and Canada is no exception,” he says.

He also is asked about whether he sees the US under Trump as an ally, and he strongly defends the relationship, saying the US “will always be an ally”.

Updated

Starmer’s comments after Ukraine summit – highlights

Canada’s Trudeau backs Zelenskyy’s comments

Trudeau offers his strong backing for Ukraine’s Zelenskyy when asked what he thought of the way the Ukrainian leader was treated during the talks with the US administration in the Oval Office on Friday.

Here is what he said:

It’s important at every chance we get to lay out the facts as clearly as possible.

In 2014 Russia chose to invade Ukraine, to occupy Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine. For that, they were kicked out of the G7 and in 2022 they chose to violate the existing cease fire and invaded Ukraine with the intention of taking Kyiv in three days and the entire country in three weeks.

That has failed.

Russia continues to try to fight to claim more land in Ukraine.

We could see an end to this war tomorrow if Russia decided to stop its illegal invasion of Ukraine.

On Friday in the Oval Office, President Zelenskyy pointed out in so many words that Vladimir Putin is a liar and a criminal and cannot be trusted to keep his word in any way, shape or form, because he has demonstrated time and time again that he will break any agreements.

I stand with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and I stand with the people of Ukraine.

Updated

‘Everything is on the table,’ Trudeau says when asked about Canada's troops in Ukraine

Canada’s Trudeau says the country “has been one of the strongest countries in support of Ukraine from the beginning”, having trained “up to 40,000 Ukrainian troops”

Asked specifically if Canada could offer troops to any peacekeeping force, he says:

Canada has looked at the ways it can best help and as I’ve said a few days ago, everything’s on the table …

We’re not going to get ahead of the discussions on how to keep a peace that isn’t yet in place, but Canada will be there and is open to doing what is necessary.

Trudeau also says he will meet with King Charles on Monday, and will discuss issues of importance.

I can tell you that nothing seems more important to Canadians right now than standing up for our sovereignty and our independence as a nation.

Updated

Zelenskyy meets King Charles in Sandringham – more pictures

Updated

Canada’s Trudeau speaks to media after summit

Let’s listen in.

Updated

Zelenskyy meets with King Charles – first pictures

Updated

More details on £1.6bn export funding contract to help Ukraine

We’re now getting more details on the new £1.6bn export funding contract for Ukraine, from the UK government.

The new arrangement “will provide a major boost to the UK economy and support 700 existing jobs at Thales in Belfast, which will manufacture more than 5,000 lightweight-multirole missiles (LMM) for Ukraine’s defence”, it said.

The deal will see production of LMMs at Thales’s factory treble and will also benefit companies in the Thales Supply Chain across the UK – putting more money in working people’s pockets.

It is the largest contract ever received by Thales in Belfast and the second largest MOD has placed with Thales, building on a previous contract with Thales, signed in September 2024 for 650 missiles. The first batch of missiles were delivered before Christmas, and this new contract will continue deliveries.

In total, the new export financing contact “will enable Ukraine to draw on £3.5bn of export finance to acquire military equipment from UK companies”, it said.

Updated

‘No unity’ on seizing Russian frozen assets in west, Tusk says

Poland’s Tusk also revealed there was “no unity” on seizing Russian assets in the west, as even as all leaders agreed it was a good idea, some countries “feared the consequences either for the euro or the banking system”.

“Poland is very strongly pressing for this, but, let’s be real, as we are not in the eurozone, our voice in this discussion will not be decisive,” he said.

But he insisted on the importance of extending EU sanctions against Russia when they expire, despite Hungary’s threat of a veto.

Updated

Tusk says allies need more developed plan for peace negotiations

Poland’s Tusk also spoke about the need to propose a format for Europe, Turkey and Canada to get involved to put together “a concrete plan for negotiations” with Russia.

“We all get a sense at this moment that no one has a plan for it, and that sense of chaos, makeshift approach … sometimes sparks emotions like we have seen in that unseemly spectacle in Washington a few days ago, which we all would rather avoid,” he said.

He added that leaders needed to “calmly propose a systematic, common” position to shape the future negotiations on behalf of the allied countries.

He also said that he hoped that unity of those who attended would make an impression on Donald Trump and help him look more favourably at some of Ukraine’s requests.

Tusk also revealed that many leaders spoke about their impressions of Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump, with some hitting “gloomy” notes, but all insisting the need for unity.

He also said the leaders did not discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, and once again warned that any such declaration would need to be strictly binding to not offer “false illusion of security”.

He stressed that Poland had no intention to deploy troops to Ukraine.

Updated

West will not surrender to Putin's blackmail, Poland's Tusk says

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk hailed the meeting as “historic,” and said it came at a time of “a great challenge for entire Europe, not just the EU and Ukraine.”

He said there was “no doubt who is the aggressor and who is the aggressed, and who has got Europe on their side, but confirmed there was talk about “taking on more responsibility” for military and defence funding by European countries.

He repeated that Poland is Nato’s top spender with 4.7% GDP, and added that he was happy “that more and more countries go beyond words and declarations … to increase spending.”

He also rejected any suggestions of a lasting rift between Europe and the US, as he insisted “we cannot let it happen.”

“Fortunately, all without any exceptions and regardless of any emotions we may feel, want our transatlantic, EU-US relations to be as strong as possible,” he said.

Talking about next week’s summit of the European Council, he said he was looking at it with “cautious optimism” that it would “send a very clear impulse showing Putin and Russia that no one here, in the west, intends to surrender to his blackmail and aggression.”

Outgoing German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said the meeting was “valuable”, and served as an opportunity to re-affirm Europe’s support for Ukraine as “the victim of Russian aggression”.

He said it was critically important for Ukraine to be in a position to negotiate about its future.

He was also asked about not inviting the presumed next chancellor Friedrich Merz to join him at the summit, and responded that the pair remained in close contact.

Earlier today, Reuters reported that the two main parties in talks to form Germany’s new government are considering quickly setting up two special funds potentially worth hundreds of billions of euros, one for defence and a second for infrastructure.

The hope is that the funds would be approved in March during the current parliament before a new government is formed, the people with knowledge of the talks told Reuters, but no decisions have been made yet.

Updated

That concludes Starmer’s press conference.

Poland’s Tusk and Germany’s Scholz have been speaking in parallel.

I will bring you the key lines from their press conferences now.

Any deal will need to involve Russia, Starmer says

Starmer says that any final deal “will have to involve Russia”, but it should not dictate the guarantees that can be offered to Ukraine given the history of Russian breaches in the past.

“That is precisely the situation that I think we need to avoid this time around, which is why we’re going down this road,” he says.

Updated

Starmer suggests UK-led plan was discussed with Trump

Asked about the US response to what he is proposing, Starmer hints that he discussed this with US president, Donald Trump, in their phone call last night.

He says:

Look, I spoke to President Trump last night.

I’m not going to go through the details of that conversation, but I would not be taking this step down this road if I didn’t think it was something that would yield a positive outcome in terms of ensuring that we move together – Ukraine, Europe, the UK and the US – together towards a lasting peace.

Updated

Starmer: Multiple countries interested in joining mission in Ukraine

Starmer says “a number of countries” indicates they were willing to join the coalition of willing, but says it is up to them to announce that.

He says he accepts “the position of other countries that may not feel that they want to contribute in that way,” but he believes it is necessary to “move forward” and “get some momentum” for peace talks.

Updated

Guarantees needed to avoid further conflict, Starmer says

Starmer also gets asked if he can rule out a conflict between the UK and Russia.

He says that the whole point of the guarantee he is assembling for Ukraine is to guarantee peace and avoid further conflict.

I do not want conflict in Ukraine, in Europe, and certainly not in the United Kingdom. I want stability in the United Kingdom.

The way to ensure that stability is to ensure that we are able to defend a deal in Ukraine, because the one thing our history tells us is that if there is conflict in Europe, it will wash up on our shores.

US not unreliable ally, Starmer insists

Starmer rejects a suggestion that US is now an “unreliable ally” and says that it has been a “reliable ally for many, many decades, and continues to be”.

He says the talks today were on the basis that Europe will work together with the US.

Updated

Leaders to meet again soon as ‘time to act’, Starmer says

We agreed that leaders will meet again very soon to keep the pace behind these actions and to keep working towards this shared plan.

We are at a crossroads in history today.

This is not a moment for more talk. It’s time to act.

Updated

Starmer confirms plans for ‘coalition of willing’ to police any deal in Ukraine

Starmer says that leaders agreed to keep the military aid flowing and increasing the economic pressure on Russia, and they will insist that Ukraine needs to be at the table for any peace talks.

He confirms plans to assemble “a coalition of the willing” to enforce any peace deal, with the UK set to take a leading role.

We will go further develop a coalition of the willing to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee the peace.

Not every nation will feel able to contribute, but that can’t mean that we sit back.

Instead, those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency. The UK is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air, together with others.

Updated

Germany’s Scholz speaks after Ukraine summit

Separately, German chancellor Olaf Scholz is also speaking to the press.

You can follow it here and we will bring you all the key lines shortly.

Updated

Starmer announces £1.6bn package for Ukraine for air missiles

On top of the £2.2bn loan announced yesterday, Starmer now adds another £1.6bn in UK export finance allowing Ukraine “to buy more than 5,000 air defence missiles, which will be made in Belfast, creating jobs in our brilliant defence sector”.

“This will be vital for protecting critical infrastructure now and strengthen Ukraine in securing the peace when it comes because we have to learn from the mistakes of the past. We cannot accept a weak deal like Minsk, which Russia can breach with ease,” he says.

Updated

Starmer says “the first priority of this government, of any government is the security and safety of the British people to defend the national interest, particularly in these volatile times”.

He says he called today’s meeting “to unite our partners around this effort to strengthen Ukraine, and to support a just and enduring peace for the good of all of us”.

“Our starting point must be to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position now so that they can negotiate from a position of strength, and we are doubling down in our support,” he says.

Updated

Starmer speaks after London summit

UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, is speaking now.

I will bring you all the key lines, or you can follow here.

Updated

‘Europe has woken up’, Poland’s Tusk says

Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, has just offered his first reaction to the London summit.

In a social media update, he said that “Europe has woken up” and now “speaks in one voice about the support for Ukraine, the need for close transatlantic cooperation, and strengthening the eastern border” of the EU.

He is expected to speak with the media imminently, too, so we will hear more from him.

Updated

More European defence spending announcements to follow summit, Nato’s Rutte hints

Nato’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, is speaking now after the Lancaster House summit.

He says it was “a very good meeting”, with European countries “stepping up”, both in terms of their own spending, and in support for Ukraine.

He says some countries have already made public statements on increases in their defence spending and “I have every reason to believe that more announcements will follow”.

“Today at the table, I heard new announcements, and I’m not going to announce them to you, because they should do this [themselves], but this was very good news that more European countries will ramp up defence spending,” he says.

He notes that there is no peace deal yet, but “we have to prepare for that moment and make sure that European countries are willing to help out with the security guarantees”.

He says that allies want to “make sure that Putin will never, ever again, try to attack Ukraine”, as he acknowledges that “means that you will have Europeans active in Ukraine, to make sure that that peace is kept that it’s sustainable, that it is enduring, lasting”.

He is then asked about Trump’s comments on Friday in which he said that he believes in article five, but the Baltics are in a “tough neighbourhood”.

He strongly defends Trump as he says:

I have spoken many times with President Trump. He’s a good friend. We’ve worked now for eight years together. Now for four years when he was president first time, and we stayed in touch when he was out of the president’s office.

Of course, we have now re-engaged very actively again, and he is totally committed, as he said many times, to article five to Nato.

So please, let’s stop gossiping about what the US might or might not do; they are in Nato, they are committed to Nato, they’re committed to article five, this is what they consistently say.

Updated

Defence and security editor

Interesting to see Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, arrive by the front entrance to Lancaster House today (15.36).

Zaluzhnyi is generally considered to be the most popular political figure in Ukraine other than president Voldoymyr Zelenskyy, and while his presence in the background of such an event is easily justified, his public entry may also be a coded way of emphasising the country’s political unity.

Zelenskyy, Macron leave Lancaster House

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy and France’s Macron are among the leaders that have just left Lancaster House after today’s talks.

The Ukrainian president is now off to see the British monarch, King Charles, at Sandringham.

Updated

Using somewhat unusual imagery, von der Leyen said that Europeans need to work on “basically turning Ukraine into a steel porcupine that is indigestible for potential invaders”.

Interestingly, it’s word-by-word the same language that was used a few days ago by the former British prime minister, Boris Johnson.

Updated

‘We have to urgently re-arm Europe,’ EU’s von der Leyen says

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is one of the first out the doors, and the first leader to give her first reaction.

She says the leaders had a “good and frank discussion”, discussing what is needed to put Ukraine in a position of strength.

She says Ukraine needs “comprehensive security guarantees”, supporting its economic and military positions.

She says “we urgently have to re-arm Europe”, and the commission will propose a plan on this at the European Council on 6 March, as she says “we really have to step up massively”.

“It is now of utmost importance to step up the defence investment for a prolonged period of time. It’s for the security of the European Union, and we need … in the geostrategic environment in which we live, to prepare for the worst, and therefore stepping up the defences,” she says.

Asked about her message for the US, she said “we are ready, together with you, to defend democracy and the principle that there is a rule of law, that you cannot invade … and bully your neighbour or cannot change borders with force.”

Updated

First leaders are now leaving Lancaster House after today’s talks so it’s not long now before we hear from some of them on what they discussed.

Pro-Ukraine protests in London – in pictures

Updated

Just an update on timing: we are expecting to hear from UK prime minister Keir Starmer at +/- 5pm GMT (6pm CET), with many other national leaders expected to give their separate reactions, too.

We will bring you all the latest when it happens, of course.

Updated

Only Putin benefited from that Trump-Zelenskyy clash, Finland’s Stubb says

Before going into that room inside Lancaster House, Finnish president Alex Stubb has given an interview to the BBC on the events of the last 72 hours.

Speaking about the public disagreement between Zelenskyy, Trump and Vance in the Oval Office on Friday, he said:

I think at the end of the day, there was only one winner of that exchange, that was Vladimir Putin …

The conversations that I’ve had since in the past 72 hours are pretty much about let’s move on. Let’s get back on track. Let’s see what diplomacy can do.

And I’m quite convinced that the meeting that we have here in London today is going to give us the first baby steps back to the table.

He acknowledged that Nato was “shifting” under Trump, with a “more transactional” US, but insisted that it was “still alive and kicking”.

He said that he still believed in US guarantees under Nato, saying he has “heard no language saying that the United States is not committed to Article Five”.

Stubb also praised UK’s Starmer and France’s Macron for showing “the kind of leadership we need in Europe right now” by leading discussions on what Europe can offer as part of a broader peace process.

Let’s see what it looks like, and who can join in. Diplomacy has many different forms, and we’ll see what comes out of it.

Updated

'Zelenskyy would run naked through NYC if that gets him security guarantees,' Denmark defence committee's chair says

Rasmus Jarlov, chair of the Danish parliament Folketing’s defence committee, has just been on Sky News offering his view on what’s next and how Ukraine and Europe can get back into talks with US president Donald Trump.

Here is what he said:

I’m pretty sure that President Zelenskyy would be willing to run naked through New York City if that was required of him to get security, security guarantees and save his country.

It cannot be about emotions and personal egos and about who’s humble enough and who said thank you enough. It must be about what is right and just and what is in the interest of the western world.

He said that the US administration “has been misled by a false narrative that Zelenskyy is a bad guy who is trying to exploit the US, and that Europe are bad guys … and they want to show they are fed up with that.”

But he warned that any peace deal without security guarantees for Ukraine “is not even worth the value of the paper that it’s written on it” as Russian leaders regularly “break their promises, break their treaties, break agreements.”

It seems that Russia already thinks that they’re at war with the West. … If you think that way, then you’re going to attack again. And they will attack the Baltic countries, probably as the first target.

We just cannot have a situation where it’s not made crystal clear to the Russians, that if they do not stop their war, they will be stopped by force.

He then called out some European countries for not paying enough in their defence spending and “not doing their part.”

There is no comparison between the economies of Europe and Russia. It’s like 15 times bigger.

So if Europe stands up and helps Ukraine, there will only be one outcome, and that will be a Ukrainian victory.

But if we are hesitant, like we have been so far, then the Americans are going to stop helping because they think it’s too expensive, and then Ukraine will lose, and that will be a very, very bad outcome for Europe.

European leaders have to stop talking, have to stop tweeting, and they have to start paying, and they have to send the arms to Ukraine right now.

'Guard rails are off' with Trump this time, ex EU commissioner Timmermans warns

Former European Commission vice-president and former Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans has offered his take on Europe’s prospects for dealing with US president Donald Trump just now.

Speaking on CNN, he said:

The guard rails are off, that’s the biggest difference.

In his first mandate, Trump was still more or less guided by experienced people on the right, conservatives, but who still wanted to govern within the rules that had been established for 80 years. So when we negotiated a trade deal, it was done in a way that helped both sides come out victoriously.

But now everything has changed. Trump never loved the EU. He actually hated the EU from the outset, but he knew he had to deal with EU. He called the then president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker a brutal killer, because he was a good negotiator, and he negotiated a good deal.

But that’s all off the table now. It’s Project 2025, and you see it in everything they do and everything they say, and they were just repeating Kremlin lines during the meeting with Zelenskyy.

It was really painful to see.

Updated

As the leaders now talk behind the close doors, let me give you an idea on what to expect next:

  • We’re expecting the talks to conclude and the first press conferences after the summit to begin not before 4 or 4.30pm GMT (5 or 5.30 CET), and potentially even later than that.

  • We will bring you all the key reactions, with statements expected from Starmer, Macron, Tusk, Scholz, and Trudeau, among others.

  • Finally, later today we are also expecting to see Ukraine’s Zelenskyy to go visit the British monarch, King Charles.

We will obviously cover all of this for you here on Europe live.

Updated

Who’s in the room where it happens – family photo

Front row from left:

  • Finland’s president Alexander Stubb

  • France’s president Emmanuel Macron

  • Britain’s prime minister Keir Starmer

  • Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy

  • Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk.

Centre row from left:

  • Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez

  • Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen

  • European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen

  • European Council president Antonio Costa

  • Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau

  • Romania’s interim President Ilie Bolojan.

Back row from left:

  • Nato secretary general Mark Rutte

  • the Netherlands’ prime minister Dick Schoof

  • Sweden’s prime minister Ulf Kristersson

  • Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz

  • Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Store

  • Czech Republic’s prime minister Petr Fiala

  • Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni

  • Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan.

Updated

Ukraine needs security guarantees, Zelenskyy stresses after talks with Italy's Meloni

Just as the talks get under way, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy has posted his thoughts after a separate, bilateral meeting with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni earlier today.

He warned that “no one other than Putin is interested in the continuation and quick return of the war,” as he reiterated his call for security guarantees for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said:

I had a productive meeting with the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy @GiorgiaMeloni to develop a joint action plan for ending the war with a just and lasting peace.

No one other than Putin is interested in the continuation and quick return of the war. Therefore, it is important to maintain unity around Ukraine and strengthen our country’s position in cooperation with our allies – the countries of Europe and the United States.

Ukraine needs peace backed by robust security guarantees.

I am grateful to Italy for its continued support and partnership in bringing peace in Ukraine closer.

Europe faces ‘once in a generation’ moment for its security, Starmer says

Opening the summit, UK prime minister Keir Starmer – flanked by France’s Macron and Ukraine’s Zelenskyy – highlights last night’s warm reception for the Ukrainian president as he arrived at No 10 with a group of supporters cheering him on the street outside.

“We are all with you, with Ukraine, for as long as it takes,” he says.

But he warns that “this is a once in a generation moment for the security of Europe”, as he says that “getting a good outcome for Ukraine is not just a matter of right or wrong; it’s vital for security of every nation here and many others too.”

He adds that he spoke with the Baltic nations earlier, as they are “obviously part of our discussion” too.

Starmer says that he intends to work on a plan for Ukraine to “then discuss that with the US and take it forward together”.

Today’s talks will focus on “how we can deliver just, enduring peace together”, he says, and how to support Ukraine “because even while Russia talks about peace, they are continuing their relentless aggression”.

Updated

Talks under way at Lancaster House as all leaders are in

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez is the last leader to arrive and I think we now have a full house at Lancaster House as the talks between world leaders get under way.

Interestingly, it looked like Ukrainian ambassador to the UK and former commander in chief of Ukrainian armed forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi, tipped to be a potential candidate in future Ukrainian presidential elections, has just got in too, arriving in the same way as other leaders, through the main entrance (unlike other ambassadors).

Is this a part of the usual diplomatic protocol for these events, or could this be a way of responding to US (and Russian) comments on Ukrainian elections to send a signal that whoever is the future Ukrainian leader is aligned with what is being discussed in London today?

Updated

Zelenskyy arrives at London Ukraine summit

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just arrived at the summit, welcomed by Starmer with a big hug, and the two had a brief chat ahead of the meeting.

If you heard a loud cheer for Zelenskyy, it’s because of a pro-Ukrainian demonstration standing just outside the security cordon.

Pro-Ukraine demonstration near summit venue - in pictures

Just a few hundred metres from where the summit is taking place, a group of pro-Ukrainian demonstrators wanted to show their support for the country and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Here are some pictures from The Mall in central London.

Updated

Important for Baltics to be involved, Latvia's Siliņa says in a pointed remark after call with Starmer

Latvian prime minister Evika Siliņa has now offered her take on the Baltic leaders’ call with Keir Starmer too.

Here is what she said (note a pointed reference to the importance of the Baltics being involved, given they didn’t get an invite to the summit):

Had a good conversation with the @Keir_Starmer.

It’s important that the Baltic States are involved, while strengthening transatlantic ties and making Europe more secure. We got reassurances of Allied commitment to NATO Article 5 and defence of the Eastern Flank, and that support to Ukraine will continue. We are also on the same page that Europe must do more on defence.

Updated

More arrivals for Ukraine summit in London - in pictures

More leaders have now arrived at Lancaster House, including European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, outgoing German chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, and Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen…

Leaders of Turkey, the Netherlands, Romania, Finland, and Norway are also in.

'We must come together,' Starmer says after call with Baltic leaders

As leaders continue to arrive for the summit at Lancaster House, Starmer (or more accurately, his comms team, unless he’s posting from the corridors there) has just posted a picture of him talking to the three Baltic leaders, with his readout from the meeting.

Speaking with President @AlarKaris, Prime Minister @EvikaSilinaand President @GitanasNauseda, we agreed that we must come together to find a path towards a lasting peace in Ukraine that ensures their sovereignty and is backed up by strong security guarantees.

This is vital for the UK and Europe’s future security.

No comment on the frustration about the fact they didn’t get an invite, though.

Updated

Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan, Czech prime minister Petr Fiala, Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen are among the most recent arrivals.

We are missing a good few leaders, but there’s still plenty of time – the first session is not due to formally start before 2pm GMT (3pm CET).

Leaders' arrivals - in pictures

Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson is the latest leader to enter Lancaster House, so let’s take a look at some of the arrivals so far:

Poland’s Tusk is the second leader in. He’s hobbling a bit after a recent knee injury during a brief skiing trip with his family.

Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte is the third in.

Starmer apologised to Baltics for no invite, Lithuanian president's aide says

I earlier offered you a readout from the call that UK’s Starmer had with leaders of the three Baltic nations. But the fact they were not invited to attend today’s summit in person sparked a bit of a controversy in the region.

The three countries are in the top four contributors of aid for Ukraine if counted as a percentage of GDP, according to the Kiel Institute’s Ukraine Support Tracker.

And chief adviser to Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda, Asta Skaisgirytė, said the leaders made their frustration clear during the call.

She told the Lithuanian LRT Radio that Starmer began their discussion today with an apology, saying that “next time such things will be avoided.”

Skaisgirytė disclosed that the call was also attended by Latvian prime minister Evika Siliņa and Estonian president Alar Karis.

Updated

Leaders arrive at Lancaster House for Ukraine summit

You can follow leaders’ arrivals with us below and at the top of the blog:

Lancaster House, venue of today's summit

Today’s summit takes place in Lancaster House, an official government mansion just a stone’s throw from the Buckingham Palace in central London (in fact, its magnificent hall and staircase doubled for the Palace in Netflix’s The Crown!).

It’s seen a fair few diplomatic summits there (with a number of treaties named after the building), and Theresa May’s first Brexit speech in 2017.

It is also an important place in the context of Nato: it is in Lancaster House where foreign ministers of the 12 founding nations discussed the aims, objectives and structure of the organisation in 1950, as UK foreign ministry noted.

If you fancy feeling like one of the leaders attending today, you can tour the building here.

Updated

France's Macron first leader to arrive for Ukraine summit

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has just left Downing Street 10 after bilateral talks with Starmer.

And just seconds later, the UK prime minister and today’s host, Keir Starmer, walked into Lancaster House, the venue of today’s summit, and is hanging around the entrance to welcome the first leaders.

French president Emmanuel Macron is the first to arrive.

Updated

'US and Ukraine should return to table,' Lithuanian president says after talks with Starmer, Baltic leaders

Earlier today, UK prime minister Keir Starmer also met with representatives of the three Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda posted a readout from their meeting, saying “the US and Ukraine should return to the negotiation table, together with Europeans,” but also backing Tusk’s comments earlier on prioritising Nato’s eastern flank.

Had an important discussion with UK Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer and other Baltic leaders.

My takeaways:

- We should not spare our effort to maintain a strong transatlantic bond.

- US and Ukraine should return to the negotiation table, together with Europeans.

- Nato eastern flank safety is a priority.

- European peace enforcement - a possible element of security guarantees for Ukraine.

Hello, it’s Jakub Krupa in London now, taking over from the brilliant Yohannes Lowe after a very busy morning to guide you through the afternoon, as we’re getting closer to the start of the summit.

I will bring you all the latest throughout the day, including the leaders’ press conferences and statements after the summit.

Stay with us on Europe Live.

We have some quotes now from Keir Starmer’s meeting with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni in London.

Speaking in Downing Street, Meloni said that in a “precious moment” it is “very important to talk to each other, to co-ordinate”.

Talking about the summit, she was quoted by the PA news agency as having said:

We are all very committed about a goal that we all want to achieve, which is a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

I think it is very, very important that we avoid the risk that the West divides. I think on this the UK and Italy can play an important role in bridge-building.

Starmer said it’s “fantastic” to have Meloni in the UK. The British prime minister said:

I am very much looking forward to having the opportunity today to talk to you about the important issues that face us - I think we approach them with a very similar mindset.

Updated

We have sone quotes from the Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala as he heads to London for the defence summit.

“The goal for all of us is a just peace, a peace that holds,” he told reporters.

“We have to, even more, militarily help Ukraine, and we have to in the future make Ukraine militarily stronger, because only that will be a guarantee of long-term peace.”

Fiala, who has said only a well-armed Europe can ensure long-term peace in the continent, believes European countries should use money from frozen Russian assets for further military aid to Ukraine and relax its fiscal rules to boost defence spending.

He says Czech defence spending must grow to 3% of GDP in the coming years (from around 2% in 2024) to reflect the new geopolitical realities.

Leaders from France, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey, Finland, Sweden and Romania are also among those who have been invited to the critical London summit on defence and security today.

Updated

Giorgia Meloni arrives in Downing Street ahead of defence summit

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, who could offer a possible bridge between the Trump administration and Europe, has arrived in Downing Street ahead of the defence summit hosted by British prime minister Keir Starmer.

The Italian leader spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump yesterday evening. Her office said the call was held “in view of her meeting in London tomorrow with the President of Ukraine,” offering no further details.

Highly indebted Italy is projecting its defence spending will hit 1.61% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2027. That is below a current 2% Nato alliance target, which Trump wants raised to 5%.

Meloni, who came to power as a staunch supporter of Ukraine but has good relationships with the Trump administration, has welcomed a proposal from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to exclude defence from EU limits on government spending.

Starmer has committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027, up from the current 2.3 percent rate. He will likely be urging other European countries to also boost their defence spending as the US expects Europe to take the lead in defending Ukraine.

Updated

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, says she will “highlight Europe’s ongoing support to Ukraine” during the London defence summit.

In a post on X, von der Leyen wrote:

On my way to London to highlight Europe’s ongoing support to Ukraine that can lead to just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

The path to peace is strength. Weakness breeds more war. We will support Ukraine, while undertaking a surge in European defence.

The European Commission president last week announced that the bloc will allocate €3.5bn to Ukraine in March.

Kremlin says Russia's and US foreign policies are in alignment

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said the “foreign policy” of Washington and Moscow is broadly aligned now Donald Trump is in office.

“The new (US) administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations. This largely coincides with our vision,” Peskov said, according to a post by state TV reporter Pavel Zarubin on Sunday on the Telegram channel.

The Kremlin’s comments come after Trump seemed to blame Kyiv for Moscow’s full-scale invasion, claiming Ukraine could have “made a deal” to avert war, and after the US last week pushed through a UN security council resolution on the war that included no criticism of Russia.

Trump, who has called Zelenskyy, the democratically elected leader of Ukraine, a “dictator” without evidence, has quickly moved to direct talks with Russia that have sidelined Ukraine and alarmed European allies.

Updated

Trump officials fume at Zelenskyy for disregarding advice before meeting

Hugo Lowell is a reporter in the Washington bureau of the Guardian covering Donald Trump and the Justice Department

Inside the Trump White House, officials blamed the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for the meltdown in the Oval Office on Friday, and expressed frustration that he pushed for security guarantees even though the US had made clear they wanted to negotiate that later, according to people familiar with the matter.

The officials had told their Ukrainian counterparts in advance of the meeting that Trump wanted to sign an economic partnership this week at a ministerial level, as aides worked on the details about security guarantees.

Trump saw the minerals deal as the first phase of a broader economic partnership and told aides it showed the US was effectively making a commitment on security guarantees, because the agreement deal would mean the US had a vested interest in Ukraine’s economic prosperity.

The officials believed that had all been communicated to Ukraine, as was the advice that senators gave Zelenskyy on Friday morning to praise Trump and not litigate the issue of wanting stronger security guarantees to his face.

To Trump’s aides, Zelenskyy did not heed that advice when he expressed skepticism at JD Vance’s view of making peace with Russia and, in their view, lectured the US vice-president on the history of Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine that started in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea.

Russia continues deadly attacks on Ukraine as European leaders meet for crucial defence summit

As diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the war ramp up, Russia continues to attack Ukrainian cities.

Russian shelling overnight killed one person and injured two more in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk and Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 79 drones, according to officials.

“Kramatorsk was subjected to hostile shelling - residential district,” city mayor Oleksandr Goncharenko said. “A boy born in 2006 was killed, “ he wrote on Telegram, adding that a man and a woman were also injured.

Ukraine’s air defence units destroyed 63 of the 79 Russian drones that attacked overnight in several Ukrainian regions, the country’s air force said.

A Russian drone attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia in southwestern Ukraine injured one civilian, the governor of the broader Zaporizhzhia region, of which the city is the administrative centre, said.

Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, has said attacks on Ukraine will continue until a deal to stop the fighting is secured that is acceptable to Moscow.

Updated

Polish PM to urge European leaders to increase military presence on Nato's eastern flank

As a reminder, British prime minister Keir Starmer is hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a crucial summit of European leaders later today. Among the attendees to the summit will be Polish prime minister Donald Tusk who has long been urging European countries to step up defence investment.

Our Europe live blogger, Jakub Krupa, has some quotes from Tusk given before he departed for London:

Speaking before his departure for London, Tusk said that “it has to be clear that … Poland is on the side of Ukraine, without any buts,” saying this was in Poland’s national interest.

Tusk also pointedly said that Europe should still work on “the closest possible alliance” with the US, even if the US administration’s position is “not as straightforward as ours” on the Ukraine-Russia war.

He then went on to talk about Europe’s military awakening, calling for increased defence spending as “an additional insurance policy,” while insisting that “being self-reliant does not mean being by itself”.

“A Europe that understands its global potential, its status as a superpower, will not be an alternative to the US, but the most wanted ally. In the end, that’s what Trump wants, for Europe to take much greater responsibility for its security,” he said.

“It’s a paradox, someone rightly pointed this out, that 500 million Europeans are asking 300 million Americans to defend them from 140 millions Russians,” he said.

He then extensively quoted data from the latest report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, showing the military advantage of Europe and Ukraine over Russia.

He also said that he would support Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s plan to call an emergency EU-US summit, and urge partners to increase military presence on the eastern flank of Nato, including in Finland, the Baltics, and in Poland.

Updated

Badenoch says UK should be helping to 'negotiate a peace settlement not a surrender'

Badenoch says the UK should be helping to negotiate "a “peace settlement” not a “surrender”.

“We need to make sure that president Zelenskyy feels that he has autonomy. They are a sovereign country and the principles that we are defending are the freedom of Ukraine and sovereignty,” she told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, adding that it is critical Kyiv is at the table for any so-called peace talks.

Kemi Badenoch said she does not agree that the Oval Office clash was part of an orchestrated “ambush”, as some had suggested, as both Kyiv and Washington were representing their “respective national interests”.

Kemi Badenoch says her 'heart went out' to Zelenskyy during clash with Trump

The leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch, says there is no difference between Labour and Conservative in terms of British support for Ukraine. When asked about the furious exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House, the Conservative party leader said her “heart went out” to the Ukrainian president while she was watching it.

She told the BBC:

I couldn’t believe what was happening. He was being humiliated. I don’t think we should conduct these sort of difficult conservations in front of the cameras and we have to remember that President Zelenskyy is a hero.

He is the person who represents that strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people and whatever difference and difficulties we might have during negotiations we need to be able to set them aside when everyone is watching because the only person who would have liked that wild have been Vladimir Putin.

Updated

Starmer says he does not 'trust' Putin who he warns will 'come again' if given the opportunity

Starmer says he does not “trust” Vladimir Putin, saying the Russian president would “come again” if given the chance. Hence the critical need for “security guarantees”, the UK prime minister said.

Starmer said he does, on the other hand, trust Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump. He was asked in the BBC interview if Zelenskyy has “done anything wrong” and Starmer said he hadn’t, adding that the Ukrainian president has bravely served his country as a wartime leader since Russia’s full-scale invasion was launched in February 2022. Starmer says this is a real “moment of fragility” in Europe.

Updated

US security guarantee for Ukraine is the subject of 'intense' discussion - Starmer

Starmer says he thinks Trump wants to see a lasting peace in Ukraine despite his rhetoric and attitude towards Zelenskyy. “Everybody agrees with that apart from Putin,” he told the BBC. By “lasting peace”, Starmer means a “US backstop”, along with “security guarantees” provided by European countries and a “strong Ukraine” armed with defensive capabilities to resist the Russian invasion.

The security guarantee from the Americans is the subject of “intense” discussion, Starmer said.

He explained:

For me, the components of a lasting peace are a strong Ukraine to fight on, if necessary, to be in a position of strength; to negotiate a European element to security guarantees, and that’s why I’ve been forward-leaning on this about what we would do; and a US backstop.

That’s the package, all three parts need to be in place, and that’s what I’m working hard to bring together.

As the Guardian’s defence and security editor, Dan Sabbagh, notes, Starmer acknowledges that Trump has not committed to a US backstop security guarantee for a European force in Ukraine but says the US and UK are having continuing talks over it.

Updated

Starmer says UK and France will work with Kyiv to present peace plan to Washington

Starmer said that after discussions with Zelenskyy and Macron that there has been an agreement made that the UK, along with France, and “possibly one or two others” will work with Kyiv to stop the war. He said this agreed peace plan will be presented to the US. “I think we’ve got a step in the right direction”, Starmer told Laura Kuenssberg on the BBC.

“We have to find a way that we can all work together. Because, in the end, we’ve had three years of bloody conflict. Now we need to get to that lasting peace,” Starmer said.

“The United Kingdom, along with France and possibly one or two others, will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, and then we’ll discuss that plan with the United States.”

Updated

Starmer says the worst of all outcomes is for Russia to break the terms of an agreed ceasefire deal.

I am clear about is that if there is to be a deal, if there is to be a stopping of the fighting, then that agreement has to be defended, because the worst of all outcomes is that there is a temporary pause, and then Putin comes again.

That has happened in the past. I think it is a real risk, and that is why we must ensure that if there’s a deal, it’s a lasting deal, not a temporary pause.

Starmer says he felt 'uncomfortable' watching Zelenskyy-Trump argument at White House

Keir Starmer has been asked on the BBC about the furious exchange between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump in the White House last week. He admitted that he “felt uncomfortable” watching the argument.

The British prime minister insists the focus has to be a “lasting peace” in Ukraine, which he says is essential for the security of Europe.

When asked about the exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy, he said “nobody wants to see that” and said that he spoke to Trump and Zelenskyy on the phone after the heated exchange.

He would not be drawn on specifics but said the purpose has been to “bridge” tensions to get everyone back to the “central focus” of supporting Ukraine to “stop the fighting” in the long term.

Updated

Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative party, has written in The Telegraph to call for an increase to defence spending among Nato countries. She welcomed Keir Starmer’s plans to increase domestic defence spending to 2.5% of national income by 2027 but said “that step cannot be the final one”. Starmer said the rise from the current 2.3% means £13.4bn more will be spent annually on defence after 2027. It will be paid for by cuts to to foreign aid.

In making his surprise announcement last week, the British prime minister said he wanted defence spending to rise to 3% of GDP in the next parliament, but this would only be guaranteed if his Labour party won the next general election, set for 2029.

Here is an extract from Badenoch’s opinion piece in the Sunday Telegraph:

The exchanges in the White House on Friday are not where that conversation ends. We have honest differences with the Trump administration, which must be resolved.

Because there can be no doubt that we are today living through the most dangerous times we have seen since the worst moments of the Cold War, such as the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Then, the US and the Soviet Union were on the brink of direct military confrontation. What was the lesson there? In the face of implacable US determination, the Russians backed down. Russia respects only hard force and willpower.

That is why the UK must lead by example. We Europeans must prepare for the worst. Our motto must be peace through strength. It is now abundantly clear all Nato allies must rapidly increase their defence spending.

The UK should commit to raising defence spending to 3% of GDP by the end of this Parliament. The prime minister will have our support in taking the difficult decisions required to make this happen.

More than a dozen world leaders are set to gather in London today to discuss joint plans on defence and security as US military support for Ukraine hangs in the balance after talks over a minerals deal collapsed last week.

European leaders are seeking security guarantees – such as air cover – from Washington as part of any so-called peace deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Keir Starmer, having announced the biggest increase in defence spending since the end of the cold war last week, will be trying to persuade other European countries to increase their defence capabilities and spending so the continent is better prepared to face the threat from Russia without the usual safety net of US support.

Starmer will shortly be on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, which starts at 9am, along with Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the opposition.

The British prime minister met Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday evening, in what was described by Downing Street as a “warm and meaningful” exchange.

On Saturday night, a No 10 spokesperson said:

The prime minister reiterated his unwavering support for Ukraine, adding that the UK will always stand with them, for as long as it takes.

The prime minister restated his determination to finding a path that ends Russia’s illegal war and ensures a just and lasting peace that secures Ukraine’s future sovereignty and security.

The leaders looked forward to continuing these discussions at tomorrow’s leaders’ summit in London.

Updated

Keir Starmer to host special defence summit on Ukrainian defence and security

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Ukraine war, with leaders from around Europe gathering at a special defence summit in London on Sunday to discuss the crisis.

The meeting has taken on new importance after talks broke down between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US president Donald Trump in a tense showdown at the White House on Friday.

The unprecedented events in Washington have put the pressure on Europe to find new ways to defend its war-torn ally and shore up the continent’s defences.

Led by the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, the summit brings together leaders from around continental Europe, including France, Germany, Denmark and Italy as well as Turkey, Nato and the EU.

“Now is the time for us to unite in order to guarantee the best outcome for Ukraine, protect European security and secure our collective future,” Starmer said ahead of the summit.

Downing Street said the summit would again stress the need for a “strong, lasting deal that delivers a permanent peace” and discuss “next steps on planning for strong security guarantees”.

Zelenskyy will also meet King Charles at Sandringham on Sunday. Meanwhile, the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, will sign a £2.3bn loan deal to allow Kyiv to buy more weapons, to be paid back using profits generated on Russian sovereign assets that are under sanctions.

Updated

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