Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a “very good telephone call” on Wednesday, according to Trump, in the first conversation between the US president and his Ukrainian counterpart since their disastrous showdown in the White House three weeks ago.
Zelenskyy described the call as “positive, very substantive and frank”, and said he had signed up to a partial ceasefire that Trump agreed with Vladimir Putin a day earlier. The White House said Trump had promised to help with a Ukrainian request to source more air defence batteries for Kyiv.
The last encounter between Trump and Zelenskyy ended in an angry exchange of words between the two presidents and vice president JD Vance. It marked a low point in US-Ukrainian relations, and spooked other allies that Washington may be about to abandon Kyiv.
Since then, Zelenskyy has been eager to get relations with Trump back on track. His readout of Wednesday’s call thanked Trump multiple times, and he said he had signed on to the ceasefire plan.
“We instructed our teams to resolve technical issues related to implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram after the call.
Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, has posted on social media that he is “encouraged” by the phone call held earlier in the day between Zelenskyy and Trump.
Positive conversation with President @ZelenskyyUA. I am encouraged by his substantive phone call with @POTUS Donald Trump.
— António Costa (@eucopresident) March 19, 2025
Halting strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure would be an important and first real step towards ending the war.
We will continue our…
“Positive conversation with President Zelenskiy. I am encouraged by his substantive phone call with @POTUS Donald Trump,” Costa wrote on X.
“Halting strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure would be an important and first real step towards ending the war. We will continue our discussions with President Zelenskiy tomorrow at the European Council,” he added.
'Frank' talks between Trump and Zelenskyy - summary
US president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a “very good” and “frank” phone call that lasted just over an hour, in which they discussed next steps for US-led initiative to stop Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy has requested additional air defence systems to protect Ukraine, with Trump agreeing “to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe” (18:58).
Ukraine has also formally agreed to the very limited halt on strikes on energy and infrastructure, with further talks expected on expanding it to the Black Sea and eventually a full ceasefire.
Zelenskyy has indicated Ukraine’s support for an unconditional ceasefire, and committed Ukraine to “continue working to make this happen.”
Trump suggested to Zelenskyy that US ownership of Ukrainian electrical supply and nuclear power plants “could be very helpful” and “be the best protection” for Ukrainian critical infrastructure.
The pair also discussed a number of other issues, including the situation in Kursk region and humanitarian concerns, including on abducted children and prisoners of war (15:11).
Further talks are expected in Saudi Arabia “in the coming days,” understood to be primarily between US and Russia (15:20).
White House press secretary confirmed that US intelligence sharing “in terms of defence of Ukraine will continue,” as she sidestepped questions over minor differences between US and Russian readouts of Trump-Putin call on Wednesday (19:09).
Speaking in Finland before his call with Trump, Zelenskyy appeared to back stronger sanctions on Russia in an bid to exert US pressure on Moscow to negotiate a broader ceasefire (14:28). Earlier, he accused Vladimir Putin of making comments “at odds with reality,” after overnight strikes on Ukraine despite verbal commitments to stop attacks on infrastructure (12:39 and 14:02).
Zelenskyy received strong backing from Finland’s influential president Alexander Stubb, who welcomed him to Helsinki, and declared that Ukraine has “undeniable right” to defend itself, which “cannot be restricted” (10:50).
That’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, as I hand the blog over to Donna Ferguson to guide you through the evening.
Updated
White House confirms intelligence-sharing 'in defence of Ukraine', says conversation moved beyond minerals deal
When specifically asked about it, Leavitt also confirmed that “intelligence sharing in terms of defence of Ukraine will continue to be shared.”
She was also repeatedly asked about minor differences in the Kremlin and the White House readouts as to the extent of the proposed partial ceasefire, specifically whether it covered energy and infrastructure, as two separate items named by the US, or energy infrastructure, as put out by the Russian side.
Leavitt said she would “defer … to the readout that was provided by the White House,” as “that is our understanding and that is the truth.”
Asked about the minerals deal, she said the conversation has moved “beyond the economic minerals deal,” with focus on “partial ceasefire, and we are moving towards a full ceasefire and a longstanding peace in this conflict.”
Pressed further if that meant it is off the table, she said it was “the first set of framework” discussed earlier, but the US “was not focused on a long-term peace agreement.”
“The Ukrainian president, at the time, wasn’t talking about a greater peace deal. We are now at that place where we are talking about that,” she said.
“We’ve moved beyond just the economic minerals deal framework, and we’re looking at a lasting ceasefire, right now a partial ceasefire. But again, the president is sending his highly skilled, intelligent and experienced team to Saudi Arabia later this week to creating peace in this conflict, and I would just reiterate one more time, we have been closer to peace than we are today,” she said.
The press secretary was also asked about the proposed NHL-KHL ice hockey match, floated in the Kremlin readout, saying the US was “more interested in securing a peace deal than scheduling hockey games right now.”
US 'finding what is available' in response to Ukraine's request for more air defence systems
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt has just read out the full White House readout from the Trump-Zelenskyy call.
The most interesting line is that Ukraine’s Zelenskyy “asked for additional air defence systems to protect his civilians, particularly Patriot missile systems,” and Trump “agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe.”
Other key points:
Trump “fully briefed” Zelenskyy on his conversation with Putin.
The leaders agreed on “a partial ceasefire against energy” targets.
There will be further “technical” discussions about extending the ceasefire to cover the Black Sea “on the way to a full ceasefire.”
The leaders discussed “the situation in Kursk” and agreed to share more information about the situation.
Trump suggested that US ownership of Ukrainian electrical supply and nuclear power plants “could be very helpful in running those plants,” and “be the best protection” for that critical infrastructure.
Trump promised “to work closely with both parties” to make sure children abducted during the war children “were returned home.”
Here it is in full, as read out in the briefing:
Today, President Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a fantastic phone conversation.
President Zelenskyy thanked President Trump for a productive start for the work of the Ukrainian and American teams Jeddah on March 11. The meeting of the senior officials from both nations significantly helped in moving toward ending the war.
President Zelenskyy thanked President Trump for the support of the United States, especially the Javelin missiles that President Trump was first to provide in his efforts towards peace.
The leaders agreed Ukraine and America will continue working together to bring about a real end to the war and that lasting peace under President Trump’s leadership can be achieved.
President Trump fully briefed President Zelenskyy on his conversation with Putin and the key issues discussed. They reviewed the situation in Kursk and agreed to share information closely between their defense staffs as the battlefield situation evolved.
President Zelenskyy asked for additional air defense systems to protect his civilians, particularly Patriot missile systems, and President Trump agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe.
The two leaders also agreed on a partial ceasefire against energy.
Technical teams will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss broadening the ceasefire to the Black Sea on the way to a full ceasefire. They agreed this could be the first step toward the full end of the war and ensuring security.
President Zelenskyy was grateful for the President’s leadership in this effort, and reiterated his willingness to adopt a full ceasefire.
President Trump also discussed Ukraine’s electrical supply and nuclear power plants. He said that the United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise. American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
President Zelenskyy also thanked President Trump for continuing to push humanitarian concerns, including the exchange of prisoners of war. He noted they had just had a successful exchange, and thanked the President for his leadership on that.
President Trump also asked President Zelenskyy about the children who had gone missing from Ukraine during the war, including the ones that had been abducted, and President Trump promised to work closely with both parties to help make sure those children were returned home.
They agreed all parties must continue the effort to make a ceasefire work.
The presidents noted the positive work of their advisors and representatives, especially Secretary Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Special Envoy Kellogg and others.
The presidents instructed their teams to move ahead with the technical issues related to implementing and broadening the partial ceasefire.
The presidents instructed their advisors and representatives to carry out this work as quickly as possible.
The presidents emphasized that in furthering the teams can agree on all necessary aspects of advancing toward lasting peace and security.
Updated
Zelenskyy confirms Ukraine is ready to implement limited energy, infrastructure ceasefire
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just posted his readout from the call with US president Donald Trump, saying it was “a positive, very substantive, and frank conversation,” and he believed that “under American leadership, lasting peace can be achieve this year.”
Zelenskyy says that Trump shared details of his yesterday’s conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin, and in response confirmed Ukraine’s readiness to “implement” a limited energy, civilian infrastructure ceasefire.
“The American side also proposed an unconditional ceasefire on the frontline, and Ukraine accepted this proposal as well. We will continue working to make this happen,” he said.
Zelenskyy also said that he leaders “instructed our teams to resolve technical issues related to implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire.”
Here’s the statement in full:
I had a positive, very substantive, and frank conversation with President of the United States Donald Trump @POTUS. I thanked him for a good and productive start to the work of the Ukrainian and American teams in Jeddah on March 11—this meeting of the teams significantly helped in moving toward ending the war. We agreed that Ukraine and the United States should continue working together to achieve a real end to the war and lasting peace. We believe that together with America, with President Trump, and under American leadership, lasting peace can be achieved this year.
President Trump shared details of his conversation with Putin and the key issues discussed. One of the first steps toward fully ending the war could be ending strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure. I supported this step, and Ukraine confirmed that we are ready to implement it. Our teams discussed this step in Jeddah. The American side also proposed an unconditional ceasefire on the frontline, and Ukraine accepted this proposal as well. We will continue working to make this happen. We believe that such steps are necessary to create the possibility for a comprehensive peace agreement to be prepared during the ceasefire.
I also provided an update on the battlefield situation and the consequences of Russian strikes. We spoke about the situation in the Kursk region, touched on the issue of the release of POWs, and the return of Ukrainian children who were taken by Russian forces. We also discussed the state of Ukraine’s air defense and the possibility of strengthening it to protect lives.
We instructed our teams to resolve technical issues related to implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire. Ukrainian and American teams are ready to meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to continue coordinating steps toward peace. We instructed our advisors and representatives to carry out this work as quickly as possible. We noted the positive work of our advisors and representatives—Rubio, Waltz, Kellogg, Yermak, Sybiha, Umerov, and Palisa. In further meetings, the teams can agree on all necessary aspects of advancing toward lasting peace and security guarantees.
I thanked President Trump and the American people for their support. I stressed that Ukrainians want peace, which is why Ukraine accepted the proposal for an unconditional ceasefire. I highlighted the importance of President Trump’s concept of peace through strength. We agreed to maintain constant contact, including at the highest level and through our teams.
A White House press briefing has now started, but there are no new details on Trump-Zelenskyy call.
A very brief statement on this from the podium offered nothing beyond previous public comments from the US administration.
Here it is:
President Trump also spoke with President Zelenskyy this morning to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their needs and requests.
As President Trump has said repeatedly, the precious lives and money that both Ukraine and Russia have been spending in this war would be better spent on the needs of their people.
This terrible conflict would have never started with President Trump in charge, but he is determined to end it once and for all.
Let’s see if it comes up again in the Q&A.
Updated
We’re still waiting for a more comprehensive readout from Trump-Zelensky call from the White House and any reaction from Ukraine.
We will bring them to you as soon as we have them.
EU accuses Google and Apple of breaking bloc's digital rules
Reporter
The European Commission has accused the US tech companies Google and Apple of breaking its digital rules, in a landmark action that could escalate transatlantic tension with Donald Trump.
The US president has sought to exert pressure on the EU to back away from tougher regulation of American technology groups, warning that he could retaliate by imposing tariffs on foreign companies.
But on Wednesday, the commission pressed ahead with enforcement action against Apple and Google’s parent company Alphabet, two of the world’s five largest companies by stock market value, accusing them of breaking the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Breaches of the DMA can result in companies being fined 10% of revenue, or 20% if they reoffend. Based on Apple’s 2024 revenue of $391bn (£301bn), the maximum fine would be nearly $80bn.
Trump praises 'good call' with Zelenskyy, says 'we are very much on track'
US president Donald Trump has just put out a short social media update on his “very good” call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he sought to “align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs.”
“We are very much on track,” he said, unusually deferring to senior administration officials to reveal more about the conversation. A further statement will be put out “shortly,” he said.
Here is his comment in full:
Just completed a very good telephone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. It lasted approximately one hour.
Much of the discussion was based on the call made yesterday with President Putin in order to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs.
We are very much on track, and I will ask Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, to give an accurate description of the points discussed.
That Statement will be put out shortly.
Trump-Zelenskyy call under way
The Trump-Zelenskyy call is now under way, both sides confirmed.
Dan Scavino, White House deputy chief of staff, said in a social media post:
Happening Now—President Trump is in the Oval Office on a call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy’s spokesperson Sergiy Nykyforov also told reporters that the president was “having a conversation by telephone with US President Donald Trump,” AFP reported.
No plans for Ukraine to take part in Riyadh US-Russia talks, Zelenskyy's aide says
in Kyiv
I sat down in Kyiv with Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to President Zelenskyy.
He said that the talks planned for Sunday in Saudi Arabia are expected to be bilateral between the US and Russia, and said there were no plans for Ukraine to take part, though he conceded that we would have to wait for the results of a Trump-Zelenskyy call later to know when further talks involving Ukraine will take place.
Of the call, he said:
“The president wants to understand the contents of this call fully from Trump. The main thing is to understand how Trump sees the results of his call with Putin, and to draw conclusions from that.”
Reflecting on the last discussion between Trump and Zelenskyy, the disastrous meeting in the White House, he said:
“It was a fairly emotional conversation in the Oval Office, and it showed that contradictions had built up.
These contradictions were then put on the negotiating table in Saudi Arabia, and very quickly formal and informal communications were made.
The administrations created negotiating teams and we quickly moved to discussing concrete issues around these contradictions and found a synchronised position.”
On the Kremlin statement that Putin had said the West should cease all western military support and intelligence sharing to Ukraine before a ceasefire could be agreed, he said:
“It’s a very strange demand, of course. He’s saying, ‘We want you to be disarmed and then we can keep on fighting the war’. That’s what it sounds like…
He wants Ukraine to give up its army, to give up security guarantees, to give up its right to be in alliances, and to give up on various territories.
This is what he’s been fighting for three years, and he couldn’t do it militarily… And now that’s what he wants from the negotiations process.”
US national security adviser confirms plans for further talks with Russia in Riyadh
US national security adviser Mike Waltz has just said he agreed with his Russian counterpart, Yuri Ushakov, that the two sides will hold further talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, aimed at “expanding the partial ceasefire president Trump secured from Russia.”
Here is what he said:
“I spoke today with my Russian counterpart Yuri Ushakov about President Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine. We agreed our technical teams would meet in Riyadh in the coming days to focus on implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire President Trump secured from Russia.”
Russia and Ukraine exchange 372 soldiers in prisoner swap
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 372 soldiers in a prisoner swap brokered by the United Arab Emirates, the Russian defence ministry said Wednesday, as reported by AFP in the last few minutes.
The Kremlin announced the swap on Tuesday, following talks between US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Moscow returned 175 Ukrainian POWs, as well as “22 seriously wounded prisoners of war in need of urgent medical assistance”, while Kyiv returned 175 Russian troops, the Russian defence ministry said.
Trump and Putin 'likely' to meet at some point, envoy Witkoff says, as he defends Putin as acting 'in good faith'
US president Donald Trump is “likely” to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin at some point, US envoy Steve Witkoff told Bloomberg TV.
Speaking to Bloomberg TV, he said:
“You know, I can’t speak for them, but my best bet would be that it’s likely to happen. They have a great rapport together. They had a great rapport in the first Trump administration.
It was on display yesterday. This was really a very positive, very proactive, outcome oriented call, and that’s who President Trump is. He’s there to get to the goalline. And we did a we went a long way yesterday to doing that.”
Witkoff was also asked about the outcomes from yesterday’s call and if Russian attacks on Ukraine over the night broke the arrangements.
He said that the leaders agreed on “cessation of attacks on energy infrastructure … and civilian infrastructure,” with a plan to “work towards a Black Sea moratorium on hits on naval vessels and freighters carrying grants and things on that sort.”
But he dismissed claims – including from Ukraine’s president Zelenskyy – that Russian strikes overnight crossed the agreed line.
He said that just before coming on air he confirmed it “on good information” that “Putin issued an order within 10 minutes of his call with the president directing Russian forces not to be attacking any Ukrainian energy infrastructure.”
“Any attacks that happened last night would have happened before that order was given,” he claimed.
He added that “in fact, the Russians tell me this morning that seven of their drones were on their way when president Putin issued his order and they were shot down by Russian forces.”
“So I tend to believe that President Putin is operating in good faith. He said that he was going to be operating in good faith to the President yesterday, and I take him at his word,” he said.
Zelensky expected to speak with Trump shortly
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to speak with US president Donald Trump shortly, as per earlier comments.
A White House official confirmed earlier that the call was expected at 10am ET, which is 2pm GMT and 3pm CET.
We will bring you the two sides’ readouts from the call as soon as we get them.
Zelenskyy ends on a strong note talking about the historic Ukrainian struggle for independence and freedom, saying “the most important thing is who will win in the end.”
He repeats that Ukraine will not recognise Russian-occupied territories as Russian, even if it cannot reclaim them back immediately.
That concludes their event at the University of Helsinki.
Updated
Responding to questions from students, Zelenskyy once again thanks for the support Ukraine has been getting from the Finnish society, “from the very beginning,” sending a signal to their political leaders.
He then gets asked about the role of Finland and the EU in rebuilding Ukraine after the war.
Unusually, he responds in English, saying that the countries supporting Ukraine will have a role to play, often building on co-production and partnerships established during the war.
Stubb adds that it should be “a low hanging fruit” for Europe and a strong “business opportunity,” and he also mentions access to the EU internal market that would come with a potential EU membership.
Stubb praises Europe’s increasingly united response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying “I do not think I have in my 30 years of studying the EU … seen the EU more united than what we have been in the past three years,” in the face of aggression.
He specifically praises UK prime minister Keir Starmer saying that “it has … , in a kind of absurd way, brought the continent closer to the British Isles again, which is not a bad thing at all, quite the contrary.”
He further talks up Starmer and Macron’s plans for a “coalition of the willing,” and says jokingly that it is “remarkable that in the first three months of President Trump in office we will have seen so much pressure on the European side that they have done more about their own defence than they [had] in 30 years previously.”
Both leaders then go on a longer exchange on the need for European unity to counter Russian aggression.
Zelenskyy’s comments are mostly in Ukrainian, but he briefly switches to English, after the host asks him if she understood him correctly to be striking a slightly positive note, or if it was just a mistranslation.
Smiling, he responds in English:
We have to be positive because of our people, because of our heroic soldiers, and because of such our friends.
He then goes back to speaking in Ukrainian again.
Zelenskyy also offers his take on sanctions, saying that they were “important” to compel Putin to consider ceasefire and abandon his policy of intimidation of Ukrainians through attacks.
But he says that, on sanctions, their “quality” was more important then “quantity,” including how water-tight and strictly enforced they are.
He calls out some countries for “helping out” with circumventing sanctions, and so it is more important to make sure they are properly implemented.
Zelenskyy also gets asked about his upcoming call with Trump, and once again says he would rather speak about it after the call happened.
But says it is an important opportunity to once again reiterate that Ukraine wants peace, as he backs Trump’s initiative for as expansive ceasefire as possible.
He also repeated an earlier line that Ukrainians were ready for further talks in Saudi Arabia if needed.
Stubb joins in to make a point differentiating the initial ceasefire and the broader peace settlement further down the line.
Making a hockey reference, he says that as Ukraine, Finland, Europe and the US all want peace and a ceasefire, “the puck is in the Russian zone.”
“We have to remember that Ukraine has approved the ceasefire without any kind of conditions, and yesterday’s conversation proved that Putin would not be willing to do that. His ceasefire is very partial,” he says.
He says he hopes Trump and the US will “continue to put pressure on Russia,” mentioning sanctions and the use of frozen Russian assets.
Stubb also reveales he spoke with the Republican US senator Lindsey Graham “who is pushing through a bill in the Senate to maximise the pressure” on Russia.
In his opening comments, Zelenskyy thanks Finland for continuing support as it tells Russia that “Ukraine is not alone, Russia is alone, it is the aggressor.”
He notes that Russian invasion of Ukraine led to a shift in public opinion on Nato in Fnland and Sweden.
He also stresses that “our fight for independence of Ukraine is ultimately a war for the freedom of all of Europe.”
Zelenskyy is again appearing with Finland’s Stubb, this time in front of students at the University of Helsinki, talking about “Europe alongside Ukraine.”
Stubb opens the event saying that Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 “shattered” the post-1989 world order, putting europe “at an inflection point” similar to 1918, 1945 and 1989.
“In the past three years, the world has changed more than in the past 30 years together,” he says.
“We can get it more or less right, or we can even sort of just try to let it happen.
For me, the choice is very simple.
We either have a multi lateral world with rules and strong international institutions, and an order, or we have a multi polar world, which is disorderly and based on transactions and deals.”
He warns that “if we do not end up with a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, we will end up in a very disorderly and transactional world.”
Putin's words 'at odds with reality,' says Zelenskyy - video
Kallas and Kubilius were also asked by an FT reporter about the paper’s story (£) on exclusion of most non-EU partners, except for the likes of Norway and Ukraine, from the scheme, potentially closing the path for the US, the UK, and Turkey to be involved.
They both appeared to signal some flexibility with “partnership agreements” and with third-country entities through companies “established in the European Union.”
“Nobody is excluded,” Kubilius insisted.
Kallas, who visited the UK yesterday, addressed the UK example in detail, saying that there were talks about a defence and security partnership with the UK, and she was hoping “to have results” in time by the EU-UK summit in May.
“But of course, like you know, it is related to member states and also different worries,” she added.
The talks were previously held up by disagreements in other areas.
Kallas stressed that maintaining EU unity was central to the proposal.
A number of countries – most notably, France – are understood to have been pushing for excluding non-EU countries in a bid to maximise the use of funds on spending with EU companies.
Updated
In his comments, Kubilius talked about the EU’s need to respond to rising threat from Russia, as a number of intelligence services from EU member states raised concerns about Moscow’s plans to test the Article 5 of Nato “before 2030.”
“That is why we need to have a road map for readiness by 2030, because we need to act big,” he said.
He said the EU wanted to close its capability gaps “not only having in mind wars of today, but also … of tomorrow.”
But he stressed that the key element was to implement the proposals.
“Putin will not be deterred if we … read the white paper to him. He will be deterred if we … turn the white paper into action and if we … use it to build very real drones, tanks, artillery for our defence,” he said.
Discussing the proposals, Kallas spoke about the need to close “capability gaps” and “ramp up production capacity,” while also making it more synchronised among member states to support them “where they cannot do it alone, because it is too expensive or too complex,” while ensuring interoperability between different systems.
“Ukraine should be part of this work too. We have a lot to learn from Ukraine’s battlefield experience. We should also be in the position to develop defence systems for Ukraine, but also with Ukraine,” she said.
Specifically on support for Ukraine, Kallas said that the white paper advances proposals to increase ammunition production to “at least two million rounds per year,” and air defence, drones, training and equipping of Ukrainian brigades.
She said:
“Russia’s economy is in a full war mode. 40% of the federal budget on the military is more than Russia spends on education, healthcare and social policies combined.
Regardless of the ongoing negotiations for peace in Ukraine, this is a long term investment in a long term plan of aggression.
Ukraine must be armed to avoid any future attacks, and we need a long term plan to stand up to do this.”
She was also asked about what she believed would be the appropriate defence funding level for European countries.
She said she agreed it was “higher than 2%,” the current Nato target, as “it is clear that we are in a totally new area, [where] new international order is being shaped.”
She said that drawing on the cold war experiences, Europe needs to acknowledge “we have a hot war …, and the threat is existential, as real as it can get.”
“So yes, we need to do more,” she said, but refused to commit to a specific number.
EU presents more details of its defence spending plans
The European Union has just published a document spelling out its plans to rearm the bloc, White Paper for European Defence – Readiness 2030, aimed to respond to “the short-term urgency of supporting Ukraine, but also to address the pressing long-term need to boost Europe’s security and defence.”
The plan is based on proposals to mobilise up to €800bn in defence funding. We covered it in more detail on this blog last week with insight from our Brussels correspondent Jennifer Rankin, or you can alternatively read a summary of what it involves here (in a handy ‘factsheet’) or here, from their press release just out now:
To effectively address these challenges, the White Paper outlines a number of key lines of action:
Closing capability gaps, with a focus on critical capabilities identified by Member States.
Supporting the European defence industry through aggregated demand and increased collaborative procurement.
Supporting Ukraine through increased military assistance and deeper integration of the European and Ukrainian defence industries.
Deepening the EU-wide defence market including through simplifying regulations.
Accelerating the transformation of defence through disruptive innovations such as AI and quantum technology.
Enhancing European readiness for worst-case scenarios, by improving military mobility, stockpiling and strengthening external borders, notably the land border with Russia and Belarus.
Strengthening partnership with like-minded countries around the world.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius are addressing reporters now, and I will bring you some of the key lines from their presentation.
Key event
Andriy Yermak, head of Zelenskyy’s office, just posted his update on Ukrainian diplomatic efforts:
Our work continues. Protecting Ukraine’s interests, ensuring a just and lasting peace, and maintaining a clear strategy for further actions with our partners. We keep working.
Britain's support for Ukraine to continue unaffected despite Russian demands - sources
Defence and security editor
British defence sources indicated on Wednesday morning that UK arms and training to Ukraine would continue unaffected, despite the Kremlin’s demand that peace could only be achieved if all foreign military aid were halted.
The UK did not initially respond to a Kremlin statement on Tuesday night following a call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, summarising the position the Russian president was said to have taken during the discussion.
But on Wednesday morning the UK emphasised there was no change in its position and the flow of military aid – worth £4.5bn this year – would not stop simply because the Kremlin was demanding it.
The briefing comes after the leaders of France and Germany said at a press conference on Tuesday they would continue to stand by Ukraine – in response to a Kremlin demand that experts said would leave Kyiv militarily isolated.
The Kremlin had said that “the key condition for preventing the escalation of the conflict” was “the complete cessation of foreign military aid and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv”.
Updated
Putin's words on halting infrastructure, energy attacks 'at odds with reality' of overnight attacks, Zelenskyy says
We can now bring you further lines from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and his opening statement at the press conference with Finland’s Alex Stubb.
Discussing overnight attacks on Ukraine, including transport, hospitals and “ordinary urban infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said that “Putin’s words are at odds with reality.”
He said the developments overnight stressed the need for further “defence support and air support” to defend itself.
Zelenskyy said that unity and joint efforts to exert further pressure on Russia were “absolutely necessary prerequisites for peace.”
The Ukrainian president also talked about the importance of bilateral cooperation with Finland on ramping up defence production, coordinating procurements, and joint work on civil protection.
Updated
Kremlin accuses Ukraine of 'sabotage' of ceasefire discussions as it praises reset in US relations
Meanwhile, we are also getting first lines from the Kremlin’s briefing today, with Russia:
saying “unwillingness of Ukrainian leadership to agree a deal is obvious and a cause for concern”
criticising alleged overnight attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, saying they show “Kyiv’s lack of will to reach a deal” and “sabotage of agreement”
praising plans to “normalise ties, step-by-step” with the US with “enormous potential” in joint commercial projects
saying that Putin and Trump “understand each other well and trust each other”
confirming there are plans for further contacts, which are to be confirmed “today and tomorrow”
Nothing accidental about Stubb's determined backing of Zelenskyy with comments aimed at Trump - snap analysis
There was nothing accidential about this press conference: Finland’s Alex Stubb is believed to be very closely involved in coordinating the European response to the war and its plans to support Ukraine in case of a ceasefire.
Appearing together the morning after Trump-Putin call, the Finnish president appeared to be determined to show his unconditional backing of Zelenskyy, and his intention to bring about a just and lasting peace, pointedly criticising Russia’s ambivalent position.
“There are only two ways to respond to the proposal of the President of the United States. It’s a yes or a no. No buts, no conditions,” he said.
Stubb, who previously served as Finland’s foreign and Europe minister, used his diplomatic acumen to hit all the right tones on the US role in the talks, going out of his way to praise Donald Trump’s initiative and reassure him – indirectly – that Ukraine and Europe are on the same page with him, unlike Russia.
It was meant as a show of unity and backing for Zelenskyy, before what appears to be plans for the Ukrainian presidents to have a call with Trump later today.
It’s also worth noting Zelenskyy’s comments pointedly suggesting he believes Russia has violated the half on energy infrastructure attacks discussed in yesterday’s call between Trump and Putin. Expect for that to come up again in his Trump call, if it happens.
And that concludes their press conference.
Zelenskyy appears to confirm plans for call with Trump
At the end of the press conference, Zelenskyy is asked to clarify his earlier comments on a potential call with Donald Trump later today.
Smiling, he says “there will be a call, and I will be very brief on this.”
“Everything else will come after the call,” he adds.
We want US to know we want to end war as quickly as possible, Zelenskyy says
Zelenskyy is now asked about the risk of the US turning its back on Ukraine, and he plays its down, saying he is reassured by the restoration of aid after a brief crisis in relations between the two countries.
He says he wants to be “transparent” in Ukrainian diplomacy “so that president Trump and his team, and most importantly, the people of America, could really see and could really know that it is important for us to finish this war as quickly as possible.”
He also thanks Finland to its support throughout the war.
Ukraine's right to self-determination key red line for talks, leaders say
Zelenskyy gets asked again about Ukraine’s red lines, and he says “the key thing is not to lose independence, the sovereignty of our state and so that never, ever Russia have impact upon the independence of Ukrainians.”
He says that issues such as the role and size of the Ukrainian army is not something up for discussions, similarly to economic guarantees.
He also repeats the earlier line saying that Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine “are temporarily occupied, and they will not be Russian, ever.”
Stubb backs him up, saying “it is only Ukraine that defines its red lines and its negotiating position,” as he stresses that Ukraine “should have the right to choose its own future, its own destiny,” including whether it wants to join the EU and Nato.
He once again pointedly praises Trump, saying he is “a seasoned negotiator” trying to “stop the killing, [establish a] ceasefire,” to open space for further peace talks.
“I think the key in all of this is that Russia should not be able to do this ever again. And that is a red line … about European security,” he says.
Zelenskyy appears to suggest Russia violated limited energy, infrastructure ceasefire
Zelenskyy appears to be suggesting that overnight attacks on Ukraine violated Putin’s promise of halting strikes on energy and infrastructure as he lists a number of areas affected by the strikes.
He says Putin’s words on halting attacks are “insufficient” and need to be closely followed by actions, as he calls for “a control mechanism” to police the ceasefire, suggesting a role for the US.
He says:
And if we have such an agreement, and we have a list of objects … – a list of civilian objects, energy objects, infrastructural facilities – we will definitely prepare this list and provide it to our partners.
If the Russians do not strike our objects, we will definitely not strike theirs.
Updated
Zelenskyy gets asked about the Jeddah meeting on Sunday again, but he says he is “not ready to discuss all the details just yet,” and repeats his earlier line on being ready to send a Ukrainian team for “technical” talks if needed.
He sidesteps a direct question on how he evaluates yesterday’s Trump-Putin call.
Stubb comes in, saying his view was that “of a glass half full,” with “a step in the right direction.” He says that while “we are not there yet” to get a full ceasefire, he pointedly praises US leadership on this issue.
Finland's Stubb calls to form European negotiating team on Ukraine
Stubb backs Zelenskyy here, saying that “I think historical experience shows that if you portray any form of weakness in the face of Russia, they will use that.”
He praises UK prime minister Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron for their leadership on finding a new security arrangement for Ukraine, referencing tomorrow’s meeting of army chiefs in London.
He then goes on to say that just as Ukraine, the US, and Russia have their “extremely capable” negotiating teams, Europe should also be prepared to field its team of negotiators.
“I would like to see the leadership come from countries such as Britain, France, Germany and Italy.
So we need to sort of get our act together, to have skin in the game, and I think especially once the ceasefire begins and the actual peace negotiations begin, Europeans know one or two things about peace and should be involved.”
'No compromises' in military, intelligence aid for Ukraine, Zelenskyy says, as he rejects Russian demand for halt in support
Zelenskyy gets also asked about the Russian demand to stop military and intelligence aid for Ukraine.
He responds by saying that “nobody can influence the US on … aid to Ukraine, or other countries,” saying it is a personal decision of national leavers.
He goes on to say:
In my opinion, yes, Russia will want our partners to stop helping us, because That would mean weakening Ukrainian positions.
Although that is strange, if you do not plan to continue waging war and you truly want peace, and I’m speaking about Putin now, then why would you fear Ukrainian army? Why would you do all to undermine our military or to weaken the protection of our people?
Zelenskyy says Putin’s call for Ukraine to be deprived of intelligence on planned attacks to help it protect its population “signals [plans] about continuation of the war.”
“I believe that there should be no compromises in the aid to Ukraine. We must strengthen, in contrary, the aid to Ukraine, because that is a signal that Ukraine is ready against any surprises from the Russians,” he says.
Zelenskyy open to Ukrainian participation in Jeddah talks on Sunday
Zelenskyy gets asked if Ukraine will be involved in follow-up talks in Jeddah on Sunday.
He says that he will talks about details only after he has spoken with Trump, but Ukraine is ready to “send our technical team to discuss the next steps.”
“When this meeting is going to be and what is going to be the format of it, I will be able to tell that a bit later,” he says.
Zelenskyy says he will reach out to Trump today to discuss call with Putin
Zelenskyy gets asked if he thinks Ukraine is sufficiently involved in peace talks.
He responds by saying that “next steps cannot be done without us,” as he intends to reach out to US president Donald Trump later today.
“We had a really good meeting in Jeddah between our teams, [and] I think everything was on the right track, except for Russia’s efforts,” he says.
He adds he “will discuss some details of the next steps with him, and I think I can hear the details of his conversation with Putin.”
Stubb joins in with praises for the Ukrainian “first class” diplomatic team involved in talks.
Stubb also picks up that point, saying that “this is such an important moment in international relations and history … because in Europe there has been no serious territorial acquisition of takeover through force [since the second world war], and we do not want that to happen again.”
We hope America will continue to pressure Russia, Zelenskyy says
There were issues with the live interpretation of Zelenskyy’s comments in the first few minutes, so we will get back to his opening statements in a bit.
But he’s now giving his comments on Trump’s efforts to bring about peace, as he says he hopes for an unconditional ceasefire at some point.
“We hope that America will continue to work and pressure Russia … to implement everything,” he says, adding that an unconditional ceasefire would be “one of the initial steps towards peace.”
“I believe that this year, the war can end with a dignified peace, but the security guarantees are definitely needed, otherwise Putin will come with the war again. That is his essence,” he says.
He adds that Ukraine’s red line is the recognition of occupied Ukrainian territories as Russian. “We will not agree to that,” he stresses.
Need to increase support for Ukraine and ratchet up pressure on Russia, Stubb says
Commenting on yesterday’s Trump-Putin talks, Stubb says it was “a step in the right direction,” but he pointedly makes a reference to Russia’s heavily caveated response to all proposals on ceasefire.
There are only two ways to respond to the proposal of the President of the United States. It’s a yes or a no. No buts, no conditions.
Ukraine accepted a ceasefire without any forms of conditions.
If Russia refuses to agree, we need to increase our efforts to strengthen Ukraine and ratchet up pressure on Russia to convince them to come to the negotiating table.
He ends his opening comments assuring Zelenskyy:
We are in this together.
Ukraine has 'undeniable right' to defend itself, which 'cannot be restricted,' Finland's Stubb says
Opening the press conference, Finland’s Stubb says Europe faces “one of those moments of choices between two different worlds: Yalta or Helsinki; in other words, spheres of influence or equal rights and duties for all states.”
He stresses that Ukraine has “an undeniable right to defend itself on its own and supported by its partner,” a right that “cannot be restricted in any way,” dismissing Russian demands to halt help for Kyiv.
Stubb says:
The principles of international law and the European security order have not changed, and there is no need to start changing them.
Independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. These are the principles of the UN Charter and the Helsinki charter.
We must work towards a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine based on these principles.
The only solution is that Russia ends its war of aggression in Ukraine.
Ukraine has an undeniable right to defend itself on its own and supported by its partners.
This right cannot be restricted in any way, not now, and not in the future.
Finland’s Alexander Stubb and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy are now speaking in Helsinki.
You can watch it below, and I will bring you all the key lines here.
Russia poses 'threat for all European nations,' EU's Costa says
Russia represents a threat for all European nations, regardless of how far they lie from Moscow, EU chief António Costa told AFP ahead of a leaders’ summit on Thursday.
“Naturally, Russia’s neighbours are most concerned by Russia – that goes without saying,” Costa said in an interview. “But what is essential is for everyone to understand that this is a collective threat.”
Costa was also asked if Europe should start restricting defence procurement to European firms, and he responded highlighting the urgency of rearming the bloc.
“It’s a question of timeframe. The equipment we need now, we should buy where it is available – from Europe, South Korea, Japan, the United States or Turkey.
“Obviously if you look longer term, what matters is not just procurement but production. And for that we need to reinforce our industrial and technological base - which we are already doing.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy meeting with Finland's Stubb
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Helsinki today, meeting with the country’s leadership, including the highly-influential president Alex Stubb.
The two leaders are expected to give a press conference after their talks soon and I will bring you all the key lines.
Putin's demands would make mockery of any peace agreement and unacceptable to Ukraine - analysis
Defence and security editor
Donald Trump began his conversation with Vladimir Putin with a simple demand: a 30-day ceasefire on land, sea and air which Ukraine has already signed up to, as an initial measure on which to build towards a peace.
Instead, what the US president got from Putin were questions, half-offers and limited concessions – and, above all, an extraordinary demand from the Russian leader to weaken Ukraine that would make a mockery of any peace agreement.
The “key condition” for resolving the conflict, the Kremlin said in a statement after the call, should be “the complete cessation of foreign military aid and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv”.
That means halting military support not just from the US but from all Ukraine’s foreign backers, including Britain, France and all those putting together plans for a post-conflict “reassurance force” intended to provide a long-term security guarantee to Kyiv, allowing it to open its ports and airports, and safeguard utility supplies.
It is nowhere near a position Ukraine can accept.
Full analysis:
Russia 'attacking civilian infrastructure and people,' Zelenskyy's top aide says
Andriy Yermak, head of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, just posted a social media update calling out Russian attacks overnight:
In Sumy, a Russian Shahed drone struck a hospital.
Russia is attacking civilian infrastructure and people right now.
Russia 'doesn't want to make any concessions,' EU foreign policy chief says
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that Moscow cannot be trusted, after a phone call between US president Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin resulted in a Russian agreement to stop attacking Ukrainian energy facilities temporarily.
“If you read the two readouts from the call, it is clear that ... Russia does not really want to make any kind of concessions,” Kallas told reporters in Brussels, Reuters reported.
Further talks expected on Sunday in Saudi Arabia with sides in 'relatively short distance to full ceasefire', US Witkoff says
US envoy Steve Witkoff said in a televised interview overnight that US-Russia talks are expected to continue on Sunday, with the two sides meeting again in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to Fox, he suggested that Russians have also signed up to a form of agreement on “the Black Sea maritime aspect of a ceasefire,” and added that he was “certainly hopeful that Ukrainians will agree to it.”
It was not immediately clear if Ukraine will be invited to take part if the Jeddah talks.
The Russian readout after the call said that Putin “responded constructively” to Trump’s proposals, agreeing to negotiations to “further elaborate specific details.”
Witkoff was also asked on whether there will be “reciprocity” in arrangements, after Russia demanded that Ukraine should not be able to rearm during that period.
“I think the devil is in the details. We’ve got a team going to Saudi Arabia, led by our national security adviser and our secretary of state, and I think, you know, we’ve got to figure out those details,” he said.
He continued, with lots of praises for both Trump and Putin:
“The point is that, up until recently, we really didn’t have consensus around these two aspects, the energy and infrastructure ceasefire and the Black Sea moratorium on firing.
And today we got to that place, and I think it’s a relatively short distance to a full ceasefire from there.
And again, I stress that it was the president’s former relationship with president Putin, the president stressing that they needed to engage in mutual trust together to bring this war to an end.
President Putin, and I would commend him for this, said that he agreed with the president’s posture on it all, he agreed with the approach, he didn’t want to see more people dying in the field.
So it was these two great leaders coming together for the betterment of mankind, and it was honestly a privilege and an honour for me to set sit there and listen to that conversation.”
Putin 'playing a game' on Ukraine with 'unacceptable' push for halting Western military, intelligence support, German defence minister says
German defence minister Boris Pistorius accused Vladimir Putin of “playing a game” on Ukraine, calling out Russia’s attacks on Ukraine overnight.
“We’ve seen that attacks on civilian infrastructure have not eased at all in the first night after this supposedly groundbreaking, great phone call” between Putin and US president Donald Trump, Pistorius said in a TV interview, quoted by AFP.
The minister also described as “unacceptable” the Kremlin’s insistence that a “key condition” for peace would be a total halt of western military and intelligence support to Ukraine’s embattled military.
“This is very transparent,” Pistorius said, adding that Putin aimed to prevent Kyiv’s backers from “further supporting Ukraine and enabling it to really defend itself if there is another attack, during or after a ceasefire”, AFP reported.
Morning opening: The (Russian) art of the deal
US president Donald Trump has experienced a regional variation on his art of the deal manual on Tuesday, after Russian president Vladimir Putin seemingly refused to subscribe to his comprehensive ceasefire initiative and instead once again put forward a set of maximalist demands on Ukraine and the broader European security infrastructure.
Or as Daniel Szeligowski, head of eastern Europe programme at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, put it:
Trump wants to stop the fighting. Putin wants Ukraine to stop the fighting. That may be a subtle, yet fundamental difference.
Just hours after the Trump-Putin phone call concluded, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported around 40 “Shahed” drones attacking targets in Ukraine, including civilian infrastructure. Kyiv said this morning that Russia fired six missiles and 145 drones overnight.
Zelenskyy called out Putin saying he “effectively rejected the proposal for a full ceasefire,” and urged “the world to respond by rejecting any attempts by Putin to prolong the war.”
Sanctions against Russia. Assistance to Ukraine. Strengthening allies in the free world and working toward security guarantees. And only a real cessation of strikes on civilian infrastructure by Russia, as proof of its willingness to end this war, can bring peace closer.
European leaders will no doubt give their initial verdicts today, ahead of what promises to be another pivotal EU summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. And the EU will offer more details on its plan to rearm Europe, as part of its initiative worth up to €800bn.
Zelenskyy is in Finland, where he will meet with Finnish president Alex Stubb and speak alongside him at a joint press conference.
