Summary of the day so far
Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
The US stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine on Wednesday, after Donald Trump suspended US military aid to Kyiv on Monday. One source told the Guardian that the US had “completely stopped” providing intelligence, including to Ukraine’s military and domestic security agencies. They said this would have a “very bad impact” on the fight against Russia.
The White House indicated that both bans could be lifted if peace talks make progress. White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said Trump would consider restoring aid to Ukraine if peace talks were arranged and confidence-building measures taken. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US was “reconsidering” funding for Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there had been “positive movement” in cooperation with the US. Results were expected next week involving a future meeting between the two sides, he said in his nightly address on Wednesday. On Thursday, Zelenskyy will join 27 EU leaders as they hold emergency talks in Brussels.
Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said he and Waltz had “discussed the next steps towards a just and lasting peace” in Ukraine during a call on Wednesday. Discussions were ongoing with Ukraine over a date and place for talks, Walz told Fox News.
France’s president Emmanuel Macron said Europe should be “ready” for in case the US no longer stands by its side. Macron, in a televised address on Wednesday evening, warned that Russia “has become and will remain a threat to France and Europe”, and said Paris would have to spend more on defence.
Macron said he was open to discussing an extension of France’s nuclear umbrella to its European partners. “Our nuclear deterrent helps us,” Macron said, adding that the decision and control would always remain in the hands of the French president.
Macron said European military forces could be sent to Ukraine if a peace deal is signed to ensure that Russia does not invade its neighbour again. He said any European forces deployed would not fight today or at the frontline, but would be there to guarantee any peace in Ukraine once it had been signed.
France and Britain are aiming to finalise with Ukraine a peace plan, possibly “in days”, to present to the US, according to Reuters. The details of the plan have not been divulged, but would likely initially outline a short truce but also eventually include broader security guarantees.
The French government hinted at plans for Macron to visit Washington with Zelenskyy and the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, in a further bid to convince Donald Trump of a need for security guarantees for Ukraine as part of the peace talks. An Elysée official later clarified there were no set plans for a trip to Washington by Macron at this point.
A Russian missile struck a building in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih late on Wednesday, killing two person and injuring seven others, local authorities said. The strike hit a hotel in the central Ukrainian city, triggering a fire, local officials said.
Greenland’s prime minister Múte B. Egede rejected Trump’s comments at his joint address to Congress, saying that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.” Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen backed the Greenlandic prime minister in saying that Greenland was not for sale and it was up for its people to determine its future.
Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, is facing a barrage of criticism from opposition politicians over his radical proposals to loosen rules on running up debt to allow for higher defence spending and boost the economy.
The death toll from a Russian missile strike on a hotel in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih has risen to two, according to local authorities.
In addition, seven people were injured after the strike hit a five-story hotel, authorities said.
Russian missile strike kills one, injures three in Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih
A Russian missile struck a building in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih late on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring three badly, regional governor Serhiy Lysak said.
“Unfortunately, one person died in Kryvyi Rig. It is a 53-year-old man. Three people were wounded. All of them are hospitalised,” Lysak said on Telegram.
Updated
A Ukrainian battalion commander said he was “pained” by the US’s decision to pause shipments of US military aid to Ukraine.
The commander, who is fighting with the 66th mechanized brigade near Lyman in the eastern Donetsk region, told CNN:
I can honestly tell you, as a Ukrainian citizen, it really pains me that the two signatories to the Budapest Memorandum either did not read the second and fourth paragraphs at all or simply brazenly ignore it. One attacked us, and the other said: ‘I don’t see anything. So, it’s up to you to negotiate.’
Under the Budapest Memorandum signed in 1994, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan agreed to give up the nuclear arsenal in return for security guarantees from the US, UK and Russia.
The Ukrainian commander said Kyiv may be able to plug the gaps through its domestic production of weapons:
If we continue to develop our UAV (drone) units, then in principle, we can compensate for this shortfall in the supply of weapons from the United States.
Here’s a bit more detail from French president Emmanuel Macron’s address to the nation, during which he said he was open to discussing an extension of France’s nuclear umbrella to its European partners.
In his televised speech, Macron said France would have to spend more on defence. He said there would be no tax increases to finance that, but tough choices would have to be made.
European military forces could be sent to Ukraine if a peace deal is signed to ensure that Russia does not invade its neighbour again, he said.
A peace agreement for Ukraine would be backed “perhaps, by the deployment of European forces,” he said.
They won’t go to fight today, they won’t go to fight on the front line, but they would be there once a peace deal is signed, to guarantee it is fully respected.
Updated
We reported earlier that France and Britain are hoping to finalise with Ukraine a peace plan to present to the US.
The details of the plan have not been divulged, Reuters reports, with one European diplomat saying that military chiefs were aiming to finalise the military aspects over the next week.
One option is a partial one-month truce that would cover attacks by air and sea and also those targeting energy infrastructure but not ground fighting, according to diplomats. This would be supported by France, Britain and a coalition of other willing countries.
France and UK to finalise peace plan 'within days' to present to US - report
France and Britain are aiming to finalise with Ukraine a peace plan to present to the US, possibly “in days”, according to a report.
President Emmanuel Macron and prime minister Keir Starmer have held several calls, separately, with Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the US and Ukrainian leaders clashed in the White House last Friday.
The meeting, which has since led to a suspension of US military aid to Kyiv, has given new urgency to Macron and Starmer to pull together ideas for a peace plan that would initially outline a short truce but also eventually include broader security guarantees, Reuters reports.
“We’re looking at putting this plan together in days and not weeks,” the news agency cites one senior European diplomat as saying.
Another European diplomat said the idea was to have all the “ducks lined up”, including a more healthy dialogue between Washington and Kyiv, while underlining the message to the US that Russia was the aggressor.
Updated
Macron says he is open to extending France's nuclear umbrella to European allies
Macron said EU leaders are meeting for an “extraordinary” summit in Brussels on Thursday to agree to increasing military expenditure and ensure armaments can be produced in Europe.
France has to recognise its “special status” as having the “most efficient, effective army in Europe” as well as having nuclear weapons.
He said he will ask the French government to work on a new investment to allow it to mobilise private and public financing without tax increases.
“Our nuclear deterrent helps us,” Macron said. He added that he will open debate about extending the French nuclear umbrella to European partners.
Macron said that Germany’s likely future chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has called for a debate on providing protection from the nuclear deterrent to European allies.
Whatever happens the decision will be in the hands of the president of the Republic and the heads of the army.
Updated
Macron says Europe needs to be 'ready' for the US to 'not be at our side'
Macron said Russia cannot be taken at its word. “We cannot forget Russia started its invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and we negotiated the Minsk Accords ceasefire,” he said.
He said France will continue to meet with allies with the goal of signing a “lasting, solid, verifiable peace agreement”.
He said he has been working with European partners and Ukraine on this plan, and that he went to “advocate” for the plan when he visited Donald Trump last week.
“I want to believe that the US will stand by our side, but we have to be ready for that not to be the case,” he said.
Russia a 'real threat' to Europe, says Macron as he urges not to 'abandon' Ukraine
France’s president Emmanuel Macron, in a pre-recorded address to the nation, said the US has “changed its position” on the Ukraine war while trying to impose trade tariffs on European goods.
“We are entering a new era,” Macron said. He said France made the “right choice” by supporting Ukraine for the last three years.
It’s not just the people of Ukraine who are fighting for their freedom. It’s also our security which is under threat. If a country can invade its neighbour in Europe and go unpunished … peace can no longer be guaranteed on our own continent.
Macron said history has taught us that the Russian threat “is real" and affects European countries. “Ukraine has become a global conflict,” he said.
Russia has become and will remain a threat to France and Europe.
He urged for steps to guarantee the security of France, Europe and Ukraine. “The path to peace cannot be achieved by abandoning Ukraine,” he said.
Macron to address France at 'moment of great uncertainty'
Emmanuel Macron is due to make a televised address to France where he is expected to speak about the Ukraine crisis, European security and the threat of a transatlantic trade war after Donald Trump paused US support to Ukraine and also threatened to slap tariffs on goods from the EU, following on from levies imposed on China, Mexico and Canada.
Macron’s pre-recorded speech on primetime TV will begin at 8pm local time (19:00 GMT).
US 'reconsidering funding for Ukraine', says White House
The White House said Donald Trump is working “very hard” to end the war in Ukraine.
Asked if the US’s decision to stop sharing intelligence with Ukraine was temporary or permanent, the White House’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt said:
What the National Security Council told me in regards to that was that they paused or they are reconsidering the funding for Ukraine.
She described Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement on Tuesday, where he said Kyiv is “ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible”, as a “positive step forward”.
Updated
The White House’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has been speaking to reporters where she was asked whether Donald Trump expects a dress code in the Oval Office.
During his meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week, Trump sought to physically dominate the Ukrainian leader, telling reporters that Zelenskyy, who was wearing a black turtleneck, was “all dressed up”.
Zelenskyy has not appeared in public in a suit since the Russian full-scale invasion three years ago, preferring to wear military-style clothing instead. Trump has complained about the Ukrainian leader’s style of dress.
“Some officials here were miffed that Zelenskyy showed up last week without a suit for his meeting in the Oval Office, but Elon Musk never wears a suit,” a reporter asked Leavitt. “So what is the dress code?”
Leavitt replied that Musk wore a suit during Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday, "and I think the president liked that very much”. Musk has been pictured previously wearing a T-shirt and jeans in the Oval Office.
Protesters gathered outside the US embassy in London on Wednesday, holding Ukrainian flags and chanting “Russian troops out” and “Russia is a terrorist state”.
Zelenskyy says diplomatic events 'unfolding quickly' and 'positive movement' with US relations
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there has been “positive movement” in the relationship with US that could lead to another meeting between the two sides soon.
In a statement posted to X, Zelenskyy said “a lot of international work” had been done on Wednesday, and that he had spoken with the leaders of the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Germany. “Thank you for all the support,” he said.
Zelenskyy said he was preparing for the summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday. “Everyone can see how quickly diplomatic events are unfolding,” he wrote.
Today, the Ukrainian and American teams began working on an upcoming meeting. Andriy Yermak (Zelenskyy’s chief of staff) and Mike Waltz (US national security adviser) have spoken, and there’s positive movement. We hope to see some results next week.
As we’ve been reporting, the US has stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv after Donald Trump’s suspension of military aid on Monday, in another serious blow to Kyiv in the war with Russia.
White House officials indicated that both bans could be lifted if peace talks make progress.
Ukrainian officials suggested the US would no longer provide information about targets inside Russia, hindering Ukraine’s ability to carry out effective long-range drone strikes.
You can read Luke Harding and Dan Sabbagh’s full report here:
And now back to Zelenskyy…
The Ukrainian president has said in his nightly address that there has been “positive movement” in cooperation with the US.
He added he expects results next week involving a future meeting between the two sides.
Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, is facing a barrage of criticism from opposition politicians over his radical proposals to loosen rules on running up debt to allow for higher defence spending and boost the economy.
The CDU/CSU leader’s proposals for a multibillion-euro package, agreed with his potential coalition partners the Social Democrats, have been described as everything from a “bazooka” to “an extremely risky bet” by economists. He himself has called them vital “in light of the threats to our freedom and peace on our continent”.
Merz is the likely next chancellor after his party came in first in national elections on 23 February and he is in coalition negotiations to form the new government, a process expected to run until Easter.
Merz will seek parliament’s approval next week for the plans, which would give the go-ahead to the relaxation of tight constraints on defence spending currently governed by a constitutionally protected “debt brake” according to which outgoings cannot exceed 1% of GDP – currently €45bn.
This would allow Germany to raise a potentially unlimited level of debt in order to finance its military and to continue to provide the necessary assistance to Ukraine.
Under his proposals, an additional €500bn, decade-long fund for infrastructure would also be introduced.
Zelenskyy to attend EU summit tomorrow
AFP is reporting that Volodymyr Zelenskyy will join EU leaders for a Brussels summit tomorrow aimed at cementing the bloc’s support for Ukraine.
“President Zelensky will attend the summit in person,” an EU official said on the eve of the summit gathering all 27 leaders for the first time since Zelensky’s White House clash with Donald Trump upended US support for Ukraine.
Updated
The head of French warplane maker Dassault Aviation has delivered a blunt assessment of Europe’s turnaround on defence spending, saying the continent’s leaders have talked for decades about co-operation to little effect.
CEO Eric Trappier said he was closely watching budget discussions and would be ready to seize any opportunities presented by Europe’s need to rearm, given a rift over security with Donald Trump.
Asked what he expected from an emergency European summit on Ukraine and European security, Trappier told Reuters:
What I would like to see is European governments granting preference to European industry. I have been saying it for 30 years.
Trappier said France’s historical refusal since the 1950s to rely mainly on the United States had been proved right by current events and that it would take time to rebuild capacity.
European leaders agreed over the weekend to boost defence spending to show Trump that the continent could protect itself and Germany, Europe’s largest economy, has announced major changes to increase military spending.
Speaking to reporters after presenting annual results, Trappier delivered a withering assessment of the policies of neighbours who have tied their security in large part to the US, including with purchases of the rival F-35.
Trappier added:
I’m delighted that Germany has realised that they have to invest in defence. We have already heard this a few years ago.
There was a 100 billion (euro re-armament) plan in Germany, and one of the first decisions was to buy the F-35 to carry American nuclear arms: I wonder how effective that is today.
US and Ukrainian officials to hold meeting in near future, Kyiv says
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff said he and US national security adviser Mike Waltz had “discussed the next steps towards a just and lasting peace” in Ukraine during a call on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
Andriy Yermak said on X that he and Waltz had also “exchanged views on security issues and the alignment of positions,” and scheduled a meeting of Ukrainian and US officials in the near future “to continue this important work”.
Updated
Former senior RAF officer Greg Bagwell said that stopping intelligence will “cost Ukrainian lives”.
Posting on X, Bagwell, who was previously a deputy commander at RAF Air Command said:
The withholding of aid was bad enough, but ceasing intel will cost Ukrainian lives today.
It is unconscionable that this would be used as a tactic to drag the innocent party to the negotiating table.
Intel sharing costs nothing so this is entirely vindictive and manipulative.
The day so far - summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap from me, Jakub Krupa as I hand the blog over to Tom Ambrose who will keep you up to date.
Here are the three things to take away from today’s Europe Live blog so far:
The US has paused sharing some intelligence with Ukraine as part of a broader push by the Trump administration to force Ukraine back to the negotiating table with Russia, senior US officials confirmed (14:59 and 15:23). The exact scope of the restrictions imposed is not publicly known yet, leaving open questions about the extent to which the change affects critical operations (15:51).
The French government’s spokesperson hinted at plans for Emmanuel Macron to travel to Washington with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UK prime minister Keir Starmer in a further bid to convince US president Donald Trump of a need for security guarantees for Ukraine as part of the peace talks (12:15). Her comments, however, were denied by the Élysée Palace (13:14), fuelling speculations about Macron’s further plans, just hours before the president is due to address the nation at 7pm GMT (8pm CET).
Greenland’s prime minister Múte B. Egede responded to US president Donald Trump’s comments about Greenland overnight and rejecting his interest in the island, saying that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders” (11:38). The exchange comes just days before a critical election in Greenland, which could decide the future trajectory of the independence movement, with some frustration in Denmark over the timing of Trump’s intervention (9:58).
And now it’s over to Tom, as we build up to Macron’s address to the nation later.
Updated
'No evidence' of extremist motivation behind Mannheim car incident
The German police and the prosecutor’s office said there was currently "no evidence” indicating that the 40-year-old German man suspected of driving car into a crowd in Mannheim was motivated by extremism or politics.
In a joint statement, they said that the man had a long history of mental illnesses, and “regularly received medical and psychiatric treatment in the past,” including as an inpatient.
The authorities said they found inside a car “a document with various mathematical formulas,” previously reported in the media as calculations of potential impact, which continues to be evaluated.
They added that investigators were looking into historical contacts between the suspect and a right-wing extremist group in 2018, but their inquiries so far have not returned any indications of an existing link at present.
The authorities also said that number of people injured in the incident rose to 14, with four people still in hospitals. Two people were previously confirmed as dead.
Czech Republic adopts plans to increase defence spending to 'acknowledge new international reality'
The Czech government has adopted plans to gradually increase defence spending from 2026 with the ambition of reaching 3% by 2030, up from 2.1% in 2024, Czech news website idnes reported.
The move comes just days after Czech prime minister Petr Fiala warned that the geopolitical order in Europe was facing “most significant transformation since the fall of communism.”
Fiala warned that “president Trump has decided to completely reshape American foreign policy,” and “this new international reality – its dangers, its risks, and the shifts in American foreign policy – must be acknowledged.”
“This does not mean that the United States is no longer our ally. But we must recognise that it is now an ally that is making it clear that the time has come for European nations to take responsibility for their own affairs,” he said.
Today, Fiala went further pointing at the source of risks: “Anyone who says that Russia does not threaten us is not telling the truth.”
The policy shift in the Czech Republic follows similar moves in a number of European countries, announcing major increases in defence spending in response to the worsening security situation in Europe.
Romania expels two senior Russian diplomats over 'interference' accusations
Romania ordered two senior Russian diplomats to be expelled from the country, the foreign ministry said, a day after accusing Moscow of “interference” and slamming Russian secret services’ criticism of the indictment of far-right presidential candidate
Călin Georgescu, AFP reported.
“The Romanian authorities have decided to declare persona non grata on the territory of Romania the military, air and naval attache of the Russian Federation in Bucharest, as well as his deputy,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti reported that Russian government intended to respond to this move.
US pause on intelligence sharing with Ukraine - snap analysis
Defence and security editor
Experts said that the impact of US restrictions on intelligence sharing with Ukraine would depend partly on what precisely had been stopped – and emphasised that Kyiv was already more capable than Washington appreciated.
A western expert, familiar with Ukraine’s conduct of the war, said that Kyiv already made heavy use of open source and human intelligence to identify Russian targets in the rear and wasn’t particularly dependent on the US for targeting information.
Giving an example, the person said that “oil refineries don’t move,” citing a frequent target of Ukrainian long range-drone attacks. “Donald Trump might be surprised to find that when he pulls the levers they have little impact,” they added.
Initial reports suggest that the US is withholding intelligence on targets inside Russia’s internationally recognised borders, which would be a relatively limited restriction.
Wider restrictions on intelligence sharing, for example refusing to share intercepts that provide clues as to Russian strategic intentions or military plans would have a greater effect.
At the very beginning of the war in February 2022 it was US intelligence that told Ukraine that Russia was targeting the seizure of the Hostomel airport north west of Kyiv, allowing the location to be reinforced. Russia was never able to securely capture the air strip, which it had intended to use to fly in large numbers of troops to pacify the Ukrainian capital.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy speaks with outgoing German chancellor Scholz, Dutch prime minister Schoof
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues his diplomatic offensive talking to a number of European leaders about the next steps for Ukraine.
In the last few hours, he spoke with outgoing German chancellor Olaf Scholz and Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof.
In a social media post, the Ukrainian president said he had “an honest conversation” with Scholz, insisting that Ukraine needed “not a temporary ceasefire, but an end to the war once and for all.”
He thanked for Germany’s contribution so far, and stressed that he saw “opportunities to expand our cooperation in this area.”
For his part, Scholz said that Germany’s solidarity with Ukraine was “unbreakable,” but he welcomed Zelenskyy’s intention to negotiate through the US-led peace process.
Separately, Schoof said he spoke with the Ukrainian leader about the Dutch investment package for the Ukrainian defence industry worth €700mn, as the Netherlands “continues to support Ukraine in their fight against Russian aggression.”
US national security adviser Waltz also confirms 'step back' in Ukraine intelligence sharing
US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz told reporters the US “had taken a step back” and the administration was “reviewing all aspects” of its intelligence relationship with Ukraine.
Waltz also said that the U.S. was actively engaged in talks with Ukraine about moving negotiations forward on a minerals deal and a potential peace deal with Russia.
“I think we’re going to see movement in very short order,” he said, quoted by Reuters.
CIA director Ratcliffe confirms restrictions on US intelligence sharing with Ukraine
Speaking on Fox Business, CIA director John Ratcliffe indirectly confirmed the decision to restrict the provision of US intelligence to Ukraine, but suggested it was limited in scope and temporary to force sides back into negotiations:
Here is what he said:
What President Trump said is, he asked for a pause.
As I mentioned, President Trump is the peace president, [there has] never been a war under his leadership, [and] he wants to end the wars that exist.
And so in this case, as everyone saw play out, president Trump had a real question about whether president Zelenskyy was committed to the peace process, and he said: let’s pause, I want to give you a chance to think about that.
And you saw the response that President Zelensky put out a statement saying, I’m ready for peace, and I want Donald Trump’s leadership to bring about that peace.
And so I think on the military front and the intelligence front, the pause that allowed that to happen, I think will go away, and I think we’ll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine as we have to push back on the aggression that’s there, but [it was needed] to put the world in a better place for these peace negotiations to move forward.
Danish PM backs Greenlandic leader on future of island, against Trump's comments
Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen backed the Greenlandic prime minister in saying that Greenland was not for sale and it was up for its people to determine its future.
She said that Denmark would want to “hold on to our commonwealth,” but added that it would need to evolve to be “made better, more modern, built on equality and respect.”
In comments to Danish broadcaster TV2, she added that “Greenland wants nothing more than to be Greenland.”
She also said she had not spoken with Trump since their last contact in early January, after which he convened emergency talks with political leaders amid concerns about Greenland.
Separately, Greenland’s finance minister Erik Jensen told broadcaster DR that the US president’s comments were “disrespectful.”
Overnight, Trump said the US “needed Greenland for national security and even international security,” adding: “I think we’re going to get it – one way or the other, we’re going to get it.”
UK government spokesperson declined to comment on reports about the US cutting off intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, saying instead that the country was focused on doing “everything to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position.”
“It remains a longstanding position not to comment on intelligence, but what I would say is we have been clear previously that we would do everything to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position, particularly around defence and security,” the spokesperson said.
Hungary hopeful about removing US sanctions as two countries agree on Ukraine, foreign minister Szijjártó says
Hungarian foreign and trade minister Péter Szijjártó said he was hopeful about challenging US sanctions imposed by the previous Joe Biden administration, claiming they were “created clearly with the intention of political revenge, in order to harm Hungary and later harm future Hungary-US relations”.
Speaking after his meeting with US state secretary Marco Rubio, Szijjártó highlighted the realignment in views between the two countries under Donald Trump, with the two sides agreeing on sanctions and on Ukraine.
“There are measures involving sanctions that affect Hungary’s energy security in the areas of natural gas acquisition and also nuclear energy, but there is also the sanction against Minister [of the prime minister’s Cabinet Office Antal] Rogán,” he said, quoted by a publication associated with the Hungarian government.
“We have launched the necessary legal procedures concerning all three issues and the secretary of state assured us of absolute openness regarding leaving behind us these revenge measures as soon as possible,” he was quoted as saying.
Szijjártó said he relayed Hungary’s support for Trump’s proposed peace talks on Ukraine.
We were also in agreement that repeated statements about having to continue the war as long as possible was not a strategy and was also a dangerous position because the longer the war continues in our neighbourhood, the greater the danger of escalation.
The minister also claimed, without offering further evidence, that “in Europe, especially in its western part, there was some scheming under way against Donald Trump and his peace plan.”
Conflicting reports on US intelligence sharing with Ukraine
I earlier brought you the FT’s report claiming that the US has cut off intelligence-sharing with Kyiv in a move that could seriously hamper the Ukrainian military’s ability to target Russian forces.
But Bloomberg (£) and Ukraine’s national broadcaster Suspilne are reporting that the flow of intelligence information continues.
I will keep an eye on that to see if there are any official confirmations either way.
US aid blockade could be lifted if talks with Ukraine progress, US national security adviser Waltz says
President Donald Trump will consider restoring aid to Ukraine if peace talks are arranged and confidence-building measures are taken, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
“I think if we can nail down these negotiations and move towards these negotiations, and in fact, put some confidence-building measures on the table, then the president will take a hard look at lifting this pause,” Waltz said in an interview with Fox News.
Updated
Russia jails Briton for 19 years for fighting for Ukraine
As Starmer speaks in the Commons, we are getting reports from Russia that a British man captured fighting on Ukraine’s side during its offensive in Russia’s Kursk region has been sentenced to 19 years behind bars.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement on its website that James Scott Rhys Anderson was found guilty of a “terrorist act” and acting as a mercenary, after he was captured while fighting in the Kursk region in November.
The statement, released only in Russian, added that the Briton would spend “with the first five years to be served in prison and the rest in a maximum security penal colony.”
Ukraine deal needs security guarantees to avoid breaches by Putin's Russia, UK's Starmer says
Speaking in the House of Commons in the last few minutes, UK prime minister Keir Starmer insisted on a need to secure “a lasting peace” in Ukraine, saying that:
The whole point of ensuring that there’s a lasting peace – and that any deal, if there’s a deal, is defended – is to avoid conflict, to ensure that we do have peace.
The way to ensure we have peace is to ensure there are guarantees for any deal that is in place, because the surest risk that there will be conflict is if Putin thinks that he can breach any deal that may be arrived at.
Starmer was also indirectly asked about reports on US limiting its intelligence sharing on Ukraine, and he didn’t answer it directly, but said instead that:
I have always been clear that we need to ensure that the US, the UK, Europe and Ukraine, are working together, but we must not choose between the US and Europe.
We never have historically, and we’re not going to do so now.
But Starmer also subtly hit back at US vice-president JD Vance for his comments on European troops from yesterday, opening the Q&A session in parliament by paying tribute to UK soldiers killed in Afghanistan, stressing “these men fought and died for their country, ... fighting for Britain alongside our allies.”
In Iraq and Afghanistan 643 individuals died, and many more were injured, he says.
He later gets pointedly asked about Vance’s comments, and says:
We do remember the role that we’ve played historically with our allies, and we particularly remember those that made the ultimate sacrifice in that duty for their country and for our allies and that’s why it’s so important that we make that point today.
For more details on the PMQ session in the House of Commons, you can follow our UK live blog here:
Updated
No set plans for Macron's trip to Washington, Elysée says, despite government spokesperson comments
in Paris
An Elysée official later clarified there were no set plans for a trip to Washington by Emmanuel Macron at this point.
Although Sophie Primas, the government spokesperson, had suggested a trip might happen soon with the UK’s Keir Starmer and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, it is Macron’s presidential office at the Élysée Palace that handles his international agenda and brief for foreign policy.
US cuts off intelligence sharing with Ukraine, FT reports
The US has cut off intelligence-sharing with Kyiv in a move that could seriously hamper the Ukrainian military’s ability to target Russian forces, the Financial Times reported (£) on Wednesday, citing officials familiar with the matter.
The paper noted that the decision came after the US suspended military aid deliveries to Ukraine earlier this week.
Macron-Starmer-Zelenskyy meeting a French idea, government spokesperson says
Speaking after the weekly French cabinet meeting, the French government’s spokesperson Sophie Primas told journalists said she would not pre-empt president Macron’s address to the nation tonight, but added that
It is being considered that president Macron could possibly go back to Washington with president Zelenskyy and with his English counterpart.
She was later asked a follow-up question on the expected timing of the visit and who came up with the idea, and she said she didn’t have the information, but expected this to happen “in the near future.”
She said she believed the meeting was a French initiative.
France's Macron 'considering' fresh US visit with Ukraine's Zelenskyy and UK's Starmer, spokesperson says
French president Emmanuel Macron is considering making another visit to the US to meet US president Donald Trump together with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and British prime minister Keir Starmer, a French government spokesperson said in comments reported by Reuters.
France and the UK have been leading Europe’s response to the diplomatic crisis between the US and Ukraine after talks between Trump and Zelenskyy broke down last Friday in acrimony.
Russia sees Zelenskyy’s letter to Trump as ‘positive,’ Kremlin says
Russia takes a positive view of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement last night that he is willing to negotiate over the war, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, however, that it was not clear how this would work because Ukraine had a legal ban on negotiating with Russia, Reuters noted.
He was referring to a Zelenskyy decree in 2022 that ruled out negotiations with president Vladimir Putin.
Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko also joined in with his reaction, offering to host Russia-Ukraine talks that could involve US officials.
Belarus previously hosted talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in 2014 and 2015 mediated by France and Germany, resulting in the Minsk agreements of 2014 and 2015, named after the Belarusian capital.
European markets rallying after German 'bazooka' announcement on defence spending
European markets are rallying, with defence stocks soaring, after Germany’s prospective partners in government, the CDU/CSU and SPD, agreed on a major loosening of Germany’s fiscal straitjacket – described as “a really big bazooka” by economists.
An index of European aerospace and defence firms advanced by 3.3%. Shares in German companies Thyssenkrupp, Hensoldt, Rheinmetall and Renk have risen by between 5% and 12%. The UK’s BAE Systems, Europe’s biggest defence group, rose by 3.3%.
The Dax in Frankfurt leapt by nearly 3%, and is set for its biggest daily increase since November 2022.
'Not Americans, not Danes - we are Greenlanders,' Greenlandic PM rebukes Trump
Greenland’s prime minister Múte B. Egede responded to US president Donald Trump’s comments overnight and rejecting his interest, saying that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.”
“We are not Americans, we are not Danes, because we are Greenlanders. This is what the Americans and their leaders need to understand,” he said in a Facebook post.
“We are not for sale and cannot just be taken,” he added.
Egede insisted that “the future of the country will be determined by us in our country, of course.”
Greenland will hold a general election next week, on 11 March.
Updated
UK expands its Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme to EU citizens
Starting from today, EU citizens planning to visit the UK can apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation, or ETA, which will be required to enter the country from 2 April 2025.
The UK government sought to reassure travellers that the application process is “quick and simple” through the UK ETA app, “with the vast majority of applicants currently receiving a decision automatically in minutes.”
The government said:
Applicants provide their biographic and biometric details and answer a few questions on suitability and criminality. Once an applicant has successfully applied, their ETA is digitally linked to their passport.
An ETA currently costs £10 and allows multiple visits to the UK of up to six months over a two-year period, or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner. An ETA is not a visa, it is a digital permission to travel.
More details about the scheme are here.
Updated
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock will not be seeking to lead the parliamentary group of the Greens in the next Bundestag, German media reported.
Baerbock has reportedly written to her local Greens group in Brandenburg saying that she intended to spend more time with her family instead.
Trump acknowledged Greenland's right to self-determination, Denmark says
Denmark’s deputy prime minister and defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen reacted to Trump’s comments on Greenland overnight, stressing that it was a positive development that the US president acknowledged the island’s right to self-determination.
Foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen echoed his comments, saying that part of Trump’s comments was “most important.”
Rasmussen said noted that Greenland wanted to “loosen ties with Denmark,” but was not sure if they wanted to do that to become part of the US instead. He declined to comment further, however, ahead of next week’s snap elections on the island.
But not everyone is equally diplomatic: Martin Lidegaard, the leader of the Danish Social Liberal Party, or Radikale, called Trump’s comments “completely disrespectful,” although he also noted they were “less bombastic” than before.
Germany's next government wants to do 'whatever it takes' to boost defence
In other late developments you shouldn’t miss, the prospective partners in Germany’s next government have said they will seek to loosen rules on running up debt to allow for higher defence spending.
Centre-right election winner Friedrich Merz, who is trying to put together a coalition government with the centre-left Social Democrats, said the two sides would propose exempting spending of more than 1% of gross domestic product on defence from rules that limit the government’s ability to borrow money.
They said they will also seek to set up a huge €500bn ($533bn) fund to finance spending on Germany’s infrastructure over the next 10 years.
“In view of the increasing threat situation, it is clear to us that Europe – and with Europe, the Federal Republic of Germany – must now very quickly make very big efforts very quickly to strengthen the defence capability of our country and the European continent,” Merz told reporters at a hastily convened news conference.
Merz also said he wanted to get immediate approval for a three-billion-euro aid package for Ukraine that has been held up for weeks.
He vowed to do “whatever it takes“ when it comes to defence “in light of threats to our freedom and peace on our continent”.
Merz’s promise of “whatever it takes“ recalled the pledge made in 2012 by the then president of the European Central Bank (ECB) Mario Draghi during the sovereign debt crisis.
Pope Francis update
Pope Francis “rested well during the night,” the Vatican said in the latest update on the 88-year-old’s health as he continues his battle to overcome double pneumonia.
The Vatican added that he had woken up shortly after 8 am, with agencies noting that pontiff normally starts his day well before dawn when he is healthy.
The pope has not been seen in public since entering hospital, his longest such absence since his papacy started 12 years ago, Reuters noted.
Macron to address nation tonight
French president Emmanuel Macron will address the nation tonight seeking to address “this moment of uncertainty, where the world is confronted by large challenges,” he said in a post on social media.
France plays a leading role, together with the UK, in talks with the US about supporting Ukraine, with Macron floating the idea of a limited truce after last weekend’s talks in London.
Tonight’s address is expected 8pm CET (7pm GMT).
Morning opening: Mixed signals
In a rare positive development these days, US president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to be a step closer to reconciling after last week’s public clash in the Oval Office, after Trump said he “appreciated” getting “an important letter” from Zelenskyy.
This comes after Zelenskyy proposed a possible peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, saying he is willing to work “constructively” under Donald Trump’s “strong leadership” and to sign a deal giving the US access to his country’s mineral wealth.
Trump also said he had been in “serious discussions with Russia” and claimed he had “received strong signals that they are ready for peace”.
“Wouldn’t that be beautiful?” he said. “It’s time to stop this madness. It’s time to halt the killing. It’s time to end this senseless war. If you want to end wars you have to talk to both sides.”
Still, the US president could not resist a swipe at the EU, falsely saying it had “sadly spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than … on defending Ukraine, by far.”
But then he confusingly added: “But we’re getting along very well with them and lots of good things are happening.”
His speech to the Congress last night, while far better than many feared, also included a number of contentious lines for Europeans.
In remarks that are likely to further trigger alarm bells in Denmark, Trump told “the incredible people of Greenland” that while the US “strongly support your right to determine your own future,” it would be even happier to welcome them into the US, promising to “make you rich.”
“We need Greenland for national security and even international security. … And I think we’re going to get it – one way or the other, we’re going to get it,” he said.
Former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt said: “That’s the Putin way of treating countries.”
Trump’s comments come less than a week before snap elections to Inatsisartut, Greenlandic parliament, with the current ruling party calling for an independence referendum, raising questions over whether the US president intended to influence the vote.
The US president also spoke of his favourite word in the world, tariffs, saying:
Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades and now it’s our turn to start using them against those other countries. On average, the European Union, China, Brazil, India, Mexico and Canada – have you heard of them? – and countless other nations charge us tremendously higher tariffs than we charge them.
He repeated his plan to impose new tariffs from 2 April – “I wanted to make it 1 April, but I didn’t want to be accused of April Fools’ Day – it’s not” – raising fears of a trade war with the EU.
It’s the usual format with Trump that you get mixed signals. One step forward on Ukraine, two steps back on Greenland and tariffs.
Let’s see what the day will bring and the two sides can make more progress on the minerals deal for Ukraine.
We will bring you the latest here.
It’s Wednesday, 5 March 2025, and this is Europe live. It’s Jakub Krupa here.
Good morning.
