Summary of the day
It’s nearly midnight in Kyiv, 1pm in Moscow and 5pm in Washington. Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned world leaders “against trusting [Vladimir] Putin’s claims of readiness to end the war”. He called for the US to agree a “plan to stop Putin” before any negotiations, a day after Trump said he and the Russian leader had agreed to begin negotiations to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine.
US president Donald Trump insisted he believed Putin “wants peace”. “I think he would tell me if he didn’t,” Trump said on Thursday, adding that Ukraine will be “part of” negotiations. Trump also said he would “love” to see Russia return to the G7.
Trump’s defense secretary Pete Hegseth said “everything is on the table” to bring peace to Ukraine, and insisted the US had not already given too much away when he had said on Wednesday that Ukraine could not restore its pre-2014 borders.
The Kremlin said plans were under way for Putin and Trump to meet, possibly in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine would be in “one way or another” involved in talks, it said, but there would also be a “bilateral Russian-American track”.
Trump’s announcement on Wednesday stunned Ukraine and European allies. Zelenskyy, who also spoke to Trump on Wednesday, said it was “not very pleasant” that Trump called Putin before calling him.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said any peace deal in Ukraine must be enduring and that any discussions must include Kyiv. “It is crucial that whatever comes out of those talks, it is durable, it is enduring,” Rutte told reporters in Brussels ahead of talks with the alliance’s defence ministers.
German chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected any “dictated peace”, arguing that “a Russian victory or a Ukrainian collapse will not lead to peace - on the contrary”. “This would put peace and stability in Europe at risk, far beyond Ukraine,” he said.
The EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas accused Washington of “appeasement” towards Russia, insisting that no deal “behind our backs” could work. “You need the Europeans, you need the Ukrainians, she said. “Any quick fix is a dirty deal.”
At least 30 people were injured after a24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker drove a car into a trade union demonstration in Munich, German police have said, in a suspected attack that is expected to inflame tensions before this month’s election.
Away from the Ukraine war, the US has just announced it has released a Russian cybercriminal as part of an exchange that saw an American schoolteacher freed from Russian prison earlier this week.
The Trump administration has released Alexander Vinnik, a cybercriminal who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money-laundering, to Russia, after Moscow released Marc Fogel on Tuesday.
Vinnik, who arrived in Moscow on a flight from Turkey on Tuesday after having been released from custody in California, is accused of owning and operating one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, BTC-e, which prosecutors allege facilitated the transfer of billions of dollars in transactions for criminals worldwide.
In the UK, prime minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government has been at pains to keep Donald Trump’s on side. But the US president’s call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin has left UK ministers and officials doing some extraordinary contortions not to provoke Trump’s ire, writes the Guardian’s Jessica Elgot.
Here’s more from her analysis:
There is no greater priority in the UK’s foreign policy than keeping the volatile occupant of the White House on side. And that has meant over the past 24 hours that some pronouncements by the British government have seemed at odds with reality.
In the real world, we have just seen the US president make extraordinary concessions in a call with the Russian president – no return to pre-2014 borders and a dismissal of Ukraine’s hopes of joining Nato.
The response by British ministers is then to say that of course Trump is right to want peace in Ukraine, but the priority is “putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position”.
That makes very little sense just hours after Ukraine’s position was so undermined by Trump’s decision to engage with Putin directly on the terms of a possible peace deal.
Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said there could be “no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine”. But that is what the US president has just done.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, told Ukraine “bold diplomacy” was needed to end the war with Russia.
Reuters reports Rubio spoke to Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha. In a statement about the call, the state department said: “They discussed the need for bold diplomacy to end the war in a negotiated manner leading to a sustainable peace.”
Trump says he would 'love to have Russia back' in G7
US president Donald Trump said he would “love” to see Russia return to the Group of Seven (G7) nations.
“I’d love to have them back,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
I think it was a mistake to throw them out. It’s not a question of liking Russia or not liking Russia. It was the G8.
Russia was removed from the group, then known as G8, in 2014 after Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula. He added:
I said, ‘What are you doing? You guys - all you’re talking about is Russia and they should be sitting at the table.’ I think [Vladimir] Putin would love to be back.
US president Donald Trump said Ukraine would be “part of” any peace negotiations with Russia over ending the war.
“The Ukraine war has to end,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Young people are being killed at levels that nobody’s seen since World War Two, and it’s a ridiculous war. It has to end.
Trump says he believes Putin 'wants peace' with Ukraine
Here’s more on Donald Trump’s remarks to reporters from the Oval Office, during which he said he believes that Russian president Vladimir Putin “wants peace” with Ukraine.
“I believe he wants peace,” Trump said.
I believe President Putin when I spoke to him yesterday. I know him very well. I think he wants peace. I think he would tell me if he didn’t.
“I trust him on this subject. I think he’d like to see something happen,” Trump added.
US president Donald Trump has reportedly said that he trusts that Russian leader Vladimir Putin “wants peace” with Ukraine.
“I think he would tell me if he didn’t,” Trump told reporters a day after he held separate calls with Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Agence-France-Presse.
Ukraine would have a seat at the table during any peace negotiations with Russia over ending the war, Trump added, according to Reuters.
Updated
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised a “good result” on the front line of Ukraine’s war against Russia, but provided no details or location.
Zelenskyy, in his nightly video address, acknowledged the actions of the 425th separate assault regiment, appearing to indicate the action had taken place near the frontline city of Pokrovsk.
“There is a good result,” he said.
It would be improper to describe the geography. I won’t make this political, but I want to congratulate the 425th separate assault regiment. Your strength clearly has meaning. Well done!
The first thing Olena Litovchenko thought, when she read the news of Donald Trump’s phone call to Vladimir Putin on Wednesday evening, was that it might finally be time for her to leave Ukraine.
“It feels like Ukraine is being screwed,” said Litovchenko, a personal trainer who was born in Kyiv and has stayed in the city throughout the three years of full-scale war.
Believing the prospect of a Ukrainian defeat to be closer after Trump’s call and statements on Wednesday, she thought for the first time that she perhaps ought to leave, for the sake of her daughter.
But then, leave and go where? Europe is most certainly going to be next. Go to Australia? I don’t know. I feel angry and betrayed.
Anger and betrayal were common emotions among those questioned on the streets of central Kyiv on Thursday.
In the three months since Donald Trump’s election win, many in Ukraine held onto a hope that things would not be as bad as some predicted under the new president.
Read the full story here: ‘I feel angry and betrayed’: Ukrainians react to Donald Trump’s call to Putin
Ukrainian foreign minister Andriy Sybiga warned against attempts to divide the world after US president Donald Trump revealed he plans to begin peace talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
“The Russians are trying to prolong the post-Yalta mentality, with a few people sitting around the table and dividing the world,” Sybiga told reporters in Paris.
Ukraine, Europe and US must be 'fully united' in peace talks, says Poland's Tusk
We reported earlier that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a call on Thursday with Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk. According to Zelenskyy, the pair “agreed that no negotiations with Putin can begin without a united position from Ukraine, Europe and the US.”
Tusk has also posted a social media update following his call with Zelenskyy, as well as with European council president António Costa, Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson, and German chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The message is clear: Ukraine, Europe and the US must be fully united and engage in peace talks.
German chancellor Olaf Scholz said forcing a deal to end the war with Russia on Ukraine would not lead to lasting peace, after US president Donald Trump agreed to open negotiations with Russian president Vladimir Putin in a call.
The war in Ukraine “must end as quickly as possible”, Scholz said on Thursday but, he added, a “Russian victory or a Ukrainian collapse will not lead to peace, on the contrary”.
This would put peace and stability in Europe at risk, far beyond Ukraine.
As we reported earlier, Scholz warned that the Ukraine conflict must not end with an “dictated peace” during an interview with Politico.
“We have supported Ukraine over all these years,” Scholz said.
This is the basis for creating the prospect of a peaceful solution that is not a dictated peace over Ukraine. That must remain the principle, that decisions are not made over the heads of the Ukrainians.
Updated
The day so far - summary
I am handing this blog over to my US colleague Léonie Chao-Fong in Washington now, as we’re expecting these discussions on Ukraine to continue into late hours (European time), and we may hear from president Donald Trump on this topic later today.
Here are the three things you need to know from today’s Europe Live (so far):
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned world leaders “against trusting Putin’s claims of readiness to end the war” (18:08), after dramatic developments over the last 24 hours that involved a phone call between US president Donald Trump and the Russian president in an attempt to start the peace talks. His comments come after first reports about what shape the peace talks could take (17:36) and after multiple European leaders raised their concerns about the way they are organised as they insisted both Ukraine and Europe must be represented (8:51, 9:08, 9:26, 10:06, 10:55, 12:06).
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has said European allies “must make Nato great again” (17:00) by increasing their spending and taking more responsibility for the security of the continent, as he warned that the Trump administration “will not allow anyone to turn Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker” (17:04). He also rejected all criticism of Trump’s approach to talks with Putin, saying that pointing out realities is not the same as making concessions (17:07, 17:10).
At least 28 people are injured, some seriously, after a 24-year-old Afghan citizen, who reportedly had his asylum application rejected (16:01), drove his car into crowds in the Bavarian city of Munich in Germany (15:35). The suspected attack is expected to inflame tensions before this month’s federal election, with migration and asylum policies already high on the list of voters’ concerns after a string of attacks by perpetrators with migrant background (13:40, 14:23, 14:34).
I will be back tomorrow to guide you through what promises to be a really significant milestone in these talks on the future of Ukraine, the Munich Security Conference.
But don’t go anywhere – it’s now over to Léonie in Washington for more updates on Ukraine.
Updated
Don't trust Putin's claim he is ready to end war, Zelenskyy says, as he calls for a united Ukraine, EU, US position for talks
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned world leaders “against trusting Putin’s claims of readiness to end the war,” after dramatic developments over the last 24 hours that involved a phone call between US president Donald Trump and the Russian president in an attempt to start the peace talks.
Zelenskyy made the comment in a social media update after his phone call with Polish prime minister Donald Tusk.
He said the pair spoke about “the conditions needed for a lasting and real peace in Ukraine,” and “agreed that no negotiations with Putin can begin without a united position from Ukraine, Europe and the US.”
But in the strongest line yet revealing his scepticism about the talks, he said he “warned world leaders against trusting Putin’s claims of readiness to end the war.”
Here are his comments in full:
I spoke with Polish Prime Minister @donaldtusk. We discussed the conditions needed for a lasting and real peace in Ukraine and agreed that no negotiations with Putin can begin without a united position from Ukraine, Europe, and the U.S.
I informed the Prime Minister about my conversation with President Trump, and we discussed key messages and the need to coordinate the positions of all Europeans to achieve successful outcomes for the whole of Europe.
I emphasized that Ukraine must negotiate from a position of strength, with strong and reliable security guarantees, and that NATO membership would be the most cost-effective for partners. Another key guarantee is serious investment in Ukraine’s defense industry.
I also warned world leaders against trusting Putin’s claims of readiness to end the war.
… and Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has just confirmed that also he had discussed plans for a strategic partnership with the US with his American counterpart Marco Rubio.
He said in a social media post:
I had a good call with @SecRubio on ways to advance the Ukraine-US strategic partnership with mutual benefit. I thanked Secretary Rubio for reaffirming that the U.S. remains committed to supporting Ukraine. Achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace is our shared interest.
First details of peace talks emerge from Russia
As Hegseth was speaking, we got new lines from Moscow as first details on planned peace talks are emerging…
Russia said that Ukraine would “of course” be involved in talks to end the war, but there would be a separate US-Russian strand to the negotiations, Reuters reported.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also said it could take up to several months to arrange a meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, possibly in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Reuters noted that his comments were unlikely to reassure Kyiv or allay the concerns of European governments that are demanding a place at the table, fearful that Moscow and Washington could otherwise cut a deal that undermines their security.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier today that he would not accept any negotiations not giving Ukraine a seat at the table.
Similar demands were expressed by European leaders, who also wanted to be involved.
“Any agreement without us will fail, because you need Europe and Ukraine to also implement the agreement,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said earlier today.
“Any quick fix is a dirty deal,” she said.
No 'inevitable desire to clash with China,' Hegseth says
In the final question at the press conference, Hegseth is asked about the relations with China and how it wants to deter it from getting into any conflict with the US.
He says that Trump wants to have a strong relationship with China, and the administration has “no inevitable desire to clash with China.”
But he notes that “there is a recognition that there are divergent interests which lead to a need to strength on the American side.”
He says it is “prudent” to look at hard deterrence in the Pacific region and understand “the ascendant Chinese threat.”
“There is a reason why Donald Trump emphasis peace through strength at every moment.
My job, my job alone, as the Secretary of Defense, is to ensure he has the strongest, most capable, most lethal military possible. Heaven forbid we have to use it – it’s meant and built for deterrence – but if we have to, we can close with [it] and destroy our enemies and bring our men and women home with success as quickly as possible.
He concludes his press conference here.
Updated
He then speaks again about defence production, calling for radical overhaul of existing processes to reduce red tape “so a request today isn’t delivered seven years from now, but three years from now, with less red tape and with the most efficient and effective technology possible.”
Hegseth goes back to his point about the future relationship with Europe.
He says that the US “stand beside you,” but Europeans “cannot have the expectation of being the permanent guarantor” of peace, but need to step up.
He repeats his calls for European allies to invest more as he brings up emerging risks and threats in other parts of the world, including areas where he says the US is probably the main partner capable of providing real deterrence, like in the Pacific.
We wish we could lead everywhere at all times. We will stand in solidarity with allies and partners and encourage everyone to invest in order to have force multiplication of what we represent. But it requires realistic conversations.
Peace talks will be with both Putin and Zelenskyy, Hegseth says
Asked if he could guarantee that no deal is forced on Ukraine, he says that is “not, ultimately, my decision,” as the talks will be led by Trump.
But he points out that the president spoke with both Putin and Zelensky, and “any negotiation … will be had with both.”
He continues on this point:
It’s just a cheap political point to say, Oh, we’ve left all the negotiating cards off the table in by recognising some realities that exist on the ground. President Zelenskyy understands the realities on the ground, president Putin understands the realities on the ground, and president Trump as a deal maker, as a negotiator, understands those dynamics as well.
He suggests that a promise of an US involvement in natural resources in Ukraine would also form an indirect safety guarantee. He says that an investment relationship would “in the long term … be a lot more tangible” and another way of showing solidarity.
That’s one of any number of other opportunities that this president will leverage in these high stakes negotiations.
So I just reject, on its face, the premise that somehow President Trump isn’t dealing with a full set of cards when he’s the one that can determine, ultimately, what cards he holds.
Hegseth says all options on table for talks, but accepting reality is not making concessions
Hegseth is asked why any peacekeeping force should not be covered by Article 5 of Nato (“an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all”).
He says all details will be discussed only during negotiations and he wouldn’t want to pre-empt that.
But he goes back to his previous point:
I think realism is an important part of the conversation that hasn’t existed enough … but simply pointing out realism, like the borders won’t be rolled back to what everybody would like them to be in 2014, is not a concession to Vladimir Putin.
It’s a recognition of the hard power realities on the ground, after a lot of investment in sacrifice, first by the Ukrainians and then by allies, and then a realisation that a negotiated peace is going to be some sort of demarcation that neither side wants.
Hegseth rejects suggestions of early concessions to Putin
Asked about the criticism of Trump’s approach as making concessions to Putin, Hegseth responds:
The arguments that have been made that somehow coming to the table right now is making concessions to Vladimir Putin outright, that the president of the United States shouldn’t otherwise make … I just reject that at its face.
He says that Putin is ready for talks as he responds to strength and sees a strong rival in Trump.
“Any suggestion that President Trump is doing anything other than negotiating from a position of strength is, on its face, ahistorical and false,” he says.
Trump will not allow anyone to 'turn Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker', Hegseth says
Hegseth delivers a punchline of his speech by once again telling European and Canadian partners to step up as he makes a reference to president Dwight D Eisenhower’s words in the past:
Eisenhower was one of Nato’s strongest supporters. He believed in a strong relationship with Europe. However, by the end of Eisenhower’s presidency, even he was concerned that Europe was not shouldering enough of its own defence, nearly making, in Eisenhower’s words, a sucker out of Uncle Sam.
Well, like President Eisenhower, this administration believes in alliances, deeply believes in alliances, but make no mistake, President Trump will not allow anyone to turn Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker.
Updated
'We must make Nato great again,' US defence secretary Hegseth says
In a more political passage of his speech, Hegseth says that the US administration under Trump wants to “revive the warrior ethos” and “rebuild our military and re-establishing deterrence.”
Nato should pursue these goals as well. Nato is a great alliance, the most successful defence alliance in history, but to endure for the future, our partners must do far more for Europe’s defence. We must make Nato great again.
You can't shoot values and speeches, you need hard power, US Hegseth tells European allies
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth says that the US is “committed to building a stronger, more lethal Nato,” but wants to “ensure that European and Canadian commitment to Article 3 of Nato is just as strong.”
For those of you who have not memories the Nato declaration, here it is in full:
In order more effectively to achieve the objectives of this Treaty, the Parties, separately and jointly, by means of continuous and effective self-help and mutual aid, will maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack.
He says that European leaders “should take primary responsibility for defence of the continent,” and that requires increasing defence spending from 2% tor 5% with “real urgency.”
We can talk all we want about values. Values are important, but you can’t shoot values, you can’t shoot flags and you can’t shoot strong speeches. There is no replacement for hard power. As much as we may not want to like the world we live in, in some cases, there’s nothing like hard power.
US defence secretary Hegseth speaks after Nato meeting
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth is speaking now.
But don’t go away from computers just yet: we will hear from US defence secretary Pete Hegseth later within the next hour.
He is expected to speak at 17:15 CET (16:15 GMT).
We will show you his remarks in a live stream, but as usual I will also cover the key lines here.
Rutte gets asked whether Nato members support sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, as per Hegseth’s suggestions.
He says he understands the question, but refuses to discuss this in a press conference.
Why do you guys want to discuss in a press conference the exact configuration of what a lasting peace deal would look like, including these security guarantees, which have to be part of that … You can have many discussions on how to do that it could be Nato, it could be not be Nato …
But to go into that in detail, the only thing we will be doing is informing Vladimir Putin, and he is sitting in a reclining chair listening to what I’m [saying in answer] to your question. …
I won’t, because I don’t want to make him any wiser.
That’s where he concludes his press conference.
Rutte gets asked about whether Nato will effectively accept the status of the territories occupied by Russia.
His response does not directly address this question, but repeats that he wants to put Ukraine in the best possible position for when the talks start and president Zelenskyy “is very much part of all these conversation.”
Nato secretary general gets asked again about the risk of Europe being excluded from peace talks.
He repeats his earlier line that all allies are “closely coordinating” their positions.
Rutte is being asked about his earlier comment and what allies had known about Trump’s plans to speak with Putin.
He doesn’t answer directly.
What I said is we always knew that this week, that that call was imminent, not exactly at that particular time slot. It’s not that detailed that we consult [everything] with each other, but we knew a call would happen soon. It was imminent, and teams are consulting each other.
Rutte is asked about defence spending and repeats his call to all European partners to do more.
He says that more regional risks – be it in the Indo-Pacific, North Korea, China or Russia – grow and appear to be interconnected, and that requires a more coordinated response from like-minded countries.
I have sometimes more phone calls coming out of Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, from senior politicians there than from some Nato allies. They’re really worried about what’s happening there. They want us to work closer together.
Ukraine was never promised Nato membership to come as part of peace deal, Rutte says
Rutte now gets asked about the promise of a Nato membership to Ukraine, and its apparent withdrawal after Hegseth’s comments.
He says that while Nato committed to future Nato membership for Ukraine, “it has never been agreed that whenever peace talks would start, these peace talks would end … definitely with a Nato membership.”
What I consistently have said is we have to make sure that whatever the outcome is, we have to make sure that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin will never, ever try again to attack Ukraine. That is crucial.
He says these security guarantees can take different forms.
Rutte gets a question on whether he expects the US to withdraw some troops from Europe as a result of the shift in its security policy announced by Hegseth.
He points to Hegseth’s comments in Germany earlier this week that there we no plans to do so, but also repeated his lines that Europeans should do more.
'We are intensely consulting with the US,' Nato's Rutte says
Rutte gets asked about how Europe can get a seat at the table and be involved in the talks.
He says that European allies are working with the US, even if not directly involved in the talks, but dances around the question a bit.
Clearly, we are intensely consulting among each other, including with the US.
I will be myself in Munich tomorrow, meeting with vice-president Vance; Kellogg, the special representative for Ukraine … will be here at Nato on Monday.
So we are, as Nato and the teams are, of course, intensely coordinating, and I know that many allies and many EU member states are doing the same with Washington.
Remember, as Nato sec gen he also speaks on behalf of the US, so it’s a tricky subject, and he seems to be keen to avoid commenting on any divisions within the alliance.
Rutte gets asked about comments from German defence minister Boris Pistorius that the concessions made by president Trump in his phone call with Putin were “regrettable.”
He does not engage with the suggestion.
I’m not in a position to comment on everything everybody is saying, but I [am] not be surprised about president Trump’s views on this.
He has been clear during the election campaign, and we knew for a couple of days that talks were imminent, at least, that a phone call with president Putin was imminent, and that phone call took place yesterday.
Now we have to make sure, collectively, that we do everything to make sure that we get to a lasting outcome of those talks.
Talks won't last one day and we need to be sure outcome can be sustained, Rutte says
Rutte is asked about whether Ukraine starts the negotiations from a position of weakness.
He disagrees.
If [peace] talks starts, they will not end on day one or day two. So there is, let’s say, a path where we have to make sure that talks are successful.
It is important that we get to a peace deal, and … that Putin understands that the West is united, that Ukraine is getting all the support it needs to prevail.
That is very important, but also that he understands that will only conclude those talks when we are absolutely assured that the outcome can be sustained.
Rutte says Europe, Canada will take 'greater proportion' of Nato burden
Rutte says Nato allies “took note of president Trump’s initiative for peace talks,” and “discussed the importance of our continued support to Ukraine, which is crucial, so that there’s brutal war of aggression can come to a just and lasting end.”
But, time and time again, he repeats that European allies must and will do even more in 2025.
Europe and Canada are taking on a greater proportion of the transatlantic burden …
We had an honest and forthright discussion among ourselves and with Ukraine, and we are coming out our meetings over the past 24 hours with a clear sense of purpose, commitment, and urgency.
‘We need to put Ukraine in the best possible position,' Nato’s Rutte says
Rutte now turns to Ukraine, saying the allies agreed that “we need to put Ukraine in the best possible position for negotiations, and we need a durable and lasting peace.”
He also said the allies discussed ramping up their defence spending and production.
… to ensure we are fully ready to execute these plans, also in the future, we need more military capabilities, and for that, we need significantly more defence spending, so there is no time to waste.
Our continued freedom and prosperity depend on it.
Ever a master of understatement, he says that he expected “many ministers to return home from today’s meeting with an even greater sense of urgency.”
'Shock and sadness' in reaction to Munich attack, Nato's Rutte says
Nato secretary general Rutte opens his statement with comments on the Munich attack.
Let me begin by expressing my shock and sadness at the news coming out of Munich, where many people have been injured in what appears to have been a deliberate attack.
We stand in solidarity with our ally, Germany, and our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte is speaking now after a full day of meetings with Nato and Ukraine.
You can follow this in a live stream below, but I will bring you all the latest lines here.
'Not very pleasant' that Trump spoke to Putin first, Zelenskyy says
We have also heard from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy who offered more comments on Donald Trump’s attempts to agree a peace deal with Russia.
Zelensky said he believed that Ukraine was Trump’s priority but that “it’s really not very pleasant in any case” that the US leader phoned Putin first, adding that Trump had told him he had “wanted to talk to two presidents at the same time”.
He also said that meeting with US partners will be his the key part of his plans at the Munich Security Conference starting tomorrow.
“The Ukraine-America meetings are a priority for us,” said Zelensky.
“And only after such meetings, after a plan to stop Putin has been worked out, I think it is fair to talk to the Russians.”
We must pressure Russia into negotiations, not Ukraine, Estonian PM says
Estonian prime minister Kristen Michal offered his position on Ukraine in a social media post.
He said:
For a just and lasting peace, Russia must be pressured to negotiate – not Ukraine. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity needs to be safeguarded. Nato membership must stay on the table. Crucial time for Europe to show unity and strength.
We will get back to Ukraine now, as we expect to hear from Nato secretary general Mark Rutte and US defence secretary Pete Hegseth within the next hour.
But I’m keeping an eye on developments in Munich and will bring you any key updates.
Munich suspect arrived to Germany as unaccompanied minor - media
The suspect in the Munich attack came to Germany via Italy as an unaccompanied minor in 2016 and had his asylum application rejected in 2017, German media reported after the German press agency DPA.
The news agency said he unsuccessfully appealed against the decision in 2020, and was later ordered to leave the country, but could not be deported to Afghanistan.
What do we know about Munich attack so far?
Berlin correspondent
A 24-year-old Afghan man has driven a car into a trade union demonstration in Munich, injuring at least 28 people including children, some of them critically, German police said.
The regional capital had already begun implementing tighter security measures before the Munich Security Conference starting on Friday, which draws top foreign and security policy officials from around the world. Authorities said they did not believe the car ramming was connected to the conference.
The news website Spiegel said the suspect, identified only as Farhad N, had arrived in Germany as an asylum seeker in December 2016 and cited sources saying he had posted Islamist content on social media before the incident.
Suspect had his asylum application rejected, but could not be deported, state minister says
Bavaria’s interior minister Joachim Hermann told local media that the suspect was a asylum seeker whose application was rejected, but could not be deported to Afghanistan and was allowed to stay.
In comments reported by Munich-based newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, he said that the suspect was previously known to police in relation to drug and shoplifting offences.
He said that the assumption at this stage of the investigation is that he did not specifically target the trade union organising the protest, but caveated that with a comment that this will be investigated further.
'We must use everything in our means' against perpetrator, chancellor Scholz says
German chancellor Olaf Scholz has been speaking to the media in the last few minutes.
Speaking from Fürth, he said that the suspect was an Afghan citizen, and “this is not something we can tolerate or accept.”
He urged the judiciary to “use everything in their power” to bring charges against the suspect.
“Anyone who commits a crime in Germany will not only be severely punished and go to jail, but they also must understand they may not be able to continue to reside in Germany,” he said.
Speaking of the suspect, he said: “he must be punished and must leave the country.”
Updated
'Something must change in Germany,' opposition leader Merz says
Opposition leader and frontrunner to be the next chancellor Friedrich Merz, of the conservative CDU/CSU party, has now also commented on the attack.
In a social media post, he repeated Bavarian premier Markus Söder’s words that “something must change in Germany,” adding that the safety of citizens will be his party’s top priority.
“We will consistently enforce law and order,” he says.
His CDU/CSU is on course to win the German federal election next Sunday, and Merz has been leading the party’s push to tighten migration and asylum policy, proposing a controversial motion that was passed with the votes of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland.
Updated
'Senseless act' of violence, vice chancellor Robert Habeck says
German vice-chancellor and economy minister Robert Habeck, of the Alliance 90/The Greens party, also condemned the attack in a social media post.
He said his thoughts were with the injured, as he thanked the police and said it was “important that the background [to this attack] is now quickly clarified.”
'Will it go on like this for ever?,' far-right AfD leader asks after Munich attack
Co-leader of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party, Alice Weidel, has now also commented on the attack on X, picking up on the identity of the suspect.
“My deepest sympathies go out to the victims and their families. Will it go on like this for ever?,” she asks, calling for a “turning point” in migration and asylum policy in the country.
The AfD is now second in the polls, at about 21% and growing, as our poll tracker shows.
Updated
Officers fired shot at vehicle during arrest, police confirm
Officers intervening at the scene of the car ramming attack in Munich fired a shot at the vehicle, police has now confirmed.
Bei der Festnahme wurde von uns ein Schuss auf das Fahrzeug abgegeben.
— Polizei München (@PolizeiMuenchen) February 13, 2025
We cannot show concern but 'must actually change something,' Bavarian premier says
The Munich attack comes just 10 days before the German federal election, so expect it to be widely commented on by all political leaders, particularly as the issue of migration and asylum policies is absolutely central to the on-going electoral campaign.
In January, a two-year-old boy and another person were killed in a knife attack in Aschaffenburg, also in Bavaria.
Bavarian premier Markus Söder is from the main opposition CDU/CSU party (in fact, he is the leader of the CSU), which is on course to win the election and likely to lead the next government.
He told reporters at the scene:
The attack shows that something has to change in Germany and quickly. …
We cannot go from attack to attack and show concern … but must actually change something.
He also posted similar comments in a post on X here.
Updated
What we know about Munich car ramming attack – summary
At least 28 people are injured, some seriously and critically, after a man drove his car into crowds in the Bavarian city of Munich in Germany, local authorities said.
“It was probably an attack,” Bavaria premier Markus Söder told reporters.
The driver drove around a police car protecting a trade union demonstration and accelerated into the crowd, local authorities believe.
24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker has been detained at the scene and identified as the suspect, police confirmed.
The suspect was previously known to the police in relation to drug and theft incidents, Bavarian interior minister said.
There is no known link to the Munich Security Conference starting on Friday.
Updated
Munich car ramming suspect a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker; 27 injured, authorities say
We’re getting more updates from Munich, in a news briefing from local authorities confirming that the suspect is a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker.
They confirm that their suspicion is that it was a deliberate attack.
He was known to local police in relation to drug and theft incidents.
Updated
'We are continuing, we are strong', Ukrainian defence minister says
Ukrainian defence Rustem Umerov is very diplomatic in his comments as he says:
Our focus is on security assistance. We see that all allies are supporting us, the US is with us, continuing security assistance … So it is already in process.
We says that “at this stage, [our] message is that we are continuing, we are strong, we are capable … and we will deliver.”
“We are thankful to all the countries and all the nations, and their leadership, for their security assistance,” he says.
And that’s it; he’s off to meet Nato ministers now.
Nato secretary general Rutte, Ukrainian defence minister Umierov to speak
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte and Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umierov are now speaking at the Nato defence ministers meeting in Brussels.
You can follow the live stream below, but I will bring you all the key lines in this blog.
Two seriously injured, Munich police confirm
… and here’s the latest update from Munich, as the police say two people are seriously injured among “around 20” hurt after a car went into the crowds during a local trade union demonstration.
Unter den Verletzten befinden sich zwei Schwerverletzte.
— Polizei München (@PolizeiMuenchen) February 13, 2025
Rund um den Ereignisort sind noch zahlreiche Einsatzkräfte vor Ort. Die Versorgung der Verletzten hat derzeit oberste Priorität. Unterstützt die Rettungskräfte durch Freihalten der Rettungswege.#muc1302 pic.twitter.com/PLVBR3MAgq
'Get into deal-making mode,' ex MI6 chief says
Political correspondent
Alex Younger, former MI6 chief, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that “we’ve moved from a world of rules and multilateral structures and institutions to strongmen and deals, making deals over the heads of weaker and smaller countries”.
He said the UK needed to “get into deal making mode and understand the reality of what we’re dealing with”.
In further quotes, reported by the PA news agency, he said:
There’s been some very, very hefty concessions made without much being asked for in return.
The key point, though, the key point is that the vital ground of
this conversation is not about territory. It’s about sovereignty.Russia wants Ukraine to be a non-country, and if Donald Trump gives that away, we’ve lost.
Ukraine's will must be central to any peace deal, EU justice commissioner says
in Dublin
Ukraine must be central to any peace deal that may be discussed by Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the EU commissioner for justice has said.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Michael McGrath said it was good to see Ukraine getting the personal attention of the US president but said Ukraine was a neighbour of the EU and on the path to joining the bloc with accession talks already opened.
“The people of Ukraine and the Ukrainian government... they must be involved in a central fashion in any negotiation about the future of their own country. Because what we cannot have a situation is a situation where aggression is rewarded,” he said.
Talks on Ukraine must include Kyiv, Ukrainian foreign minister says
… and before Rutte and Umierov speak, let’s quickly look at other reactions from Europe.
Ukraine and Europe should not be excluded from future peace talks on the Ukraine war, Kyiv’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha told Le Monde newspaper in an interview released on Thursday, Reuters reported.
“Nothing can be discussed on Ukraine without Ukraine or on Europe without Europe,” Sybiha said.
He said Ukrainian membership in Nato remained the cheapest way for the transatlantic alliance to guarantee the country’s own security, and there should be no compromise that harmed the territorial integrity or sovereignty of Ukraine.
“We want a complete accord. It is in the interests of the United States. With the Trump leadership, with a strong European commitment and European unity, we have a chance to give fresh impetus to this process. But as far as I am aware, our American allies have not yet finalised their plans,” he added, quoted by Reuters.
“All our allies have said the path of Ukraine towards Nato is irreversible. This prospect is in our constitution. It is in our strategic interest,” Sybiha said.
We are going back to Ukraine now, as Nato secretary general Mark Rutte and Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umierov are expected to speak shortly at the Nato defence ministers meeting in Brussels.
We will bring you a live stream and all the key news lines here.
But I will also keep an eye on Munich and bring you updates when we hear more from local authorities there.
Around 2o people injured in Munich, police confirm
Around 20 people have been injured after a car went into the crowds in Munich, local police have just confirmed.
No further details were offered about the extent of injuries.
Aktuell werden ca. 20 verletzte Personen durch die Rettungskräfte versorgt. Über die Schwere der Verletzungen liegen uns noch keine Informationen vor.
— Polizei München (@PolizeiMuenchen) February 13, 2025
Deshalb sind unter anderem Rettungshubschrauber im Einsatz.#muc1302 pic.twitter.com/deYRQIrmug
Updated
Munich incident - what we do and don't know
A car, pictured in a social media post from a local reporter as a Mini, went into the crowds in the German city of Munich during what was described by local media as a trade union demonstration.
It is not known at this stage if it was a deliberate act or a traffic accident.
Munich police said there were ‘several people injured,’ without going into the detail of the extent of their injuries, or the circumstances of the incident.
The driver was detained at the scene and poses no further threat, police said.
This development comes just a day before the Munich Security Conference, although there is no suggestion at this stage that the two events are in any way linked.
German police calls for witnesses
Munich police has now tweeted a post saying it is looking for witnesses that could help in its investigation.
Wir haben im Löwenbräukeller am Stiglmaierplatz eine Zeugensammelstelle eingerichtet.
— Polizei München (@PolizeiMuenchen) February 13, 2025
Wenn Sie Angaben zu den Ereignissen machen können, melden Sie sich bitte dort.#muc1302 pic.twitter.com/uVKIhkKOsf
Various German media are publishing unconfirmed information about the number of people injured, but we will bring you updates only once these are confirmed.
Updated
Munich driver detained, poses no further threat, police says
And here is the latest update from the Munich police as it says that the driver of the car which was driven into crowds was detained at the scene and poses no further threat.
Der Fahrzeugführer konnte vor Ort gesichert werden, von ihm geht derzeit keine weitere Gefahr aus.#muc1302 pic.twitter.com/4MTLQgBbMH
— Polizei München (@PolizeiMuenchen) February 13, 2025
I will keep an eye out for further updates from the authorities there.
Updated
'Several people injured' after car driven into crowds in Munich, police says
German police has just tweeted that “several” people were injured after a car was driven into a group of people in Munich.
An der Einsatzörtlichkeit ist ein Fahrzeug in eine Personengruppe gefahren.
— Polizei München (@PolizeiMuenchen) February 13, 2025
Mehrere Personen wurden hierbei verletzt.
Wir sind mit starken Kräften vor Ort. pic.twitter.com/ulAfCQ93GL
It earlier tweeted about a “major police operation” responding to an incident.
We will bring you more when we have it, but just a reminder that there is a lot of spotlight on the Bavarian city this week, ahead of the Munich Security Conference starting tomorrow.
Updated
'No dictated peace' for Ukraine, German prime minister Scholz says
German chancellor Olaf Scholz said a deal to end the Ukraine war should not be imposed on Kyiv, after US president Donald Trump agreed to open negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a call.
“The next task is to ensure that there is no dictated peace,” Scholz told news outlet Politico.
AFP reported that Scholz said in the interview that transatlantic unity must “always be guaranteed”.
“It is quite clear to me that there can be no solution that is not also a solution in which the US is involved,” Scholz said.
The chancellor at the same time ruled out for the moment sending German troops to Ukraine.
“Everyone knows that this is out of the question now,” he said.
At this stage it was “not clear under what conditions Ukraine would be prepared to agree to a peace agreement”, Scholz said.
Ukraine needed the opportunity to develop “even after the peace agreement,” Scholz said.
This meant having “a strong army” that would be larger than before the war and equipped with western weapons.
Let’s go back to Ukraine for more reactions now.
I will keep an eye on events elsewhere in Europe. And if you want to flag something, you can always email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
Belarus frees three detainees including US citizen and journalist
Belarus has released three detainees including a veteran journalist for a US government-funded broadcaster and a US citizen, the White House said on Wednesday.
The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed the release on Wednesday of three people including “one American and two individuals from Belarus, one of whom worked for Radio Liberty”. The released American has not been identified.
The opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya posted on social media that the activist Alena Maushuk was among those released and had a serious health condition, adding that all three of those released were in Vilnius.
The freed detainees also included Andrey Kuznechyk, a journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which is known in Belarus as Radio Svoboda.
‘No doubt’ kiss Luis Rubiales gave Jenni Hermoso was not consensual, court told
There is no doubt the kiss Luis Rubiales gave Jenni Hermoso after her triumph with Spain at the 2023 Women’s World Cup was non-consensual, a court has been told.
Rubiales is standing trial for sexual assault in Spain after being forced to resign as president of Spain’s football federation in disgrace after the incident.
The scandal prompted a global outcry and thrust the spotlight on the prevalence of macho culture and sexism in sport and beyond.
Prosecutors are seeking two and a half years in prison for Rubiales, 47, one year for sexual assault and 18 months for allegedly coercing Hermoso to downplay the incident.
The player says she did not consent to the kiss. Rubiales has always denied wrongdoing and says the act was consensual.
12 injured after grenade was thrown into bar in France
Twelve people were wounded when a grenade was thrown into a bar in the city of Grenoble in south-eastern France, officials said on Wednesday.
The attacker entered the bar, which was packed with customers, and threw a grenade before fleeing without saying a word, said prosecutor François Touret-de-Courcy. Investigators had not yet identified a motive but did not believe it was a terrorist attack.
Magistrate Christophe Barret said the attacker appeared to be carrying a Kalashnikov-type assault rifle but did not use it.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms this criminal act of extraordinary violence,” Grenoble mayor Eric Piolle wrote on X.
Trump's talks with Putin like '19th-century concert of powers,' Polish Europe minister says
Poland’s Europe minister Adam Szłapka told Polish broadcaster TVN24 this morning that he was “concerned” by the message on peace talks sent by Trump, as it followed the logic of “a 19th-century concert of powers: we’ll have a chat and come up with something.”
“The statement we got from president Trump that they spoke not only about the war, but also other things… it is somewhat strange. [The idea of them] talking about artificial intelligence and so on, while [we are] thinking about the images of the Bucha massacre is somewhat hair-raising.”
Szłapka insisted, however, that these comments from Washington should “motivate” Europe to push and do more, starting from securing a seat at the table for the peace talks.
The meeting is now behind the closed doors (oh to be a fly on the wall!).
The next time we will hear from them will be around 12:25 CET (11:25 GMT), when Nato’s secretary general Rutte and Ukraine’s defence minister Umerov are expected to make some remarks together.
In the meantime, let’s take a look at other events in Europe.
Opening the meeting, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte says that increasing defence spending “will be priority number one,” as “we need to spend a lot more, especially in Europe and Canada.”
He acknowledges that members increased their spending in the last few years, but “still, it is far from enough – we need to do much, much more.”
He also talked about the need to increase defence production and a united response to “Russian destabilisation campaigns against our countries.”
Ukraine will be discussed at lunch, when Nato ministers will be joined by Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov and EU diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas.
No 'peace through weakness,' French minister warns
French defence minister Sébastien Lecornu strikes a similar tone, cautioning against “peace through weakness,” which he warns could have dramatic consequences, opposite to the aim of bringing peace to Europe.
He says that while it’s “historically true” that Nato has been the most important military alliance, the real question is whether it will still be in 10-15 years, given how the world is changing with new threats emerging and making sure it will should be the focus of discussions.
He stresses the need to increase defence spending, saying its a debate with foregone conclusion – just needs to be done now.
“This is a great moment of truth” for Nato, he says.
Updated
Would have been better if US had not given concessions before talks started, German defence minister says
German defence minister Boris Pistorius has been speaking to the media, too.
He says that if Putin is serious about peace talks – and he says there are doubts about it – he should show it by pausing attacks on Ukraine.
He also says that Europe must be involved in any negotiations, particularly if Trump expects European allies to play a peacekeeping role in any future arrangement, as suggested by defence secretary Hegseth.
Speaking frankly, he then adds it would have been better if the US had not given concessions to Russia before the negotiations even started, pointing to the question of Ukrainian membership of Nato or any territorial losses.
He says that a quick peace deal would not necessarily resolve all worries about Russia’s increasingly assertive policy in the region, as he warns that Europeans would not be just able to “sit back and relax.”
He cautions against overly celebratory response to the peace talks announcement as he says that Putin keeps provoking Europe and remains a threat.
He says that while accepting stark geopolitical realities Hegseth spoke about, he specifically warned him against withdrawing US involvement from Europe.
Pistorius is also asked about who should represent Europe in any talks, and he floats the idea of Germany taking part, but says it is for others to decide – but insists that a European voice needs to be at the table.
We need 'a just and durable peace,' Canada's defence minister says
… and here are early comments from Canadian defence minister Bill Blair:
We met as the Ukraine Defence Contact Group ... we had a very important and frank discussion about our unity and support.
Canada is resolved that we will be there for Ukraine to ensure a just and a durable peace. ...
I think...over the past almost three years the alliance has been remarkably strong and resolved to provide Ukraine with the tools they need to defend themselves against the illegal invasion that was perpetrated against that country. That resolve remains.
But we are also watching very carefully. We have got the ongoing discussions between the president and Mr Putin. It is essential from our perspective that Ukraine must be part of that negotiation and we are going to continue to support them to be in the strongest possible position.
Ukrainians are the frontline of freedom, UK defence minister says
UK defence secretary John Healey, who chaired yesterday’s Ukraine Defence Contact Group, also has been speaking to the media.
This is what he said:
They are the frontline of freedom, and our job is ... to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position for any talk.
We will be continuing these discussions as Nato allies, and you will see new announcements of support for Ukraine through Nato.
We have seen the calls from president Trump overnight. We all want to see a durable peace and no return to conflict and aggression, and let’s not forget. Russia remains a threat well beyond Ukraine.
My message will be there can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine, and Ukraine’s voice must be at the heart of any talks.
'Clear convergence' on peace in Ukraine, Rutte says
Ever a diplomat, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte opted for an art of understatement saying “clearly a lot happened yesterday,” and admitting this “will be debated today and over the coming days and weeks.”
But he tried to look for positives, stressing that “there is also a clear convergence emerging that we all want peace in Ukraine, rather sooner than later.”
“We all want Ukraine to be in the best possible position when those talks start to make sure they can be concluded successfully,” he added.
“It is crucial that whatever comes out of these talks is durable and enduring. ... We cannot have Putin again trying to capture a square mile of Ukraine in the future,” he said.
Peace push 'not a betrayal' of Ukraine, US defence secretary Hegseth insists, saying Russian aggression was a 'factory reset' for Nato
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has just been speaking to reporters before today’s Nato defence ministers meeting in Brussels.
He said that the Russian aggression on Ukraine was “a factory reset for Nato,” and a moment of “realisation that this alliance needs to be robust, strong, and real.”
“That is why president Trump has called for increased defence spending across the board for Nato, for European countries to recognise this is an urgent, real threat to the continent and this aggression needs to be a wake up call,” he said.
He says that standing up to Russian aggression is “an important European responsibility.”
He praises Trump as “the best negotiator on the planet” for bringing both sides to the table in pursuit of peace.
But he gets confronted by reporters with suggestions that the rapid push to peace and talks with Putin could be seen as amounting to a betrayal of Ukraine.
“That is your language, not mine. Certainly not a betrayal,” he insists.
“There is no betrayal; there is a recognition that the whole world and the US is invested in peace, in a negotiated peace,” he says.
Updated
Morning opening: What's next for Europe?
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth is set to meet dozens of his counterparts at a Nato meeting in Brussels, a day after the US president, Donald Trump, said he had spoken to Russia’s Vladimir Putin about negotiating an end to the war.
Trump said he had spoken for more than an hour with Putin and that the two men expect to meet in person in Saudi Arabia soon. He said he later spoke to Volodymyr Zelenskyy and denied that he was “freezing out” the Ukrainian president.
Zelenskyy – at least in public – offered support for the talks, saying he and Trump had held a “meaningful” conversation by phone. “No one wants peace more than Ukraine,” he wrote.
But the development came just hours after Hegseth told an international meeting of Ukraine’s backers on Wednesday not only that Kyiv could not realistically hope to return to previous borders or join Nato – a sign of things to come from Trump later – but also that the US was no longer “primarily focused” on European security.
So the key question for Europe is: what next?
When asked if any European countries would be involved in peace talks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “I don’t have any European nations who are involved currently to read out for you.”
This is exactly the nightmare scenario that Zelenskyy explicitly warned Europe against during his World Economic Forum speech last month.
“It is not clear whether Europe will even have a seat when the war against our country ends. … We are deeply grateful to Europe for all the support … but will president Trump listen to Europe, or will he negotiate with Russia, China, without Europe?," he asked.
We heard a lot of statements from European countries overnight insisting that no decisions can be made without Ukraine, and that the priority should now be on putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position before these talks start.
But during this morning’s meeting in Nato, there will be lots of questions asked as to what else can be done among European partners – or if it is too late now.
It’s Thursday, 13 February 2025, and this is Europe live. It’s Jakub Krupa here.
Good morning.
