8 h. ago With US leadership and European support we Ukrainians may at last have peace. But don’t let Russia off the hook | Andriy Yermak

Today’s Jeddah summit will be crucial. But so too is the need for European unity to counter Russian aggression now, and deter it in the futureAndriy Yermak is head of the Ukrainian presidential officeZelenskyy’s chief of staff urges Europe to keep financial pressure on RussiaAs I arrive in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a ceasefire in the three-year war the Russian Federation has waged on my country has never seemed closer. Recent talks between Ukraine and its partners have given rise to great hope that the Ukrainian people will very soon return to the peaceful lives that they enjoyed before the war began in 2014 or the extreme escalation since 2022.I believe that together with strong American leadership we can reach this goal. The prospect of peace – long hoped for – forces every Ukrainian to reflect on our shared gratitude, concern and determination. Gratitude for the support and confidence that we have received in recent years, concern for the future of Europe and determination to reaffir...

Politics

20 h. ago A big thank you to Reform for the comic relief in dark times

Very public squabble between Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe has been a joy to witness – even if predictableThese past few weeks have been grim. The world hasn’t felt less safe in decades. European leaders desperately scrabbling to secure a peace in Ukraine that isn’t a capitulation to Russia. A US manchild president who is giving a convincing impression of a Russian asset. Vladimir Putin struggling to believe his good fortune.So a big thank you to Reform for providing so much comic relief. Never has the UK needed a good laugh more than now. Which isn’t to say that the very public squabble between Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe was in any way unexpected. Given enough time away from dissecting the niceties of the Nazi salute – these things matter to supporters of Reform. Strictly arm out to the front, not the side – Nige can usually manage to fall out with anyone. Apart from Richard Tice. Dicky only exists as an echo to Farage. Without a mind of his own. His tragedy has been to be born a ...

Politics

23 h. ago UK to convene ‘coalition of the willing’ for fresh talks on Ukraine peace force

‘Virtual meeting’ to be held on Saturday with leaders from mainly European and Commonwealth countries

Politics

2 d. ago European leaders back 'realistic' Arab plan for reconstruction of war

The plan, which was drawn up by Egypt and adopted by Arab leaders on Tuesday, has been rejected by Israel and by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Politics

4 d. ago ‘Fair enough’ for US to expect Europe to do more on defence, suggests minister

Sir Keir Starmer is due to speak to European leaders on Friday, as the UK’s diplomatic push for peace in Ukraine continues.

Politics

4 d. ago Starmer to hold talks with European allies as push for Ukraine peace continues

PM to be updated by European leaders on the outcome of a summit aimed at boosting the continent’s defences and bolstering support for Kyiv

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4 d. ago American severance may be averted, but Europe’s leaders must fear the worst

Head-spinning speed of events leaves EU adapting at pace while trying to infer Trump’s possible geo-strategic aimsEurope live – latest updatesWith a mixture of regret, laced with incredulity, European leaders gathered in Brussels to marshal their forces for a power struggle not with Russia, but with the US.Even now, of course at the 11th hour, most of Europe hopes this coming battle of wills can be averted and the Trump administration can still be persuaded that forcing Ukraine to the negotiating table, disarmed and blinded, will not be in the long term strategic interest of America. Continue reading...

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5 d. ago Zelensky thanks European leaders for 'staying with us' amid UK talks to grow 'coalition of the willing' to support Ukraine

‘We are very thankful that we are not alone. These are not just words, we feel it,’ Volodymyr Zelensky tells Europeans leaders

Politics

5 d. ago ‘It’s great we are not alone,’ says Volodymyr Zelenskyy as EU leaders hold defence summit – Europe live

Ukrainian president thanks European leaders as they gather to discuss €800bn plan to boost military capacitySee all our Ukraine war coverageNorwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre has been speaking in the country’s parliament in the last few minutes, announcing plans to “significantly” increase spending to help Ukraine defend itself.He warned that the country was facing “the most serious security situation since the second world war.” Continue reading...

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5 d. ago Europe can’t just hope for the best with Trump. Ukraine needs all the arms we can send | Frans Timmermans

Member states must stop squabbling over trivial matters – and a firmer stance against states that promote Putin’s and Trump’s agenda is needed tooFrans Timmermans is a former vice-president of the European CommissionAfter US vice-president JD Vance’s speech in Munich last month, most European leaders came to the conclusion that our world has fundamentally changed. The Pax Americana that long ensured peace, security and freedom in Europe is over. Anyone who still doubted this will hopefully now realise, after the disgraceful treatment Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy endured last Friday at the White House, that we can no longer rely on the Americans for our collective security.We must hope for the best, but hope is not a policy. We – the Netherlands, the EU, and all western countries standing with Ukraine – must prepare for the worst. The question is this: how do we keep Ukraine free and independent, and how do we protect our economy, our freedom and democracy, and our borders...

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5 d. ago ‘It’s great we are not alone’, says Volodymyr Zelenskyy as EU leaders gather for defence summit – Europe live

Ukrainian president thanks European leaders as they gather to discuss €800bn plan to boost military capacitySee all our Ukraine war coverageNorwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre has been speaking in the country’s parliament in the last few minutes, announcing plans to “significantly” increase spending to help Ukraine defend itself.He warned that the country was facing “the most serious security situation since the second world war.” Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Europe Ukraine latest: EU leaders hold emergency talks on increasing military spending for Ukraine

European Union leaders are holding emergency talks on ways to quickly increase their military budgets after the Trump administration signaled that Europe must take care of its own security and also suspended assistance to Ukraine

Events

5 d. ago Panicked EU leaders gather to drum up £700bn war chest as Macron says French nuclear umbrella can protect Europe after Trump halted Ukraine's military funding

European Union leaders are planning on holding emergency talks on Thursday to figure out how to quickly increase their military budgets

Events

5 d. ago Europe’s powerful tool against Russia? Seizing its frozen assets

If European leaders want to truly support Ukraine they must seize the moment by seizing $220bn in assetsIt is now clear that Donald Trump’s administration will betray Ukraine in its fight to resist Russian aggression. Trump himself is either a victim of disinformation or he is a willing participant in an effort to deceive Americans about the causes and consequences of the war.Trump’s lies include claiming that Ukraine is equally to blame for the war; that Volodymyr Zelenskyy doesn’t “have the cards” to end the conflict on favourable terms; and that Ukraine could not have defended itself without US help. Yet the whole world knows that Russia launched an unprovoked invasion, and we all remember the initial weeks, when Ukrainians valiantly defended an 1,800-mile frontline against a supposedly superior army, long before deliveries of western artillery, armoured vehicles and air defence systems arrived. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Healey to meet US counterpart as European leaders hold crisis talks on Ukraine

John Healey will meet Pete Hegseth in Washington on Thursday as efforts continue to bridge a transatlantic rift over Kyiv’s future security.

Politics

6 d. ago EU leaders to hold emergency Ukraine talks, seeking to adapt to new security demands without the US

European Union leaders plan to hold emergency talks to agree ways to quickly increase their military budgets after the Trump administration signaled Europe must take care of its own security and also suspended assistance to Ukraine

Politics

7 d. ago Why this is no time for Zelenskyy to grovel to Trump | Paul Taylor

Washington wants the Ukraine president’s scalp – so Kyiv has no choice but to ignore Keir Starmer’s bad adviceFor Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this is no time to grovel.After last Friday’s ambush in the Oval Office – where the Ukrainian president, who has led his country in resistance to three years of brutal Russian aggression, was beaten up in public by Donald Trump and JD Vance – some European leaders, including Keir Starmer and the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, rushed to urge him to mend fences with Washington. It was bad advice – and Zelenskyy should ignore it. In any case he doesn’t have much choice.Paul Taylor is a senior visiting fellow at the European Policy Centre Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Invest in Europe's defence: These stocks are soaring as the US market plunges and investors pile in. Now our experts pick the ones that might make you a FORTUNE

European defence stocks are soaring once again as the continent's leaders vow to boost military spending after Donald Trump warned he would 'not put up with' Volodymyr Zelensky for much longer.

Economics

7 d. ago Donald Trump 'draws up plan to ease Russia sanctions' after turning on European leaders

Donald Trump is reportedly drawing plans to give Russia sanctions relief, sources have said. We'll be bringing you the latest updates on this Breaking Politics News story.

Politics

7 d. ago Trump hits out over calls from Starmer for US guarantees on Ukraine peace

European leaders have called for the US to provide security guarantees for a Ukraine ceasefire deal.

Politics