2 h. ago DAN HODGES: As Keir Starmer prepares to enter the lion's den and meet an increasingly erratic King Donald, this is why his visit will tell us who the true patriots

The opposition MP is usually one of Starmer's most voluble critics. But after watching the PM's statement on Ukraine yesterday, even he was prepared to acknowledge he'd done a decent job.

Politics

6 h. ago Keir Starmer says 'dangerous new era' forced decision for 'biggest rise' in defence spending since the Cold War

The Prime Minister said ‘extremely difficult and painful choices’ would be needed to reach the spending goal, including a cut to foreign aid

Events

15 h. ago STEPHEN GLOVER: I'm afraid nothing the Prime Minister said convinces me that Britain will be safe from Russian aggression over the next decade

STEPHEN GLOVER: When people consider Sir Keir Starmer's statement on defence in 20 years or so, what will they say?

Politics

20 h. ago Keir Starmer says 'dangerous new era' forced decision for 'biggest rise' in defence spending since Cold War

The Prime Minister said ‘extremely difficult and painful choices’ would be needed to reach the spending goal, including a cut to foreign aid

Events

21 h. ago Keir Starmer addresses nation after slashing aid budget to fund 'biggest sustained rise' in defence spending since Cold War

The Prime Minister said ‘extremely difficult and painful choices’ would be needed to reach the spending goal, including the cut to foreign aid

Economics

25 h. ago Musk says failure to respond to achievements email will result in sacking – US politics live

US office for personal management, which manages federal workforce, says that responding to Musk is not mandatoryThe Kremlin appeared to contradict Donald Trump’s assertion that Russia was open to European peacekeepers being deployed in Ukraine, and referred reporters to an earlier statement that such a move would be unacceptable to Moscow.Russia has repeatedly said it opposes having Nato troops on the ground in Ukraine, with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov saying last week that Moscow would view that as a “direct threat” to Russia’s sovereignty, even if the troops operated there under a different flag, Reuters reports.There is a position on this matter that was expressed by the Russian foreign minister, Lavrov. I have nothing to add to this and nothing to comment on. I leave this without comment. Continue reading...

Politics

25 h. ago Keir Starmer slashes aid budget to fund 'biggest sustained rise' in defence spending since Cold War

The Prime Minister said ‘extremely difficult and painful choices’ would be needed to reach the spending goal, including the cut to foreign aid

Economics

26 h. ago Keir Starmer to make major defence spending announcement ahead of crunch Ukraine talks with Trump

The Prime Minister is under increasing pressure to increase the UK’s defence spending amid the war in Ukraine

Politics

37 h. ago Boris Johnson urges Keir Starmer to boost UK defence spending to 3% of GDP

Speaking from Kyiv on the third anniversary of the start of the conflict, he demanded a rise to at least three per cent of GDP to help guarantee European security against Russian aggression.

Politics

41 h. ago UN security council approves US resolution on Ukraine war that doesn’t mention Russia; Putin says Europeans can ‘participate’ in peace talks – live

The US-drafted resolution which, fails to mention Russian aggression, receives 10 votes, while five members including UK and France abstained from the voteThe EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas earlier said that she would be travelling to the US tomorrow to meet with US secretary of state Marco Rubio, adding that what she called the “Russian narrative” is “strongly represented” in comments being made by the second Donald Trump administration.She told reporters “I think it’s good that we have as many interactions with the new administration in US as possible. I’m also travelling tomorrow to the US to meet Marco Rubio and others there to discuss these issues, because it’s extremely important.” Continue reading...

Events

56 h. ago Putin plays the long game. He has punished Ukraine – and he won’t stop there | Yaroslav Hrytsak

Like a judo master, the Russian aggressor wears down his opponents until they break. Then he comes back for moreI have a friend, an American author, who writes about war. Over the past decades, he has been to South Sudan, Rwanda, Congo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza and other conflict zones. In the case of Ukraine, he said one thing stood out: here it was obvious who was the aggressor and who was the victim. Alongside Bosnia, Ukraine’s resistance to Russia remains, in his opinion, one of two truly just wars.After three years of fighting a just war against Putin’s aggression, we are now facing, with Donald Trump, an unjust peace. Ukraine will lose lands and will not receive compensation for its losses. War crimes will go unpunished and Ukrainians will not be provided with the security guarantees needed to protect them from future Russian attack.Yaroslav Hrytsak is a historian and professor at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago US offers UN resolution on war in Ukraine that stops far short of competing European statement

The United States has proposed a draft resolution for the U.N. General Assembly that stops far short of a competing European-backed statement demanding an immediate withdrawal of all of Moscow’s forces from Ukraine

Events

4 d. ago Of course it's bonkers to say Ukraine started the war. But here's what I think Donald Trump's trying to achieve: BORIS JOHNSON

Well, folks, it has been a bad few days for the truth. But we have reached clinical levels of insanity. Apparently we can no longer ascribe the tragedy to 'Russian aggression'. Oh really?

Politics

5 d. ago Chernobyl expert warns nuclear disaster in Ukraine ‘only matter of time’ due to Russian recklessness

Without a stronger stance against Russian aggression near Ukrainian nuclear power plants, disaster is looming ‘closer and closer’, says historian Serhii Plokhy

Events

5 d. ago US objects to phrase ‘Russian aggression’ in G7 statement on Ukraine

Trump administration splits with allies on holding Moscow responsible for war

Politics

6 d. ago US tells Zelensky to 'tone down the criticism and sign that deal' and 'refuses to sign UN resolution supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity and condemning Russian aggression'

Mike Waltz said that he still believed US differences with Ukraine could be reconciled over the war after meeting with Russians in Saudi Arabia.

Economics

6 d. ago US objects to calling out ‘Russian aggression’ in G7 statement on Ukraine

Trump administration splits with allies on holding Moscow responsible for war

Politics

6 d. ago North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine makes first ever bombshell statement

The North Korean soldier said he did not know that he was going to be sent to attack Ukrainian soldiers and believed he would be going to Russia as an overseas student

Events

6 d. ago 'There's only one way Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin can be defeated – remember 1938'

The UK and Europe must learn the lessons of 1938 and 'stand firm' against Russian aggression after Donald Trump's shocking decision to 'sacrifice' Ukraine, a geopolitical expert has said

Politics

6 d. ago Donald Trump's extraordinary statement on Volodymyr Zelensky in full

President’s statement is likely to cause alarm in Europe

Politics