Show of unity over Ukraine may be hampered by Hungary’s Viktor Orbán but consensus has built on need for spendingEurope live – latest updatesEuropean leaders holding emergency talks in Brussels are expected to agree on a massive increase to defence spending amid a drive to shore up support for Ukraine after Donald Trump halted US military aid and intelligence sharing.Arriving at the summit, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was originally scheduled to join through a video link, said: “We are very thankful that we are not alone.” Continue reading...

Politics

Leaders gather to discuss €800bn plan to boost military capacity and help Ukraine as French president says Europe has to be ready to defend itself without US helpSee all our Ukraine war coverageFrance is offering intelligence to Ukraine, French defence minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Thursday, with Paris stepping in to help and fill the void left after the US suspended its intelligence sharing with Kyiv.Speaking to France Inter radio, he also said that president Macron asked him to accelerate the French aid packages “to compensate” for the suspended US aid.In a famously cautious political culture, Mr Merz’s bid to bypass legal restrictions on government debt represents a seismic shift. It would permit a step-change in defence spending for years to come, putting Germany in a leadership position as Europe seeks strategic autonomy from the United States.Mr Merz, a former investment banker, has been a deficit hawk and economic liberal throughout his career. It is an irony of fate tha...

Events

John Healey flies to Washington to persuade American counterpart to offer military ‘backstop’ for European force

Politics

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to present the Treasury watchdog with draft proposals for trimming the government's outlay - said to include up to £5billion from welfare.

Economics

Ursula von der Leyen has proposed an €800bn ($841 billion) plan to boost defences of EU nations to counter possible US disengagement following Donald Trump's decision to suspend all military aid to Ukraine.

Politics

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to join European, Canadian and Turkish leaders for summitKemi Badenoch said she does not agree that the Oval Office clash was part of an orchestrated “ambush”, as some had suggested, as both Kyiv and Washington were representing their “respective national interests”.The leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch, says there is no difference between Labour and Conservative in terms of British support for Ukraine. When asked about the furious exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House, the Conservative party leader said her “heart went out” to the Ukrainian president while she was watching it.I couldn’t believe what was happening. He was being humiliated. I don’t think we should conduct these sort of difficult conservations in front of the cameras and we have to remember that President Zelenskyy is a hero.He is the person who represents that strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people and whatever difference and difficulties we mig...

Politics

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to join European, Canadian and Turkish leaders for summitKemi Badenoch said she does not agree that the Oval Office clash was part of an orchestrated “ambush”, as some had suggested, as both Kyiv and Washington were representing their “respective national interests”.The leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch, says there is no difference between Labour and Conservative in terms of British support for Ukraine. When asked about the furious exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House, the Conservative party leader said her “heart went out” to the Ukrainian president while she was watching it.I couldn’t believe what was happening. He was being humiliated. I don’t think we should conduct these sort of difficult conservations in front of the cameras and we have to remember that President Zelenskyy is a hero.He is the person who represents that strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people and whatever difference and difficulties we mig...

Politics

Sir Keir Starmer wants European leaders to be ready to lead peacekeeping efforts should a deal be struck.

Politics

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to join European, Canadian and Turkish leaders for summit on UkraineStarmer said that after discussions with Zelenskyy and Macron that there has been an agreement made that the UK, along with France, and “possibly one or two others” will work with Kyiv to stop the war. He said this agreed peace plan will be presented to the US.Starmer says the worst of all outcomes is for Russia to break the terms of an agreed ceasefire deal.I am clear about is that if there is to be a deal, if there is to be a stopping of the fighting, then that agreement has to be defended, because the worst of all outcomes is that there is a temporary pause, and then Putin comes again. That has happened in the past. I think it is a real risk, and that is why we must ensure that if there’s a deal, it’s a lasting deal, not a temporary pause. Continue reading...

Politics

Move by Anneliese Dodds comes after prime minister announces plan to shift resources to defence

Politics

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch tried to claim credit for the PM's plan to boost defence spending - claiming she'd made the suggestion over the weekend and saying it was the quickest response she'd ever had from No10

Politics

Sir Chris Wormald confirmed the current policy on office attendance will remain following Sir Keir Starmer’s warning of major challenges.

Events

Keir Starmer has outlined plans to slash foreign aid in order to hike Britain’s defence spending, The Independent looks at what has been said about the move

Politics

One of the world’s largest private equity investors has made an approach to buy Chemring, the FTSE 250 defence group, Sky News reportsGerman election live: Merz says priority is to make Europe independent from US on defence as coalition talks to beginShares in some European weapons makers are rising in early trading too.German tank maker Rheinmetall jumped 3% at the start of trading, while in London BAE Systems are up 1.7%.‘’A dose of more certainty has been injected into European politics, with the Germany’s Conservatives winning the elections. It comes at a crucial time for the continent. Three years on from the invasion of Ukraine, high stakes deal making between the US and Russia continues, Ukraine is out in the cold and the outcome will have huge implications for security in Europe.There is a dawning realisation that European nations will have to pull together and present a more united deterrent force, and Friedrich Merz, the CDU leader, is reading from that script. He has pled...

Economics

Keir Starmer is expected to outline plans to hike Britain’s defence spending, The Independent looks at what has been said about the move

Politics

On the surface, the briefing note circulated by Downing Street was sterile. 'The Prime Minister spoke to President Zelensky this evening and stressed the need for everyone to work together.

Politics