Closing summary
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has renewed his push for Ukraine to join the European Union in 2027 as he was joined by several EU leaders in Kyiv to mark the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian aggression (17:54).
In an early morning address to the nation, Zelenskyy also urged US president Donald Trump to visit Kyiv and insisted his government will not betray its people in any negotiations with Russia (10:25), as she showed previously unreleased footage of his underground banker where he worked and slept in the first hours of the war.
In later speeches, Zelenskyy warned that Russia’s Vladimir Putin was actively “choosing” war as he repeated his calls to put further sanctions on Russia (10:35, 10:37) and said that Ukraine hoped for peace, but needed to prepare for other scenarios (12:22).
Meanwhile, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said Ukraine needs to get “ammunition today and every day until the bloodshop stops” to fight against “Russian terror from the skies” (10:45).
Several other leaders – including UK prime minister Keir Starmer (11:00) and French president Emmanuel Macron (12:26) – also offered their public backing for Ukraine, as did the G7 group of nations (16:22).
Meanwhile,
The Kremlin said it was engaged in a broad confrontation with the west but insisted Moscow would press ahead with its war aims in Ukraine (11:19).
Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered the country’s security services to strengthen protection for senior military figures and other officials following a string of assassination attempts targeting army personnel (14:54).
Earlier, Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR, has accused Britain and France of preparing to arm Kyiv with a nuclear bomb, a claim made without providing any evidence (10:00) and repeated throughout the day by further Russian officials (14:59) – despite strong denials from Kyiv (16:28) and London (18:08).
Separately, the Guardian’s central and eastern Europe correspondent Shaun Walker has answered your questions on the war and what’s likely to happen next (starting from 15:01).
And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
EU-UK summit could take place in July with hopes for deal on agri-foods, emissions, youth experience
Speaking at that session with the EU lawmakers, commissioner Maroš Šefčovič also indicated that the next EU-UK summit could take place in early July, as the two sides hope to agree on reducing agri-foods barriers, the Emissions Trading Scheme, and youth experience and mobility scheme.
He praised his working relationship with the UK’s Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds and said the two sides managed to make progress in their talks, including on the thorny issue of guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens resident in the UK after Brexit.
“We are not 100% satisfied, but the progress under his leadership and steer is very much welcome,” he said.
Šefčovič said the two sides were working towards a summit “which now most probably would be organised at the beginning of July,” focusing on the three big issues of agri-food barriers (sanitary and phitosanitary issues), the ETS, and youth experience.
He said that, as is often the case in post-Brexit talks, these topics have financial implications or consequences for the UK’s dynamic alignment with the EU law, but the two sides are having discussing about the extent of that coverage and what, if any sectors, could be exempt.
Šefčovič and Thomas-Symonds would be in biweekly contact to “provide the political steer” and progress the talks, he said.
Updated
US told EU it 'stands by' tariff deal, trade commissioner says
The EU’s trade chief said his US counterparts had told him Washington stands by a key trade deal with the bloc, following an adverse US supreme court decision on president Donald Trump’s tariffs, AFP reported.
After the court ruled Trump lacks authority to impose levies under a 1977 law, the US leader responded with fresh tariffs of 10 percent on imported goods – which Trump has vowed to hike further to 15 percent.
That raised complex questions about what the new duties mean for the EU deal clinched last year with Trump, which set tariffs at 15 percent for most EU goods, AFP noted.
“I have been in constant touch with my counterparts, and they both reassured me they stand by the deal with the European Union,” trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič told EU lawmakers.
UK says 'no truth' in Russian claims Ukraine is seeking to acquire nuclear weapon
Britain said that Russia’s claim that Ukraine was seeking to obtain a nuclear weapon with help from Britain and France (10:00, 14:59) was unfounded, Reuters reported.
“This is a clear attempt by Vladimir Putin to distract from his heinous actions in Ukraine,” a British government spokesperson said. “There is no truth in this.”
Denmark in is in talks to host production facilities for Ukrainian drone manufacturer Skyfall, which would become the second Ukrainian arms maker to produce in the Nordic country, the Danish defence ministry announced on Tuesday.
“Bringing strong Ukrainian defence companies to Denmark to work together with Danish industry will strengthen the security of both Denmark and Ukraine,” minister of defence Troels Lund Poulsen said in a statement.
According to the statement from the Ministry of Defence, Poulsen had held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart on Tuesday.
Zelenskyy pushes for Ukraine's 2027 EU accession, but von der Leyen appears cautious on date
There was one particularly interesting line in that earlier press briefing with Zelenskyy, Costa and von der Leyen when they were discussing Ukraine’s prospects for joining the European Union.
Zelenskyy pointedly said that he was hoping for 2027, a date which he said would be “very important to us,” as he repeated his warning that “Putin cannot block our membership for decades.”
But unusually, among otherwise very positive tone on other tricky issues including the prospect of unblocking the €90bn loan for Ukraine, von der Leyen appeared to push back on that a bit.
She praises the progress on reforms as she said:
“On your question, is there a way for Ukraine to become a member of the European Union, the answer is a very clear yes, of course. They are, Ukraine, on a good way to become a member of the European Union.”
But then she added:
“I understand very well that for you, a clear date is also important. The date you set is your benchmark that you want to match.
You know that from our side dates, by themselves, are not possible. But of course, the support that you can reach your goal is absolutely clear on our side.”
Unfazed, Zelenskyy reiterated that he wants Ukraine to be on a “fast track” for the membership to prevent Putin from blocking this path in the future.
One to keep an eye on in the coming months.
Updated
I am back and ready to take you through some other headlines.
Italy will send more military aid to Ukraine this year, a senior government official said on Tuesday, adding that continued support for Kyiv could help bring Russia to the negotiating table.
“We have already agreed that aid of all kinds, including military aid, will continue to be provided to Ukraine throughout the year, so there will obviously be further aid packages in 2026,” said Giovanbattista Fazzolari, a cabinet undersecretary and a close aide to prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
Speaking at a conference marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he added that continuing backing for Kyiv “could lead Russia to genuine peace negotiations within a reasonable time frame“.
Rome has so far supported Ukraine’s military effort with 12 aid packages, including air defence systems, Reuters reported.
Norway’s top diplomat on Tuesday hailed Ukraine’s survival since Russia launched its full-scale invasion four years ago, and told AFP that president Vladimir Putin had lost the war.
Moscow had hoped to take Kyiv in days when it sent troops across the border on 24 February 2022.
Four years later, “it is sensational actually that Ukraine is still there”, Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide said in an interview in Geneva.
“The state works... it has institutions. It has parliament and rule of law,” he said, also pointing out that most people remain supportive of the war.
“They think it’s terrible, [but] necessary to stand up against Russia,” he said.
Slovakia’s economy ministry said Tuesday that shipments of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline that passes through Ukraine are expected to resume on Thursday.
Last week, Slovakia threatened to cut emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine if its neighbour does not reopen the Druzhba pipeline that brings Russian oil to Slovakia and Hungary.
“The latest date announced for the resumption of shipments was delayed to 26 February,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that Ukraine did not explain the delay in resuming shipments.
Russia can keep fighting Ukraine war throughout 2026, says military thinktank
Russia will be able to sustain its invasion of Ukraine throughout 2026 even allowing for emerging economic and manpower pressures, while its missile and drone threat to Europe is growing, according to a leading military thinktank.
Bastian Giegerich, the director general of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said there was “little indication” that “Russia’s ability to continue its war against Ukraine for a fifth year is diminished”.
The thinktank reported that the Kremlin spent at least $186bn (£138bn) on defence in 2025, an increase of 3% in real terms, amounting to 7.3% of the country’s GDP – more than double the proportion spent by the US and about three times the level of the UK.
Fenella McGerty, a defence finance expert with the thinktank, said that while Russia’s economy was slowing, which could lead to “a potential decline” in real-terms military spending in 2026, it had to be set against several years of sharp growth.
Military spending “had doubled in real terms since 2021”, she emphasised, allowing Russia to spend more heavily on military equipment and recruitment to sustain relentless ground and air attacks against Ukraine in the immediate future.
The European Union will deliver on a €90bn euro loan for Ukraine one way or another, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a briefing in Kyiv on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion, she added that the 27-member bloc would work on a new winter energy package of 920 million euros for Ukraine for 2026-27.
As I’m taking a quick break, Tom Ambrose is here to keep you up-to-date.
Ukraine dismisses 'absurd' Russian claims on nuclear weapons
Ukraine has dismissed as “absurd” a Russian claim that Kyiv was trying to obtain nuclear weapons with the help of Britain and France (10:00, 14:59), Reuters reported.
“Russian officials, known for their impressive record of lies, are once again trying to fabricate the old ‘dirty bomb’ nonsense,” Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian foreign ministry, said.
“For the record: Ukraine has already denied such absurd Russian claims many times before, and we officially deny them again now. We urge the international community to reject and condemn Russia’s dirty information bombs.“
Mostly western states rally behind Ukraine, condemn Russian aggression at UN meeting in Geneva
Meanwhile, over in Geneva, dozens of mostly western states rallied behind Ukraine and condemned Russian aggression on Tuesday in a UN meeting in Geneva on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Reuters reported.
“What Russia has done and is doing in Ukraine right now is violating every principle in the book,” Espen Barth Eide, Norway’s foreign minister, told a meeting on the sidelines of the Human Rights Council attended by dozens of countries including France, Britain, Canada, Japan and Peru. The US did not appear to have sent a representative.
“Everything the UN stands for is being violated,” he added, ending his speech with “Glory to Ukraine!”.
Earlier, a group of mostly European diplomats walked out of a meeting of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva during a speech by Russian ambassador Gennady Gatilov. They gathered outside, holding the Ukrainian flag and wearing sashes in the national colours, Reuters noted.
The president of the UN general assembly in New York, Annalena Baerbock, said that a motion was planned there expressing concern about Russia’s invasion and calling for an unconditional ceasefire and a lasting peace.
G7 reiterates 'unwavering support for Ukraine' in anniversary statement, first since Trump's return to White House
As we were chatting with Shaun, leaders of the G7 global powers, including US president Donald Trump, reaffirmed their “unwavering support for Ukraine” in a statement on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion, AFP reported.
“We express our continued support for President Trump’s efforts to achieve these objectives by initiating a peace process and bringing the parties to direct discussions. Europe has a leading role to play in this process, joined by other partners,” the leaders of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan said in the statement.
It marks the first joint declaration by G7 leaders on Ukraine since Trump’s return to the White House a year ago, noted France, which holds the G7 presidency this year.
Updated
And with that we wrap up today’s Q&A with Shaun, but stay with us for more news from Ukraine and across Europe as the continent marks the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian aggression.
Thank you so much for all your questions and contributions!
Updated
Q&A: Thanks for all your questions
Central and eastern Europe correspondent
Thanks for all your questions and sorry if I didn’t manage to answer yours.
I’m off back to Kyiv next week.
The next few months will be a key test of whether Donald Trump’s negotiators are able to pull some kind of workable deal out of the bag or whether Russia’s demands still cross so far over Ukraine’s red lines that the war will grind on. Unfortunately, most of the smart money is on the latter scenario.
Thanks for following the Guardian’s coverage and tell us if there’s something you would like to see us cover in more depth in Ukraine.
Q&A: What's the future of Zaporizhzhia?
ComradeRuss has this personal question on the future of Zaporizhzhia:
“My partner fled from Zaporizhzhia with her disabled autistic daughter when the war began. Her journey has been hellish and terrifying but she is safe now in Canada and we have made a wonderful life together.
She knows the chances of ever visting Zaporizhzhia again are low but I am curious what your opinion is on the continued offensive on that front?
The main city of Zaporizhzhia still stands free but slowly the orcs are grinding closer. While her first language is Russian she has always identified as Ukrainian and supported Ukraine, she says she never knew anyone in her circle of friends, co-workers, acquaintances that ever supported Russia or ever saw themselves as anything but staunch Ukrainian loyalists.
With that said, she is dismayed at the state of negotiations that would put most of her oblast in the hands of the oppressors. Is there any chance that Ukraine could capitulate to US/Russian pressure and give up this land for good? I could see the Donbas and even Crimea being potential areas they would have to give up, but with a large percent of Zaporizhzhia still stands free and in Ukrainian control I would hate to think this was an option.
I only ask because Zaporizhzhia does not seen to garner anywhere near the level of discussion that the Donbas and Crimea do.”
Here’s Shaun’s view:
“Thanks for your question and I’m sorry about the upheaval the war has caused for your partner and her daughter.
Zaporizhzhia is one of my favourite Ukrainian cities and I’ve written extensively from there over the past few years, including this story from last summer on how people there feel about the idea of land swaps.
Certainly, unlike Crimea, and to a lesser extent Donbas, where there was some pro-Russian sentiment for Russian propaganda to work with, this was always much lower in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
I don’t think Ukraine would give up its claim to the land ‘for good’, but certainly there is a chance that in an eventual deal (which I don’t think we’re close to achieving yet) the lines would be “frozen” at their current point, and this could potentially turn into a de facto border for years or generations.
Either way, the city itself does not seem to be at risk from occupation in the near future.
I hope you’ll all have the chance to visit a free and safe Zaporizhzhia some time in the future.”
Q&A: Do you believe we are close to point where Russia could use nuclear weapons?
migdom84 takes us back to the first question on whether there is a genuine risk of nuclear weapons being used in this conflict (14:59).
“I still have the nagging fear that russians will, sooner or later, use nuclear weapons, which will force the world into two blocks, in favour or against, and we all know where that will lead. Do you believe we are close to that point?”
Here is Shaun’s take:
“I don’t.
Every time Putin has wheeled out nuclear rhetoric it has not led to anything, and he stopped doing so for a while after he saw that it was having little effect early in the war.
On the other hand, I can see why planners in the West have to take seriously even a 1% chance of the war going nuclear, and it’s clearly the one thing in Russia’s arsenal that forces the world to take it seriously.
Do I think Putin has gone so mad that he’d nuke a European city, knowing the consequences that would ensue? No.
Would I be willing to bet that, in some hypothetical future situation, with his back against the wall and his regime threatened, he wouldn’t at least consider the option? Also no.”
We will take a few more questions before wrapping up.
Q&A: What are the lessons from the 2015 Minsk agreement?
moleseyeview asks:
“In trying to understand the history and context of this horrendous war can anyone explain why the UN ratified 2015 Minsk agreement was unable to be implemented by Ukraine.
As I understand it this would have brought the civil war that had followed the 2014 change of government in Ukraine to a peaceful conclusion by creating a kind of federated structure within Ukraine to recognise and devolve a level of government to the Donbas oblasts ?
What was the problem with that very European looking solution?”
Shaun says:
“Here’s another question that would need a PhD thesis to answer properly (probably someone has written one).
The short answer, though, is that neither side ever took the Minsk agreements that seriously, and that they were always flawed as a path to real peace.
It’s true that the federal structure you mention might sound good on paper, but the key thing to remember is that Russia had been funneling troops, weapons and cash across the border since the beginning of 2014, and was insisting that Ukraine had to implement all its obligations under Minsk before it would allow Kyiv to retake control of the border.
For Kyiv this was an intolerable situation: basically reintegrating a part of the country that was still under effective Russian control and which Russia could flood with weapons at any time.
Whether or not Kyiv could have done more under Minsk is certainly up for debate, but I think it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that it’s hard to proceed in good faith when the other side has been sending in occupying troops and funding an insurgency and yet is outright denying those facts.”
Updated
On that last point, I would add that Poland still has one of the largest communities of Ukrainians in Europe, after welcoming millions fleeing the conflict earlier in the conflict in what was a truly unprecedented and incredible show of solidarity and support.
Over a million of them are permanently resident in Poland, playing an important part in the country’s booming economy and society.
But, as Shaun says, there has been a notable change in how they are perceived, and the role they therefore play in domestic politics.
For example, Poland’s conservative president Karol Nawrocki opposes Ukraine’s membership in Nato, in stark contrast to the Polish government’s line on this.
Some questions also remain about what Ukraine’s accession to the EU – repeatedly requested by Kyiv – would mean for Poland and its farmers, for example.
Deploying Polish soldiers to Ukraine continues to be unpopular, as there is a feeling that Poland needs to completely focus on strengthening its own army “just in case.”
But close cooperation exists at all levels as Poland is keen to learn from Ukraine’s lessons – for example on drones – and continues to provide critical help on logistics, with the country effectively serving as the main hub for all sorts of deliveries to Ukraine.
Updated
Q&A: How important is Poland's support for Ukraine?
SymbolofDawn asks:
“My question is “how important is Poland in terms of support for Ukraine, both politically and practically, and does it make a difference that the President and First Minister are from different parties?”
Here’s Shaun’s view on that:
“Poland is such an interesting and unusual case: on the one hand, one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies and one of Europe’s most hawkish nations on Russia; on the other hand, plenty of historical baggage between Poland and Ukraine, and a turning mood against the million plus Ukrainian migrants and refugees in the country.
As someone put it to me recently: Poland is perhaps the only European country where you can be anti-Ukrainian without being pro-Russian.
The split in the government of course makes for inconsistent messaging: prime minister Donald Tusk and foreign minister Radosław Sikorski are strong supporters of Ukraine while the new nationalist president Karol Nawrocki has made political capital from criticising Kyiv.
Poland remains an absolutely key ally for Kyiv, with much of the military and humanitarian support transiting the country, but there are irritations on both sides, and even among Tusk’s government there are limits to Polish support.
It was interesting to see, for example, that for all Tusk’s warnings that Europe has to take the Russian threat seriously, he was one of the first European leaders to rule out troops from his country having any part in a postwar mission on the ground in Ukraine.”
Q&A: Who could be Putin's successor, and what would it mean for Ukraine?
MrJanuary has this question for Shaun:
“Who is likely to be an ailing Putin’s successor, and will it harden Russia’s stance in Ukraine?”
Here’s Shaun’s take on this:
“If only we knew!
There is all kinds of speculation on whom Putin might want to anoint as a successor but it’s hard to make predictions at this point.
Putin will also be wary of the idea of stepping back from day-to-day rule but staying as a kind of ‘supreme leader’ figure in the background while a handpicked successor rules in theory.
He tried that back in 2008, when he became prime minister and the once-slightly-more-liberal Dmitry Medvedev took over, but it didn’t work: Medvedev started getting above his station and Putin decided to come back in 2012. And here we are, 14 years later…
Putin might also look at his old friend Nursultan Nazarbayev in Kazakhstan, who tried the same thing after decades in charge only for his hand-picked successor to turn on him and his cronies.
So for now, it’s very much the Putin show.
I think in the ‘ailing Putin’ scenario you mention, all bets are off. There will then be a question about who in the elites can put together an alliance that’s able to take over, and things could develop in all kinds of unpredictable ways.
Looking at plausible candidates who might take over from today’s vantage point, I don’t think any of them are pro-western liberals of course, but it’s possible that a new leader might want some kind of a reset with the West, ending the disastrous Ukraine adventure and writing it all of as Putin’s mistake.
But until we get there, it’s very hard to speculate.”
Q&A: Has this war been really going on for only four years - or twelve?
Another question asked:
“To what extent would it be true to say this war has been going on for twelve years not four? With a genesis going further back to promises made at the time of the dissolution of the Warsaw pact?”
Shaun says:
“It’s absolutely true, and it’s why we always try to call it the start of the ‘full-scale’ war rather than simply saying the start of the war.
On the other hand, I think it is fair to mark these anniversaries as February 2022 really took the war to a very different level of intensity.
I was in Crimea in March 2014 during the annexation, and spent much of the summer in the Donbas region as Russian proxies and undercover Russian troops kicked off military action there, with the support of some locals.
What changed in 2022 was the masks came off – Russia was no longer hiding behind these supposed ‘local rebels’ or ‘local demands for referendums’ but openly sent its army into Ukraine.”
You can read Shaun’s story from Simferopol in Crimea from 2014 here …
… and further reporting including this claim by Vladimir Putin at the time:
Updated
Q&A: What really stopped Prigozhin's mutiny march on Moscow in 2023?
RobbyDelaware has asked this:
“What was the real reason why Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner group stopped their March on Moscow in June of 2023? Was there some sort of deal that was made between Prigozhin and the Kremlin?
In my opinion, Prigozhin’s survival after the mutiny was inexplicable. Why allow him to survive the mutiny but then kill him later? How would you summarize the mysteries of this event? If Prigozhin had been successful would there still be a war today?”
Here’s Shaun’s answer:
“There’s still a lot we don’t know about this story, one of the most fascinating and unexpected episodes of Putin’s long presidency.
Some things are clear: Prigozhin was frustrated and angry, but it seems he didn’t want to storm the Kremlin, and he did not have a plan for taking over nor a coterie of supporters in the elite (though the silence of some senior Russians as his troops advanced was fascinating and telling).
As for why Putin allowed him to survive: my best guess is he wanted to make sure he had steadied the ship properly in the initial post-mutiny moment, and led Prigozhin to believe he would be pardoned.
It was certainly a surprise when it seemed Prigozhin had been allowed to simply walk away after leading a rebel army on a march through half of European Russia. Then – allegedly, of course – the Kremlin dispatched him in a plane crash: something that could be easily denied but would be a clear message to everyone else: Don’t mess with Putin.
Prigozhin was a fascinating character of course, really unique in recent Russian history, and I am looking forward to more coming out about what was really behind the uprising and how it played out behind the scenes.”
Q&A: What does Russia's failure to progress the war means for Moscow's ambitions in the region?
There is a question from Jāna in Latvia:
“A question for both Shaun and Jakub: given that the Putin regime’s expressed motivation for the invasion of Ukraine has varied over time, those of us living in the region have always suspected that the true motivation is the re-establishment of the Russian Empire in yet another iteration.
How does the failure of this venture affect the likelihood of incursions into, say, the Baltic States or Finland?”
Here’s Shaun’s answer:
“Not an easy question to answer in a paragraph!
My personal view has always been that Ukraine is different in the way it sits in the Russian post-imperial psyche to almost anywhere else in the region.
Putin and other Russian nationalists see Ukrainians as “confused Russians” who need to be “re-educated” – and that is very different to the way they see Poles or Baltic nations.
Which is not to say that a revanchist Russia wouldn’t have designs on other places, but I do think the idea that ‘he will simply conquer as much as he can’ isn’t quite right.
Additionally, as you say, the failure – so far – of the maximalist goals in Ukraine hardly bodes well for successful Russian wars of conquest further west.
To my mind, what we’re more likely to see are more intense versions of the current “hybrid” tactics in Europe: attacks on infrastructure, power, cyber aimed at causing chaos, economic damage and increasing the cost of supporting Ukraine and standing up to Russia.
This seems to be much more likely than tanks rolling into Warsaw, Helsinki or Riga.”
Updated
Q&A: What do you make of Russian claims about Ukraine's plans to acquire nuclear weapons with UK, France's help?
To kick us off, I have asked our correspondent Shaun Walker what does he make of all this strong rhetoric coming from the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service SVR, Vladimir Putin and his aides about nuclear weapons (10:00, 11:19, 14:54, 14:59) and what could it mean for the war.
Shaun says:
“It’s almost certainly nonsense, of course, and it seems rather desperate from the SVR, even by their recent standards of implausible press releases.
I’m not fully sure who the audience is here, but the latest follow-up to this is Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov saying Moscow ‘will inform the United States’ about the reported British and French plans (14:59).
It’s unlikely many people in Washington will believe it, of course.
But these days you never know: watch out for Donald Trump saying he ‘stopped a nuclear war’ some time soon...”
Updated
Just a reminder that Shaun Walker is the Guardian’s central and eastern Europe correspondent, regularly reporting from Ukraine throughout the war.
Previously, he spent more than a decade in Moscow and is the author of “The Long Hangover: Putin’s New Russia and the Ghosts of the Past” and “The Illegals: Russia’s Most Audacious Spies and the Plot to Infiltrate the West”.
Over the weekend, we published his exclusive account detailed how the US and Britain uncovered Vladimir Putin’s plans to invade, and why most of Europe – including the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy – dismissed them, drawing on more than 100 interviews with senior intelligence officials and other insiders in multiple countries.
Shaun Walker answers your questions on Ukraine in Europe Live Q&A
Our correspondent Shaun Walker is here to answer your questions on the Russian aggression against Ukraine, four years on.
We will pick some questions and bring you his answers now. You can still post your questions below the line, at the bottom of the page.
Updated
Russian foreign ministry warns against risks of 'direct clash between nuclear powers', repeating unsubstantiated claims
The Russian foreign ministry has just issued a lengthy statement just now warning of risks of a direct clash between nuclear power and its potential consequences.
It said the suggestions, first carried by the Russian intelligence earlier today, suggest are “categorically unacceptable” and “highly escalatory” (10:00).
Separately, Russian news agencies Interfax and Ria are carrying a comment from Putin’s aide saying that “Kyiv’s attempts to obtain nuclear weapons will affect Russia’s position on Ukraine,” and that “Russia will inform the US about potential appearance of nuclear weapon in Ukraine.”
Remember: there is absolutely no evidence of any of that happening.
Putin orders security services to step up protection of military leaders after recent assassinations
Russian affairs reporter
Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered the country’s security services to strengthen protection for senior military figures and other officials following a string of assassination attempts targeting army personnel.
Speaking at a meeting with Russia’s federal security agencies, Putin said the number of “terrorist attacks in Russia has increased” and instructed officials to take what he described as “serious additional measures” to reinforce the state border.
His remarks came a day after a man detonated an explosive device next to a police patrol car in central Moscow, killing an officer as well as himself. Putin claimed the attacker had been recruited online, handed an explosive device and then “remotely detonated”.
Ukraine has targeted at least three Russian generals in the Moscow region over the past year, though it remains unclear whether Kyiv had any connection to Monday’s blast.
Adopting a combative tone, Putin accused Ukraine – with alleged backing from western intelligence agencies – of attempting to derail peace efforts between the two countries, including through threats against Russian energy infrastructure.
The Russian leader also repeated unsubstantiated claims by Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR, which has accused Britain and France of preparing to arm Kyiv with a nuclear device (10:00).
Final reminder: our correspondent Shaun Walker will be joining us here on Europe Live to answer your questions on Ukraine at 2pm UK (3pm CET).
Post your questions to him in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
Four years of war in Ukraine – in pictures
Picture Editor, News
On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion, we look back on some of the powerful photojournalism documenting the conflict.
More:
Four years into Ukraine invasion, Russia’s gains are small, while Kyiv remains resilient
Defence and security editor
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, now entering its fifth grim year, has already gone on longer than the entire fight on the eastern front in the second world war.
The Soviets marched from the gates of Leningrad to Berlin in a little over 15 months in 1944-45; today the Russian rate of gain in Pokrovsk in Ukraine is 70 metres a day, in Kupiansk, 23 metres, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
The gains are trivial, given Ukraine’s size, amounting to 1,865 sq miles during 2025 (about 0.8% of the country) – so the idea touted by the Russians, sometimes accepted by a credulous White House, that Ukraine is suffering a slow-motion defeat, is not accurate.
In reality, even allowing for the fact that hundreds of thousands of homes are without electricity, heating and water after Russian bombing, Ukraine is clarifying its strategy and pushing back with modest success.
…
Against this backdrop, it is not surprising that Russia continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw its military from Kramatorsk, Sloviansk and the remainder of the Donetsk (the latest suggestion seems to be the creation of a demilitarised zone, though Russia wants to patrol it).
Earlier this month, a Nato intelligence official estimated that they did not believe Russia could capture the region “anytime within the next 18 months” – though it is so urbanised that it could take far longer, at a cost of 600,000 Russian casualties or more.
The diplomatic misdirection demonstrates how poorly Russia’s military is performing. Last week, Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, became the latest Kremlin official to refer to understandings agreed in Anchorage, a claim that at the August summit in Alaska US president Donald Trump had agreed with Vladimir Putin that Ukraine should be made to hand over the rest of Donetsk without a fight.
But if Trump has flirted with the idea at times, it is not a position the US has sought to enforce amid Ukrainian and European objections.
Read in full:
Reminder: Q&A with Shaun Walker on Ukraine at 2pm UK, 3pm Europe
Just a reminder that we will have our correspondent Shaun Walker join me here at 2pm UK (3pm Europe) to answer your questions on Ukraine.
Make sure you post yours in the comments section at the bottom of the page, which we are actively monitoring to pick the most interesting questions.
No Time to Heal - Guardian documentary on psychological rehabilitation of Ukrainian soldier after Russian captivity
Ukrainian soldiers suffering from PTSD, depression and anxiety are sent to the Forest Glade – Ukraine’s first center for the treatment of psychological trauma – before returning to the frontline.
After three years in Russian captivity following the battle for Mariupol, 25-year-old Kyrylo Chuvak spends three weeks at the centre outside Kyiv, a brief opportunity for rehabilitation.
Hidden in the pines near the capital city, this modest building offers soldiers psychological therapy as well as tango, archery, guided breathing, medieval games, and quiet conversations over tea.
After four years of war, and waning international attention, the battle is not only on the frontline but in the psyche.
Watch the documentary:
Kyiv marks fourth anniversary of full-scale aggression - in pictures
'Russia is not winning,' Germany's Merz says, as he calls for more pressure on Moscow
Germany’s Friedrich Merz is speaking next, with pre-recorded remarks, as he is attending a state ceremony in Berlin honouring the former Bundestag president, Rita Süssmuth.
He says Germany’s support remains “iron clad” and says:
“So we must be very clear this war will only end when Putin realises that he cannot win.”
He says “we must increase pressure on Russia” and “dry up Moscow’s war funding.”
He states:
“Moscow is not as strong as it would like the world to think. Russia is not winning.”
The leaders will hear from Nato’s Mark Rutte next, but it seems that’s where the public part of the event ends and they will continue behind the closed doors.
Macron 'very sceptical' about short-term peace as 'no willingness' on Russia's side
France’s Macron is speaking next.
He doesn’t mince his words as he says he is “very sceptical” about the prospect of short-term peace, as “there is no willingness on the Russian side to have peace.”
He calls for more support for Ukraine, and also puts pressure on the EU leadership to make sure the €90bn loan gets paid out soon. “We will deliver that, no choice,” he says. (Tell that to Hungary’s Orbán.)
He then also mentions the need for further sanctions on Russia, including on its shadow fleet to “kill its business model.”
On security guarantees, he says these are “being finalised,” and they need to be “agreed on in concrete terms.”
He ends with his words of admiration and solidarity with the Ukrainians.
Updated
'We need peace, but have to prepare' for other scenarios, Zelenskyy says, hinting at further talks with Russia in 7-10 days
After brief opening remarks from Britain’s Starmer, Zelenskyy says he remains “thankful” for all the support.
He says there are “no secrets” as Russia continues to attack its civilians and energy system as “a terrible winter” continues, and asks for help to renovate the grid.
He also thanks for all the military aid Ukraine is getting through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL, list of weapons bought through Nato.
He expresses gratitude for the latest deliveries on air defence, “half of the package is already here,” which he says is very important.
He briefly mentions the awkward issue of further EU sanctions on Russia and the EU’s €90bn loan, as they continue to be blocked by Hungary.
Zelenskyy says he will update other leaders on the talks later when the press is out of the room, but stresses “we need Europe in negotiations.”
He says there will be further talks in the trilateral format with the US and Russia “during this week or 10 days.”
“We need peace, but we have to prepare to any other kind of challenges from Russian side,” he says.
Updated
Coalition of the Willing's meeting on fourth anniversary gets under way
The meeting of the Coalition of the Willing is now under way, co-chaired by Britain’s Keir Starmer and France’s Emmanuel Macron.
They are dialling in from London and Paris, joining Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a big group of European leaders who are in Kyiv.
I will bring you all the key lines here, and you can watch it here:
Over 200,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine identified
Russian affairs reporter
Russian independent journalists said they had identified 200,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine as the war reached its fourth anniversary.
Using official reports, online obituaries, images of tombstones and government leaks, Mediazona and the BBC’s Russian service have tracked confirmed military deaths since the first day of the invasion, building a key database that has become one of the clearest public indicators of Russia’s mounting losses.
The outlets also mapped the geography of the casualties, documenting deaths across more than 27,000 cities, towns and villages, from the “Arctic to Dagestan and from Kaliningrad to Chukotka.”
Western intelligence agencies believe the true toll is significantly higher, estimating that as many as 325,000 Russian troops may have been killed, as many deaths cannot be independently verified by journalists.
By historical comparison, the losses are striking.
In a recent report, the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) wrote that the “Russian battlefield fatalities in Ukraine were more than 17 times greater than Soviet losses in Afghanistan in the 1980s, 11 times higher than during Russia’s first and second Chechen wars, and more than five times greater than all Russian and Soviet conflicts combined since the second world war.”
On the eve of the anniversary, Vladimir Putin met the widows of soldiers killed in the war in a carefully choreographed event aimed at projecting public support for the invasion.
Russia will press ahead with its war aims in Ukraine, Kremlin says
Russian affairs reporter
The Kremlin said it was engaged in a broad confrontation with the west but insisted Moscow would press ahead with its war aims in Ukraine.
Speaking on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed the west sought to “crush” Russia but had instead helped unite the country.
“The past four years have been extremely significant in Russia’s life and will remain in people’s memory forever,” Peskov said, adding that the period had led to what he described as a “remarkable consolidation” of Russian society.
“The goals haven’t been fully achieved yet, which is why the military operation continues,” he said.
Peskov also echoed unsubstantiated claims by Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR, which has accused Britain and France of preparing to arm Kyiv with a nuclear device, calling it a “flagrant violation of international law”, despite offering no evidence to support the allegation (10:00).
Ask your questions about Ukraine war for our live Q&A at 2pm UK, 3pm CET
In today’s blog, we are covering all the key events as Ukraine and Europe mark the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian aggression in 2022.
At 2pm UK (3pm CET) I will be joined by our correspondent Shaun Walker, the author of our brilliant long read on the build up to the war, how the CIA and MI6 got hold of Putin’s Ukraine plans and why nobody believed them – to answer your questions about the war.
You can post your questions below the line, at the bottom of the blog.
Updated
Putin is standing in way of peace, Starmer says, as he says Ukraine is 'frontline of our freedom' and marks its resilience
UK prime minister Keir Starmer has also delivered brief remarks on the fourth anniversary of the war at today’s cabinet meeting, praising Ukraine’s resilience.
Starmer said “we must defeat the falsehood that Russia is winning,” saying it took only 0.8% of the Ukrainian territory in the last year “at a terrible cost … of half a million losses.”
He says that “we all want a just and lasting peace” in Ukraine, and says “in terms of getting to that just and lasting peace, it is Putin who is standing in the way.”
He says that’s why “we must always double down on our support for Ukraine” with capabilities, resources and more sanctions, with the UK announcing the latest round of targeted measures today.
The prime minister also says:
“This is not a remote conflict a long way away from the United Kingdom.
It’s about us in so many levels. It’s about our values of freedom, democracy and the right of a country to decide for itself. …
It has already impacted us over and above the work we’ve done on capability, resource sanctions, etc, because it has hit every family with the cost of living. …
How and when this conflict ends is going to affect everybody in the United Kingdom for a very long time, which is why it’s so important that we make sure that it’s a just and lasting peace.
Ukraine is very much the frontline of our freedom, and we need to bear that in mind as we mark this four years since the outbreak of this.”
You can watch his remarks here:
Updated
Ukraine needs 'ammunition today and every day' in its fight against 'Russian terror,' Nato's Rutte says
Ukraine needs to get “ammunition today and every day until the bloodshop stops” along with the “essential” military, financial and humanitarian aid needed to fight against “Russian terror from the skies,” Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte said this morning.
In a speech in Brussels, he said that “Ukraine continues to blunt Russia’s aggression and despite Putin’s posturing, Russia has failed to meet their ambitions on the battlefield.”
“Their security is our security. There cannot be true peace in Europe without real peace in Ukraine.”
He added that Russia’s Vladimir Putin must also show “if he is serious about peace.”
Referencing Winston Churchill’s speech from the second world war, saying that “our qualities and deeds must burn and glow through the gloom of Europe,” Rutte declared that “the flame of freedom is alive in Ukraine, and that flame continues to burn and glow.”
In the meantime, we got the text of Rutte’s speech at the Nato ceremony earlier, so let me bring you his lines now.
Russia shows contempt for Europe, Zelenskyy warns
Zelenskyy continues with a very strong line urging Europe to act against Russian interests in Europe as he says:
“In many ways, we can see how Russia shows contempt for Europe, but Russians should learn that Europe is not just a land for the villas of Russian oligarchs.
It’s not a museum for the lovers of Russian officials to admire beauty, another place of leisure for Russian killers.
Russians must learn that Europe is a union of independent nations and millions of people who do not tolerate humiliation and will not accept violence.”
He urges them to “continue to defend the European way of life”.
He gets a long, standing ovation in response to his speech.
We must be as determined as when invasion began, Zelenskyy says, as he pushes for EU accession date
Zelenskyy says “we must be just as determined and strong as we were when the invasion began,” as “the threat hasn’t become smaller.”
He says Europe can only respond to this war working together with the US, even as he remarks it “is not an easy task to maintain transatlantic unity and cooperation in the current conditions.”
He says Europe and the US “must continue to formally apply the full range of protect[ive measures] against Russia,” in particular sanctions against anything that “fills Putin’s wallet with money and allows him to drag this war out.”
“So there must be no place in the free world for Russian oil, for Russian tankers, Russian banks, Russian sanctions …, schemes, or for any Russian war criminals. The time has come to fully ban all participants in Russia’s aggression from entire Europe.”
He says Ukraine needs strong security guarantees, and “a clear date for joining the EU,” warning that if Kyiv doesn’t get a clear political commitment on the date, Putin will do whatever he can do subverse it and delay the process.
Updated
Ukraine never chose this war, Zelenskyy says
Zelenskyy begins with the words of thanks for “constant attention, support and firm position on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.”
“We truly feel that many Europeans do care about what will happen to Ukraine and whether we will be able to achieve a reliable and lasting peace,” he says.
He stresses that Ukraine “never chose this war,” and tried “everything we [could] to stop it.”
He says that in Russia, Europe faces “a mentality of an unstable dictatorship that cannot accept that in Europe every life matters, human rights are important, and nations are protected, big or small.”
“Putin cannot accept one simple thing: that somewhere people can live differently and enjoy a life that is not the one he prefers,” he says.
Zelenskyy says that Putin is actively “choosing” war and conflict, whether in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria, Africa or Iran.
Ukrainian people 'stand defiant in face of almost unimaginable daily hardship,' EP president says
European parliament’s president Roberta Metsola is speaking in Brussels, paying tribute to the Ukrainian people “standing defiant in the face of almost unimaginable daily hardship, through the depths of gruelling winters, even as drones fall indiscriminately, and Russian missiles target women and children.”
Zelenskyy will speak next.
Zelenskyy urges Trump to visit Ukraine in first speech marking invasion anniversary
Earlier this morning, Zelenskyy published an 18-minute address to the nation in which he has appealed to Donald Trump to visit Kyiv and has said Ukraine will not betray its people in any negotiations with Russia.
The address included footage released for the first time from the underground bunker in Kyiv’s Bankova Street where Zelenskyy and his advisers worked and slept during the first hours after Russia’s 2022 attack.
Zelenskyy recalled receiving a phone call from Joe Biden who offered to help him leave the country “urgently”. “Here I replied that I need ammunition, not a ride,” Zelenskyy said, recalling one of the most famous moments of his presidency.
The video showed Zelenskyy leaving roses at a memorial in Maidan Square in Kyiv to the thousands of Ukrainian servicemen and women who have died over the past four years.
Our correspondent Luke Harding is in Kyiv and has this summary:
Updated
European Parliament sits to mark fourth anniversary of war
Meanwhile, the European Parliament is about to start its extraordinary session to mark the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian aggression on Ukraine.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to speak shortly via a video link from Kyiv.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte’s remarks were not broadcast as expected.
I am checking with Nato and will bring you the lines as and when we have them.
Russia accuses Britain, France of preparing to arm Kyiv with nuclear bomb without any evidence
Russian affairs reporter
Meanwhile, Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR, has accused Britain and France of preparing to arm Kyiv with a nuclear bomb, a claim made without providing any evidence.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the agency said the two European countries were allegedly pursuing the move to strengthen Ukraine’s negotiating position in the war against Russia, which entered its fifth year this week.
“Such extremely dangerous plans by London and Paris show they have lost their sense of reality,” the SVR said, adding that the countries were wrong to believe they could avoid responsibility.
Russian officials quickly seized on the statement, with the county’s federation council calling on the UN security council and the International Atomic Energy Agency to open an investigation.
Russian intelligence agencies have long been known for making outlandish allegations, with Britain frequently portrayed as the main antagonist. Over the weekend, Russia’s spy chief also accused London of masterminding the assassination attempt on a senior Russian general.
European leaders arrive in Kyiv to mark the fourth anniversary
Meanwhile, let’s take a look at some of the European leaders who are in Kyiv this morning.
Here are the prime ministers of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, travelling on the overnight train from Poland.
European Council president António Costa and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen are also there, as per photos posted on their social media channels, as is Estonian prime minister Kristen Michal and Latvian prime minister Evika Siliņa.
Poland’s deputy prime minister, foreign minister Radosław Sikorski is there too.
A number of other leaders will be also joining via video link, taking part in the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing later today.
As is the former French prime minister, Gabriel Attal.
Updated
Nato's Rutte marks fourth anniversary of war
We are expecting Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte to speak on the fourth anniversary shortly.
I will bring you the key lines here.
Updated
Morning opening: Four long years
It’s the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, when Russian hoped to take the country in three days, and 12 years since the preceding Russian attack on Crimea.
As Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his special address this morning:
“Looking back at the beginning of the invasion and reflecting on today, we have every right to say: we have defended our independence, we have not lost our statehood; Putin has not achieved his goals.
He has not broken Ukrainians; he has not won this war. We have preserved Ukraine, and we will do everything to secure peace and justice.”
Several European leaders are expected in Kyiv to mark the anniversary; others will be joining the fourth anniversary meeting of the Coalition of the Willing via a video link.
We will hear from Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, among others, as they no doubt pay tribute to the people of Ukraine.
But, despite the intentions, the EU failed to agree a new package of sanctions to put more pressure on Russia after Hungary’s Viktor Orbán vetoed the proposal over a separate dispute about oil transit through Ukraine.
I will bring you all the key lines here.
If you want to re-live the last hours before the invasion, you can read Shaun Walker’s brilliant story on how the CIA and MI6 got hold of Putin’s Ukraine plans and why nobody believed them.
Shaun will be joining me for a Q&A to answer your questions from 2pm UK time.
It’s Tuesday, 24 February 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
