Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap for today!
The European Union has failed to agree on the 20th package of sanctions against Russia ahead of tomorrow’s fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian aggression on Ukraine (16:35).
The move comes just as top EU figures are expected in Kyiv on Tuesday to mark the anniversary (16:39), with several leaders also set to travel to the Ukrainian capital.
EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said it was “regrettable” the decision could not be made today as Hungary continues to block the process amid escalating tensions with Ukraine over oil deliveries with the Druzhba pipeline (16:41, 16:45).
Hungary’s veto (11:03) has also blocked the payout of the EU’s €90bn loan for Ukraine already agreed in December, prompting angry reaction from EU leaders (10:25, 10:29, 10:38, 12:00, 12:17, 17:18).
The standoff comes less than two months before Hungary goes to the polls in a closely contested election which could see Viktor Orbán ousted after 16 years in power, prompting questions about whether the conflict is used for domestic campaigning (9:52, 9:57, 16:45).
Separately, Slovakia also remains in dispute with Ukraine over the same issue, moving to block electricity exports to the wartorn country in retaliation (17:08).
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s former commander in chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi warned about the rapidally shifting nature of war in a high-profile speech in London (13:15, 13:35).
Ukrainian officials suggested that the next round of talks with Russia and the US could take place as early as this week (14:21, 14:51).
In other news,
The European parliament has decided to pause the ratification process relating to the US trade deal struck with Donald Trump last July in Scotland (15:38) amid concerns over legal uncertainty associated with transatlantic trade (12:08, 12:31, 12:33, 15:15).
38-year-old Rob Jetten has been sworn in as the Netherland’s new prime minister, the youngest premier in history, leading a fragile three-party minority administration (10:48, 11:16).
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.
Updated
‘There are so many images I’d like to forget’: Julia Kochetova’s astonishing photographs of war in Ukraine
From the frontline to underground shelters to children’s funerals, Julia Kochetova has captured the war in Ukraine with power and humanity for the Guardian.
Kochetova is unlike most of the people who cover Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the Guardian. The photographer lives in Kyiv; she is Ukrainian. It is her country that is being invaded, her friends who are being killed.
“In my case, and in the case of Ukrainian journalists, you have the same scars as those you photograph: you match scars with scars,” she told the Guardian’s chief culture writer Charlotte Higgins ahead of a major show in Amsterdam showing her work.
EU's Costa urges Hungary's Orbán to honour EU decision on €90bn loan to Ukraine
Separately, European Council president António Costa has reportedly urged Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán to honour an EU deal for a €90bn loan to Ukraine in a private letter, seen by Reuters.
“When leaders reach a consensus, they are bound by their decision. Any breach of this commitment constitutes a violation of the principle of sincere cooperation,” Costa, who chairs summits of EU leaders, said.
“No Member State can be allowed to undermine the credibility of decisions taken collectively by the European Council,” Costa wrote, referring to the loan, which was approved by EU leaders at a summit in December.
The loan continues to be blocked by Hungary together with the 20th package of sanctions against Russia amid growing tensions between Budapest and Kyiv over oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline.
Slovakia to stop emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine, PM Fico says
Just as Kallas was wrapping up her press conference, Slovak prime minister Robert Fico has announced plans to stop emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine from Slovakia.
In a video posted on Facebook, he said he wanted to speak with Zelenskyy directly to discuss the situation, but was told the Ukrainian president wouldn’t have time to speak to him until after Wednesday.
Fico said that in practice the move means that should Ukraine ask Slovakia for help with stabilising its energy grid, it will not receive any further support, with the state-owned Slovak operator SEPS told not to respond to any such request.
He said the move will be cancelled as soon as Ukraine resumes oil transit to Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline. Despite reports of damage from the war, Fico claimed the pipeline still remains operational and called Ukraine’s refusal to transport oil unacceptable.
The Slovak PM also warned that he was ready to escalate the dispute further if there is no movement from Kyiv.
Kallas also somewhat in passing says that if the EU cannot progress the €90bn loan for Ukraine because of Hungary’s opposition, it may have to go back to consider moving against the Russian frozen assets again.
The difference here is that there would be no need for unanimity for that move, but it would be highly controversial as that measures is also opposed by a number of countries – including Belgium, where most assets are stored.
There is also a bit of an update on other sanctions, related to Venezuela, as Kallas says she will propose to lift sanctions against the interim president, Delcy Rodríguez.
She says there has been some positive movement from the Venezuelan interim authorities towards Europe, and this will need a response, but says “whether we have consensus, we will see.”
EU’s Kallas gets also asked if there is a link between US secretary of state Marco Rubio’s recent visit to Hungary and Slovakia and the two countries’ increasingly assertive attitude towards Ukraine, but she declines to be drawn into speculations on that point.
Kallas gets asked whether the Hungarian government’s decision to block the package – and the loan – is part of its campaigning ahead of April’s parliamentary elections.
Somewhat echoing Poland’s Sikorski (9:57), she says she’s surprised by Hungary’s decision knowing its own history of struggle against Russia’s imperialist ambitions, as she “finds it very hard to believe that it would bring you any bonus points in the elections.”
She says it’s “regrettable” that no decision was made today, and adds that the European Commission and the European Council presidents, who are both expected in Kyiv tomorrow, intend to take it up directly with the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
Kallas says she 'really regrets' EU fails to agree new sanctions ahead of war anniversary
Kallas offers a bit more detail on the talks today, as she says the EU is continuing talks with Hungarian and Slovak officials “on different levels … to move on this package.”
“It’s not easy. It’s never easy, but the work continues.
I really regret that we didn’t [secure] an agreement today considering that tomorrow is the sad anniversary of the start of this war, and we really need to send strong signals to Ukraine that we keep on helping Ukraine, but also putting more pressure on Russia.”
Deeply frustrating setback for EU as it can't send signal of unity and support - snap analysis
This will be a deeply frustrating moment for EU leaders, and particularly for some of its most senior representatives – including commission president Ursula von der Leyen – who are expected in Kyiv on the fourth anniversary of the full-scale aggression tomorrow.
This is not the message they wanted to take with them to the Ukrainian capital.
EU needs to agree on what it wants from Russia, Kallas says, as she moves to cap size of Russian mission to EU
Kallas says that the EU needs to “flip the script from [putting] pressure on Ukraine to surrender territory to [asking for] what Russia must do to meet the basic conditions for a just and lasting peace.”
She says the EU also needs to be clear on what its expectations are as “Russia’s maximalist demands cannot be met with minimalist response.”
She says that she decided to put a limit on the maximum size of the Russian mission to the EU, capping it at 40 people. “We will not tolerate abuse of diplomatic power,” she says.
No agreement on 20th package of sanctions against Russia, EU's Kallas says
Kallas confirms that the ministers have failed to reach an agreement on the 20th package of sanctions against Russia in time for tomorrow’s anniversary of the full-scale aggression.
“This is a setback and message we did not want to send today, but the work continues,” she says.
Aaaaand… Kallas is here.
I will bring you the key lines here.
Ukrainian drones hit Russian facility service Druzhba oil pipeline - reports
We’re still waiting for Kallas to show up.
In the meantime, there’s an update about the Druzhba oil pipeline which is at the centre of Hungary’s conflict with Ukraine, as Reuters reported that Ukrainian drones have struck a Russian pumping station serving the pipeline.
The overnight strike caused a fire at the station more than 1,200 km (750 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border, added the official from Ukraine’s SBU security service who did not give any details on any broader impact on the pipeline.
Reuters noted that the attack, the latest of a string of Ukrainian assaults on the route, risks exacerbating tensions between Ukraine and its Hungary and Slovakia, who have accused Kyiv of trying to block oil flows through the pipeline to their refineries.
EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas is expected to brief the media shortly following today’s meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels, and she will no doubt be asked about the latest on Hungary’s attempts to block the €90bn loan and the new round of sanctions against Russia.
I will bring you the latest here.
European parliament pauses ratification of EU-US trade deal
The European parliament has just decided to pause the ratification process relating to the US trade deal struck with Donald Trump last July in Scotland.
A vote tomorrow morning in the Trade Committee has been postponed.
Anna Cavazzini, trade policy spokesperson for the Greens/EFA group, said:
“Given the current enormous uncertainty, a vote would be unjustifiable. The new tariffs on EU exports are over 15 percent, thus violating the deal. At the same time, Trump continues to blithely announce arbitrary tariffs. This lack of trust prevents simply rubber-stamping the implementation of the US deal now.
The top priority must be finding a solution for the remaining 50% tariffs on steel, aluminum, and related products. The ball is now in the US’s court. Tariffs are extremely unpopular and have not led to the industrial jobs promised by Trump.”
Hungary's attempt to block Ukraine-related files amounts to political sabotage, Poland's Tusk says
Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk is the latest European leader to criticise Hungary for its attempt to block the €90bn EU loan for Ukraine and the 20th package of sanctions against Russia.
Speaking alongside Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre at a press conference in Poland, Tusk said Viktor Orbán’s decisions amounted to an act of political sabotage and said he hoped the EU would find a way around this.
Trump threatens ‘obnoxious’ tariffs as UK and EU seek clarity on trade deals
Lisa O’Carroll, Pippa Crerar and Alex Daniel
Donald Trump has declared that he can use tariffs in a “much more powerful and obnoxious way”, as the UK and the EU said they are seeking urgent clarity on the US trade deals they struck last summer.
Trump threatened to ramp up his global tariff war on Monday, after a supreme court ruling last week that he had overstepped his legal authority to impose his “liberation day” measures last year.
Trump posted on his Truth Social Network on Monday: “The court has also approved all other Tariffs, of which there are many, and they can all be used in a much more powerful and obnoxious way, with legal certainty, than the Tariffs as initially used.
“Our incompetent supreme court did a great job for the wrong people, and for that they should be ashamed of themselves (but not the Great Three!).” The decision was approved 6-3.
The top US trade negotiator, Jamieson Greer, said at the weekend that deals already agreed “remain in place”.
However, confusion reigns among businesses in the UK and the EU.
Peace talks with Russia, US 'are not going smoothly,' but still 'moving forward,' Zelenskyy's top aide says
We are getting some more lines from Budanov’s speech in Kyiv, via the presidential office.
“It is no secret that negotiations aren’t going smoothly, but we are clearly moving forward and approaching a point when all parties will need to make final decisions: continue this war or move toward peace. I hope that justice will ultimately prevail,” he was quoted as saying.
Next round of Ukraine talks could take place later this week, Ukrainian official suggests
Separately, we have just heard from Kyrylo Budanov, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, who told Ukrainian media that the next round of talks with Russia and the US could be held later this week.
“I think at the end of the week, this week,” he told Novyny.Live when asked about the next round of talks.
Ukraine needs $588bn to rebuild from Russia's invasion, report says
Ukraine needs $588bn to rebuild from the destruction caused by Russia’s four-year invasion, a figure almost three times the country’s annual economic output, the World Bank and other institutions said, as reported by AFP.
The estimated total is 12 percent higher than the amount given last year, amid a winter of devastating Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure that left millions of people without heating and power.
More than one in seven homes in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed as a result of the war, the report said.
The frontline Donetsk and Kharkiv regions will need the most investment, while the capital Kyiv will require more than $15 billion to recover, the report showed.
Zaluznhyi also gets asked about the 2022 Nord Stream explosions and what he knew about it.
His answer – perhaps it’s because of the live interpretation – isn’t entirely clear, but he essentially says he had nothing to do with it.
He argues the debate on Nord Stream has moved away from a discussion of legality and into a political domain. Furthermore, he questions why Germany is so intent on defending infrastructure that he considers to be essentially Russian property.
And that ends the Q&A and the event.
At the beginning of the speech, Zaluznhyi said he didn’t want to take part in political gossip about the future – so of course he gets a question on whether he wants to be Ukraine’s next president.
He suggests the topic is better suited for a pub discussion afterwards than a public forum, but eventually says that, for now, he has little reason to weigh his future ambitions or the postwar landscape.
Zaluznhyi says that the Russian invasion on Ukraine has in a way become a global conflict, as more and more countries impose their sanctions on Russia, and so it needs to be solved by a “global solution.”
But he says agreeing to any such solution is increasingly difficult as the current world order is more and more fragmented.
But he repeatedly warns against a rushed, forced deal to end the war, drawing comparisons to the 1938 Munich Agreement. “You remember what it led to for Europe and for the US,” he says.
Instead, he calls for more pressure on Russia to “isolate” it and “put it under economic pressure.”
Zaluznhyi says that all wars eventually end – but doesn’t specify how he thinks this war could end.
He gets asked about it more directly in the Q&A. Let’s see what he says.
Zaluznhyi says that one of the main tasks is to convince partners to adopt tangible, aggressive sanctions, and not ease them under pressure from Russia.
“This is the only effective mechanism for ending the war, which consists of depriving the aggressor of the very possibility of waging war,” he says.
He says the growing brutality of Russian attacks show growing distress of the Russian economy, and recalls that it was precisely the economic cost of the war that forced the Soviet Union to end its war in Afghanistan.
Zaluznhyi also warns about “the backdrop of the … destabilisation of the bodies balancing the old world order,” which he says – via interpreter – that is “exacerbated by the US policy of non-compliance with the international legal framework, which could lead to the ultimate destruction of the existing international system.”
He says that disagreements among the allies help Russia “exploit this situation.”
He says resolving the war will need “a delicate and balanced diplomatic effort which has no parallel in world history,” as “the old rules no longer work, but people still have high hopes for them, and the new ones have not even been formulated yet.”
He specifically cautions against any short-term fixes, but stresses the need to build stronger practical alliances.
In a stark warning, he says that Russia “will remain a source of danger for an indefinite period” and Europe will need “technological alliances” to build their response.
He says the Russian aggression cannot be fought in traditional ways, but by “changing the very nature of the war,” making the aggression “more costly for Russia … leading to the inevitable defeat.”
He also says the reconstruction of Ukraine “should begin now,” without waiting for a peace deal “which may never happen,” calling for “a new format of peacekeepers … who do not fight, but rebuild,” including the energy infrastructure, which he says could determine the outcome of the conflict.
'War of future will be war of autonomous and semiautonomous robotic systems,' Zaluznhyi warns
Zaluznhyi says:
“Whether we agree or not, the war of the future will be a war of autonomous and semi-autonomous robotic systems.”
He says the Russian aggression on Ukraine is a “transitional” war, which already uses new technologies which continue to “develop rapidly,” but which remain “insufficient” to completely remove the human element.
“Traditional weapons and structures are still being used, but are gradually being phased out or transformed,” he says.
He says that is why Russia is stepping up its attacks on infrastructure, energy, transport systems as it recognised that the strategy of fighting wars moves away from simply capturing territory, and focuses on “depleting the enemy’s resources and capabilities” insteaad.
Updated
Zaluznhyi says the rise of unmanned or uncrewed systems, supported by AI, is further changing the frontline situation.
He discusses this using an example of a swarm of unmanned drones flying in formation, controlled by humans but further supported by AI.
Zaluznhyi also says that nuclear weapons are not as much of a gamechanger as people make them to be, and are instead like “a fig lead of Atlas’s body, disguising the true capabilities of the one who possesses it.”
He also says that ballistic missiles remain “the most expensive ones in a war of attrition,” and while they are very expensive to produce, they require “even more expensive” defence systems.
He also discusses the limited use of air force in the war, as Russia’s theoretical huge advantage over Ukraine in this area proves to be of limited use as its planes rarely venture deep into Ukrainian territory for fear of being shot down, with their role dramatically changing as a result.
Zaluznhyi also says that any country fighting a war needs to be put on “a war footing,” which he says remains “the greatest challenge for Ukraine.”
He says Russia has successfully done that, and “we experience the consequences of this move every day and every night,” as “it is almost impossible to stop such a military steamroller.”
But he says traditional defence industrial models with centralised factories and long supply chains “are no longer fit fore purpose,” as they create “a lot of criticial vulnerabilities,” but are also insufficiently flexible.
He says that in Ukraine’s case, it’s energy sector has been exposed as particularly vulnerable.
“Protecting energy facilities becomes as important as protecting territory,” he says.
Zaluznhyi says that “the ultra expensive precision weapons that were a real gamechanger in the 20th century have been replaced by weapons of attrition,” which are cheap, mass produced, and deplete at a high rate.
He says that changes the calculation of what is needed and “calls into question the ability of even resource rich countries to wage long wars against smaller ones.”
He says economic resilience and energy supplies also play a key role so countries can “maintain military potential over time in the face of constant tensions, complex logistics, and accelerated technological change.”
Modern warfare has dramatically changed ways in which wars are fought, Zaluzhnyi says
Zaluzhnyi says that modern warfare – and future warfare – has dramatically challenged previous ideas of what fighting a war was like.
He says it integrates unmanned and robotic systems, distributed sensor networks, and all sorts of electromagnetic solutions, further fuelled by artificial intelligence.
He says that “a robotic kill zone” extends at least 25 kilometers deep from the frontline, with deeper strikes affecting logistics.
He says that the modern warfare has also changed the way armies mobilise troops and manage them, with lower numbers required, as focus shifts to technology – or “continous process of ensuring and maintaining technological superiority over the enemy” – instead.
“Technological evolution towards the robotisation of warfare has offered an alternative that allows for the preservation of combat effectiveness while radically reducing human involvement and as a result, human losses,” he says.
Updated
Zaluzhnyi opens up the speech by explaining that he wanted his words reach not just policy experts, but also people in bomb shelters back in Ukraine, as he wants to offer his insight into the war so far.
But (speaking in English, so far) he says he will say nothing to give journalists a sensational headline.
He says he will focus on speaking about the war, how it has evolved and changed over time, and whether we are ready to face this new reality.
He then switches to Ukrainian.
Ukraine's former commander-in-chief, UK ambassador Zaluzhnyi about to speak in London
We will be now shifting our focus from Brussels to London, as Gen Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and current Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, is about to speak at Chatham House.
In a rare public appearance just a day before the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, he is expected to offer his thoughts on the state of the war and what’s next for Ukraine.
It’s also good opportunity to remind you about this brilliant long read by Shaun Walker on the build up to the invasion in 2022, which also includes some lines on Zaluzhnyi, who some believe may have some political aspirations too…
Updated
EU's message on US trade is 'deal is a deal,' spokesperson says
EU’s message on EU-US trade boils down to “a deal is a deal,” Gill says.
“The most important thing in there, I would say, is five words: ‘a deal is a deal’. Both sides have agreed to and indeed have a duty to honour their part of the agreement we made with the US.
So now we are simply saying to the US, it’s up to you to clearly show to us what path you are taking to honour the agreement.”
Updated
EU interested in 'returning to stability and predictability' in trade with US
Gill adds:
“We’re talking to all relevant interlocutors here in the EU and with our global partners.
When we have a clear picture on precisely what the implications of the Supreme Court ruling are for the US, what steps they intend to take, what measures they intend to put in place, arising from that ruling, then we will have the clarity we need to make a proper assessment and take further decisions.
But to be clear, at this point in time, we do not have that, and it’s not up to us to provide it.”
He then says:
“We’re interested in is returning to a situation of stability and predictability as quickly as possible.
We have a framework for doing that, which is the EU-US joint statement, and we look forward to our American counterparts explaining to us precisely what is happening so that we can return to a situation where companies in the EU and in the US can continue doing what they do best trade, invest, create jobs, create prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Updated
EU needs clarity on US trade after supreme court ruling
EU trade spokesperson Olof Gill has just been asked about the state of transatlantic trade.
He says:
“I think it’s very fair to say that full clarity on what these new developments mean for the EU-US trade relationship is the absolute minimum that is required in order for us as the EU to make a clear eyed assessment and decide on next steps.”
He adds:
“There is engagement ongoing with the US, but more is required for us to understand the full picture here.”
He says the EU’s trade commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, will speak with G7 trade minister later today, EU ambassadors, and tomorrow with the parliament’s trade committee.
“So we’re very clear about what needs to happen here. The US needs to tell us precisely what is going on. Our intention is to honour and continue implementing the, aspects of the agreement we made with the United States on our side. And by the same token, we expect them to be able to tell us precisely what is happening in order that they can continue implementing their side of the agreement.”
Energy spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen also backed Ukraine in the escalating conflict with Hungary, saying that the Druzhba pipeline at the centre of the dispute was damaged by Russia – and Ukraine can’t be blamed for that.
“Ukraine has committed to repairing the pipeline, and the decision on the timeline is for them to make,” she says.
Updated
Hungary's block of €90bn loan for Ukraine would breach principle of loyal cooperation, EU says
The European Commission’s chief spokesperson Paula Pinho has blasted Hungary’s attempt to block the €90bn loan for Ukraine, stressing that as it has been signed off by the European Council, that decision should be respected.
She says that there was only “one and only condition that three member states would not participate financially in the programme.”
“This condition has been met, and therefore, we expect all leaders to honour their commitments. And not respecting those … would be a breach of loyal cooperation,” she says.
She later added that the EU expected all leaders, “including prime minister Orbán,” to “abide by [their] political commitments.”
Updated
Merz says he expects Trump to respect EU-US deal struck last year
in London
The German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has said he expects Donald Trump to respect the tariff deal struck last July at his Scottish golf course.
As confusion reigns across the globe as to whether the new 15% tariff rate, announced by the US on Saturday, would be implemented for the UK, the EU and others, Merz spokes person said:
“We expect the US to follow the Supreme Court of the US decision with clear policies,” he said.
The EU on Sunday called on the US to honour the July agreement. “A deal is a deal,” it said.
The new 15% tariff rate Trump says he will impose from tomorrow flows from powers in the 1974 Trade Act, a different legal framework to the reciprocal tariffs Trump imposed unilaterally last year on dozens of countries.
They can only hold for 150 days and must then get congressional approval.
The European Commission’s press briefing is about to start, and they will no doubt address this point.
Let’s listen in. I will bring you the key lines here.
European parliament set to pause implementation of EU-US trade deal amid uncertainties over tariffs
in London
The European Parliament is set to pause the process of ratification of the trade deal withe Donald Trump later this afternoon, the lead negotiator of the conservative group of MEPs has said.
The parliament has already paused the deal once, over Trump’s threat to Greenland, but unpaused earlier this month with a vote of all MEPs expected in March to formally ratify the agreement.
Bernd Lange, chair of the International Trade Committee of the European Parliament, has convened an extraordinary meeting on Monday following the supreme court ruling in the US striking down the tariffs as illegal.
Željana Zovko, the lead trade negotiator in the European People’s Party group on the US deal told Bloomberg (£) that “we have no other option” but to delay the approval process to seek to clarity on the situation.
Russia's Putin 'not winning war' in Ukraine, Finland's Stubb says
Stubb is responding – and impressively, in French (beginning with a funny, and possibly impossible to translate in any sensible way, idiom describing his fluency).
He picks up some of the same themes, including on Arctic security – “not just in Greenland, but also in Norway, Sweden, and of course Finland”.
On Ukraine, he says that Putin “is not winning the war, but he is not [ready to] make peace” either.
He says the war has been an unmitigated disaster for Russia, which is “losing a lot of soldiers” and facing “an economic failure,” and so Europe should continue to support Ukraine.
He also highlights the bilateral ties between Finland and France, before apologising for his French, which was pretty spot on, if you ask me.
Macron seems to agree as he enthusiastically applauds his guest and gives him a big hug, before they disappear for further talks.
'Cannot be otherwise,' Macron says as he hopes to see EU loan for Ukraine, Russian sanctions agreed
Macron is speaking now.
He says that their talks will focus on the question of supporting Ukraine as the country enters the fifth year of full-scale war defending itself from the Russian aggression.
He says he is determined to see the EU make progress on the €90bn loan for Ukraine and the 20th package of sanctions against Russia and see the political decisions made at the last European Council meeting implemented.
“It cannot be otherwise,” he says.
He also touches upon the issue of Arctic security, including a call for the EU to do more in this area, and the broader push to invest more in Europe’s defence and to reform the EU’s competitiveness.
Finland's Stubb expected at Élysée for talks with Macron soon
Finland’s president Alexander Stubb is expected at the Élysée Palace any moment now for his talks with France’s Emmanuel Macron.
The pair – prominently involved in helping Ukraine navigate a tricky relationship with the new US administration under Donald Trump – meets just a day before the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion on the country.
I will bring you their press statements before the talks here.
Confusion reigns on US tariffs after last week's supreme court ruling
in London
Confusion continues as to whether Donald Trump’s new 15% tariffs kick in tomorrow in the UK or the EU, despite the US trade representative Jamieson Greer assurances that nothing changes for the 20 odd countries the US has already agree tariff deals.
The new president of the British Chambers of Commerce, Andy Haldane, told the BBC he believed that the 15% tariffs did apply from tomorrow unless the government hears otherwise.
“We are 10% [tariff rate with the US]. If he [Trump] follows through tomorrow, that will be 15% and that will mean UK sits towards the bottom the league table in terms of who’s been made worst off by the measures of the weekend,” he told the BBC Today programme.
And the German confederation of businesses, BDI, called on the EU to “quickly approach the US and provide clarity on tariffs and trade rules”.
BDI president Peter Leibinger said:
“These decisions create significant new uncertainty for transatlantic trade. Businesses on both sides of the Atlantic urgently need planning certainty and reliable trading conditions. The EU, with the support of the German government, should quickly approach the United States and provide clarity on tariffs and trade rules. Only through dialogue can transparency be established and trust in transatlantic economic relations be secured.”
On Sunday Greer told CBS that the US will not back out of tariff deals it has already sealed with countries around the world, including the UK, the EU, Japan, Switzerland and others.
“We want them to understand these deals are going to be good deals,” Greer said. “We’re going to stand by them. We expect our partners to stand by them.”
In a strongly worded statement, the EU called on the US not to walk back the July deal.
“A deal is a deal,” it said.
“As the United States’ largest trading partner, the EU expects the US to honour its commitments.”
One other thing we will be keeping an eye on today is the latest on the EU-US trade relationship after last Friday’s US supreme court ruling on Trump’s tariffs.
The European Parliament is expected to discuss what to do with the EU-US trade deal later today.
In the meantime, let’s cross to our international trade expert Lisa O’Carroll for an update.
Meanwhile, with all formalities wrapped up over in the Netherlands (10:48), here is the first formal photo of the Dutch government lineup, led by prime minister Jetten.
Ukraine 'hates Hungary' and pursues 'very hostile' policies, Hungarian foreign minister says as he lashes against Kyiv, Brussels
Hungary’s foreign minister Péter Szijjártó is now speaking to reporters, offering the Budapest view on the entire situation.
He insists Hungary “doesn’t hate Ukraine,” but “the problem is that the Ukrainian state hates Hungary, and the Ukrainian state carries out an anti-Hungarian political approach for the last ten years.”
“Ukraine behaves in a very hostile manner towards Hungary. Please ask Ukrainians why they have stopped the oil deliveries to Hungary, why they put the security of energy supply of Hungary [at] risk, why they do not give back the rights to the Hungarian national community? … And, I’m very curious what their answer will be.”
He says “the Ukrainian state behaves in a very hostile way to Hungary in the recent period.”
He says “the European Commission behaves like the Ukrainian commission,” putting Ukraine’s interests ahead of Hungary’s.
He says Hungary’s decision to halt the sanctions and the loan is because “Ukraine has decided not to restart the oil deliveries to Hungary,” which “endangers our energy security,” which he calls at attempt to blackmail Budapest.
“This is it. And no one has the right to put our energy security at risk, because it’s a issue of it’s an issue of national sovereignty.”
He adds:
“So, the ball is in the court of Ukraine as the Ukrainians, when they’re going to restart the oil deliveries of Hungary. As long as it doesn’t happen, there will be no change in the Hungarian position.”
Reminder: many of these comments are intended for domestic consumption as the country enters final weeks of its already tense political campaign ahead of the key election on 12 April (9:52).
Updated
Rob Jetten becomes youngest-ever Dutch prime minister at helm of minority government
38-year-old Rob Jetten has been sworn in as the Netherland’s new prime minister, the youngest premier in history, leading a three-party minority administration.
The three coalition parties have only 66 seats in the 150-seat house, and will have to rely on opposition lawmakers to get enough support to pass virtually any legislation.
The new government will meet for the first time this afternoon.
Luxembourg’s foreign minister Xavier Bettel said that Hungarians were transactional in their way of working at the EU level, saying “we usually have to find the chequebook or … [some other] agreement with them.”
“It’s a bit like [being on] a market with them: they block, and if they get what they want, they agree.”
But he says it’s been problematic for years and is “not fair” for other member states, and hopes that a resolution could be found soon.
20th package of sanctions only matter of time, French minister insists
In turn, France’s Jean-Noël Barrot insisted it was a matter of when, not if, the 20th package of sanctions against Russia will be adopted, which he said would further deprive Russia’s Putin of capacity to pursue his “colonial fantasies” in Ukraine.
'We cannot proceed like this,' Lithuania's Budrys expresses frustration with Hungary
Lithuania’s foreign minister Kęstutis Budrys said he was “very frustrated” with the Hungarian block.
“We have to move forward, and I’m really upset and frustrated that one of the countries is blocking it for the reasons that are internal or external, I don’t know, but they are not based in European needs,” he told reporters.
“I really expect that we can have the open and honest discussion, looking each other to the eyes and answering these questions: what we are doing here, what we are disrupting; is it only about Ukraine, or is it about us remaining 27 in the European Union?”
He added:
“We cannot proceed like this. We cannot give away those carrots each time and expect that, oh, there will be one country that will block so what we will [give] to them. It cannot work like this. European Union was designed in different way. …
We have one constant [source of] disruption, [and] I have the question whether we should review the decision making process. That’s one option. The other option is to also to invoke the article seven and just stop this exploitation of the principle of unanimity. It is really damaging and dangerous.”
Failure to adopt sanctions would make Russia 'happy,' Estonian foreign minister says
Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul also said he was “astonished” by the Hungarian position on sanctions, and hoped to discuss this during today’s meeting of EU foreign ministers.
But Estonia’s foreign minister Margus Tsahkna was more blunt saying that the failure to adopt the new sanctions would only benefit Russia.
“If we are not able to put the sanctions on Russia, then Russia will be happy,” he said.
Hungarian government seeks to create, exploit anti-Ukrainian hostility in election campaign, Poland's Sikorski says
Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski has sharply criticised Hungary for blocking the 20th package of sanctions, saying it was “shocking” that with their history of fighting against Soviet aggression in the 20th century, the leaders in Budapest choose to attack Ukraine for domestic gains.
“I would have expected a much greater feeling of solidarity from Hungary for Ukraine. Instead, with the help of state propaganda and private but controlled by the government media, the ruling party managed to create a climate of hostility towards the victim of aggression, and … now is trying to exploit that in the general election,” he said.
Morning opening: New Russia sanctions on hold
The European Union is increasingly unlikely to reach an agreement on the new, 20th package of sanctions against Russia ahead of tomorrow’s fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as Hungary continues to block the package.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas admitted this morning that "there is not going to be progress” on this issue today, as Budapest continues to block the adoption of the sanctions.
“We are doing our utmost to have the sanctions package … through … and we are looking for ways how we can do it. But as we have heard some very strong statements from Hungary, … I don’t really … see they are going to change this unfortunately today,” she said.
Hungary opposes the proposed measures – as well as the payment of the €90bn loan for Ukraine – as part of its escalating dispute with Ukraine about oil transit using the Druzhba pipeline.
Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó said on Sunday that “until Ukraine resumes oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline, we will not allow decisions important to Kyiv to move forward.”
It also comes just six weeks before the key parliamentary election in the country, which could see its pro-Russian prime minister Viktor Orbán ousted after 16 years in power.
The embattled leader – currently trailing 10 points behind the opposition leader, Tisza’s Péter Magyar – increasingly turns to anti-Ukrainian rhetoric to falsely allege a conspiracy between Kyiv and Brussels to remove him from office and talk about the risk of war expanding to Hungary.
The failure to agree on the new package of sanctions would be politically embarrasing for the bloc as its leaders, including the commission president Ursula von der Leyen, plan to travel to Kyiv on Tuesday to mark the anniversary.
I will bring you all the key lines from Brussels here, as well as other stories from across Europe, as we expect Rob Jetten to be sworn in as the new Dutch prime minister, Finland’s Alexander Stubb to meet France’s Emmanuel Macron in Paris, and hear from the European Parliament on the future of the EU-US trade deal.
It’s Monday, 23 February 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
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