Donald Trump has warned Volodymyr Zelensky that is he “going to have to get moving” if he wants to reach a peace agreement with Moscow.
Zelensky said last week the White House had set Ukraine and Russia a deadline of June to make a deal to end the war.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, the US president said: "Zelensky's going to have to get moving, Russia wants to make a deal, and Zelensky's going to have to get moving otherwise he's going to miss a great opportunity."
US-brokered trilateral peace talks began in January in Abu Dhabi, which marked the first meeting attended by Moscow and Kyiv since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The next round of trilateral talks will be held in Geneva next week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
President Trump’s comments come as President Zelensky, Marco Rubio, Sir Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron, and other world leaders gather at the Munich Security Conference.
Speaking before he departed the US, Mr Rubio said the world is at a “defining moment”, adding: "The Old World is gone, frankly, the world I grew up in.”
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Key Points
- Trump says Zelensky 'going to have to get moving' to secure peace deal
- 'The old order is gone', says Rubio ahead of Munich conference
- Three-way talks to be held in Geneva next week, says Kremlin
- Rubio says he will have chance to see Ukraine's Zelensky in Munich
- Zelensky rules out referendum on 'bad deal'
Time for Europe to become geopolitical power, Macron says
20:14 , Holly EvansEurope must turn its focus to long-term strategic thinking, including creating deep-strike capabilities and assessing how France's nuclear deterrent can fit into the bloc's future security architecture, France's president said on Friday.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, president Emmanuel Macron dismissed accusations that Europe was decaying and defended its push to tackle disinformation and the excesses of social media that were harming Western democracies.
"This is the right time for audacity. This is the right time for a strong Europe," Macron said. "Europe has to learn to become a geopolitical power. It was not part of our DNA."
Macron, who is set to enter his final year in office, said Europe would still face an aggressive Russia even if there were a deal on the Ukraine war and that it could not cave into Russian demands or allow a short-term accord that would not resolve core issues.
"The Europeans must start this work with their own thinking and their own interests. So my proposal today is to launch a series of consultations on this important issue, which we have started to flesh out with our British and German colleagues, but in the broader European consultation with all the colleagues here, with a lot of capacities, a lot of strategic thinking," Macron said.
Trump wants peace deal 'in one big package' like the 'one, big, beautiful bill'
19:57 , Harriette BoucherVolodymyr Zelensky said Donald Trump wanted to agree to a peace deal “all at once”, as he “like things in one big package,” like he did with his “one, big, beautiful bill”.
His comments, which were reported by The Guardian, come after the US president warned Zelensky he was “going to have to get moving” if he wanted to reach a peace agreement with Russia.
But speaking from the Munich Security Conference, the Ukrainian president said that the process of talks was important as it needed to provide Ukraine with genuine reassurance, the newspaper reported.
In pictures: World leaders gather at the Munich Security Conference
19:44 , Harriette Boucher
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Europe will still have to contend with an aggressive Russia, says Macron
19:13 , Harriette BoucherEmmanuel Macron said western countries will still have a deal with an aggressive Russia even if it was no longer attacking Ukraine.
Speaking from the Munich Security Conference on Friday, the French president said that Europe must put pressure on Russia rather than cave in to their demands.
”We should exhibit strength and tenacity on Ukraine,” he said.
"This is the right time for audacity. This is the right time for a strong Europe.”
US senator says supporters of Russia must face 'a price to pay'
18:53 , Holly EvansUS Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen says she's worried about what the outcome of any peace agreement would be.
"We are here because we support Ukraine. I want to make sure that whatever outcome happens, it's one that Ukrainians are comfortable with," she told the Munich Security Conference.
"I applaud Donald Trump for his effort to get the parties to the table, but the US and the Trump administration should be putting more pressure on Vladimir Putin.
"We need to ensure there is a price to pay for supporting Russia's war machine."
She stressed that the issue was also one of American security, and was also being watched carefully by Chinese president Xi Jinping.
"If he thinks the West is going to walk away from Ukraine, he is absolutely sure we're going to walk away from Taiwan and walk away from the Indo-Pacific,” she said.
"What we're doing in supporting Ukraine is to make sure we send a message to dictators around the world that the free world is not going to accept what they're doing."
Cooper fails to rule out UK troops boarding Russian shadow fleet vessels
18:31 , Holly EvansYvette Cooper avoided ruling out the possibility of the British armed forces becoming involved in securing Russian shadow fleet vessels.
Asked whether UK troops could seize Russian boats in the future, Cooper says the UK has "already provided support for action against the Russian shadow fleet".
Pushed on whether that means UK troops would be willing to stop, raid and seize a shadow vessel, Cooper failed to commit but said: "We will look continually at every opportunity we can to put pressure on the shadow fleet.”
She added that while Europeans know "we need to invest more in defence", peace cannot be reached without security guarantees.
"Ukraine needs the security of knowing this is not just a peace for Putin to rearm and come again, in order to get to the peace agreement in the first place, we need that, as well as much greater pressure on Putin.”
Volodymyr Zelensky criticises IOC decision to disqualify Ukrainian athlete
18:29 , Alex CroftRead everything you need to know in five bullet points:
Volodymyr Zelensky criticises IOC decision to disqualify Ukrainian athlete
Yvette Cooper 'hugely sceptical' of Putin's commitment to peace
18:22 , Holly EvansForeign minister Yvette Cooper has said she was “hugely sceptical” of Putin’s commitment to peace and called for continued pressure on the Russian economy.
She told the Munich Security Conference: “I really hope that these talks can make progress and can get to a peace agreement, but I still think we are going to need to keep intensifying that economic pressure on Russia, including tightening the chokehold on oil and gas, tightening the chokehold on the Russian shadow fleet, keeping up that economic pressure with additional sanctions, and I hope to a maritime services ban as well, so we keep ramping up the pressure on Russia’s economy.
“The economy has already been heavily hit, but we need to keep that pressure up further.”
Trump says Zelensky 'going to have to get moving' to secure peace deal
17:48 , Holly EvansDonald Trump has said that Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky' is "going to have to get moving" if he hopes to reach a peace agreement.
It comes after Zelensky said last week that the White House has set Russia and Ukraine a June deadline to reach an agreement to end the war, which has been ongoing since 2022.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump was asked about the possibility of elections in Ukraine and said: "Zelensky's going to have to get moving, Russia wants to make a deal, and Zelensky's going to have to get moving otherwise he's going to miss a great opportunity."
US not powerful enough to survive without Nato warns German chancellor
17:45 , Alex CroftPutin envoy Dmitriev expected to hold talks with US delegation in Geneva in near future, source says
17:14 , Holly EvansRussian president Vladimir Putin's special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, is expected to hold talks with U.S. officials in Geneva in the near future, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.
The source said Dmitriev, who heads the Russian side of the Russia-U.S. working group on economic issues, will not however join the official Russian delegation which is due to take part in next week's trilateral talks with Ukraine.
The Kremlin said earlier on Friday that Vladimir Medinsky, a Kremlin aide, would head the Russian delegation at talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States on ending the war in Ukraine in Geneva next week.
Merz calls for nuclear shield for Europe
17:01 , Alex CroftGerman chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that Berlin had begun confidential talks with France about a European nuclear deterrent, saying the region had to become stronger in order to reset its relationship with the United States.
In a speech to open the Munich Security Conference, Mr Merz also called on Washington to "repair and revive trust" in a dangerous new era of great power politics, warning the US could not go it alone as the old global order crumbles.
The speech underscored how European leaders are increasingly looking to carve an independent path after a year of unprecedented upheaval in transatlantic ties, while also striving to maintain their alliance with Washington.
"I have begun confidential talks with the French President on European nuclear deterrence," Mr Merz said.
"We Germans are adhering to our legal obligations. We see this as strictly embedded within our nuclear sharing in NATO. And we will not allow zones of differing security to emerge in Europe."
Zelensky meets Iranian opposition figure Pahlavi
16:50 , Holly EvansPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said he held a meeting with Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last Shah and a prominent voice in the opposition, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
"We discussed the importance of strengthening sanctions against the Iranian regime and any other dictatorial regimes," he said on X, adding that they both condemned cooperation between Russia and Iran.
California governor syas there has 'never been a more destructive president' than Trump
16:37 , Holly EvansOn the main stage of the Munich Security Conference, California governor Gavin Newsom said that Donald Trump is “doubling down on stupid”.
He said: “Never in the history of the United States of America has there been a more destructive president than the current occupant in the White House in Washington, DC.”
In a conversation that was largely focused on climate change, he said that Trump “is trying to recreate the 19 century.”
“We’re proving at scale that we can implement, we can compete and we can dominate, but Donald Trump is trying to turn back the clock.”
He added:“I hope, if there’s nothing else I can communicate today, Donald Trump is temporary. He’ll be gone in three years.”
He also called on other world and corporate leaders to “call out” the U.S. president, stating: “We’re all becoming Chamberlains in this place, corporate leaders have to stand up.”
Ukraine-American reconstruction investment fund received more than 60 proposals, says Kyiv PM
16:15 , Alex CroftThe Ukrainian-American Reconstruction Investment Fund has already received more than 60 project proposals in its first month of accepting applications, Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Friday.
"Our goal is to sign the first three investment agreements by the end of 2026. The Fund will prioritise projects that can leverage additional capital and generate the greatest long-term impact for Ukraine's economy," Ms Svyrydenko said on X.
Starmer and Cooper arrive in Munich for key summit
15:39 , Alex Croft
Nato will become more European-led, says Rutte
15:13 , Alex CroftThe Nato alliance will become more European-led, with a continuing strong presence of the US, as European allies significantly increase military spending, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said on Friday.
"Over the coming years we will more and more sea a Nato that is more European-led, but at the same time with the US absolutely anchored in the organization," Mr Rutte told reporters on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
"We will do this step by step, in close conjunction with the United States, based on the defense planning process we have."
Trump savaged for global ‘sweeping destruction’ as crucial Munich Security Conference opens
14:50 , Alex CroftWorld leaders gathering in Munich for the annual security conference are being greeted by a report from their hosts that takes an axe to the policies of Donald Trump and warns that global security structures risk being turned to rubble.
The Munich Security Report 2026, titled Under Destruction, says that: “The world has entered a period” of “wrecking-ball politics”.
“Sweeping destruction – rather than careful reforms and policy corrections – is the order of the day. The most prominent of those who promise to free their country from the existing order’s constraints and rebuild a stronger, more prosperous nation is the current US administration. As a result, more than 80 years after construction began, the US-led post-1945 international order is now under destruction.”
The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Trump savaged for ‘sweeping destruction’ as crucial Munich Security Conference opens
Munich Security Conference chair channels Emmanuel Macron's infamous Davos look
14:34 , Alex CroftKyiv hoping for 'serious and responsible' Geneva talks with Russia
14:19 , Alex CroftUkraine hopes for "serious and responsible" talks with Russia backed by the US in Geneva on February 17-18, the head of Kyiv's delegation said on Friday.
The Ukrainian team remains the same and was "formed taking into account the military, political, and security components of the process", Rustem Umerov said on Telegram.
Moscow announced earlier on Friday that the Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky will head the Russian delegation instead of Igor Kostyukov, its head of military intelligence.
Merz: We are stronger together, even the US cannot go it alone
14:02 , Alex CroftGerman chancellor Friedrich Merz was speaking earlier at the Munich Security Conference, where he discussed international cooperation in an age of heightened tensions, even between once close western alliances.
The West is stronger together, Mr Merz said, arguing that even the US cannot go it alone.
A gap has opened between Europe and the US, he said, calling on the US and Europe to repair and rebuild transatlantic trust.
Ukraine-Russia war forced world into 'new phase of open conflicts', says German chancellor Merz
13:56 , Maira Butt“For years we have had an atmosphere marked by increasing tensions and conflicts around the world,” said German chancellor Friedrich Merz at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
“And at the latest with the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine four years ago, we have entered a new phase of open conflicts and wars that make us hold our breath and that change our world more comprehensively than we would have thought possible many years ago.”
Danish PM calls for 'sense of emergency' in Europe
13:40 , Alex CroftDanish prime minister Mette Frederiksen has called for a stronger “sense of emergency” in Europe, calling on the content to be “strong enough” to weather a turbulent period.
Speaking to the Financial Times on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Ms Frederiksen said: “Unfortunately, strength is one of the weapons that is useful in this new world disorder and therefore Europe has to be strong enough.
“I will never suggest something that would separate the US from Europe, but if the US does something that separates us, or partly separates us, then of course my strongest advice for the rest of Europe is to fill in those gaps.”
Ms Frederiksen said there were “changes going on in the US” and that Europe therefore has “to act”.
Zelensky visits Ukrainian-German drone production facility
13:18 , Alex CroftUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he visited a joint Ukrainian-German drone production facility and received the first jointly made attack drone.
"Ukraine has long worked to open coproduction lines in Europe. And today — this line is operational,” he said on X.
“First in Germany. This is a real result. Overall, by the end of the year we will open 10 joint ventures producing Ukrainian drones.”
Watch: Zelensky slams IOC for barring Ukrainian Olympian over war memorial helmet
13:10 , Alex CroftKremlin declines comment on Kyiv accusations that Russia struck oil pipeline
12:51 , Alex CroftWe’ve heard more from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who earlier provided his daily update to reporters.
He declined to comment on a Ukrainian accusation that Russia had struck the Ukrainian branch of the Soviet-built Druzhba oil pipeline and halted flows to Eastern Europe.
"We do not have precise information," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, referring a question on the matter to Russia's energy ministry.
Why was a Ukrainian skeleton racer banned from the Winter Olympics? War tribute helmet controversy explained
12:33 , Alex CroftThe president of the International Olympic Committee has defended the decision to ban Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from competing at the 2026 Winter Games.
During practice runs at Milan-Cortina, Heraskevych wore a helmet bearing the images of Ukrainians killed as a result of Russia’s invasion of the country, and insisted he would wear the helmet when the competition began on Thursday morning.
The IOC spent the past two days desperately trying to persuade Heraskevych not to wear the helmet, which is in contravention of rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter, which states: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas”.
The Independent’s deputy sports editor Lawrence Ostlere writes:
Why was a Ukrainian racer banned from the Winter Olympics over his war tribute?
Sybiha invites Chinese foreign minister to Kyiv and calls on Beijing to help end war
12:12 , Alex CroftChina could help end the four-year war between Ukraine and Russia, Kyiv’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has said.
He invited Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi to visit Ukraine following a meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
"China can play an important role in bringing about a just peace for Ukraine," Sybiha told Ukrainian TV channel Novyny.Live.
"We appreciate China's support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and we had a very substantive and pragmatic conversation."
Three-way talks to be held in Geneva next week, says Kremlin
11:52 , Alex CroftThe next round of trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US will be held in Geneva next week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky will head the Russian delegation for the talks on Tuesday and Wednesday, he added.
They follow two rounds of negotiations in Abu Dhabi at which Russia's team was led by Igor Kostyukov, its head of military intelligence.
A Ukrainian presidential aide confirmed to journalists that Kyiv's delegation was preparing for talks in Geneva.
The return of Medinsky, who led the Russian team at earlier talks in Turkey in 2022 and 2025, could signal that Russia expects the focus to move beyond security issues to broader points of disagreement between the warring sides.
Kremlin announces further peace talks next week
11:39 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin has announced that the next round of peace talks on Ukraine will take place next week, without confirming a location.
Reuters news agency reported that US officials have proposed a trilateral meeting on Monday and Tuesday in Miami, after two previous rounds of talks were held in Abu Dhabi.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Moscow and Washington have been discussing bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
Peskov said Moscow hoped that dialogue would continue, but said it was unlikely that such discussions would move beyond talk before the conflict in Ukraine was settled.
US increasing pressure on Kyiv for concessions to Russia - report
11:14 , Alex CroftThe Trump administration is increasing the pressure on Kyiv for concessions to Russia in a push to end the war by early summer, according to a report in the New York Times which cited Ukrainian officials.
It comes as Ukraine prepares for another round of peace talks as early as next week, as Washington looks to push Moscow and Kyiv to agree a deal ahead of a June deadline.
Kyiv is treading a fine line as it looks to keep the US happy while outright rejecting conditions of peace which it deems unacceptable - such as ceding land to Russia in the Donbas region.
Ukraine has repeatedly expressed frustration that it is being pushed harder than Russia towards peace by the US.
Kyiv is being pushed to hold elections, something which aligns with Russia’s demands. Volodymyr Zelensky has said this cannot take place until a ceasefire has begun.
Watch: John Healey arrives at 2026 Munich Security Conference
10:41 , Alex CroftUkraine announces $38 billion (£27.9bn) in military aid from allies in 2026
10:25 , Alex CroftUkraine has announced it will receive $38 billion (£27.9bn) in military aid from its international allies in 2026.
The aid will be used to fund drones, air defence systems, and Patriot missiles, defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said after a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, known as the Ramstein group, an alliance of 57 countries providing military support to Kyiv.
The figures includes “over US$6 billion (£4.4bn) in specific assistance packages, with more than US$2.5 billion (£1.8bn) for Ukrainian drones, over US$500 million (£367m) for the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme and US$2 billion (£1.5bn) for air defence, as well as funding for artillery ammunition, training, naval capabilities and other areas”, Mr Fedorov said.
The UK will allocate £500 million for air defence and £150 million to the PURL initiative, in an overall package of £3 billion of military assistance which will be provided to Ukraine.
Germany has issued a €11.5 billion (£10bn) budget for assistance, which will include €1 billion (£871m) for drone procurement, and will help finance the project of an air defence ‘dome’ over Ukrainian cities.
Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Canada, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovenia, Australia, Portugal, and Turkey are all among the countries who will provide military assistance in 2026.
Nato is not a 'charity' but essential for US security, say former top US officials
09:57 , Alex CroftFormer top diplomats and senior military chiefs in the US have declared the Nato military alliance is not a “charity” or “act of generosity” but is critical for US security.
In a strong rebuke to Donald Trump’s repeated criticism of the alliance, nearly every living former US ambassador to Nato and former supreme allied commander warned the US president against withdrawing from the alliance.
“Nato is not an act of American generosity,” the 16-strong group said in a statement on the eve of the Munich security conference.
“It is a strategic bargain that ensures the United States remains the world’s most powerful and economically secure nation at a fraction of the cost of going it alone.”
The statement was coordinated by Iva Daalder and signed by Alexander Vershbow, Nicholas Burns, Victoria Nuland, Kurt Volker, Douglas Lute, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Julianne Smith. Former Nato supreme allied commanders include Wesley Clark, Joseph Ralston, James Jones, John Craddock, Philip Breedlove, Curtis Scaparrotti, Tod Wolters and Christopher Cavoli, according to The Times.
Rubio declares world is at 'defining moment' ahead of Munich conference
09:37 , Alex CroftUS secretary of state Marco Rubio has declared the world is at “a defining moment” before he departed the States for the Munich Security Conference (MSC).
“The world is changing very fast right in front of us," he said.
"The Old World is gone, frankly, the world I grew up in, and we live in a new era in geopolitics, and it's going to require all of us to re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be."
Mr Rubio will be interviewed by MSC chairman Wolfgang Ischinger on Saturday morning in a talk titled “The US in the World”. On Friday, he is expected to meet Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen where they will discuss the future of Greenland.
"(The US is) deeply tied to Europe, and our futures have always been linked and will continue to be," he added.
"So we've just got to talk about what that future looks like."
Danish PM to meet Rubio at Munich conference
09:19 , Alex CroftDanish prime minister Mette Frederiksen will meet with US secretary of state Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
The pair will likely discuss the future of Greenland, which has caused significant tension between Washington and Europe in recent months.
The meeting is expected to be held in private.
Denmark to send four F-35 fighter jets to Nato Arctic Sentry mission
09:00 , Alex CroftDenmark’s defence minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, said on Friday that Copenhagen will provide four F-35 fighter jets to Nato’s Arctic Sentry mission.
Earlier this week, Nato said it had launched the mission to strengthen its presence in the Arctic, part of an effort to defuse tensions within the alliance prompted by the US president's push to acquire Greenland from Denmark.
"Our F-35 contribution strengthens the overall presence in the region and underscores Denmark's role as an active ally in the Arctic and North Atlantic," Mr Poulsen said in a statement.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Munich Security Conference, Mr Poulsen said he expects the US to contribute to the Nato mission.
Russia fires 154 drones and one missile at Ukraine
08:38 , Alex CroftRussian forces fired a Iskander-M ballistic missile and 154 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force has said.
Ukrainian air defences shot down and jammed 111 of the drones. Strikes were recorded by the missile and 22 loitering munitions at 18 locations, it added.
The attack was still underway as of Friday morning.
Three brothers killed in strike on Kramatorsk, Donetsk
08:07 , Alex CroftThree brothers, including one child, have been killed in a strike on the city of Kramatorsk, in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
Their mother and grandmother were also injured in the attack,” the Donetsk region’s prosecutor said.
“The aggressor state's forces attacked Kramatorsk at 21:15. A residential area was struck.
“A direct hit on a house killed two 19-year-old brothers and their eight-year-old sibling. In addition, their 43-year-old mother and 65-year-old grandmother have been injured."
The women suffered blast injuries and head trauma with concussion and bruising to the chest.
Ukraine's new $8.2 billion IMF programme to be approved within weeks
07:54 , Alex CroftUkraine expects its new $8.2 billion programme with the International Monetary Fund to be formally approved in weeks, Reuters news agency is reporting after an interview with Kyiv’s debt chief.
It would mark a symbolic step, with the war with Russia about to grind into its fifth year.
The agreement, which is set to replace an existing $15.6 billion IMF facility, will help Kyiv maintain economic stability and public spending against what is expected to be a near $140 billion budget shortfall over the next few years.
In an interview with Reuters, Ukraine's long-serving debt management head, Yuriy Butsa, said formal IMF Board sign-off on the money should come very soon.
"I would expect it in a matter of weeks," Butsa said during an interview in London where he was attending meetings. "I think February is still doable in terms of a timeline."
Berlin says Nato countries have been irritated by US remarks
07:37 , Alex CroftRecent comments by US government representatives have caused irritation within Nato, Germany’s foreign minister has said.
Johann Wadephul has called for the Munich Security Conference, taking place from today until Sunday, to be used as an opportunity to overcome differences.
"This alliance is also under pressure. There is alienation, there is irritation about some of the things we hear from Washington. We need to talk about this here together,” he said.
“We want to define our common denominators and the meaning of Nato," Mr Wadephul added to German broadcaster ARD, speaking from Munich.
Germany wants to deliver 5 more missile interceptors to Ukraine, defence minister says
07:11 , Shweta SharmaGermany will deliver five additional PAC-3 missile interceptors to Ukraine if other countries donate a total of 30, German defence minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday.
PAC-3, or Patriot Advanced Capability-3, is among the main weapons the West has supplied to Ukraine as it fights Russia’s invasion.
“We all know it is about saving lives,” Pistorius said in Brussels after a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.
“It’s a matter of days and not a matter of weeks or months,” he added.
The minister noted that the Patriots announcement has not yet been approved by national governments, but said he is “very optimistic” that the 30+5 target can be achieved.
Zelensky slams Olympics for ‘playing into Russia’s hands’ after Ukraine athlete disqualified
06:52 , Shweta SharmaVolodymyr Zelensky has responded with outrage after a Ukrainian athlete was disqualified for wearing a helmet adorned with the faces of slain Ukrainian athletes.
The Ukrainian president wrote a scathing post on social media which criticised the International Olympics Committee, accusing Olympic chiefs of playing “into the hands of aggressors” by disqualifying Vladyslav Heraskevych.
He also accused them of failing to adhere to “the principle of Olympism, which are founded on fairness and the support of peace”.
He wrote: “Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors.”
“We are proud of Vladyslav. Having courage is worth more than any medal. His helmet, bearing the portraits of fallen Ukrainian athletes, is about honour and remembrance.
“It is a reminder to the whole world of what Russian aggression is. No rule has been broken. It is Russia that constantly violates Olympic principles, using the period of the Olympic Games to wage war.”
Zelensky slams ‘utterly stupid idea’ he would announce elections on anniversary of Putin’s invasion
06:45 , Shweta SharmaVolodymyr Zelensky has slammed the“utterly stupid idea” he would announce a spring election and a referendum on a peace deal on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Reports citing Ukrainian and European officials claimed the president intended to announce the plans on 24 February, after the Trump administration issued a June deadline for a finalised peace agreement.
But, without ruling out an announcement at some point, Ukraine’s leader has pushed back on the date itself.
Zelensky slams ‘utterly stupid idea’ he would announce elections on war anniversary
British defence secretary says Russia's war in Ukraine should end in 2026
06:30 , Shweta SharmaUkraine's allies should make sure 2026 is the year Russia's war against Kyiv ends, the British defence secretary has said.
Speaking after a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels, John Healey said Ukraine's allies were "more united and more determined than ever".
He said: "We will step up military assistance to Ukraine. We will step up pressure on Russia.
"And we want to make 2026 the year this war ends, the year we secure peace."
His comments came at a press conference after a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) which saw allied nations pledge 35bn US dollars (£25bn) of military support for Ukraine as the war approaches its fourth anniversary at the end of February.
Praising the "courage and defiance" of the Ukrainian people, Mr Healey added that Russia had been fighting in Ukraine for longer than the Soviet Union fought Germany during the Second World War.
The support announced on Thursday includes more than £500m from the UK in the form of new air defence systems, regarded as a priority by Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte urged allies to "step up their support" to Kyiv, saying Ukraine "urgently needs more air defence".
Ukrainian strikes damage residential and industrial buildings in Russia
06:10 , Shweta SharmaRussia’s governor in southern Volgograd said several people were injured after Ukrainian drones hit residential buildings and industrial facilities.
Governor Andrei Bocharov said on Telegram that several private homes and cars were damaged in Volgograd and nearby districts. Three people were taken to hospital, he added.
Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad, is an industrial city in southwest Russia, on the western bank of the Volga River.
Bocharov also said drones hit a number of industrial enterprises in the city and surrounding region but did not provide further details.
The strikes come as Ukraine and Russia intensify drone and missile attacks amid faltering US-brokered peace efforts.
Ukrainian officials said Russia launched overnight drone and ballistic missile attacks on Thursday, further damaging Ukraine’s energy system and leaving tens of thousands of residents in Kyiv, Dnipro and Odesa without heat, electricity and water.
Industry sources told Reuters that Lukoil-owned Volgograd oil refinery – which accounts for about 5 per cent of Russia’s total oil refining capacity – suspended processing operations on Wednesday after a fire broke out following a Ukrainian drone strike.
Anger among Russian soldiers over Telegram and WhatsApp restrictions - report
05:45 , Shweta SharmaRussian soldiers and pro-war commentators have reacted angrily after the Kremlin moved to slow and further restrict Telegram, warning the decision could disrupt frontline operations in the war against Ukraine, according to a report.
Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, said on Wednesday that it would continue imposing limits on the messaging app as part of broader efforts to tighten control over the information space.
The move follows earlier restrictions on Telegram and WhatsApp calls, in line with president Vladimir Putin’s push to assert greater oversight of digital communications.
For many Russian troops, Telegram is more than a social platform – it is a key operational tool.
“The front is in shock. Starlinks are gone, now they’re jamming Telegram too. How are we supposed to fight? With carrier pigeons?” one soldier wrote in a message shared on pro-war channels, according to the Kyiv Independent.
Complaints come after Russian troops reported losing access to Starlink satellite internet in parts of the front line. Ukrainian defence officials have said initial steps to block Russian use of the service had been effective.
In video appeals circulated by the monitoring channel Lpr 1, three servicemen urged Roskomnadzor not to interfere with Telegram.
“Telegram is our only channel of communication. Do not deprive us of it,” one soldier said.
Another warned the app is critical for responding quickly to Ukrainian drone attacks, saying it allows units to exchange information needed to intercept UAVs.
Rubio says he will have chance to see Ukraine's Zelensky in Munich
05:15 , Shweta SharmaUS secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Thursday that he expects to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at this week’s Munich Security Conference.
Rubio made the remarks to reporters before departing Washington for the conference.
Around 70 heads of state and government and more than 140 ministers, including Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, French president Emmanuel Macron, British prime minister Keir Starmer and India's foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar are expected under tight security in Munich.
A large delegation from the US Congress had also been expected to accompany Rubio but many pulled out to stay in Washington for a closely watched House vote on funding the Department of Homeland Security.
Artist behind banned Ukrainian Olympic helmet calls Heraskevych's tribute 'great heroism'
04:52 , Shweta SharmaThe artist who painted a controversial helmet that got Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych banned from the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics said his refusal to stop wearing the helmet was "a great act of heroism”.
Artist Iryna Prots meticulously painted upon Heraskevych's helmet portraits of over 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
The helmet drew international attention after the IOC said it violated rules banning political messages.
Heraskevych's insistence on wearing it anyway got him barred.
"He could have refused, he could have said, 'Fine, I'll wear another helmet and fight for a medal,'" Prots, 52, told The Associated Press inside her home in Kyiv.
"He didn't do that. To stand up for his truth – that is great heroism.
"Heraskevych came up with the idea for the helmet design and his father, a longtime friend of Prots, asked her to paint it."It had to be done, and it had to be finished in time," Prots said.
"These were athletes who could have been standing there at the Olympics, but they are no longer here."
Pictures show Ukrainians struggle without electricity and water
04:15 , Shweta SharmaAround 3,500 apartment buildings in Kyiv were without heating on Thursday after Russia’s latest wave of attacks disrupted energy supplies across the capital, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
According to Klitschko, nearly 2,600 high-rise buildings lost heating overnight following the strike, adding to 1,100 residential blocks already cut off due to previous attacks.
Russia pounds Ukraine with drones and ballistic missiles
04:00 , Shweta SharmaRussia battered Ukraine’s energy system again into Thursday morning leaving tens of thousands in the capital Kyiv and the cities of Dnipro and Odesa without heat, power and water, officials said.
Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 24 ballistic missiles, one cruise missile and 219 drones overnight on Thursday. Air defences downed or neutralised 16 missiles and 197 drones, it said.
Two people were hurt in the attack on Kyiv, which also hit a residential building, an official said.
In the industrial southeastern city of Dnipro, a combined missile and drone strike wounded four people, including a baby boy and a four-year-old girl, regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha said on Telegram.
Four people injured in Odesa as Russia hits energy facilities
03:30 , Shweta SharmaFour people were injured in an overnight Russian attack that struck energy facilities and other critical infrastructure in Odesa, Kyiv Independent reported, citing regional officials.
Governor Oleh Kiper said Russian forces launched a large-scale drone assault on the region.
“The enemy continues to massively attack the Odesa region with strike drones. Despite the active work of air defence forces, direct hits and falling drone debris were recorded,” he said.
One of the injured was hospitalised in serious condition. Residential buildings, industrial sites, energy facilities and port infrastructure were damaged in the strikes, officials said.
The attack also disrupted electricity, heating and water supplies. Restoration work is ongoing.
The assault followed another wave of strikes a day earlier, when Russian forces targeted Odesa and other major cities including Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv with drones and missiles aimed at Ukraine’s energy sector. Power generation facilities and substations were hit in Kyiv, Odesa and Dnipro.
Moscow has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s critical infrastructure through the autumn and winter months, leaving thousands without electricity and heating during freezing temperatures.
Recap: Russia fully blocks WhatsApp in major crackdown
03:00 , Bryony GoochRussia has moved to "fully block" Meta-owned WhatsApp, according to a company spokesperson, as Moscow intensifies its efforts to promote domestic platforms and tighten its grip on the nation's internet.
This action comes amid a deepening dispute with foreign technology providers, which escalated following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Authorities in Moscow are actively promoting a state-backed alternative messaging service named 'MAX'. Critics have voiced concerns that this app could be utilised for user tracking, although these allegations have been dismissed as false by state media.
"Due to Meta's unwillingness to comply with Russian law, such a decision was indeed made and implemented," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, proposing that Russians switch to MAX, Russia's state-owned messenger.
"MAX is an accessible alternative, a developing messenger, a national messenger, and it is available on the market for citizens as an alternative," said Peskov.
Zelensky rules out referendum on 'bad deal'
02:59 , Shweta SharmaUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would not put a “bad deal” to a referendum and would only hold a vote once firm security guarantees and a ceasefire were in place.
In an interview published by The Atlantic, Zelensky said Ukraine was ready for both presidential elections and a referendum on any peace agreement, but set clear conditions for when that could happen.
“The tactic we chose is for the Americans not to think that we want to continue the war,” Zelensky said. “That’s why we started supporting their proposals in any format that speeds things along.”
He added that Ukraine was “not afraid of anything”.
“Are we ready for elections? We’re ready. Are we ready for a referendum? We’re ready,” he said.
Zelensky said he had rejected a proposal, reported this week by the Financial Times, to announce elections and a referendum on February 24 – the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
He said a ceasefire and proposed US security guarantees against a future invasion had not yet been finalised.
“No one is clinging to power,” Zelensky was quoted as saying. “I am ready for elections. But for that we need security, guarantees of security, a ceasefire.”
He added: “I don’t think we should put a bad deal up for a referendum.”
Zelensky has said in recent weeks that a document outlining security guarantees for Ukraine is almost ready to be signed.
But in his latest remarks, he acknowledged that key details remain unresolved, including whether the United States would be willing to shoot down incoming missiles over Ukraine if Russia were to violate any peace agreement.
“This hasn’t been fixed yet,” Zelensky said. “We have raised it, and we will continue to raise these questions. We need all of this to be written out.”
