US โ€˜backstopโ€™ vital to deter future Russian attacks on Ukraine, says Starmer

British prime minister says force would need protections such as air cover that only US can provide Keir Starmer has urged Donald Trump to provide a US โ€œbackstopโ€ to a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, saying it is the only way to deter Russia fr…

Europeโ€™s leaders find no quick response to Trumpโ€™s bombshell on Ukraine

Top European leaders could not find common ground on issues including sending peacekeepers in Ukraine.

US must provide โ€˜backstopโ€™ to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again, says Starmer โ€“ video

Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, has called on the US to provide a ‘backstop’ to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again after meeting with European leaders for emergency talks on the war. Starmer said US president Donald Trumpโ€™s comments aski…

The death of NATO? Europe in crisis over Trump-Putin talks

European leaders are meeting in Paris for an emergency summit on Ukraine, following last weekโ€™s call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. With NATOโ€™s most powerful member sidelining its allies in talks with Russia, is the U.S. still a reliable par…

European leaders race to respond after US policy shift on Ukraine

European leaders sought to find a unified response at an emergency summit in Paris Monday following a shock policy shift on the war in Ukraine by US President Donald Trump. The talks were held as Washington and Moscow’s top diplomats were due Tuesday …

โ€˜Allo โ€˜Allo! Europeโ€™s leaders get together dans Paris for emergency sommet | John Crace

Emmanuel Macron, Kier Starmer and others discuss Trump, Russia and Ukraine at hastily arranged conferenceEmmanuel Macron: Bienvenu รก Paris.Keir Starmer: Bonjour, Monsieur le President. Thank you for organising this โ€œonce-in-a-generationโ€ summit at such…

Germanyโ€™s Scholz: Itโ€™s โ€˜inappropriateโ€™ to discuss sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine

Ukraine doesn’t have to accept whatever peace plan Russia and the United States present, Scholz added.

Europe tries to shore up fragile unity as it realises it cannot rely on US

Leaders arrive at Paris summit for urgent talks on Ukraine after week that showed how far values have divergedEurope live โ€“ latest updatesThey came smiling, but the task was immense. After dozens of summits at which a hesitant and discordant EU had fai…

British MPs already want a vote on sending troops to Ukraine

Labour MPs โ€” and opposition lawmakers too โ€” are asking for a parliamentary say on any British escalation.

Ukraine will not accept a Saudi-talks peace deal, says Zelenskyy

EU and Ukraine have been excluded from high-stakes negotiations between top Russian and US officialsEurope live โ€“ latest updatesVolodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not recognise any peace agreements made without its participation, as top …

Poland to Europe: Donโ€™t play games with Trump, spend more on defense

The Polish PM is adamant that Europe must not break ties with the U.S.

People (Ludzie) review โ€“ multi-thread epic offers raw tales from the Russia-Ukraine war

The brutalising reality of the battlefield connects five different stories in this anti-war dramaThis portmanteau film โ€“ produced by Warsaw Film School and released for the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine โ€“ is in the Come and See …

UKโ€™s Starmer to meet Trump next week

Prime minister heads to Washington to meet with US president as European capitals fret over Ukraine’s future.

Ukraine will not accept results of any US-Russia talks held without them, Zelenskyy says โ€“ video

Ukraine’s president has said his country would not accept the outcome of talks between the US and Russia if his country was not involved. Zelenskyy was on an official visit to the United Arab Emirates where he told reporters that he was not informed of…

What are Ukraineโ€™s critical minerals โ€“ and why does Trump want them?

Zelenskyy has rebuffed USโ€™s initial attempt to take control of minerals as downpayment for its aid in war with RussiaEurope live โ€“ latest updatesUkraineโ€™s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has rebuffed an initial attempt by the US to corner his countryโ€™s…

Europe at โ€˜turning pointโ€™ as leaders meet in Paris to discuss Ukraine crisis

Ursula von der Leyen urges โ€˜emergency mindsetโ€™ in response to US decision to enter bilateral talks with RussiaEurope live โ€“ latest updatesEuropeโ€™s security is โ€œat a turning pointโ€, the president of the European Commission has said, as leaders from majo…

‘Why should we invite them?’: Lavrov ridicules European presence at Ukraine peace talks โ€“ video

Russia’s foreign minister has dismissed the prospect of a place for Europe at talks between the US and Russia to end the fighting in Ukraine. Speaking at a press conference alongside his Serbian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov said: ‘If they are going to we…

Zelenskyy: I want to show Trumpโ€™s Ukraine-Russia envoy the front line

Keith Kellogg will be in Ukraine for two days this week.

Intercepted review โ€“ phone taps are a chilling glimpse into Russian soldiersโ€™ minds in Ukraine

Recordings of fightersโ€™ wiretapped phone calls are juxtaposed with images of wartime destruction in Oksana Karpovychโ€™s compelling war documentaryVietnam saw the advent of the visible war, documented by TV cameras; but the Russia-Ukraine war perhaps rep…

Ukraine will not participate in Russia-US talks, Zelenskyy says from UAE

The Ukrainian leader said he will be in Turkey while Russia and the US speak in Riyadh.

Russia says ‘no reason’ to invite Europeans to Ukraine truce talks as top Russia, US officials to meet in Saudia Arabia

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov accused Europe of wanting to ‘continue war’ in Ukraine, as Russian and US officials prepare to meet in Saudi Arabia and European leaders convene in Paris for an emergency summit in response.

EU top brass plans Kyiv visit amid US-Russia talks

The trip will take place in a show of solidarity as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine hits the three-year mark, one EU official said.

โ€˜Freezingโ€™ Ukraine war would allow Russia to threaten NATO, Latvian intelligence warns

Pausing hostilities, which U.S. President Trump has vowed to do, would free up Kremlin resources to threaten countries across the alliance, the report says.

A Picture to Remember review โ€“ memories of a Donetsk happy childhood before the war

Olga Chernykhโ€™s portrait of life in war-torn Ukraine, based on home videos, examines how bonds and memories persist through trauma, loss and distanceFormally inventive and emotionally resonant, Olga Chernykhโ€™s documentary feature debut highlights the p…

Marco Rubio arrives in Riyadh, Zelenskyy jets into UAE, as Ukraine talks expected to begin

U.S. secretary of state lands in Saudi Arabia as EU leaders prepare for crisis summit in Paris.

Live: Ahead of Paris talks, Sweden says ‘not ruling out’ peacekeepers in Ukraine

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would deploy troops to Ukraine if needed, a pledge reiterated by Sweden on Monday just hours before European leaders meet in Paris to address Washington’s shock policy shift on the war. France has warned that EU …

Europe live: Ukraine will not accept US-Russia talks outcome if it is not involved, says Zelenskyy, as EU leaders meet for summit

Ukrainian president says his government has not been invited to planned talks on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, while EU leaders meet over Ukraineโ€™s futureSwedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson told Reuters that deploying Swedish troops to Ukraine as part of…

As the US retreats, Europe must look out for itself โ€“ so is Macronโ€™s nuclear offer the answer? | Simon Tisdall

Development of a joint defence shield would be politically explosive for Keir Starmer. But itโ€™s an idea whose time has comeThe startling contempt for Europeโ€™s intensifying security concerns displayed by Donald Trump and his henchmen has brought an old,…

‘Playing with fire’: European leaders convene for emergency meeting in Paris

PRESS REVIEW โ€“ Monday, February 17: European leaders flock to Paris to discuss an uncertain future, as US President Donald Trump excludes both Ukraine and Europe from peace talks with Russia. Elsewhere, an investigation by The Observer reveals that Go…

Friends of Russian anti-war singer cast doubt on official version of his death

Vadim Stroykin reported to have killed himself by jumping from a ninth-floor window during visit by security servicesNo one knows exactly what happened in the final moments of Vadim Stroykinโ€™s life.The 59-year-old Russian singer-songwriterโ€™s vibrant ca…

Angry farmers push Poland away from Ukraine

After nearly three years of war in Ukraine, protests by Polish farmers are opening up social and political fractures in a once-unshakeable alliance.

Victims of international crimes need justice โ€” and the ICC

We call on the EUโ€™s member countries and institutions to be the voice of human dignity globally, and to mobilize, defend and support the court.

UK โ€˜readyโ€™ to send peace-keepers to Ukraine, PM Starmer says

Ahead of a crunch meeting in Paris on Monday, the U.K. leader commits to putting British troops in harm’s way to secure lasting peace.

Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy waves away first US bid for critical minerals

President says draft deal did not guarantee Ukraineโ€™s security; diplomatic chaos as US and Russia meet in Riyadh and Macron convenes Europe crisis talks. What we know on day 1,090 Continue reading…

Starmer ready to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine if peace deal reached

It is understood to be the first time the PM has been explicit about sending British peacekeepers to UkraineKeir Starmer has said he is prepared to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine if there is a deal to end the war with Russia, acknowledging…

Rubio says talks in Saudi Arabia meant to be opening step toward peace

โ€œOne phone call does not make peace,โ€ the secretary of State said.

The Guardian view on JD Vance in Munich: Europe must stand up for its values | Editorial

The vice-presidentโ€™s speech on Friday was another wake-up call for European leaders. On defence and in other areas, they need to chart their own courseIn 2007, Vladimir Putin delivered a speech to the Munich security conference that stunned western dip…

Ukraine recaptures frontline village amid signs of slowing Russian advance

Pischane in Donetsk back under Kyivโ€™s control as Zelenskyy renews call for fighting to end โ€˜with a just and lasting peaceโ€™Ukraine has recaptured a village on the frontline in the countryโ€™s east, amid signs Russiaโ€™s advance may be slowing down and as Pr…

Putin likely to strike NATO nations next, Ukraine leader warns

The Ukrainian president says he wonโ€™t accept a peace agreement if his country is iced out of talks.

โ€˜The US is ready to hand Russia a winโ€™: newspapers on Europeโ€™s Trump shock

European papers express deep alarm at declaration of an โ€˜ideological warโ€™, while the NYT says Putin may soon โ€˜realise his dreamโ€™This yearโ€™s Munich security conference exposed the chasm in core values separating the Trump administration from most Europe…

Parents of Alexei Navalny join hundreds of mourners on the anniversary of his death โ€“ video report

The parents of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny joined hundreds of mourners at their son’s grave on Sunday to mark the anniversary of his death. Navalny died aged 47 on 16 February last year while being held in a jail about 40 miles north …

Zelenskyy says Russia will โ€˜wage war on Natoโ€™ if US support for Ukraine wanes

Ukrainian president tells NBCโ€™s Meet the Press that Putinโ€™s next targets may be Poland and LithuaniaVolodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday predicted Russia would โ€œwage war against Natoโ€ if the US stepped back from its support of Ukraine โ€“ and that he had seen i…

John Major: Trumpโ€™s US isolationism threatens global democracy

Former UK prime minister says US may regret ceding world stage to China and condemns โ€˜hypocriticalโ€™ JD Vance speechDemocracy around the globe is under threat from the retreat of Donald Trumpโ€™s US into isolationism and its likely replacement by China on…

Macron convenes European leaders for Ukraine summit amid tension with US

Paris meeting aims to retake initiative on talks about Ukraineโ€™s future as US and Russian delegates prepare to meetThe sudden transatlantic chasm over Ukraine will be laid bare on Monday when US officials start preliminary talks in Riyadh with Russian …

As US recedes, NATO scrambles to find a new leader

The Brits, French, and Germans all have their own ideas about how to defend the continent with Americaโ€™s plans in flux.ย 

The US said Ukraine would meet with Russia to discuss peace. That was news to Kyiv.

โ€œI do not know what it is,โ€ said Ukraineโ€™s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

France confirms emergency European summit Monday in Paris

The “main European countries” will discuss the continent’s security, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noรซl Barrot said.

Alexei Navalny supporters visit grave on first anniversary of his death

Queues of people risk possible arrest at Moscow cemetery while European leaders condemn KremlinEuropean leaders have condemned the Kremlinโ€™s โ€œultimate responsibilityโ€ in the death of Alexei Navalny, as supporters of Russiaโ€™s best-known opposition polit…

UKโ€™s Starmer to attend emergency European summit in Paris

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noรซl Barrot said the “main European countries” would meet on Monday to discuss European security.

John Major accuses US of โ€˜cuddlingโ€™ up to Putin and condemns JD Vanceโ€™s Munich speech โ€“ as it happened

The former UK prime minister says democracy in Europe and across the globe is โ€˜under threatโ€™. This live blog is closedโ€˜We canโ€™t just be supineโ€™: UK Liberal Democrat leader urges Starmer to stand up to โ€˜bullyโ€™ TrumpFranceโ€™s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Ba…

โ€˜They may be Russian some dayโ€™: was this the week that changed the war in Ukraine?

As Donald Trump and his officials rip up three years of US rhetoric on supporting Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is walking an unenviable diplomatic tightropeVolodymyr Zelenskyy has had some tough weeks in the past three years, but this past one may be up t…

Europeans are right to be angry with Donald Trump, but they should also be furious with themselves | Andrew Rawnsley

The betrayal of Ukraine is a final warning to the UK and its continental allies to put a lot more energy and money into rebuilding their defencesIt was, Sir Keir Starmer told members of his inner circle, one of his most meaningful visits abroad. In the…

As the US walks away, Europe needs to step up for Ukraine. But does it have the will?

Russia is relying on strength of numbers, and Putin may not honour a peace dealAfter three years of Russiaโ€™s attempt to occupy and annex Ukraine, the country continues to put up a fierce resistance.Russia is suffering more than 1,500 casualties a day a…

Ukraine war briefing: US and Russian officials to meet in Saudi Arabia without Ukrainians โ€“ reports

US secretary of state Marco Rubio and Russiaโ€™s Sergei Lavrov discuss removing โ€˜unilateral barriersโ€™; Trumpโ€™s Ukraine envoy suggests Europe will be excluded from negotiations. What we know on day 1,089 Continue reading…

France planning to host informal European summit on Ukraine, diplomatic sources say

France is in talks with its allies about holding an informal European summit on Ukraine on Monday, diplomatic sources said Saturday.ย Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg earlier said that Europe would not have a role in Ukraine peace talks plann…

Trump team to start Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia

Negotiators from Kyiv will be joining the talks that launch in the coming days.

Vanceโ€™s week of waging war on EU tech law

The U.S. vice president attacked Europe’s regulations governing American Big Tech giants and online speech.

Trumpโ€™s betrayal of Ukraine has emboldened Putin and pulled the rug from under Nato allies | Simon Tisdall

The ramifications of the presidentโ€™s appeasement of Russia will be felt widely, not least in the alliance he recklessly underminedIn Graham Greeneโ€™s 1955 novel, The Quiet American, Alden Pyle, a CIA agent, reckons he has all the answers to conflict in …

Europe will not be part of Ukraine-Russia peace talks, US envoy says

Keith Kellogg tells countries to offer concrete solutions and boost spending instead of complaining about talks roleEurope will be consulted โ€“ but ultimately excluded โ€“ from the planned peace talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine, Donald Trumpโ€™s spe…

JD Vanceโ€™s Munich speech laid bare the collapse of the transatlantic alliance

The US vice-president was hypocritical and insensitive, but bracingly clear in his resetting of relationshipsโ€ข Europe live โ€“ latest updatesSince 1963, the Munich Security Conference has seen many consequential speeches, notably Vladimir Putin announcin…

Europe quietly works on plan to send troops to Ukraine for post-war security

A group of European countries has been quietly working on a plan to send troops into Ukraine to help enforce any future peace settlement with Russia, AP has reported, saying the UK and France are at the forefront of the effort.

Rutte: NATO spending target will be โ€˜considerably more than 3 percentโ€™

“The U.S. is rightly asking for a rebalancing of that,” said Rutte. “It’s totally logical.”

Zelenskyy says time has come to create an ‘armed forces of Europe’ โ€“ video

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday that the time has come for the creation of a European army. ‘Our army alone is not enough, we need your support,’ he said, adding that the ‘old days’, when th…

Graham: Ukraine should automatically join NATO if Russia invades again

Republican senator says US should continue to send weapons to Ukraine.

Republicans struggle with unified response to Trumpโ€™s plan for Ukraine peace talks

Lawmakersโ€™ reactions underscore the challenge Republicans face as they try to make sense of the administrationโ€™s efforts to end the Ukraine war.

Trump asks Zelenskyy for half of Ukraineโ€™s rare earths: NBC News

U.S. officials told NBC that handing over half of its valuable minerals would be a way for Kyiv to reimburse the U.S. for the billions of dollars in weapons and support.

Ukraine could ‘drive out’ Putin if US armed Ukraine ‘to the teeth’, allowed attacks deep into Russia

European leaders are trying to make sense of a tough new line from Washington on issues including democracy and Ukraine’s future. As the Trump administration continues to upend trans-Atlantic conventions that have been in place since after World War I…

Zelenskyy: โ€˜The time has comeโ€™ for a European army

Despite talk of a peace agreement, Russia is continuing to wage war against Ukraine.

Ukraine probably canโ€™t survive without US help, Zelenskyy says

The grim prognosis comes as the conflict appears to be entering a new phase.

Zelenskyy calls for European army as Germany hits back at US over Vance tirade โ€“ Europe live

โ€˜Our army alone is not enough, we need your support,โ€™ Ukraineโ€™s president tells Munich security conferenceEurope will not be part of Ukraine-Russia peace talks, US envoy saysJD Vance stuns Munich conference with blistering attack on Europeโ€™s leadersAna…

Ukraine will have โ€˜low chanceโ€™ of surviving without US support, Zelensky says

Ukraine will only have a low chance of surviving should it lose the backing of its main ally the United States in the face of Russiaโ€™s war of aggression, the countryโ€™s president Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with NBC that will be broadcast o…