Britain has been accused of being “very good at inventing threats” by the Russian ambassador to the UK.
Andrei Kelin told Sky News: “Russia does not threaten France or the United Kingdom. Here in the United Kingdom, they are very good at inventing threats.”
He continued: “All of this is silly things which have been invented by politicians whose position is very shaky right now.”
The comments came as Sir Keir Starmer prepares to speak to European leaders today on supplying troops for a peacekeeping force to defend a potential peace deal – an idea that Russia has rejected. Sir Keir has continually warned of Russian’s threat to global stability following its invasion of Ukraine.
On Thursday, defence secretary John Healey met up with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington to discuss ending the war amid a pause on military aid and intelligence sharing from the US.
Later, Donald Trump warned he would not defend Nato allies that did not spend enough on their own defence. The message came despite EU leaders agreeing to an €800bn plan to increase European defence spending during an emergency summit in Brussels.
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Key Points
- US 'destroying' the rules-based order, says Ukrainian ambassador
- UK is 'very good at inventing threats', Russian ambassador says
- EU leaders back new defence spending plan
- John Healey meets with US defence minister Pete Hegseth
- Russia accuses Macron of 'nuclear blackmail'
- Starmer: We must ensure Ukraine in strongest position for negotiations
Zelensky plans to head to Saudi Arabia for talks with US next week
04:51
,
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has said his country will hold talks with the US next week about ending the war against Russia.
Mr Zelensky, in his nightly address, said he would travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday and his team would stay there to hold talks with US officials.
“Next Monday, I have a visit planned to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with the Crown Prince. After that, my team will stay in Saudi Arabia to work with our American partners. Ukraine is most interested in peace,” he said.
“As we told @POTUS, Ukraine is working and will continue to work constructively for a swift and reliable peace,” Mr Zelensky said on X.
Ukraine opposition leaders deny plotting to oust Zelensky after talks with Trump aides
04:31
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s opposition leaders Yulia Tymoshenko and Petro Porshenko have confirmed they spoke with Donald Trump’s aides but denied wanting to oust Volodymyr Zelensky from power.
Mr Porshenko said he held talks with some US representatives but clarified that he did not agree with Mr Trump’s demands for wartime elections. A poll, he said, should only be held once the martial law is lifted from the war-hit country.
Ms Tymoshenko, Ukraine’s former prime minister, said she opposes elections while fighting continues and that her team is “talking with all our allies who can help in securing a just peace as soon as possible”.
Members of Donald Trump’s team reportedly held secret discussions with Volodymyr Zelensky’s top political opponents days after his fiery White House clash with the Ukrainian president, reported Politico.
The talks between Mr Trump’s allies and the Ukrainian leaders focused on whether Ukraine could hold swift presidential elections, the report added.
Lavrov hits out at Starmer’s Ukraine peacekeeping plan
04:21
,
Arpan Rai
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has criticised proposals for a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
The close ally of Vladimir Putin said that the move would amount to the “direct, official and unveiled involvement of Nato members in the war against Russia” and “it can’t be allowed”.
His remarks come after Sir Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron said they are seeking to build a “coalition of the willing” to defend a peace deal.
Mr Lavrov was backed by Russian spokesperson Maria Zakharova who said that Moscow rejects the possibility of a negotiated ceasefire and the deployment of European troops to Ukraine and claimed that Russia considers any proposal that gives Ukraine a "respite" along the frontline as unacceptable.
Trump gives cryptic answer when asked about Ukraine-Russia peace deal
03:44
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump appeared to give somewhat of a cryptic answer when he was pressed on the possibility of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
The US president was asked for an update in relation to peace talks between the two countries as he signed several executive orders at the White House yesterday.
A journalist asked the president: “When Zelensky inevitably comes back to the White House what do you expect from him?”
Trump replied: “I think Ukraine wants to make a deal because I don’t think they don’t have a choice.
“I also think Russia wants to make a deal because in a certain different way, a way only I know, they have no choice either,” he said.
Watch the video here:
Chinese foreign minister calls for 'fair, lasting, binding' Ukraine peace agreement
03:25
China wants to achieve a "fair, lasting and binding peace agreement" acceptable to all parties on the Ukraine war, foreign minister Wang Yi said today.
"Everyone hopes to achieve a fair, lasting, binding peace agreement that every side can accept," Mr Wang told reporters during an annual press conference on the sidelines of the annual parliamentary sessions.
"China is willing to cooperate with the international community in accordance with the wishes of relevant parties to achieve a final resolution of the crisis and lasting peace, and will continue to play a constructive role,” he said.
Trump plans to revoke legal status for hundreds of thousands Ukrainians
03:15
,
Holly Evans
Donald Trump is planning to revoke temporary legal status for some 240,000 Ukrainians who fled the conflict with Russia, according to a senior administration official.
The move, confirmed to Reuters by the official and three other sources, potentially leaves the refugees open to being swiftly deported back home amid the ongoing war.
According to the outlet, the revocations could begin as early as April and come in stark contrast to the welcome to those escaping the conflict that was rolled out by the Biden administration.
Read the full article here:
Macron reacts to Kremlin: 'Putin feeling exposed'
03:05
,
Arpan Rai
French president Emmanuel Macron hit back at Russia, after the Kremlin warned him not to threaten it with nuclear rhetoric."
I know president Putin well. If he's reacting like that, it's because he knows what I said is true," Mr Macron told reporters at an EU summit in Brussels yesterday.
“He's making a historical error: Napoleon waged conquests. The only imperialistic power I see in Europe right now is Russia," he said, responding to a question posed by a Russian journalist in exile in France.
Mr Macron said he knew Putin could betray his word, because he had done just that when it did not respect the Minsk agreements signed with France, Germany and Ukraine after the invasion of Crimea in 2014.
He also said the reactions in Moscow yesterday were probably so vociferous because Russia's intentions to continue waging war with Europe eventually, if a rushed peace treaty in Ukraine is signed, had been uncovered.
"He was probably piqued by the fact we're exposing his game," Macron said.
Europe must do whatever it can to keep Mr Trump from siding with the Kremlin
03:00
,
Holly Evans
Russia says its troops capture another village in eastern Ukraine
02:59
,
Arpan Rai
The Russian defence ministry says its forces have captured another village in eastern Ukraine, in a claim not confirmed by Kyiv.
A ministry statement said Russian forces had captured the village of Andriivka, west of the logistics centre of Kurakhove, which Moscow said it had taken in early January.
The General Staff of Ukraine's military made no mention of Andriivka falling into Russian hands.
But in a late evening report, it mentioned the settlement as one of five that had come under attack during 17 attempts by Russian forces to pierce Ukrainian defences in the Pokrovsk sector in Donetsk region.
The report said one armed clash was still going on late in the evening.
Under Trump, the global order that America helped to build is crumbling
02:00
,
Holly Evans
As we search for clues about America’s future, Piers Morgan and other allies of Donald Trump insist that we should judge him “by his actions, not his words”. But we’ve now witnessed more than enough action to understand what it all means.
The pieces of the Trump puzzle are clear enough to reveal the bigger picture – one so shocking and consequential that few dare to speak out.
If we stitch together Trump’s actions, the narrative he is spinning, and the demands he is now making, a troubling vision emerges. Gone is any sense of national duty to uphold or repair the crumbling global order that America and Britain once helped to build.
Read the full analysis here:
Trump suspending US aid to Ukraine is not about a ceasefire – it is to force Kyiv’s surrender
01:01
,
Holly Evans
Donald Trump’s decision to suspend intelligence sharing with Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia is a devastating blow for Kyiv – and it puts America on Vladimir Putin’s side.
Combined with the US suspension of military aid to Ukraine, it is not an attempt to force Volodymyr Zelensky to peace talks.
It is an attempt to force the surrender of Ukraine to Russia.
The Ukrainian president is joining 27 European Union leaders for emergency talks on Thursday, on how to deal with the sudden emasculation of his country’s war effort.
Read the full analysis here:
Independent readers give verdict on Donald Trump’s state visit
00:00
,
Holly Evans
Trump plans to revoke legal status for hundreds of thousands Ukrainians
Thursday 6 March 2025 23:48
,
Holly Evans
Donald Trump is planning to revoke temporary legal status for some 240,000 Ukrainians who fled the conflict with Russia, according to a senior administration official.
The move, confirmed to Reuters by the official and three other sources, potentially leaves the refugees open to being swiftly deported back home amid the ongoing war.
According to the outlet, the revocations could begin as early as April and come in stark contrast to the welcome to those escaping the conflict that was rolled out by the Biden administration.
Read the full article here:
Macron sees French nuclear talks in first half of 2025
Thursday 6 March 2025 23:08
,
Holly Evans
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he had been approached by other leaders all day during an EU summit in Brussels about his offer to extend French nuclear deterrence and hopes to see cooperations by the end of the first half of 2025.
He also hit back at Russian reactions to his calling Moscow an existential threat to Europe, saying the Kremlin had clearly been triggered by the fact their game had been uncovered.
Trump reiterates US might withdraw funding from Nato countries
Thursday 6 March 2025 22:40
,
Holly Evans
Speaking in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump reiterated his stance that European partners need to step up defence spending, when questioned on whether he might withdraw US funding from Nato.
"It's common sense right, if they don't pay I’m not going to defend them," he said.
Asked about Macron's comments that France might extend its nuclear umbrella over its European partners, Trump replies that he favours "denuclearisation" instead.
"We've made a lot of progress with Ukraine and a lot of progress with Russia over the last couple of days and it would be great to bring that to an end so we don't have to talk that way about nuclear," he says.
When asked about the temporary legal status of 240,000 Ukrainians who fled to the US and the suggestion it may be revoked, he said he is “looking at that” .
He adds: "We're not looking to hurt them, especially Ukrainians, they've gone through a lot."
Russia hits out at Starmer’s Ukraine peacekeeping plan
Thursday 6 March 2025 22:33
,
Holly Evans
Russia has hit out at Sir Keir Starmer’s plan for British troops to form part of a peacekeeping force if there is a deal to end the Ukraine war.
The Prime Minister, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, has been seeking to build a “coalition of the willing” to defend a peace deal.
But Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the move would amount to the “direct, official and unveiled involvement of Nato members in the war against Russia” and “it can’t be allowed”.
Meanwhile, the Defence Secretary said he was “fixed” on seizing the opportunity for securing peace and Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine and the US will hold talks ending the war in Saudi Arabia next week.
John Healey was meeting with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth on Thursday and said ahead of their talks that Donald Trump has “asked Europe to step up, and we are”.
UK is 'very good at inventing threats', Russian ambassador says
Thursday 6 March 2025 22:22
,
Holly Evans
Speaking to Sky News, the Russian ambassador said that the UK has been “inventing threats” against Russia as he hit out at the roles Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are trying to play in negotiation deals.
Andrei Kelin said: “Russia does not threaten France or the United Kingdom. Here in the United Kingdom, they are very good at inventing threats. I have said, we are threatening in space, in the air, in the sea, all over - it looks like the UK is living in a terrible situation encircled by Russia and soon it will raise a white flag and surrender.
“All of this is silly things which have been invented by politicians whose position is very shaky right now. They do not want to deal with internal affairs, but they would like to have an international profile like big leaders of something. It makes us laugh of course. This invention of threats - Russia is not threatening anyone.”
New mass Russian drone attack on Ukraine's Odesa hit energy infrastructure, regional governor says
Thursday 6 March 2025 21:49
,
Holly Evans
Russian forces launched a new mass drone attack on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa late on Thursday, damaging energy infrastructure and triggering fires, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said.
"On the outskirts of Odesa, three private homes are on fire and energy infrastructure has been damaged," Kiper wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Kiper said information on casualties was being clarified.
Russian ambassador accuses UK and Europe of not wanting war to end
Thursday 6 March 2025 21:16
,
Holly Evans
In an interview on The World With Yalda Hakim, Russian ambassador Andrei Kelin accused the UK, France and other European nations of not wanting to end the war in Ukraine.
"We are prepared to negotiate and to talk," he said. "We have our position. If we can strike a negotiated settlement... we need a very serious approach to that and a very serious agreement about all of that - and about security in Europe."
"What we will need is a new Ukraine as a neutral, non-nuclear state," he said. "The territorial situation should be recognised. These territories have been included in our constitution and we will continue to push that all forces of the Ukrainian government will leave these territories."
Asked if he thought the Americans would agree to give occupied Ukrainian land to Russia, he said: "I don't think we have discussed it seriously. [From] what I have read, the Americans actually understand the reality."
Zelensky team to meet US aides for talks next week
Thursday 6 March 2025 20:36
,
Jane Dalton
Volodymr Zelensky says his team will meet US officials in Saudi Arabia next week for talks on ending the war.
The Ukrainian president tweeted that he would meet the Saudi Crown Prince on Monday and that his team would stay on for talks with US partners.
“Ukraine is most interested in peace. As we told POTUS, Ukraine is working and will continue to work constructively for a swift and reliable peace,” he wrote.
He said he had a productive day in Brussels meeting EU leaders and that his priority could be to establish a ceasefire in the sky and at sea.
This would mean stopping missile, long-range drone and bomb strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure as well as halting all military operations in the Black Sea, he wrote.
Today was a very productive day in Brussels for Ukraine and all of Europe at the European Council summit at the leaders’ level. I had good meetings with @eucopresident and @vonderleyen. Met with @EmmanuelMacron, @Bart_DeWever, and @_CStocker on the sidelines of the summit. Also…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 6, 2025
EU countries may borrow billions to boost militaries
Thursday 6 March 2025 20:31
,
Jane Dalton
The EU leaders have hailed the European Commission’s proposals to give them fiscal flexibility on defence spending, and to jointly borrow up to €150 billion (£125bn) to lend to EU governments to spend on their militaries.
In a joint statement agreed by all 27 member states, the leaders called on their governments to examine these proposals in detail urgently.
EU leaders back new defence spending plan
Thursday 6 March 2025 20:12
,
Jane Dalton
European Union leaders have backed new defence spending plans aimed at freeing up billions of euros for the continent's security after the Trump administration signalled that Europe would have to fend for itself.
The 27 leaders signed off on a move to loosen budget restrictions so that willing EU countries can increase their military spending.
They also urged the European Commission to seek new ways “to facilitate significant defence spending at national level in all Member States”, a statement said.
The EU's executive branch estimates that around 650 billion euros (£544bn) could be freed up in this way.
EU backs statement supporting Ukraine without Hungary
Thursday 6 March 2025 20:00
,
Holly Evans
EU leaders have approved a statement in support of Ukraine without the backing of Hungary, an official has said.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seen as Vladimir Putin's closest ally in Europe and has supported talks between US and Russia.
The document has not yet been officially published but in it the 27 leaders back plans to boost defence spending and to loosen rules to allow individual countries to invest in the bloc’s security.
A statement on the European Council's website says: "The European Union will accelerate the mobilisation of the necessary instruments and financing in order to bolster the security of the European Union and the protection of our citizens."
UK is 'ready to take on leadership', Healey tells U.S.
Thursday 6 March 2025 19:47
,
Holly Evans
The defence secretary said he was “fixed” on the opportunity Donald Trump has created to secure peace in Ukraine ahead of a meeting with his US counterpart.
John Healey, who is in Washington to meet with Pete Hegseth, said: “I’m fixed on the historic opportunity the president has created to bring a lasting and secure peace to Ukraine.”
He added: “The President also has asked Europe to step up, and we are. The UK is ready to take on a leadership in that task. You saw that from Keir Starmer at the weekend, in the way that he is pulling the parties together, ensuring that we take Ukraine with us and that we work closely alongside the United States.
“And it’s the detail of those discussions which are rightly behind the scenes that the Defence Secretary and I will now pursue this afternoon.”
Trump aide Witkoff says he is arranging talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia
Thursday 6 March 2025 19:31
,
Holly Evans
U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said on Thursday he is in discussions with Ukraine for a peace agreement framework to end hostilities with Russia and that a meeting is planned next week with the Ukrainians in Saudi Arabia.
"We're now in discussions to coordinate a meeting with the Ukrainians," Witkoff told reporters at the White House. He said it would likely be in Riyadh or Jeddah.
Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky had acrimonious talks at the White House on February 28 but since then the two sides have resumed work on a revenue-sharing minerals deal.
At his speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, Trump said he had received a letter from Zelensky in which the Ukrainian leader said he was "ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible."
Referring to the Saudi Arabia meeting, Witkoff said, "I think the idea is to get down a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire as well."
Hegseth says suspension of US military aid is a 'pause'
Thursday 6 March 2025 19:07
,
Holly Evans
Speaking to reporters, John Healey said he came to America to "strengthen" the defence "bond" between the US and UK.
His US counterpart Pete Hegseth says the media is interested in "narratives" around Ukraine and Russia but Donald Trump is interested in peace.
Asked about Donald Trump's decision to halt military aid to Kyiv, Pete Hegseth says: "As the president has pointed out, it is a pause. Exactly what he said from the beginning. Pause - pending a true commitment to a path to peace."
He adds Trump is "paying a very keen eye" to what Kyiv is "saying and doing about committing to that peace process".
"And we're very encouraged by the signs we're seeing," he adds.
UK 'would welcome any country in peacekeeping force'
Thursday 6 March 2025 18:45
,
Jane Dalton
The UK would would welcome engagement from any country that wishes to be part of the coalition of the willing, Downing Street has said.
Asked about reports that the Middle East could be involved in the efforts, a No 10 spokesman said: “We welcome engagement from any country that wishes to be part of the coalition of the willing.”
Turkey has reportedly indicated it could play a part in peacekeeping efforts.
In pictures: John Healey meets with Pete Hegseth
Thursday 6 March 2025 18:44
,
Holly Evans
John Healey meets with US defence minister Pete Hegseth
Thursday 6 March 2025 18:36
,
Holly Evans
Defence secretary John Healey is currently meeting with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington, after arriving in the US to continue discussions on the blockage of military aid and intelligence to Ukraine.
The pair will hold a bilateral meeting on a possible peace plan while efforts continue to bridge a transatlantic rift over the country’s future security.
Mr Healey’s trip was agreed after Sir Keir Starmer announced a rise in the UK’s defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP.
Watch live: Defence secretary holds talks in Washington
Thursday 6 March 2025 18:27
,
Holly Evans
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the US has kept its sanctions on Russia in place
Thursday 6 March 2025 18:23
,
Holly Evans
US official says Ukraine given 'fair warning' before suspension of military aid
Thursday 6 March 2025 18:16
,
Holly Evans
Ukraine was given "fair warning" by the White House before President Donald Trump this week ordered a pause on US military assistance and intelligence sharing with Kyiv, a senior administration official has said.
The Republican administration announced the pauses this week after Mr Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky's Oval Office meeting devolved into a shouting match, with the US president and vice president JD Vance criticising the Ukrainian leader for being insufficiently grateful.
Retired Lt Gen Keith Kellogg, Mr Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, said the pause is already having an impact on Kyiv, adding that the Ukrainians "brought it on themselves".
"The best way I can describe it is sort of like hitting a mule with a two-by-four across the nose," Mr Kellogg said at an event on Thursday at the Council on Foreign Relations. "You got their attention."
Mr Kellogg said it was made clear to the Ukrainians before last week's Oval Office meeting that the talks would focus on signing a critical minerals deal.
Starmer must offer a 'warm welcome' to any Ukrainian refugees forced to leave US, Greens urge
Thursday 6 March 2025 18:03
,
Holly Evans
The Green Party has called on the prime minister to offer a "warm welcome" to any Ukrainian refugees forced to leave the US after Donald Trump threatened to revoke their legal status.
Carla Denyer, the party's co-leader, said the development "will leave hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians in the US terrified that they will be forced to return to a war zone or be left with nowhere to go".
“Keir Starmer must make abundantly clear that any Ukrainians kicked out of Trump's America would find a warm welcome here in the UK", she said.
Intelligence block on Ukraine may impact British Storm Shadow missiles
Thursday 6 March 2025 17:52
,
Holly Evans
Describing the intelligence block upon Ukraine as an “extraordinary move”, Bloomberg’s political editor stressed they were another blow to transatlantic relations, with information sharing usually seen as above politics.
The block may limit the capabilities of British Storm Shadow missiles which use US data, with the UK reportedly trying to get the measure overturned as quickly as possible.
“Trump wants a quick cease-fire without time for security guarantees to be put in place first, sources said, warning there is a risk the US then seeks for the truce to becomes permanent and walks away, imposing a bad deal on Kyiv,” Alex Wickham said.
NEW:
— Alex Wickham (@alexwickham) March 6, 2025
— Donald Trump is linking the minerals deal to Ukraine committing to a concrete plan for a quick cease-fire, sources tell @AlbertoNardelli @jendeben and me.
— In recent days, Trump has indicated he is ready to sign the resources deal. But in private the White House has…
Trump linking minerals deal to concrete plan for ceasefire, sources say
Thursday 6 March 2025 17:42
,
Holly Evans
Sources have told Bloomberg that President Trump is linking the minerals deal with Ukraine to a concrete plan for a ceasefire to end the fighting with Russia.
Political editor Alex Wickham wrote on X: “In recent days, Trump has indicated he is ready to sign the resources deal. But in private the White House has added extra conditions, primarily that Ukraine agrees to a tangible plan to stop the fighting and negotiate with Russia.”
These new conditions are reportedly the reason why the deal has not yet been signed, with Ukrainian and US officials set to continue discussions next week in Saudi Arabia.
Ukrainian officials to meet with Trump aides in Saudi Arabia
Thursday 6 March 2025 17:32
,
Holly Evans
Senior Trump administration officials will travel to Saudi Arabia to meet with Ukrainian officials next week, Fox News and Axios reported on Thursday.
The meeting will be held on Wednesday, Axios said, citing two unnamed sources. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others depart for Riyadh on Tuesday for the meeting, which will include Andriy Yermak, a top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a Fox News reporter separately said on X.
Trump considering major policy shift to overhaul Nato
Thursday 6 March 2025 17:26
,
Holly Evans
President Trump is reportedly considering a major change to the Nato alliance, which could see the US prioritise countries that spend a set percentage of their gross domestic product on defence.
According to three current and former senior U.S. officials and one congressional official who spoke to NBC News, the U.S. might not defend a fellow Nato member that is attacked if the country doesn’t meet the defence spending threshold.
This would be a significant shift in policy and would undermine the core tenet of the alliance, Article 5, which says that an attack on any NATO country is an attack on all of them.
It has also been suggested that Mr Trump wishes to prioritise military exercises with countries with increased defence spending.
Putin invokes Napoleon's fate to warn West
Thursday 6 March 2025 17:25
,
Jane Dalton
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has invoked the spectre of Napoleon, whose invasion of his country in 1812 ended in disaster.
Taking an indirect swipe at France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Mr Putin warned that Western leaders should not underestimate the Russian people and should bear in mind the fate of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Russian cartoons cast Mr Macron as France's Emperor Napoleon riding towards defeat in Russia in the 19th century.
“There are still people who want to go back to the time of Napoleon, they forget how it ended,” Mr Putin said on Thursday, without mentioning Macron by name.
“All the mistakes of our enemies and opponents began with this: in underestimating the character of the Russian people and representatives of Russian culture in general,” he said.
Norway more than doubles Ukraine spending
Thursday 6 March 2025 17:10
,
Jane Dalton
Norway will more than double its spending on Ukraine this year, from NOK35 billion to NOK85 billion, prime minister Jonas Gahr Stoere has announced.
Ireland would do peacekeeping but not deterrent, taoiseach insists