Sir Keir Starmer has warned Vladimir Putin he will face “severe consequences” if he breaches any ceasefire deal.
The UK prime minister issued the warning in response to a question about whether UK troops could be drawn into Russia’s war in Ukraine as he attended a meeting of defence chiefs from 31 allied countries aimed at drawing up military plans to enforce a peace deal.
Speaking at the Northwood military headquarters in London on Thursday, he said he was "certain" the Russian president would flout the terms of a truce unless security arrangements were in place to ensure sovereignty for Kyiv.
Sir Keir said the military planning for the so-called "coalition of the willing" involved offering support to Ukraine by air, sea and land if a deal were reached. But he ruled out redeploying UK troops from countries such as Estonia to commit to Kyiv.
The warning comes after Ukraine launched a major drone assault on the Soviet-era Engels airfield, an airbase deep inside Russia that is key to the relentless missile attacks against Ukrainian cities by Putin’s forces.
Earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky had said Russia’s continued strikes on Ukraine show their “true attitude towards peace” in the wake of another 170 drones being launched at targets across the country.
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Key Points
- Putin would face 'severe consequences' for breaching ceasefire deal, warns Starmer
- Starmer says there must be a 'defended deal' to end war in Ukraine
- Zelensky slams Hungarian PM for being 'anti-European'
- Up to 250,000 Russian troops killed since war began, UK analysis says
- Huge blast at Russian airfield hosting nuclear bombers hit by Ukraine
- Putin has shown ‘true attitude’ to peace after strikes, Zelensky says
UPDATE: Russian drones hit civilian targets in Ukraine's Odesa injuring three, governor says
23:43
,
Tara Cobham
Russian forces launched a mass drone attack on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa late on Thursday, injuring three people and damaging a high-rise apartment building and a shopping centre, the regional governor said.
Oleh Kiper, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said there had been strikes in three locations that triggered fires, while three districts of the city were suffering from power cuts.
Public broadcaster Suspilne had earlier reported more than 18 explosions in the city after 10pm (8pm GMT).
Odesa has been a frequent target of Russian attacks in the more than three-year-old war, particularly the city's port facilities.
The governor of Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, Ivan Fedorov, reported several strikes on areas near the city of Zaporizhzhia, including one guided bomb. He said five people were injured, including a child.
Russia says Ukrainian drone attack on oil depot already violates proposed ceasefire
23:24
,
Tara Cobham
Russia's foreign ministry said on Thursday that Ukraine had already violated a proposed ceasefire on energy sites in the three-year-old war by attacking a Russian oil depot.
Russia's TASS news agency reported foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told state television Channel One that it was up to the United States, which had proposed the ceasefire, to confront Ukraine over its actions.
The Kremlin said this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed in a call with his US counterpart Donald Trump to observe a 30-day ceasefire on energy targets. The accord fell short of a wider agreement that the U.S. had sought, and which was accepted by Ukraine, for a blanket 30-day truce.
Firefighters in southern Russia were still battling a blaze at an oil depot triggered by a Ukrainian drone attack, regional authorities said on the Telegram messaging app.
"We believe that the Kyiv regime has already broken the ceasefire proposed by the US president," Zakharova said on television, according to TASS.
Ukrainian officials have also accused Russia of failing to align their actions with their pledges by launching attacks on civilian targets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that Russian attacks on infrastructure, including hospitals and rail equipment, showed "Putin's words are very different from reality".
Full story: Putin will breach peace deal unless it is defended, Starmer says
23:00
,
Tara Cobham
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Vladimir Putin “will breach” a peace in Ukraine unless any potential deal is defended, Sir Keir Starmer said as he attended a meeting of defence chiefs aimed at drawing up military plans for a peacekeeping force.
The Prime Minister said he was “certain” the Russian president would flout the terms of a truce unless security arrangements were in place to ensure sovereignty for the wartorn country.
Sir Keir and Defence Secretary John Healey are meeting military planners from the UK and allied countries gathering in London to firm up proposals for a peacekeeping operation in Ukraine.
Read the full story here:
France will host summit with Zelensky on Thursday, Macron says
22:35
,
Tara Cobham
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he will host a meeting of European leaders with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris next Thursday to discuss ways to help defend Ukraine.
He said his goal was to discuss ways to speed up immediate military support, how to make a possible ceasefire work, and draw up plans to beef up the Ukrainian military after a deal and possibly deploy troops there.
Costa says he believes EU member states will increase support for Ukraine
22:17
,
Tara Cobham
President of the European Council António Costa has said he believes EU member states will increase their pledges of support to Ukraine.
Macron says France to host coalition of the willing on Thursday
22:11
,
Tara Cobham
French president Emmanuel Macron has said France will host the coalition of the willing countries to discuss Ukraine in Paris on Thursday.
Russia launches mass drone attack on Odesa hitting civilian targets and causing injuries, officials say
22:00
,
Tara Cobham
Russian forces launched a mass drone attack on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa late on Thursday, causing injuries and hitting civilian targets, officials said.
Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, said the drones struck civilian targets and caused injuries, without giving further details.
Public broadcaster Suspilne said more than 18 explosions were recorded in the city after 10pm and a fire broke out. Suspilne quoted utility officials as saying power was cut in several districts.
Odesa has been a frequent target of Russian attacks in the more than three-year-old war, particularly the city's port facilities.
'We are doing well with Ukraine and Russia,' says Trump
21:30
,
Tara Cobham
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that “we are doing well with Ukraine and Russia”.
It comes after his high-stakes phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin this week.
Zelensky defies Trump, warning: Hands off my nuclear power stations
21:00
,
Tara Cobham
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that “all nuclear power plants belong to the people of Ukraine” after reports that his US counterpart Donald Trump said an American takeover of the country’s nuclear power would offer the “best protection” for it.
In their first conversation since Mr Trump verbally attacked Mr Zelensky in the White House and had him thrown out, the US president reportedly suggested Washington take ownership of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
But Kyiv says the discussions referred only to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under Russian occupation.
Jane Dalton has the full story:
Trump says US to sign minerals deal with Ukraine shortly
20:39
,
Tara Cobham
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States will sign a minerals and natural resources deal with Ukraine shortly.
He made the comment after signing an order to increase US production of critical minerals.
Military chiefs from more than 30 countries across Europe and beyond met to discuss peacekeeping force for Ukraine
20:30
,
Tara Cobham
Senior military officers from more than 30 countries across Europe and beyond met in England on Thursday to flesh out plans for an international peacekeeping force for Ukraine as details of a partial ceasefire are worked out.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer said he did not know whether there would be a peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war, but "we are making steps in the right direction" as a "coalition of the willing" led by Britain and France moves into an "operational phase”.
William pays tribute to ‘resilience’ of Ukrainians in Estonia
19:50
,
Tara Cobham
The Prince of Wales has paid tribute to the “resilience” of Ukrainians given refuge by Estonia after holding talks with the Baltic state’s president.
William described refugees who have fled Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “very smiley and very strong and very spiritual people” after meeting students and their teachers at school founded to educate Ukrainians in Estonia.
Earlier, the future King sat down with Estonia’s President Alar Karis as his two-day visit to the country began and heard his plea for some UK troops to remain in the Baltic state after the statesman suggested they may be redeployed as peacekeepers in Ukraine.
Read the full story here:
European leaders to meet in Paris next week to discuss Ukraine, Bloomberg News reports
19:15
,
Tara Cobham
Leaders from European countries including Germany, Italy and Poland, will meet in Paris next week to discuss their position on Ukraine and demands on the peace process, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.
Leaders from Britain and Canada will also be involved in the meeting, the Bloomberg News report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Starmer rules out UK pulling back from Nato commitments to provide Ukraine peacekeeping troops
18:53
,
Tara Cobham
The UK will not be pulling back from Nato commitments to other countries in order to provide troops for a Ukraine peacekeeping mission, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
The Prime Minister was asked after an international meeting of military planning chiefs in London about comments made by defence minister Luke Pollard, who suggested during the morning broadcast round on Thursday this could happen.
Sir Keir said: "No. There's no pulling back from our commitments to other countries.
"Obviously, we're deployed in Estonia - I've been up to see the troops a couple of times now on the front - and it's important to appreciate there are Nato planners here today as well, because one of the conditions or principles that I set from the very start is it had to be co-ordinated with Nato, and that's why we've got Nato planners here.
"The mood in the room - because this came up in the private briefing I had - was that this actually will help reinforce what we're doing in Nato in other countries, so they see it as an opportunity, rather than a question of moving troops around."
Starmer reveals details of military planning for coalition of the willing
18:48
,
Tara Cobham
Military planning for the coalition of the willing has been broken down into sea, air, land and borders, and the regeneration of Ukraine, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
He told reporters at Northwood military headquarters in north-west London: "What's happening here is, if you like, the political momentum that we've built up with the meeting I convened at the weekend and then the one two weeks before that at Lancaster House, is being translated here into military planning and operational planning, and broadly broken out into different areas.
"So we're looking at the sea in one scenario, the sky, obviously land and borders, and regeneration."
The Prime Minister earlier acknowledged there were "a lot of contingencies" in reaching peace in Ukraine, adding: "We don't yet know whether there will be a deal."
He also told reporters: "What it's reinforced in me is that now is the time for the planning because you don't start to plan after you've reached a deal. You've got to have plans before the deal.
"It means there has got to be a degree of optionality, because the likelihood is there'll be a ceasefire and then possibly a full deal after that, and therefore that's two different scenarios."
Putin would face 'severe consequences' for breaching ceasefire deal, warns Starmer
18:45
,
Tara Cobham
Vladimir Putin would face "severe consequences" for breaching a ceasefire deal, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
The Prime Minister, when asked if Russia breaching a future ceasefire in Ukraine could draw UK troops into the conflict, said: "The point of the security arrangements is to make it clear to Russia there will be severe consequences if they are to breach any deal.
"That's why we need a forward-leaning European element, which is what I've been working on intensely - obviously with the French - that bring these allied countries together, and beyond."
He added: "This is why it will require a US component because it needs to be clear to Putin that there will be severe consequences if he breaches the lines.
"So the purpose of this plan is to ensure that we maintain the peace, as it is in Estonia and all the other countries in which we're deployed.
"We do have capability in other countries at the moment, and we are doing that to preserve the peace."
Military leaders discuss Ukraine peacekeeping force as partial ceasefire plans are worked out
18:29
,
Tara Cobham
Senior military officers from more than two dozen countries across Europe and beyond met in England today to flesh out plans for an international peacekeeping force for Ukraine as details of a partial ceasefire are worked out.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he didn't know whether there would be a peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war, but "we are making steps in the right direction" as a "coalition of the willing" led by Britain and France moves into an "operational phase."
Military planning chiefs from UK and 26 other countries have met at Northwood military HQ
17:49
,
Tara Cobham
Military planning chiefs have met at the Northwood military headquarters in north-west London, where UK armed forces representatives were joined by officials from at least 26 other countries.
Military patches bearing the flags or other identifiers of the following nations could be seen at the meeting: France, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Canada, Denmark, Australia, Czechia, Finland, Albania, Turkey, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Netherlands, Romania, Portugal, Luxembourg, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Estonia.
EU leaders vow to continue backing Ukraine but make no concrete pledge
17:41
European Union leaders said on Thursday that they will continue to support Ukraine, but they did not immediately endorse a call by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to approve a package of at least €5 billion for artillery purchases.
"We need funds for artillery shells and would really appreciate Europe's support with at least €5 billion ($5.42 billion) as soon as possible," Zelenskiy told the EU leaders meeting in Brussels via video link.
Arriving at the summit in Brussels, the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas had also called on leaders to match words of support for Kyiv with deeds, as US President Donald Trump pushes ahead with his efforts to end the war, including through a rapprochement with Russia.
"The stronger they are on the battlefield, the stronger they are behind the negotiation table," Kallas said of the Ukrainians.
In the statement all leaders approved at the meeting - apart from Hungary's Viktor Orban - they pledged to "continue to provide Ukraine with regular and predictable financial support." They also said member states should "urgently step up efforts to address Ukraine’ pressing military and defence needs”.
But there was no concrete answer on Kallas' proposal to focus on what Zelenskiy says he needs most urgently, such as 2 million artillery shells at a cost of €5 billion.
Starmer on Ukraine peace deal: 'The time for planning is now'
17:07
,
Tara Cobham
Sir Keir Starmer said "the time for planning is now" when it comes to a peace deal for Ukraine.
Speaking during a visit to a military base in Greater London, the prime minister said: "We hope there will be a deal but what I do know is if there is a deal, the time for planning is now.
"It's not after a deal is reached."
He said he is "well aware that a deal may be in stages" but added that the "more planning we can do here now... the better because we're getting ahead of the challenge to make sure that we're as effective as possible".
Starmer warns peace deal 'without anything behind it is something Putin will breach'
17:06
,
Tara Cobham
Sir Keir Starmer has warned that any peace deal "without anything behind it is something that Putin will breach".
The prime minister said during a visit to a military base in Greater London: "Last weekend and two weekends before that, we had groupings of international political leaders coming together to provide the political alignment and the collective agreement that we need to work together to ensure that any deal that is put in place is defended.
"What's happening here is turning that political intention into reality, the concept into plans."
Sir Keir went on: "It is vitally important we do that work because we know one thing for certain which is a deal without anything behind it is something that Putin will breach.
"We know that because it happened before. I'm absolutely clear in my mind it will happen again".
Starmer says there must be a 'defended deal' to end war in Ukraine
17:05
,
Tara Cobham
Sir Keir Starmer said there must be a "defended deal" to end the Ukraine war with "security arrangements in place" to ensure it is upheld.
The prime minister said during a visit to a military base in Greater London: "I'm very clear in my mind that if there is a deal - and I hope there is; everyone wants a lasting peace, not least Ukraine - but that will only be lasting, that will only leave Ukraine secure and sovereign if there is security arrangements in place to ensure that if there is a deal, then it is a defended deal."
Russia resistant to NATO peacekeepers
16:57
,
Tara Cobham
If peace comes to Ukraine, the number of troops that would help enforce it is vague. Officials have cited figures of between 10,000 and 30,000 troops.
Only Britain and France have said they are willing to send troops, though countries including Australia, Canada, France and Finland say they are open to being involved in some way.
Around 30 leaders were involved in a video meeting on Saturday including French president Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, leaders from Australia, Canada and New Zealand and officials from NATO and the European Union.
Russia has said it will not accept any troops from NATO countries being based on Ukrainian soil. And US president Donald Trump has given no sign the US will guarantee reserve firepower in case of any breaches of a truce. UK prime minister Keir Starmer says the plan won't work without that US "backstop."
In addition to the meeting in England, EU leaders in Brussels planned to discuss Ukraine's security needs with Zelensky during a meeting about ramping up defense spending after the Trump administration signalled Europe must take care of its own security.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Ukraine must remain an independent democratic nation, continue its journey toward EU membership and maintain strong army after a peace agreement.
The German parliament's budget committee is expected to decide Friday to clear up to €3 billion ($3.3 billion) in extra funding for German military aid to Ukraine this year. That comes after parliament voted to loosen Germany's debt rules for military and security spending.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said European plans for raising military spending conflicted with Putin and Trump's efforts to reach a peace deal.
"Europe has engaged in militarization and has turned into a party of war," Peskov said.
'Shuttle diplomacy' expected after Saudi Arabia talks
16:36
,
Tara Cobham
The tentative deal to partially rein in the three-year war came after Vladimir Putin rebuffed Donald Trump's push for a full 30-day ceasefire. The difficulty in getting the combatants to agree not to target one another's energy infrastructure highlights the challenges the US president will face in trying to fulfill his campaign pledge to quickly end to the war.
Negotiators from Moscow and the US will meet Monday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Putin's foreign affairs adviser Sergei Ushakov told Russian news agencies.
Zelenskyy said his team would also meet with the US in Saudi Arabia to discuss technical issues, and then the US will act as an intermediary running "shuttle diplomacy" between Kyiv and Moscow.
Revealed: Ukraine’s red lines for any peace deal with Putin
16:10
,
Alex Croft
Bel Trew, The Independent’s chief international correspondent, reports:
Ukraine has drawn up a series of red lines as the US tries to hammer out a ceasefire deal with Russia, The Independent understands.
After three years of war, the world is waiting to see if the 30-day plan accepted by Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday will find common ground with Vladimir Putin.
High-level Ukrainian sources briefed on the ongoing talks are warning there is little trust that Russia will accept a reasonable deal, adding: “We expect another trick.”
Watch: Zelensky's full address to the European Council
15:54
,
Alex Croft
I addressed the European Council and emphasized that if we say Europe should be stronger in global competition, we must also discuss making European decision-making faster, more flexible, more effective – whether in politics, defense, economics, industry, or any other area. pic.twitter.com/TRIPAzYSeR
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 20, 2025
Starmer: Peace efforts are getting closer
15:45
,
Alex Croft
Here’s more from Sir Keir Starmer, who is currently sat in a meeting of military leaders to discuss the prospect of a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
“I would say that we’re further forward this week than we were last week, and we are further forward last week than we were the week before,” he said during a visit to a nuclear submarine facility before the meeting.
“So, of course, it’s a challenge, but each week we are making steps in the right direction. I can’t stand here and forecast whether that will lead to a deal.
“I hope, I want, those talks to succeed. What I do know is if they do succeed, then we need to be able to defend the deal.”
Mapped: Russia's eastern advance slows down as Ukraine launches counterattacks
15:38
,
Alex Croft
Watch: Meet the American medic serving on Ukraine's frontline
15:21
,
Alex Croft
Analysis | Zelensky is beginning to understand Trump - and is using it to his advantage
15:12
,
Alex Croft
World affairs editor Sam Kiley, writing from Ukraine, addresses Volodymyr Zelensky’s attempts to rebuild a fractured relationship with Donald Trump - and how he is using that to his advantage in Kursk.
Now Zelensky has got Trump’s ear he is trying to make sure that the US president has a vested interest in what happens on Kursk and on his border. A regular feed of Ukrainian intelligence on the Kursk frontline will flatter the US president and give him a sense of personal investment in what happens there.
Zelensky, who was one of Ukraine and Russia’s most celebrated comic and straight actors, is starting to understand his new American audience.
The White House said in its read out following the Zelensky-Trump phone call: "The two leaders also agreed on a partial ceasefire [of attacks] against energy [infrastructure]”.
Smart Ukrainian move. Both Kyiv and Moscow ignored the Kremlin’s announcement of a partial ceasefire to protect both nation’s energy systems the previous night – with Ukraine enjoying a successful drone attack on a Siberian oil refinery in Kemerovo.
But Zelensky said he was keen on the Russian proposal.
To add some financial incentives for the US, Zelensky headed off previous speculation that Putin might be somehow allowed to hang on to Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia, but suggesting America could own it. Trump liked that idea.
Comment | Trump’s handling of Putin is a masterclass in The Art of the Kneel
15:10
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump’s much-vaunted reputation as a dealmaker was always more hype than reality. His book The Art of the Deal was primarily a work of fiction, mostly made up by the ghost writer Tony Schwartz, employed by Trump to pump up his giant ego.
Sure, he pulled off a couple of big property deals as a businessman such as New York’s Trump Tower. But much of the success he did have was down to his wealthy father and his most ambitious projects, like the Atlantic City casino, were huge flops. Critics have observed how his enthusiasm for a big building project would suddenly evaporate when it collapsed – and Trump would pretend he was never really interested in it all along, or that it never happened at all.
It is tempting to wonder whether we are witnessing a similar phenomenon in his foreign policy. Having initially boasted he could end Russia’s war with Ukraine within 24 hours of entering the White House, nearly two months later (roughly 1,400 hours and counting) he is no nearer to achieving it.
Simon Walters writes:
Starmer to join meeting of military leaders at 3pm
15:01
,
Alex Croft
Sir Keir Starmer is set to join a meeting of senior military leaders at 3pm, in which plans for a proposed peacekeeping force for Ukraine will be drawn up.
Military leaders from more than 20 countries are joining the meeting of the so-called ‘coalition of the willing’, the Anglo-French initiative to put peacekeeping troops on the ground in Ukraine in the event of a peace deal.
Sir Keir is set to address the meeting before giving an interview to the media. We’ll bring you all the latest here.
In pictures: Prince William pays diplomatic visit to Estonia
14:51
,
Alex Croft
Zelensky: Trump has not raised issue of Russia-occupied Crimea
14:40
,
Alex Croft
The Ukrainian president is asked about reports that Donald Trump is willing to formally recognise Ukraine’s Crimea as Russian territory.
Reports that Washington were considering this - and would also push the United Nations to do the same - emerged earlier this week in Semafor.
Mr Trump did not raise the issue, Mr Zelensky says, but reveals he spoke about it with the US president last November, when he was asked why Ukrainians love it so much.
Zelensky: Ukraine suggested sea and air ceasefire, US pushed for full truce
14:30
,
Alex Croft
Volodymyr Zelensky is discussing the possibility of a ceasefire in Ukraine, and explains that Kyiv first proposed the idea of a sea and air ceasefire.
The US afterwards pushed for a full ceasefire, he said.
“And I said immediately, we approve,” Mr Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president describes the proposals for a partial ceasefire focussed on energy and civilian infrastructure as a “step backwards”, after Vladimir Putin agreed to such a ceasefire in his phone call with Donald Trump on Tuesday.
Zelensky: All nuclear power plants in Ukraine belong to Kyiv
14:20
,
Alex Croft
Volodymyr Zelensky is now holding a media briefing in Norway.
He is asked about the US proposals to take control of nuclear plants in Ukraine following his phone call with Donald Trump yesterday.
Kyiv said yesterday the discussions only referred only to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under Russian occupation.
All nuclear power plants in Ukraine are state-owned and belong to Kyiv, he says.
“The temporarily-occupied Zaporizhzhia [nuclear power plant] belongs to Ukraine, everybody acknowledges it and recognises it,” he adds.
Mr Zelensky adds that he did not discuss with Mr Trump the possibility of US ownership of Zaporizhzhia plant, but did discuss “how to find the solution from the situation and… take the station from the Russians”, and whether the US would want to invest in the plant.
“The issue with property we definitely did not discuss with Mr Trump,” he said.
Starmer: Political momentum turning into 'military planning'
14:16
,
Alex Croft
Sir Keir Starmer said the political momentum of recent diplomacy efforts is now turning into “military planning” for peacekeeping efforts.
Members of the so-called coalition of the willing were “working at pace” to develop plans for a peacekeeping force if there is a deal to end the Ukraine war, he said.
He told Sky News the “timetable now is coming into focus” following talks between the US and Russia.
Sir Keir said: “That’s why it’s important today that we’re turning the political momentum that we had on the weekend, in the meeting that I convened of nearly 30 political leaders, turning it today from the political concept into military plans.
“So, that’s what’s happening and today those plans are focusing on keeping the skies safe, the seas safe, and the borders safe and secure in Ukraine and working with Ukrainians.
“Now, we’re working at pace, because we don’t know if there’ll be a deal – I certainly hope there will be – but if there’s a deal, it’s really important that we’re able to react straight away.”
Zelensky slams Hungarian PM for being 'anti-European'
14:11
,
Alex Croft
President Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed Viktor Orban for being “anti-European”, after the Hungarian prime minister voted against a statement affirming unwavering support for Ukraine.
Addressing an EU summit by video, Mr Zelensky said it was “simply anti-European when one person blocks decisions that are important for the entire continent".
In the address, the Ukrainian president urged EU allies to approve a package of minimum 5 billion euros for artillery purchases.
Prince William in Estonia to visit British troops and boost Baltic ties
14:07
,
Alex Croft
As the UK hosts European military leaders for discussions on peacekeeping in Ukraine, the Prince of Wales is busy representing Britain overseas.
William has arrived in Estonia, where he met with president Alar Karis at the start of as two-day visit to the Baltic state to bolster the UK’s ties.
The future king also met a small group of kindergarten age children waving union flags as he started his trip in the capital of Tallinn. He greeted the children before heading into the presidential building where he posed with Mr Karis outside his office for a photo.
Britain and Estonia have enjoyed a long-term alliance, with the latter hosting a permanent overseas deployment of around 900 British troops.
William is making the visit on behalf of the UK government and the Foreign Office and to show support for the British troops serving as a deterre