Volodymyr Zelensky is meeting with Donald Trump after Nato leaders backed a big increase in defence spending.
Leaders gathered in The Hague for a Nato summit tailor-made for the US President, endorsed a higher defence spending goal of 5% of GDP by 2035 – a response to a demand by Trump
Mr Zelensky and his aides have said they want to talk to Mr Trump about buying US weapons, including Patriot missile defence systems and increasing pressure on Moscow through tougher sanctions.
It comes as a row has broken out over the language used in the Nato declaration, with some reports suggesting the alliance has softened its stance on Russia to please Mr Trump.
The communique released on Wednesday refers to Nato’s unity “in the face of profound security threats and challenges, in particular the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security” and reaffirms support for Ukraine, but does not explicitly condemn the Russian invasion.
However, Sir Keir Starmer rejected these reports, saying: “The position in Nato has not changed nor has my position changed.“
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Key Points
- Trump says he will speak to Putin soon about ending Ukraine war
- Nato's commitment to Ukraine 'endures', Rutte says
- Zelensky: Long and substantive meeting with Trump
- Nato softens stance on Putin
- US will not sanction Russia yet, Rubio says
Finland hails plan for allies to join Nato land forces on its soil
16:29
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Jabed Ahmed
Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen has hailed plans for six Nato member states, including the UK, to participate in land forces that are to be established in northern Finland.
Finland, which has a longer border with Russia than any other Nato state, has strengthened the frontier in the two years since it joined the military alliance following a policy U-turn after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
"I am very pleased that yesterday, in connection with the ministerial meeting, we were able to announce that Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Denmark and Iceland are set to join FLF Finland," Hakkanen said on X, referring to what Nato calls Forward Land Forces.
Helsinki and Stockholm agreed last year that Sweden would lead the establishment of a Nato land force in Finland and invited other allies to participate.
The number of troops is yet to be defined. But the Finnish defence ministry has said that there is a plan for up to a brigade - about 5,000 soldiers - and a significant number of equipment to be brought in if the security situation worsens.
The first Nato land forces will start to arrive this year and be placed above the Arctic circle in Rovaniemi and Sodankyla, it said.
Recap | Trump says he will speak to Putin soon about ending Ukraine war
16:07
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Jabed Ahmed
If you’re just joining us, here’s what Donald Trump said about ending the Ukraine war at his press conference:
Trump said after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he is considering sending more Patriot missile batteries to Ukraine to help Kyiv fend off Russian attacks.
The US president said the anti-missile missiles are "very hard to get" but that "we are going to see if we can make some of them available."
Trump, at a press conference after attending the annual Nato summit, said Zelensky would like to end the war. Trump said he will speak to Putin about it soon.
"Look, Vladimir Putin really has to end that war," Trump said.
Nato's commitment to Ukraine 'endures', Rutte says
15:47
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Jabed Ahmed
Nato’s commitment to Ukraine “endures”, the alliance’s secretary general told Volodymyr Zelensky as they met in The Hague on Wednesday.
Mark Rutte met Mr Zelensky alongside the leaders of the E5 – the UK, France, Germany, Poland and Italy – towards the end of the Nato summit.
He said: “The message that comes out of this summit is clear, Nato’s commitment to Ukraine endures.
“It is now in the summit declaration with a clear link to money.”
Mr Rutte added: “It is not just words, we are also providing unprecedented practical and political support.”
He also reiterated that Ukraine was on an “irreversible path into Nato”.
Mr Zelensky thanked Mr Rutte and the other leaders, saying he was “proud” to have been invited to the summit.
He added: “Our discussions here show real, strong support from you.”
Trump says US will look at providing Patriot missiles to Ukraine
15:40
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Jabed Ahmed
Donald Trump has said the US is looking at supplying Ukraine with Patriot missiles.
Speaking at a press conference at the end of the Nato press conference, he said: “So let me just tell you, they do want to have the anti-missile missiles, as they call them, the Patriots, and we're going to see if we can make some available.
“They're very hard to get. We need them, to we were supplying them to Israel, and they're very effective, 100% effective. Hard to believe how effective. And they do want that more than anything.”
Trump asked why he hasn't ended Ukraine war
15:33
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Jabed Ahmed
Donald Trump has just been asked why he hasn’t been able to end the Ukraine war, after previously claiming he could end it in 24 hours.
He replied: “It's more difficult than people would have any idea.
“Vladimir Putin has been more difficult, and frankly, I had some problems with Zelensky, you might have read about them.
“Its been more difficult than other wars.”
Poland on right track to ensuring its security, president says
15:28
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Jabed Ahmed
Poland is on the right track towards ensuring its security from Russian aggression, Polish President Andrzej Duda said.
"We are really on a very, very good path to ensuring our full security," Duda said. "One part of this security is us, it is our potential, it is the Polish army ... but on the other hand it is also our presence in the North Atlantic Alliance and the guarantees that the alliance gives us."
Trump: Zelensky is fighting a 'tough battle'
15:26
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Jabed Ahmed
Donald Trump has said Zelensky is fighting a “brave” and “tough” battle.
The US president added he is committed to ending the war in Ukraine.
Trump says possibility that Putin has territorial ambitions beyond Ukraine
15:24
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Jabed Ahmed
Donald Trump has said that there is a possibility that Vladimir Putin has territorial ambitions beyond Ukraine.
He added his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky was “very nice”, adding that the pair previously had “rough times”.
“I’m going to speak to Putin to get it ended,” Trump added.
Trump: Nato allies committed to dramatically increase defense spending
15:10
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Jabed Ahmed
Donald Trump has said Nato allies committed to dramatic increases in spending for the common defence at their annual summit.
At a news conference ending his participation at the summit, Mr Trump said the additional money should be spent on "very serious" military hardware, not bureaucracy, and should help avert wars like Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Zelensky: Long and substantive meeting with Trump
15:03
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Jabed Ahmed
Volodymyr Zelensky has said he had a “long and substantive” meeting with Donald Trump, which lasted around 50 minutes.
“We covered all the truly important issues,” he said in a post on X.
“I thank Mr. President, I thank the United States.
“We discussed how to achieve a ceasefire and a real peace. We spoke about how to protect our people. We appreciate the attention and the readiness to help bring peace closer.”
Aberration to ask Europe to spend more on defence amid trade war, Macron says
14:59
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Jabed Ahmed
It is an aberration to ask Europeans to spend more on defence while launching a tariff war, Emmanuel Macron has said.
Speaking to reporters after a Nato summit in The Hague, Mr Macron said Russia was the primary threat to the alliance and that a final statement between the 32 members showed that Europe was reinforcing its position within Nato after committing to defence spending hikes by 2035.
"We can't say we are going to spend more, and then at the heart of Nato, launch a trade war," Macron said.
"It's an aberration, and that's why it's very important that we can return to what should be the rule within all the allies, that is to say, a true trade peace and therefore lowering all tariff barriers that exist or that have been reinforced."
Mr Macron said he had brought the subject up several times with US President Donald Trump and said it was time for it to end.
Zelensky opts for more formal attire before Trump meeting
14:45
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Jabed Ahmed
Volodymyr Zelensky has retuned his wardrobe since a disastrous Oval Office meeting with Donald Trump in February, switching his typical khaki military-style tee-shirts and long-sleeved tops for more formal – but still rugged – black suit-style jackets and shirts.
The media-savvy leader had wanted to show solidarity with the troops fighting Russia on the frontline.
But he was chided by a US reporter for not wearing a suit at the White House event, which descended into a shouting match over whether he was showing sufficient gratitude for US wartime support.
Since then, Zelensky has worked to rebuild relations with Washington, whose military help Kyiv still badly needs.
When Zelensky met Trump at Pope Francis's funeral in Rome in April, he wore a heavy black field jacket and black shirt buttoned to the collar, with no tie.
He sported a similar look when meeting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Monday, and again at the dinner hosted on Tuesday by the Dutch king.
The subtle switch, stopping short of a white shirt or tie, has captured attention on social media and from the Ukrainian edition of ELLE magazine, which on Wednesday described his changed look as "visual diplomacy of a new kind".
The negative focus on Zelenskiy's attire at the White House was widely criticised by Ukrainians, who have largely rallied around their leader since Moscow's February 2022 invasion.
Nato softens stance on Putin
14:27
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Jabed Ahmed
A row has broken out over the language used in the Nato declaration signed today, with some reports suggesting the alliance has softened its stance on Russia to please Mr Trump.
The communique released on Wednesday refers to Nato’s unity “in the face of profound security threats and challenges, in particular the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security” and reaffirms support for Ukraine, but does not explicitly condemn the Russian invasion.
However, asked whether Donald Trump did not want Nato to condemn Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the summit’s joint communique, Sir Keir Starmer said: “On the question of Ukraine, the position in Nato has not changed nor has my position changed.
“In fact, over the last couple of days I would say in my discussions with leaders there’s been a real resolve that now is the time to push again to get Putin to the table for the unconditional ceasefire.”
Zelensky and Trump meet on sidelines of Nato summit, presidential spokesman says
14:24
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Jabed Ahmed
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has begun a meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of a NATO summit in The Hague, Zelensky's spokesman said.
Putin will not go to BRICS summit in Brazil due to ICC arrest warrant, Kremlin aide says
14:15
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Jabed Ahmed
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not travel to next week's BRICS summit in Brazil because of an outstanding arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said o
The ICC issued the warrant in 2023, just over a year after Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine, accusing Putin of the war crime of deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
Russia denies allegations of war crimes, and the Kremlin, which did not sign the ICC's founding treaty, has dismissed the warrant as null and void.
But it means that Putin needs to weigh the risk that he might be arrested if he travels to another country that is a signatory to the ICC treaty.
In 2023, he decided against travelling to one such country, South Africa, for a BRICS summit. But last year, he was given a red carpet welcome in Mongolia, even though it is an ICC member state.
Ushakov said Putin would take part via video link in the July 6-7 BRICS summit in Brazil.
Starmer says Nato position on Ukraine has not changed
14:06
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Jabed Ahmed
Sir Keir Starmer has said that Nato’s position on Ukraine “has not changed”.
Asked whether Donald Trump did not want Nato to condemn Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the summit’s joint communique, Sir Keir said: “On the question of Ukraine, the position in Nato has not changed nor has my position changed.
“In fact, over the last couple of days I would say in my discussions with leaders there’s been a real resolve that now is the time to push again to get Putin to the table for the unconditional ceasefire.”
The communique released on Wednesday refers to Nato’s unity “in the face of profound security threats and challenges, in particular the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security” and reaffirms support for Ukraine, but does not explicitly condemn the Russian invasion.
Starmer: Nato will be 'stronger, fairer and more lethal than ever'
13:56
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Jabed Ahmed
Sir Keir Starmer said it was “the moment to unite, for Europe to make a fundamental shift in its posture”.
At a press conference at the Nato summit in The Hague he said the commitment to spend 5% of gross domestic product on defence and security measures by 2045 will make the alliance “stronger, fairer and more lethal than ever”.
“This includes military spending as well as vital investments in our security and resilience, like protecting our cyber security and our energy networks,” he said.
Sir Keir said that under the Nato new definitions “we estimate that we will reach at least 4.1% of GDP in 2027 keeping the British people safe and strengthening our leadership in Nato even further”.
He said the Nato summit had sent a “decisive message to aggressors”.
Ukraine on 'irreversible path' to Nato, Rutte Says
13:48
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Jabed Ahmed
Nato General Secretary Mark Rutte has said Ukraine is on an “irreversible path” to Nato.
Mr Rutte said the alliance would continue to support Ukraine so it can “stay in the fight” and secure a “lasting peace”.
Nato allies agree to hike defence spending and reaffirm collective defence
13:33
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Jabed Ahmed
Nato allies have pledged to increase their annual defence spending to a total of 5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035 and reaffirmed their commitment to collective defence, stating that "an attack on one is an attack on all."
In the declaration of their summit in The Hague, Nato leaders said the defence pledge would consist of investments of at least 3.5% of GDP per year in core defence requirements.
They also vowed to spend up to 1.5% of GDP on security-related expenditures, including protection of critical infrastructure and strengthening the alliance's defence industrial base.
These investments were needed to face "profound security threats", the leaders said, citing in particular the "long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security and the persistent threat of terrorism."
Progress on the elevated spending targets, up from the current goal of 2% of GDP, will be reviewed in 2029.
Allies reaffirmed their "enduring sovereign commitments" to support Ukraine, but left out references to Ukraine's possible future membership of the alliance, which had been included in some previous summit declarations.
Drone hunters in Ukraine find new sophisticated technology feared to be from Iran
12:59
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Jabed Ahmed
What is Article 5 of Nato?
12:29
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Jabed Ahmed
Article 5 is the foundation stone on which the 32-member North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) is built.
It states that an armed attack against one or more of the members shall be considered an attack against all members.
It also states that if such an armed attack occurs, each member would take, individually and in concert with others, “such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.’’
That security guarantee is the reason previously neutral Finland and Sweden sought to join Nato after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and why Ukraine itself and other countries in Europe also want in.
Article 5 has only been invoked once, in the wake of the 11 September 2001 terror attacks on the US, paving the way for Nato’s biggest ever operation in Afghanistan.
But Nato allies have also taken collective defence measures, including joining the US to fight the Islamic State group in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as help keep the peace in the Balkans.
UK to provide Ukraine with hundreds of missiles with money from seized Russian assets
12:23
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Jabed Ahmed
The UK is set to provide 350 air defence missiles to Ukraine as Sir Keir Starmer pushes for Nato to provide Kyiv with further support.
The delivery will be funded by £70 million raised from the interest on seized Russian assets.
Sir Keir said: “Russia, not Ukraine, should pay the price for Putin’s barbaric and illegal war, so it is only right we use the proceeds from seized Russian assets to ensure Ukraine has the air defence it needs.
“The security of Ukraine is vital to the security of the UK and the Euro-Atlantic area, and our support will never waiver.
“My message to President Putin is clear: Russia needs to stop its indiscriminate attacks on innocent Ukrainian people and return to the negotiating table.”
Switzerland to help rebuild Ukraine and explore defence procurement pact with EU
11:59
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Jabed Ahmed
Switzerland has approved a draft cooperation agreement with Ukraine on the reconstruction of the besieged country that would establish a legal basis for the Swiss private sector to become more closely involved.
The agreement is set to be signed at the 2025 Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome on 10 July, the government said.
The neutral Alpine state will also enter into exploratory talks with the European Union on a non-binding partnership to take part in arms procurement projects, the government said.
Such partnerships are a prerequisite for non-EU countries to become involved with the bloc's cooperation projects, the government said, adding that the move was compatible with neutrality and would help strengthen its defence capabilities.
A partnership would allow Switzerland to negotiate better conditions for its industry's participation in EU defence procurement projects, it said.
"To date, the EU has concluded such partnerships with a number of countries, and further partnerships are in the pipeline," added the government.
Companies from countries that have signed such a pact with the EU are eligible to apply for the bloc's 150-billion-euro ($173.99 billion) arms fund, if they meet further conditions.
Russian troops take control of settlement of Yalta in eastern Ukraine, RIA says
11:30
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Jabed Ahmed
Russian forces have taken control of the settlement of Yalta in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, the state-run RIA news agency reported, citing the Russian Defence Ministry.
The Independent could not confirm the battlefield reports.
Zelensky will sign off on special tribunal to prosecute Russian leaders over Ukraine
11:29
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Jabed Ahmed
Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to approve plans to set up a new international court to prosecute senior Russian officials for the invasion of Ukraine.
The special tribunal will be created through an agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe. The Ukrainian president is visiting the Strasbourg-based organisation for the first time as part of the announcement.
The special tribunal aims to target senior Russian leaders for the “crime of aggression,” which underpins the countless war crimes Ukraine accuses Russian forces of committing since the start of the war in 2022.
Existing international courts, including the International Criminal Court in The Hague, lack jurisdiction to prosecute Russian nationals for that specific offence.
Since early in the conflict, Kyiv has been pushing for the creation of a special tribunal that goes beyond prosecuting war crimes that Ukraine alleged Russian forces committed — including bombing civilian infrastructure, killing civilians, rape, taking hostages and torture.
Russia denies these claims.
Russia does not extradite its citizens, and whether or not Russian president Vladimir Putin will ever end up in the dock remains to be seen.
Under international law, sitting heads of state and certain other top officials — often referred to as the “troika,” including a country’s head of state, head of government, and foreign minister — enjoy immunity from prosecution. That means any potential indictment of Putin could only move forward if he leaves office.
Senior Russian official calls EU a 'direct threat', says Ukrainian membership would be dangerous
11:16
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Jabed Ahmed
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said that the European Union posed a "direct threat" to Russia and that Ukraine's potential accession to the bloc would be dangerous for Moscow.
Medvedev said the EU had evolved to become a bona fide enemy of Russia, but that bilateral cooperation between Moscow and certain individual EU member states should continue.
Greek PM says all Nato members should commit to defence spending target
10:58
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Jabed Ahmed
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said that all 32 members of the Nato alliance should do their part in defence spending and commit to the agreed target so that there would be no "free-riding".
Nato members agreed in principle on Sunday to boost their defence spending target to 5 per cent of gross domestic product, as demanded by Donald Trump, but Spain said it could meet its commitments without spending so much.
"The point of an alliance is to make sure that there is a fair burden-sharing and that there is no sense that certain countries are sort of free-riding on the defence commitment of other countries," Mr Mitsotakis said.
"So I think it is important to understand that these targets...should be binding and they should be binding for all 32 members of the alliance."
Greece is now spending about 3 per cent of its gross domestic product on defence - nearly double the average in the EU.
It has asked the European Commission to exempt its 2026 defence spending from the EU's budget rules as part of the so-called fiscal escape clause as it aims to spend 25 billion euros (£21.3 billion) by 2036 under a multi-year defence plan to modernise its armed forces and as it tries to keep pace with its eastern neighbour and historical rival Turkey.
Mitsotakis says this will help Greece reach the 5% target by 2035.
10:29
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Jabed Ahmed
Nato to increase spending out of conviction, not to please anyone, Merz says
09:57
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Jabed Ahmed
Nato allies will ramp up defence spending to counter the threat that Russia is posing to Europe's security, not to curry favour with anyone, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said.
"Russia does not only threaten Ukraine, Russia threatens the peace and the political order on this entire continent," he told reporters.
"We do not take these decisions to please anyone, but we act out of our own conviction that Nato as a whole, in particular the European part of Nato, must do more in the coming years to make sure we can defend ourselves," he added, alluding to US president Donald Trump who has pressed allies to step up military spending.
Nato will decide unanimously to raise defence spending at summit, Rutte says
09:39
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Jabed Ahmed
Nato will decide unanimously for countries to raise defence spending to 5 per cent of gross domestic product, Mark Rutte, the chief of the military alliance, has said.
He added Europeans and Canadians would need to pay more for defence, not American taxpayers.
US will not sanction Russia yet, Rubio says
09:35
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Jabed Ahmed
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Politico that the United States will not impose further sanctions on Russia yet, and still wants room to negotiate a peace deal.
"If we did what everybody here wants us to do, and that is come in and crush them with more sanctions, we probably lose our ability to talk to them about the ceasefire and then who's talking to them?," Mr Rubio said.
Mr Rubio added that president Donald Trump will "know the right time and place" for new economic measures against Russia, and that the administration is working with Congress to make sure they allow Trump the appropriate flexibility, Politico reported.
"If there's an opportunity for us to make a difference and get them (Russia) to the table, we're going to take it," Mr Rubio said.
Trump says 'we're with them all the way' when asked about Nato's Article 5
09:33
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Jabed Ahmed
US President Donald Trump told reporters ahead of a meeting of world leaders at the military alliance's summit, "We're with them all the way”, when asked about Article 5 of Nato's charter.
Trump had cast doubt over the United States' commitment to defending its Nato partners, suggesting there were "numerous" definitions to the cornerstone of the alliance's mutual defence pact.
Pictured | Trump speaks with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte
09:32
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Jabed Ahmed
Summit shows birth of a new Nato, Finland's president says
09:28
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Jabed Ahmed
Finland's President has said that Europe is taking on a greater responsibility within the Nato alliance to deter Russia, as spending rises to levels seen during the Cold War.
"I think we're witnessing the birth of a new Nato, which means a more balanced Nato and a Nato which has more European responsibility," President Alexander Stubb told reporters ahead of a summit of the alliance in the Hague.
Hungarian PM Orban says Russia is not a real threat to Nato
09:27
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Jabed Ahmed
Russia is not strong enough to represent a real threat to Nato as the alliance is "far stronger", Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said.
The real threat to Europe is losing its competitiveness, and Nato has no business in Ukraine, Orban said ahead of the Nato summit in The Hague.
Zelensky to meet Trump today
08:47
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Jabed Ahmed
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Nato summit in The Hague, the Ukrainian President's office said.
Working to keep US interested in Ukraine war, says German minister
07:55
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Arpan Rai
German defence minister Boris Pistorius stressed the importance of the United States as a partner in the Ukraine conflict and said allies were working to prevent Washington from losing interest, in comments to the ARD broadcaster this morning.
"Keeping the Americans (...) on board when it comes to Ukraine – this is important because there is more at stake here than just a regional conflict," Mr Pistorius said.
"We are continuing to work to ensure that they do not withdraw. We'll have to see whether we succeed,” he said.
Nato leaders have gathered in The Hague today for a summit tailor-made for US president Donald Trump, with European allies hoping a pledge to hike defence spending will prompt him to dispel doubts about his commitment to the alliance.
Nato chief says alliance has to spend more on defence as UK to buy 12 new fighter jets from US
07:40
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Arpan Rai
Drone hunters in Ukraine find new sophisticated technology feared to be from Iran
07:32
,
Arpan Rai
Ukrainian forces examining the wreckage of Russia’s nightly drone assaults last week uncovered a new, highly sophisticated weapon, marking a potential escalation in Moscow’s aerial capabilities.
Unlike the predominantly black drones typically deployed by Russia, this newly discovered model was white and boasted an array of advanced features. It was equipped with an advanced camera, an artificial intelligence-powered computing platform, and a radio link enabling remote operation from Russia.
Crucially, the drone also contained new, Iranian-made, anti-jamming technology, according to Serhii Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian electronics expert known as "Flash". Mr Beskrestnov told The Associated Press that while most Russian attack drones are black, this new one was distinctly white.
Zelensky says 'no signs Putin wants to stop' Ukraine war
07:16
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Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said there are no indications of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin slowing down and stopping the war in Ukraine.
“At the Defence Industries Forum in The Hague I stressed: there are no signs Putin wants to stop this war. Russia rejects all peace proposals, including from the US. Maybe Putin connects his own political survival with his ability to keep killing: so long as he kills, he lives,” Mr Zelensky said.
Later, addressing the Dutch parliament, Mr Zelensky said that the Russian leader is “weaker than all of us” Nato allies together.
“Russia is stronger than any of us alone, but weaker than all of us together. Putin thinks in terms of potential – his own, and of those he sees as targets. If Europe’s combined strength leaves him no room for aggression, there will be none,” he said yesterday.
At the Defense Industries Forum in The Hague I stressed: there are no signs Putin wants to stop this war. Russia rejects all peace proposals, including from the U.S. Maybe Putin connects his own political survival with his ability to keep killing: so long as he kills, he lives. pic.twitter.com/wGblcT0cNx
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 24, 2025
Watch: Zelensky delivers special message to UK as he meets army troops at Downing Street
06:55
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Arpan Rai
Russia is using motorbikes to attack Ukrainian brigades along frontline
06:46
,
Arpan Rai
Russian forces are exploiting a new form of attack using motorcycles in assaults on Ukrainian forces along the war's frontline, a think tank has said.
“Russian forces are expanding their use of motorcycles along the frontline in Ukraine – a tactic that the Russian military may leverage in future wars beyond Ukraine, possibly including operations against Nato states,” the Institute for the Study of War said, citing a Ukrainian servicemember who confirmed a rise in this assault method.
“The servicemember stated that Russian motorcycle forces are no longer attacking along roads but mainly attacking through open fields and trying to bypass Ukrainian engineering barriers along the frontline,” the ISW said.
The think tank cited a Frontelligence Insight report that “Russian forces are mainly using motorcycles as a form of transport for attacking infantry to support diversion, reconnaissance, infiltration, and flanking support missions.”
It added that these motorcycles have been given to Russian forces by foreign allies like China.
“Frontelligence Insight reported that Russian forces are mainly using foreign-made motorcycles, primarily those manufactured in the People's Republic of China (PRC), and that volunteer organisations in Russia provide most of the motorcycles for frontline Russian units,” the ISW said.
Rutte says Russia could attack Nato within three to seven years
06:32
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Arpan Rai
Russia could attack a Nato member state within three to seven years and is currently more prepared for a war than the alliance, the bloc’s secretary general Mark Rutte said.
“When you look at the latest opinion polling done in Nato, you see that many, many people, and it is getting to really high numbers, are supporting the fact that, yes, there is a direct threat from Russia,” Mr Rutte said at the Nato public forum at The Hague yesterday.
“That yes, if we do not invest now, we are really at risk that the Russians might try something against Nato territory in three, five or seven years. And therefore there is large scale support. I see it in my own country,” he said.
The Nato official warned that the alliance is “living in much more dangerous times, and there are enemies, adversaries who might want to attack us”.
Russian blasts blow out Ukrainian train's windows in Dnipro
06:23
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Arpan Rai
One of the blasts from the Russian attack yesterday blew out the windows of a
