Donald Trump has said Volodymyr Zelensky “needs to get his act together and start accepting things” in a fresh attack on the Ukrainian leader.
In an interview likely to cause concern in Kyiv and Europe, the US President accused Zelensky of stalling progress on a peace agreement by refusing to accept demands that favour Russia.
Speaking to the German tabloid Bild, Trump said: “He needs to get his act together and start accepting things.”
Trump repeated his claim that Ukraine was “losing” the war, despite evidence from the battlefield suggesting Russia has only made incremental gains at a significant human cost.
The US president said that Zelensky was a “great salesman” and compared him to P.T. Barnum - an American businessman who popularised the public museum and the circus.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump told Politico that European leaders were “weak”. In an extraordinary attack on Washington’s closest allies, he accused countries such as France or Germany of failing to take decisive action to end the war in Ukraine.
Read MoreUK is under attack from Putin’s cyber army, warns Yvette Cooper
Will Europe fight for Ukraine?
Zelensky says Ukraine ‘can’t manage’ without US or European support
Trump says he is ‘disappointed’ that Zelensky ‘hasn’t read’ US peace plan for Ukraine
Europe has promised Ukraine a ‘reassurance force’ when the war ends – but will it enrage Putin?
Key Points
- Ukraine to present revised peace plan to White House on Tuesday
- European leaders back Kyiv amid Trump’s frustration
- Anti-Ukrainian points removed from peace plan, says Zelensky
- Mystery drones near Zelensky's plane to be investigated
- Trump says European leaders are 'weak'
Russian forces advancing along entire front, top general claims
15:00 , Maira ButtRussia's top general claims his forces are advancing along the entire front in Ukraine and have taken more than 30 per cent of the buildings in the eastern town of Myrnohrad.
Moscow regularly claims battlefield successes that are then refuted by Ukraine, and Kyiv has yet to comment on the update by Russian general Valery Gerasimov.
Gerasimov's comments identified Myrnohrad, a town with a pre-war population of some 46,000 people to the east of Pokrovsk, as a key target for Vladimir Putin.
Europe promises Ukraine a ‘reassurance force’ when the war ends
14:30 , Maira ButtAfter months on the sidelines of US-led peace talks, Europe is trying to rise to the challenge of guaranteeing Ukraine’s post-war future in the event of a ceasefire.
Britain and France are leading the push for a so-called reassurance force in Ukraine to retrain the army and uphold a peace deal if it emerges.
Downing Street said Britain is making plans for the multinational force drawn from partners on the continent, despite the Kremlin’s rejection this week of any foreign deployment as “unacceptable”.
Thousands of allied troops could be sent to cities across Ukraine to help the army recover its strength and stand as an independent deterrent to Russian aggression – if both sides can agree to terms.
The plans are months in the making, forged from discussions between Kyiv and the coalition of the willing about what security guarantees are needed to end the war
Ukraine's state energy company says it has been hit by Russian drones
14:02 , Maira ButtNaftogaz, Ukraine’s state gas and oil company has said that Russian drones hit its gas infrastructure early on Tuesday.
“There is damage,” it said in a statement on Telegram, but did not provide further details.
Nobody was hurt in the attack, it confirmed.
Belarus president accuses Lithuania of exaggerating balloon incidents
13:27 , Maira ButtBelarusian president Alexander Lukashenko has accused Lithuania of exaggerating incidents with alleged smuggler balloons.
The country was forced to close its main airport on several occasions in recent weeks and declared a state of emergency on Tuesday over the incidents.
“Do they really want to fight? We don't need war,” Lukashenko said, according to the Pul Pervogo Telegram channel.
Kremlin says claims that Putin plans to attack Nato are 'complete nonsense'
12:58 , Maira ButtRussia has denied European claims that President Vladimir Putin is hostile and plans to attack Nato countries, dismissing them as “complete nonsense” on Tuesday.
It added that Putin does not want to restore the USSR.
The denial comes after several countries reported drone incursions into their airspace accusing Russia of “hybrid warfare”, which it has vehemently denied.
Comment: It’s no secret we are already at war with Russia – Putin must be hit with every trick in Britain’s book
12:24 , Maira Buttet again this week, President Trump set Europe’s strategic challenge. Despite reaffirming US commitment to Euro-Atlantic defence once allies pledged to invest more ourselves, his new national security strategy pivots to the Pacific while his Ukraine peace plan negotiates European security without European input. Europe might not be on our own, but we need the capability to be self-reliant. And fast.
The Royal Navy announced this week its goal to be war-fighting ready by the end of the decade. The army and RAF have similar ambitions. But the leisurely timeline for reaching 3.5 per cent GDP by 2035 will not deliver the resources necessary nor impress Vladimir Putin, determined to keep his war machine and economy rolling even with a Ukraine ceasefire.
Mark Sedwill reports:
Trump says European leaders are ‘weak’ in extraordinary attack on US allies
11:50 , Maira ButtDonald Trump has said that European leaders are “weak” in an extraordinary attack on some of Washington’s closest allies.
Speaking to Politico, the US president claimed that “decaying” European countries such as France and Germany had failed to control migration or take action to end the war in Ukraine.
“I think they’re weak,” he said of European leaders. “But I also think that they want to be so politically correct”.
He added: “I think they don’t know what to do. Europe doesn’t know what to do.”
James C Reynolds reports:
Trump says European leaders are ‘weak’ in extraordinary attack on US allies
Zelensky 'deeply appreciates' support of Pope Leo
11:31 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed appreciation for Pope Leo XIV and his support of Ukraine after a meeting at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo.
“I informed the Pope about diplomatic efforts with the United States to achieve peace. We discussed further actions and the Vatican's mediation aimed at returning our children abducted by Russia,” he wrote on X on Tuesday.
Trump says he is ‘disappointed’ that Zelensky ‘hasn’t read’ US peace plan for Ukraine
11:00 , Maira ButtDonald Trump has said he is “disappointed” after claiming that Volodymyr Zelensky has not read his peace plan for Ukraine, in his latest attack on the Ukrainian leader.
Speaking to reporters at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC on Sunday, the US president claimed that both Moscow and “Zelensky’s people” support the agreement but that the Ukrainian president was preventing talks from moving forward.
“We’ve been speaking to President Putin, and we’ve been speaking to Ukrainian leaders, including President Zelensky. And I have to say I’m a little disappointed Zelensky hasn’t yet read the proposal. That was as of a few hours ago,” he said.
“Russia’s fine with it. You know, Russia would rather have the whole country.”
In pictures: Zelensky meets Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican
10:25 , Maira Butt Ukraine prepares to present alternative peace plan to Trump
10:00 , Maira ButtUkraine is preparing to present an alternative peace plan to Donald Trump and could do so as soon as today, Volodymyr Zelensky told a news conference yesterday.
An initial 28-point plan proposed by the US, widely viewed as being too favourable to Russia, has since been cut down to 20 points following talks between Ukrainian and US officials.
But sticking points still remain, most notably over the matter of occupied territories in eastern Ukraine and security guarantees to prevent another Russian invasion in future.
The original leaked version of the US-backed plan proposed that Ukraine hand over total control of the Donbas to Russia, even though Kremlin forces have not yet captured it in full.
According to the draft plan, energy produced at Zaporizhzhia, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, would be split between the two countries.
Zelensky said yesterday that his government has no right to agree to forfeit its land. "Russia is insisting that we give up territories, but we don't want to cede anything," he said.
"We have no legal right to do so, under Ukrainian law, our constitution and international law. And we don't have any moral right either.”
Russian military plane crashes near Moscow with seven on board
09:43 , Maira ButtA Russian military transport plane has crashed in the Ivanovo region northeast of Moscow with seven crew members on board, according to the Vesti state television channel who reported the news on Tuesday.
Deal to release ‘£100bn of Russian assets’ for Ukraine expected imminently
09:27 , Maira ButtA deal to release up to £100 billion of frozen Russian assets in Europe to aid Ukraine is just days away, Downing Street believes, after Sir Keir Starmer and allies held crunch talks in London yesterday.
The prime minister said talks about the future of Ukraine have reached a “critical stage”, while European leaders agreed that pressure on Vladimir Putin must be ramped up.
Sir Keir met with French president Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and German chancellor Friedrich Merz at No 10 Downing Street on Monday as Mr Zelensky warned that Kyiv “can’t manage” without European and American backing.
The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Deal to release ‘£100bn of Russian assets’ for Ukraine expected imminently
Porsches across Russia suddenly stop working
09:03 , Maira ButtHundreds of Porsche cars have stopped working in Russia due to an issue with a satellite-based security system, according to local reports.
Owners reported various issues with their vehicles, including not being able to start the engine, or it shutting down soon after ignition. Others said that they had been locked out of their cars.
The root cause of the issue is not yet known, though a representative for Russia’s largest dealership group told local media that it could be an act of sabotage.
“It’s possible this was done deliberately,” the Rolf spokesperson told the RBC news website, without providing any evidence.
The Independent View: Will Europe fight for Ukraine?
08:37 , Maira ButtThe meeting at Downing Street between Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of his country’s principal allies in Europe is designed to demonstrate, both to Mr Zelensky and the wider world, that the Ukrainian people are not alone in their struggle for freedom. Specifically, it is a reminder to the Americans and the Russians that there can be no lasting peace settlement without the freely given consent of Ukraine.
Will Europe fight for Ukraine?
In pictures: Zelensky's meetings with European and Nato leaders on Monday
08:20 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky kicked off the week with a full on day of diplomacy, visiting both London and Brussels as he met with leaders of the UK, France, Germany, the EU and Nato.
Top of the agenda was ongoing efforts to revise a US-backed peace plan, and the use of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s war effort.
Here are some pictures from yesterday:
Zelensky says Kyiv and EU's 'positions are aligned on all issues'
08:07 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky hailed his “good and productive” meeting held with Nato and EU chiefs on Monday night, which he said demonstrated unity in all their positions.
“We discussed in detail our work with US partners on steps toward peace, security guarantees, and strengthening our resilience,” the Ukrainian president said after the meeting, which followed another meeting with European leaders in London.
“Our positions have been aligned on all issues. We are acting in a coordinated and constructive manner. Thank you for the meeting and for your support!”
A good and productive meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte @SecGenNATO, President of the European Council António Costa @eucopresident, and President of the European Commission Ursula @vonderleyen.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 8, 2025
I briefed the leaders on the situation on the diplomatic track. We… pic.twitter.com/GxdEgBLMXH
Ukraine to present revised peace plan to White House on Tuesday
07:59 , Alex CroftUkraine will present a revised peace plan to the Trump administration on Tuesday, as Volodymyr Zelensky looks to resist US pressure into ceding territory to Russia.
For weeks, Kyiv has been aiming to balance out a US-backed draft peace plan which was viewed widely in Europe as a capitulation to Moscow.
A busy start to the diplomatic week saw the Ukrainian president head to London on Monday, where he met Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz, before heading to Brussels in the evening to meet Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council chief Antonia Costa.
After talks between the US and Ukraine over the weekend, a revised 20-point plan was proposed - but there was still no agreement on giving up territory, Zelensky said.
Russia downs 121 Ukrainian drones, Moscow claims
07:32 , Alex CroftRussia’s Defence Ministry has claimed that air defences downed 121 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 22 fired at occupied Crimea.
Moscow does not typically reveal the full number of enemy drones in its skies overnight, so the figure is likely higher.
A total of 49 drones were downed in the Belgorod region, it said. Smaller amounts were downed in other areas including the Ryazan, Voronezh, Rostov regions, the defence ministry said according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Britain should retaliate against Putin's cyber army, urges Yvette Cooper
07:10 , Namita SinghBritain and Europe must urgently unite to fight back against escalating attacks by Russia and other hostile states, Yvette Cooper is set to warn on Tuesday in a major speech.
Just 24 hours after Sir Keir Starmer led a mini summit to try to prevent Ukraine being forced into a humiliating deal to get peace with Russia, the foreign secretary will say that ongoing cyber attacks and disinformation are the new front in the war against Vladimir Putin.
Ms Cooper will tell an audience of diplomats that there is an “escalating” danger to the UK and Europe, adding: “Across Europe we are witnessing an escalation in hybrid threats – from physical through to cyber – designed to weaken critical national infrastructure, undermine our interests and interfere in our democracies all for the advantage of malign foreign states.
Report:
UK is under attack from Putin’s cyber army, warns Yvette Cooper
Lithuania declares state of emergency over smuggler balloons from Belarus
07:05 , Namita SinghLithuania declared a state of emergency due to threats to public safety from smuggled balloons originating in Belarus, the government said this morning.
Lithuania accuses Belarus of allowing smugglers to use weather balloons to transport contraband cigarettes across the border, repeatedly forcing Vilnius airport to halt operations, disrupting air traffic.
The duration of the emergency measures was not immediately clear.
Belarus, which allowed its territory to be used for Russia's invasion in 2022 of Ukraine, has denied responsibility for the balloons and accused Lithuania of provocations, including allegedly sending a drone to drop "extremist material".
Lithuania, a Nato and European Union member which was once part of the Soviet Union, has rejected those accusations as false.
Russian forces advancing along entire front, Gerasimov claims
07:00 , Namita SinghRussia's top general claims his forces are advancing along the entire front in Ukraine and have taken more than 30 per cent of the buildings in the eastern town of Myrnohrad.
Moscow regularly claims battlefield successes that are then refuted by Ukraine, and Kyiv has yet to comment on the update by Russian general Valery Gerasimov.
Gerasimov's comments identified Myrnohrad, a town with a pre-war population of some 46,000 people to the east of Pokrovsk, as a key target for Vladimir Putin.
Russia, which uses the Soviet-era name of Krasnoarmeysk to refer to neighbouring Pokrovsk, says it has taken the whole of the city and claims to have also encircled Ukrainian forces in Myrnohrad, which Russians call Dimitrov.
Ukraine has repeatedly denied Russian claims that Pokrovsk has fallen and says it forces still hold part of the city and are fighting back in Myrnohrad.
Russia currently controls 19.2 per cent of Ukraine, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, Luhansk, more than 80 per cent of Donetsk, about 75 per cent of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, and slivers of the Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
Ukraine says it is holding its defensive lines and forcing Russia to pay a high price for what it says are relatively modest gains.
Putin said last week that Russia would take full control of Ukraine's Donbas region by force unless Ukrainian forces withdraw, something Kyiv has flatly rejected.
Russia downs 121 Ukrainian drones overnight, defence ministry says
06:55 , Namita SinghRussia's defence ministry on Tuesday said air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 121 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Moscow typically only reports on the number of drones it downs – it does not provides tallies for the total fired or those that hit their targets.
Russian military court jails four soldiers for killing US-born fighter
06:50 , Namita SinghA military court in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine has sentenced four Russian soldiers to jail for the killing of Russell Bonner Bentley III, an American-born pro-Kremlin fighter and propagandist who lived for a decade in the occupied Donbas, reported the New York Times.
The Donetsk Garrison Military Court found that Maj Vitaly Vansyatsky, Lt Andrei Iordanov and Sgt Vladislav Agaltsev abducted Bentley in April 2024 after encountering him filming the aftermath of an artillery strike in Donetsk.
Investigators said the men suspected him of being an American saboteur, ignored his claim that he worked for Russia’s state-run Sputnik agency, and took him to a command post where he was beaten and tortured to death.
His body was later blown up and burnt in an attempt to disguise the murder. The major and the lieutenant each received 12-year sentences, while Agaltsev was jailed for 11 years.
All three were stripped of their ranks. A fourth soldier was given 18 months for helping cover up the crime, according to the reports.
The court also awarded more than $65,000 in damages to Bentley’s widow, Lyudmila Bentley.
Bentley, 64, a self-described Communist from Round Rock, Texas, moved to the region in 2014 and fought with Russia’s Vostok Battalion before becoming a prolific online advocate for Moscow.
Known as the “Donbas Cowboy,” he frequently declared: “I hate Nazis.”
Video: Starmer reiterates support for Ukraine as Zelensky meets European allies at Downing Street
06:45 , Namita SinghEU official warns of US interference in Europe's affairs
06:40 , Namita SinghA top European Union official on Monday warned the United States against interfering in Europe's affairs and said only European citizens can decide which parties should govern them.
European Council president Antonio Costa's remarks came in reaction to the Trump administration's new national security strategy, which was published on Friday and paints European allies as weak, while offering tacit support to far-right political parties.
The document, which was praised by Russia, formalises in writing months of Trump administration criticism of EU policy and perceived restrictions on free speech that started with a lecture to European allies in Germany in February by US vice president JD Vance.
It's "good" that the strategy depicts European countries as an ally, but "allies don't threaten to interfere in the domestic political choices of their allies," Costa said.
Ukraine prepares to present alternative peace plan to Trump
06:20 , Namita SinghUkraine is preparing to present an alternative peace plan to Donald Trump and could do so as soon as today, Volodymyr Zelensky told a news conference yesterday.
An initial 28-point plan proposed by the US, widely viewed as being too favourable to Russia, has since been cut down to 20 points following talks between Ukrainian and US officials.
But sticking points still remain, most notably over the matter of occupied territories in eastern Ukraine and security guarantees to prevent another Russian invasion in future.
The original leaked version of the US-backed plan proposed that Ukraine hand over total control of the Donbas to Russia, even though Kremlin forces have not yet captured it in full.
According to the draft plan, energy produced at Zaporizhzhia, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, would be split between the two countries.
Zelensky said yesterday that his government has no right to agree to forfeit its land. "Russia is insisting that we give up territories, but we don't want to cede anything," he said.
"We have no legal right to do so, under Ukrainian law, our constitution and international law. And we don't have any moral right either.”
Russian drone attacks cut power in Sumy in northern Ukraine
06:00 , Namita SinghRussian drones attacked the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy late on Monday in the second major strike on the city in 24 hours, triggering a power outage, the regional governor said.
"In the space of half an hour, the Russians launched more than 10 drone strikes on the city," governor Oleh Hryhorov wrote on Telegram.
"There is no electricity in Sumy. Some critical infrastructure is operating on reserve power sources."
Hryhorov said officials were checking for casualties and that power would be restored as soon as it was safe for crews to do so.
Sumy, a city of around 250,000 before Putin's invasion in February 2022, has been a frequent target of Russian attacks.
Earlier on Monday, Hryhorov said Russian drones struck an apartment block in the city, injuring seven people.
Russian attacks on Ukraine have for months focused on energy targets in the run-up to the bitterly-cold winter.
Russia proposes medal for those who recover bodies from war zone
05:40 , Namita SinghRussia's defence ministry has proposed a medal for servicemen and civilians who helped to recover bodies from combat zones – a rare official indication that Russia is struggling to account for the missing nearly four years into its invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian military has long been accused of abandoning its dead on the battlefield in Ukraine, as Vladimir Putin's forces have pushed to grab as much land as possible from their European neighbour.
The draft document, published on Monday in an official database of proposed regulations, suggests awarding the medal for "evacuation of killed servicemen and other individuals in combat conditions with life-threatening risks”.
It also includes a proposal to award the medal for the implementation of innovative technologies helping to evacuate bodies from the front lines and identifying the dead.
Russia, like Ukraine, classifies its combat losses as state secrets.
More than one million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to British military intelligence estimates published earlier this year.
Russia continues aerial attacks on Ukraine amid peace talks
05:20 , Namita SinghRussian drones struck high-rise apartments in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Okhtyrka overnight, injuring seven people and extensively damaging the building, according to the head of the regional administration Oleh Hryhorov.
In the northern city of Chernihiv, a Russian drone exploded outside a residential building, injuring three people and damaging a kindergarten, gas lines and cars, regional head Viacheslav Chaus said.
Ukraine's air force said Russia fired 149 drones overnight, with 131 neutralised and 16 others striking their targets.
Meanwhile, Russian air defences destroyed 67 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia's defence ministry said. The drones were shot down over 11 Russian regions, it said.
Kremlin welcomes new US security strategy
05:06 , Namita SinghThe talks in London yesterday followed the publication of a new US national security strategy that alarmed European leaders and was welcomed by Russia.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the document, which spells out the Trump administration's core foreign policy interests, was largely in line with Moscow's vision.
"The nuances that we see in the new concept certainly look appealing to us," Peskov said yesterday.
"It mentions the need for dialogue and building constructive, friendly relations. This cannot but appeal to us, and it absolutely corresponds to our vision. We understand that by eliminating the irritants that currently exist in bilateral relations, a prospect may open for us to truly restore our relations and bring them out of the rather deep crisis."
The document released on Friday by the White House said the US wants to improve its relationship with Russia after years of Moscow being treated as a global pariah and that ending the war is a core US interest to "reestablish strategic stability with Russia".
The document also says Nato must not be "a perpetually expanding alliance," echoing another complaint by Russia.
It was scathing about the migration and free speech policies of longstanding US allies in Europe, suggesting they face the "prospect of civilisational erasure" due to migration.
Sir Keir Starmer's government declined to comment on the document, calling it a matter for the US government.
Obstacles remain after US-Ukrainian peace talks
04:38 , Namita SinghThe US and Ukrainian negotiators completed three days of talks on Saturday aimed at trying to narrow differences on the US administration's peace proposal.
Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram that talks had been "substantive" and that National Security and Defence Council secretary Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov were travelling back to Europe to brief him.
A major sticking point in the plan is the suggestion that Kyiv must cede control of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine to Russia, which illegally occupies most but not all of the territory. Ukraine and its European allies have balked at the idea of handing over land.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer said he "won't be putting pressure" on Zelensky to accept a peace settlement.
Donald Trump has had a hot-and-cold relationship with Zelensky since winning a second term, insisting the war was a waste of US taxpayers' money. Trump has also repeatedly urged the Ukrainians to cede land to Russia to end the nearly four-year conflict.
European leaders back Kyiv amid Trump’s frustration
04:10 , Namita SinghSir Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to support Kyiv in their comments before Monday's meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, which lasted about two hours.
They met shortly after US president Donald Trump appeared to vent his frustration with Zelensky, claiming the Ukrainian leader "hasn't yet read the [latest] proposal" for an end to Russia's war.
Zelensky said on Monday that Trump "certainly wants to end the war. ... Surely, he has his own vision. We live here, from within we see details and nuances, we perceive everything much deeper, because this is our motherland".
Starmer said the push for peace was at a "critical stage," and stressed the need for "a just and lasting ceasefire”.
Merz, meanwhile, said he was "sceptical" about some details in documents released by the US. "We have to talk about it. That's why we are here," he said.
"The coming days – could be a decisive time for all of us."
European leaders are working to ensure that any ceasefire is backed by solid security guarantees both from Europe and the US to deter Russia from attacking again. Trump has not given explicit guarantees in public.
Anti-Ukrainian points removed from peace plan, says Zelensky
04:00 , Namita SinghVolodymyr Zelensky said the current US peace plan differs from earlier versions in that it now has 20 points, down from 28, after some "obvious anti-Ukrainian points were removed."
Responding to reporters' questions on WhatsApp about security guarantees, Zelensky said the main questions to be resolved are: "What if after the end of the war, Russia will start another aggression? What will the partners be ready for? What could Ukraine count on?"
The answers to these questions "must be in the core of the security guarantees for Ukraine," he said.
Video: Zelensky leaves Downing Street after meeting Starmer and European leaders for Ukraine defence talks
03:50 , Namita SinghKyiv needs more European cash for US weapons, says Zelensky
03:40 , Jane DaltonUkraine is short of about $800m (£600m) to buy the US weapons it had planned to purchase this year with help from its European allies, President Volodymyr Zelensky says.
For next year, Ukraine would need about $15bn for the PURL (Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List) programme, which involves purchases of US weapons with European money, he said.
More than two-thirds of member states of Nato have committed to weapons for Ukraine through the scheme.
Zelensky and European leaders vow to keep up pressure on Putin
03:24 , Namita SinghAfter the meeting, Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelensky and the other leaders called Kyiv's European allies, urging them to keep up the pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin.
"The leaders all agreed that now is a critical moment and that we must continue to ramp up support to Ukraine and economic pressure on Putin to bring an end to this barbaric war," Starmer's office said in a statement.
"This is the furthest we've got in four years, and we welcome the fact that these talks are continuing at every level," said Starmer's spokesman, Tom Wells.
He added that "intensive work" will continue in the days ahead, although "there are still outstanding issues”.
Macron's office said the session allowed the leaders "to continue joint work on the US plan in order to complement it with European contributions, in close coordination with Ukraine”.
The Independent View | There is still a way European leaders can help achieve a positive outcome for Ukraine
03:00 , Alex CroftStill, no doubt, bathed in the warm, if also absurd, glow of being the first ever recipient of the Fifa Peace Prize, Donald Trump might be in the mood to promote a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, it would be nice to think. This would, aside from anything else, strengthen President Trump’s insistent claim on the Nobel Peace Prize, which has not quite been superseded in prestige by the cynical golden trophy that the president of Fifa, Gianni Infantino, presented to him.
Read The Independent’s view:
There is still a way European leaders can help achieve a positive outcome for Ukraine
Recap: Zelensky meets European allies in London
03:00 , Namita SinghPresident Volodymyr Zelensky met with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany in London on Monday in a show of European support for Ukraine at what they jointly called a "critical moment" in talks to end the Ukraine war.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer held talks with Zelensky, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz at No 10, with discussions focussed on ways to strengthen Ukraine's hand amid mounting impatience from US president Donald Trump.
After the meeting, Starmer, Zelensky and the other leaders called Kyiv's other European allies, urging them to keep up the pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin.
"The leaders all agreed that now is a critical moment and that we must continue to ramp up support to Ukraine and economic pressure on Putin to bring an end to this barbaric war," Starmer's office said in a statement.
Mystery drones near Zelensky's plane to be investigated
01:30 , Jane DaltonUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that unidentified drones were spotted near his plane to Ireland last week.
"There will be an investigation... There were drones indeed," he told reporters.
Irish local media reported on Thursday that a naval ship had spotted up to five drones operating near the flight path of the presidential plane.
In pictures: Sumy apartment building in flames as several injured in Russian strike
00:00 , Alex Croft £100 billion deal to aid Ukraine could be secured in the 'coming weeks'
Monday 8 December 2025 23:45 , Shaheena UddinA deal to free up to £100 billion from frozen Russian assets in Europe, in order to aid Ukraine could be secured over the coming weeks, according to The Times.
The funding has been frozen since the start of the war and could be utilised as leverage in peace negotiations. It would help to aid Ukraine for a further two years, putting pressure on Moscow.
The vast majority of the European assets are currently being held in Belgium, which equates to a third of the country’s GDP. The Belgium government has been largely opposed to transferring cash to Ukraine over fears of becoming legally liable.
A UK government official said however: “We are hopeful that a deal is going to be done in the next week or so”, as reported by The Times.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said negotiations in Europe have reached a “critical stage in the push for peace”, before meeting with the Ukrainian President Zelensky, the French President Macron and the German chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Trump a 'little bit disappointed' that Zelensky hasn't read US peace proposal
Monday 8 December 2025 23:01 , Alex CroftAs we previously reported, Donald Trump said he Kyiv “isn’t ready” to sign the US peace proposal while talking to reporters last night.
US and Ukrainian negotiators completed three days of talks on Saturday aimed at trying to narrow differences on the US administration's proposal. But in an exchange with reporters on Sunday night, Trump suggested that the Ukrainian leader is holding up the talks from moving forward.
"I'm a little bit disappointed that President Zelensky hasn't yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago. His people love it, but he hasn't," Trump claimed in an exchange with reporters before taking part in the Kennedy Center Honors.
The president added, "Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but I'm not sure that Zelenskyy's fine with it. His people love it it. But he isn't ready."
Kyiv’s lead negotiator Rustem Umerov said on Monday morning that the Ukrainian president would receive all documents relating to the new peace plan today.
Kremlin insists ‘radical changes’ needed to peace plan
Monday 8 December 2025 22:01 , Alex CroftRussia insists that the peace proposal still needs “radical changes” before Moscow can accept it, according to some local media reports.
Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said the US must “make serious, I would say, radical changes to their papers” on Ukraine.
His remarks contrast sharply with comments from US envoy Keith Kellogg, who earlier suggested an agreement was “really close”, with only two obstacles remaining: the status of the Donbas and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Territory remains the key point of contention. Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly ruled out ceding land, arguing that doing so would only invite future Russian aggression.
The first draft of the US plan, however, proposed that Ukraine relinquish Donetsk and Luhansk – despite Kyiv still holding significant parts of the Donbas.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Washington, Olga Stefanishyna, earlier said that “difficult issues remain”, in the talks between the US and Ukraine.
She told CNN that the “main challenges at this stage concern questions of territory and guarantees, and we are actively seeking optimal formats for addressing them”.