The US will not impose further sanctions on Russia yet, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, in a blow to Volodymyr Zelensky, who is set to meet Donald Trump later today.
Leaders have gathered in The Hague for a Nato summit tailor-made for the US President, with European allies announcing a hike in defence spending.
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.
However, Mr Rubio told Politico: "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 added Mr Trump will "know the right time and place" for new economic measures against Russia.
Mr Zelensky has urged Kyiv's 32 allies at the Nato summit to bolster Ukraine's defence industry, after signing a deal with Keir Starmer on Monday, which they said would strengthen both countries.
Read More
Key Points
- Nato allies agree to hike defence spending and reaffirm collective defence
- US will not sanction Russia yet, Rubio says
- Hungarian PM Orban says Russia is not a real threat to Nato
- Zelensky to meet Trump today
- Russian missile attack kills 17 in Dnipro and injures more than 200
Starmer says Nato position on Ukraine has not changed
14:06
,
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
,
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
,
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
,
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
,
Jabed Ahmed
What is Article 5 of Nato?
12:29
,
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
,
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
,
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
,
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
,
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
,
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
,
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
,
Jabed Ahmed
Nato to increase spending out of conviction, not to please anyone, Merz says
09:57
,
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
,
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
,
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
,
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
,
Jabed Ahmed
Summit shows birth of a new Nato, Finland's president says
09:28
,
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
,
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
,
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
,
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
,
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
,
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
,
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
,
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
,
Arpan Rai
One of the blasts from the Russian attack yesterday blew out the windows of a passenger train in regional capital Dnipro, which was carrying about 500 people.
Russia used ballistic missiles and drones to target multiple civilian sites in the central Ukrainian city. The total death toll from yesterday’s attack rose to 26 and hundreds were injured.
The barrage damaged 19 schools, 10 kindergartens, a vocational school, a music school and a social welfare office, as well as eight medical facilities, according to Dnipro mayor Borys Filatov. Schools are closed for the summer break.
Mr Filatov declared Wednesday to be an official day of mourning.
Trump's nominee for top US general in Europe 'thinks Ukraine can win'
05:56
,
Arpan Rai
President Donald Trump's nominee to become the top US general in Europe said he believed Ukraine could prevail against Russia's more than three-year-old invasion.
"I think Ukraine can win," Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich said in testimony at his Senate confirmation hearing. "I think any time your own homeland is threatened, you fight with a tenacity that's difficult for us to conceive of.
"Grynkewich has been nominated by the Trump administration to serve as the next Supreme Allied Commander Europe within Nato, as well as commander of US European Command.
He currently serves as Director of Operations (J-3) for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon in Washington, DC.
Ukrainian lawmaker who nominated Trump for Nobel Peace Prize withdraws support
05:14
,
Arpan Rai
A Ukrainian lawmaker who pushed for President Donald Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize has withdrawn his nomination after Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks stalled.
It’s been more than three years since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Trump had promised to end the war within 24 hours of taking office, but it’s been five months, and the two eastern European countries have not agreed to a peace deal.
Oleksandr Merezhko, the head of Ukraine's parliamentary foreign committee, nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize last November, but told Newsweek Tuesday that he withdrew his nomination.
Merezhko had "lost any sort of faith and belief" in Trump and his ability to get a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Nato chief praises Trump for making Europe 'pay in a BIG way'
05:11
,
Arpan Rai
Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte praised US president Donald Trump for making Europe "pay in a BIG way".
Mr Trump while flying aboard Air Force One en route to The Hague, published a screenshot of a private message from Mr Rutte saying: "Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done."
"Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win," Mr Rutte wrote.
Officials at Nato confirmed that he sent the message.
The allies are likely to endorse a goal of spending 5 per cent of their gross domestic product on their security, to be able to fulfil the alliance's plans for defending against outside attack.
Zelensky warns Russia could attack Nato country within next five years
04:49
,
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Russia could attack a Nato country within the next five years.
The Ukrainian leader said Vladimir Putin could carry out an attack on another Nato country to test the alliance.
Mr Zelensky issued his warning during an interview with Sky News on Monday (23 June).
The Ukrainian president also said plans for Nato members to increase defence spending to five per cent of GDP by 2035 are “very slow”, stating Putin could have “significantly greater capabilities” by 2030.
Watch the video here:
Russian missile attack kills 17 in Dnipro and injures more than 200
04:20
,
Arpan Rai
A Russian missile attack in southeastern Ukraine yesterday killed at least 17 people, injured hundreds and caused sweeping damage, officials said, ahead of president Volodymyr Zelensky’s participation at Nato summit with Kyiv’s allies.
A Russian ballistic missile attack on Dnipro hit multiple civilian sites in the central Ukrainian city around midday, killing 17 people and injuring more than 200 others, officials said.
“The number of casualties is constantly being updated,” Dnipro’s regional administration head Serhii Lysak wrote on Telegram.
Among the wounded were at least 18 children, he added.
Two people were also killed in the town of Samar, around 10 km (six miles) from Dnipro, Mr Lysak said, adding that an infrastructure facility was damaged.
The rare daytime strike also damaged dozens of apartment buildings and educational facilities among other sites, according to Mayor Borys Filatov, who said the attack caused an "unprecedented amount of destruction" in the city.