US secretary of state Marco Rubio told the Munich Security Conference that the US has “no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West’s managed decline.”
Rubio told European leaders that America wants to “revitalise an old friendship and renew the greatest civilisation in human history”, as he called for strength from them.
He said: “We want allies who can defend themselves, so that no adversary will ever be tempted to test our collective strength.
“This is why we do not want our allies to be shackled by guilt and shame.”
“And this is why we do not want allies to rationalise the broken status quo, rather than reckon with what is necessary to fix it. For we in America have no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West’s managed decline.”
European leaders have also met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss efforts to end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia as the four-year anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion nears.
The Ukrainian president, meanwhile, agreed to hold elections if Donald Trump managed to push Vladimir Putin to a ceasefire.
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Key Points
- What to expect from Munich today
- Analysis: Rubio gave a more respectful speech than JD Vance - but the motifs remained the same
- Rubio warns against 'managed decline of the West'
- Rubio warns leaders at Munich they need to ‘build a new Western century’
- Rubio skips Ukraine meeting with European leaders at Munich conference
Starmer: 'This time must be different'
09:36 , Dan HaygarthThe prime minister began he speech by saying the idea of war has been a remote one for most people, describing it as "something that concerns us deeply, but happens far away.”
However, he says that has changed and people can feel the "very ground that we stand on softening under our feet".
He said: “Time and again, leaders have looked the other way, only rearming when disaster is upon them. This time must be different."
Starmer gets round of applause
09:33 , Dan HaygarthThe prime minister received a round of applause after telling the room that the Britain is not the UK of the Brexit years any more.
He says that there is no strong Europe without Britain and no strong Britain without Europe.
Sir Keir Starmer is making his address
09:26 , Daniel HaygarthThe prime minister’s speech has begun, slightly later than expected.
Europe must relinquish its over-dependence on the United States, Sir Keir is to tell a summit grappling with antagonism from Donald Trump.
Rubio suggested West had been complacent since Cold War ended
09:21 , Daniel HaygarthHe told the conference: “The euphoria of this triumph led us to a dangerous delusion that we had entered, quote, The End of History, that every nation would now be a liberal democracy, that the ties formed by trade and by commerce alone would now replace nationhood, that the rules-based global order – an overused term – would now replace the national interest, and that we would now live in a world without borders, where everyone became a citizen of the world.”
US and Europe's fates will 'always be intertwined', Rubio says
09:20 , Daniel HaygarthIn his speech, Rubio insisted the fate of the United States and Europe “will always be intertwined”, as he said that Donald Trump “demands seriousness and reciprocity from our friends here in Europe” because “we care deeply about your future and ours”.
He also, however, hit out at the United Nations, and warned that the “rules-based global order” which grew out of the end of the Cold War had been a “dangerous delusion”.
Rubio: Not possible for Russia to achieve initial aims in Ukraine
09:16 , Dan HaygarthRubio said he does not think it is possible for Russia to achieve what its initial objectives were at the start of the war.
On the effort to end the conflict, he said: “It’s an obligation that we won’t walk away from.”
Analysis: Rubio gave a more respectful speech than JD Vance - but the motifs remained the same
09:05 , Dan HaygarthAnalysis by Sam Kiley in Kyiv:
Marco Rubio gave a rallying cry for western unity and an alliance to resist “civilisational erasure” as Europe pivots away from American leadership at the Munich Security Conference.
He drew a standing ovation after insisting that the shared colours and heritage of the old and new worlds were intrinsic to the future security of the western hemisphere. But there was a string sense image the applause he got was for not being JD Vance, the US vice president.
Donald Trump’s Secretary of State gave a more respectful and nuanced apparently pro-European speech compared to the vulgarity and disrespect shown by Vance in the same forum last year.
But the motifs remained the same. America can do this alone, it doesn’t want to but it can and will - if necessary. Colonialism has a bad rap. The West must stand together to fight off waves of immigration to will wipe it out. Climate change is a cult and the UN is useless.
None of these views is shared by any government in Europe, save Hungary, share these views which are, however, high on the agenda of the region’s far right populist parties.
Immigration is an urgent threat to the fabric of our societies and survival of our civilisation itself, he said.
Signing up to more of a future led my America quills mean accepting Trump’s view of the world in which international law was subordinated to national agendas and he warned “we are prepared to do this alone”.
What to expect from Munich today
09:02 , Dan HaygarthUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio has finished his address. Tony Blair is also speaking at the conference this morning.
He will be followed by Sir Keir Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen. Sir Keir is expected to speak after 9am.
In his speech to the summit, the Prime Minister will call for a more European defence alliance and greater autonomy for the continent.
Sir Keir will say that this should be underpinned by stronger ties between Britain and the EU.
He is expected to say: “We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore.
“Because we know that, in dangerous times, we would not take control by turning inward – we would surrender it. And I won’t let that happen.
“There is no British security without Europe, and no European security without Britain. That is the lesson of history – and it is today’s reality too.”
Volodymyr Zelensky and Mark Rutte are expected to speak at 11:45am.
Marco Rubio warns European leaders against ‘malaise of hopelessness and complacency’ in wide-ranging attack in Munich
08:58 , Dan HaygarthWhitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
Rubio has used his speech in Munich to issue a warning to European leaders on defence, welfare, climate change and a host other issues.
As he told them America had no interest in being caretakers of the West’s managed decline, he also hit out at what he said was a “malaise of hopelessness and complacency”.
He criticised countries he said had not spent enough on defence, had spent too much on welfare, had appeased a climate 'cult' to their own economic detriment, had allowed too much immigration and had not defended their history.
He also warned that decline was a “choice” that previous Western leaders had refused to make.
Last year US vice-president JD Vance stunned delegates in Munich by warning Europe the greatest peril facing the continent was not Russia or China but “the threat from within”.
Rubio’s message may have been draped in more diplomatic language, but it was equally designed to make Europe sit up and take notice.
Keir Starmer to speak at 9am
08:50 , Dan HaygarthEurope must relinquish its overdependence on the United States, Sir Keir Starmer is to tell the summit grappling with antagonism from President Donald Trump.
The Prime Minister will also argue for the UK to move closer to the European Union, saying turning inwards such as in the Brexit years would amount to a “surrender” of control in a perilous era for geopolitics.
He will address the room at 9am.
'The fate of Europe will never be irrelevant to our own'
08:42 , Dan Haygarth“We want Europe to be strong”, Mr Rubio told the conference.
“We believe that Europe must survive because the two great wars of the last century serve for us as history’s constant reminder that, ultimately, our destiny is and will always be intertwined with yours.
“Because we know that the fate of Europe will never be irrelevant to our own.”
Rubio said he does not want Europe to be 'weak'
08:39 , Daniel HaygarthRubio told the conference: “We do not want our allies to be weak, because that makes us weaker.
“We want allies who can defend themselves, so that no adversary will ever be tempted to test our collective strength. This is why we do not want our allies to be shackled by guilt and shame.
“We want allies who are proud of their culture and of their heritage, who understand that we are heirs to the same great and noble civilisation, and who together with us are willing and able to defend it.
“And this is why we do not want allies to rationalise the broken status quo, rather than reckon with what is necessary to fix it. For we in America have no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West’s managed decline.
“We do not seek to separate but to revitalise an old friendship and renew the greatest civilisation in human history.”
Rubio: UN has 'no answers to most pressing matters'
08:33 , Dan HaygarthRubio: 'We made these mistakes together'
08:28 , Dan HaygarthMr Rubio acknowledged that “we made these mistakes together, and now together, we owe it to our people to face those facts and to move forward to rebuild”.
He added: “Under President Trump, the United States of America will once again take on the task of renewal and restoration, driven by a vision of a future as proud, as sovereign and as vital as our civilization’s past.
“And while we are prepared, if necessary, to do this alone, it is our preference, and it is our hope to do this together with you, our friends here in Europe.”
Rubio warns against 'managed decline of the west'
08:25 , Dan HaygarthThe US Secretary of State hit out at a “dangerous delusion” that every country has followed the international rules-based order and freed trade since the end of the Cold War, and criticised the “overused” phrase “the end of history”.
Rubio said that “decline is a choice”, adding: “For we in America have no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the west’s managed decline.”
He tells the conference: “We do not want our allies to be weak, because that makes us weaker.
“We want allies who can defend themselves, so that no adversary will ever be tempted to test our collective strength.
“This is why we do not want our allies to be shackled by guilt and shame.”
Rubio warns leaders at Munich they need to ‘build a new Western century’
08:22 , Dan HaygarthWhitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
Rubio has warned at the Munich Security Conference that European leaders need to join with the US to “build a new Western century”.
He hit out at countries which he said had allowed mass migration and a climate change “cult” to affect their economic and defence capabilities.
He also called on global institutions like the UN to be reformed and rebuilt, saying they could not could not solve the war in Gaza or Ukraine.
'Europe must survive'
08:16 , Dan HaygarthThe US and Europe “belong together”, Marco Rubio tells the conference.
“Europe must survive”, he says.
“Our destiny will always be intertwined with yours.”
More than 177,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine identified by media investigation
08:15 , Stuti MishraMore than 177,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine have been identified by independent media investigators, according to an updated tally published on Friday.
Russian outlet Mediazona, working with the BBC’s Russian service, said it had confirmed the identities of 177,433 Russian military personnel killed since the start of the full-scale invasion. The count is based on publicly available sources, including obituaries, relatives’ posts, regional media reports and statements from local authorities.
Since their previous update earlier this month, the names of 9,291 additional Russian soldiers have been added to the list. The outlets stress that the true number of dead is likely to be significantly higher, as their figures only include cases that can be independently verified.
The confirmed toll includes more than 57,200 volunteers, around 21,400 recruited prisoners and about 17,000 mobilised soldiers. A total of 6,414 officers have also been identified among the dead.
Moscow does not publish official casualty figures. Ukraine’s General Staff said on 13 February that Russia had lost about 1,250,950 troops since February 2022, a figure that includes killed, wounded, missing and captured.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with France TV on 4 February that at least 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the start of the war. Kyiv had largely avoided publicly detailing its losses during the first two years of the invasion.
Mediazona published its full list of identified casualties for the first time this month, marking nearly four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, and said volunteers manually verify each entry to avoid duplication.
Marco Rubio begins speaking at the conference
08:11 , Daniel HaygarthThe US secretary of state is on stage addressing world leaders.
Rubio to meet with Zelensky in Munich today, US official says
07:43 , Stuti MishraUS secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference today, a US official confirmed yesterday.
ICYMI: Zelensky says he would hold an election if there was a 'two- or three-month ceasefire'
07:00 , Stuti MishraVolodymyr Zelensky has offered to hold an election if there is a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
In an interview with Politico at the Munich Security Conference, the Ukrainian president called for Donald Trump to ramp up its pressure on Russia, and said he would hold elections if Trump successfully pushed Vladimir Putin to a two- or three-month ceasefire.
When asked about whether there was any process in talks and whether Ukraine would hold an election this Summer, Trump said on Friday Zelensky better “get moving” if he wanted a peace agreement.
“He said something to me?” Zelensky responded in the interview, adding that it would be a “great idea” to hold elections.”
Zelensky said there would only be elections “when the war stops”, which wouldn’t require “necessarily an end to the war,” but that would need a ceasefire.
He said separately on Friday that Trump wanted to agree to a peace deal “all at once”, as he “like things in one big package,” like he did with his “one, big, beautiful bill”.
Trump wants peace deal 'in one big package' like the 'one, big, beautiful bill'
06:30 , Stuti MishraVolodymyr Zelensky said Donald Trump wanted to agree to a peace deal “all at once”, as he “like things in one big package,” like he did with his “one, big, beautiful bill”.
His comments, which were reported by The Guardian, come after the US president warned Zelensky he was “going to have to get moving” if he wanted to reach a peace agreement with Russia.
But speaking from the Munich Security Conference, the Ukrainian president said that the process of talks was important as it needed to provide Ukraine with genuine reassurance, the newspaper reported.
Video: Zelensky slams Olympics officials after Ukrainian disqualified over war memorial helmet
06:00 , Stuti MishraVolodymyr Zelensky pushed back on the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to disqualify Ukrainian athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych from competing in the Winter Olympics.
Heraskevych was disqualified from competing in the skeleton heaton Thursday (12 February) for wearing a helmet honouring Ukrainian athletes who died during the ongoing war with Russia.
The IOC reiterated to Heraskevych and the Ukrainian delegation that his helmet violated rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter, which states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”
Supporting Heraskevych, the Ukrainian president said, “It is not politics to speak about what is actually happening.”
Zelensky slams Olympics officials for disqualifying Ukrainian athlete
Rubio skips Ukraine meeting with European leaders at Munich conference
05:31 , Stuti MishraUS secretary of state Marco Rubio skipped a Berlin Format meeting on Ukraine held on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, according to the Financial Times.
Rubio had been expected to join leaders from around a dozen European countries, including Germany, Poland and Finland, as well as officials from the European Commission and Nato. The newspaper reported that he cancelled at the last minute, citing scheduling conflicts.
“The secretary won’t be attending the Berlin Format meeting on Ukraine given the number of meetings he has happening at the same time,” a US official told the Financial Times. “He’s engaging on Russia-Ukraine in many of his meetings here in Munich.”
One European official described the cancellation as “insane”, while another told the newspaper that without US participation the meeting lacked substance.
The reported decision comes amid broader strains in the transatlantic relationship and concerns in some European capitals that Washington may be recalibrating its approach to the war.
Rubio separately met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Munich to discuss Ukraine, negotiations with Russia and continued support for Kyiv, including military aid. After the meeting, Rubio wrote on X that they discussed “our shared efforts to secure supply chains, advance efforts to end the Russia–Ukraine war, and strengthen the partnership between the United States and Europe.”
Zelensky slams ‘utterly stupid idea’ he would announce elections on anniversary of Putin’s invasion
05:00 , Stuti MishraReports citing Ukrainian and European officials claimed the president intended to announce the plans on 24 February, after the Trump administration issued a June deadline for a finalised peace agreement.
But, without ruling out an announcement at some point, Ukraine’s leader has pushed back on the date itself.
Read more:
Zelensky slams ‘utterly stupid idea’ he would announce elections on war anniversary
Geneva talks come as US pushes for progress and war nears four-year mark
04:30 , Stuti MishraThe latest round of US-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine in Geneva comes as Washington increases pressure for movement towards a deal and the war approaches its fourth year.
Ukrainian officials have said the United States has urged both sides to make progress in the coming months, with president Donald Trump publicly pushing for an agreement to end Moscow’s invasion. The new discussions follow two earlier rounds in Abu Dhabi that reportedly focused on military issues such as ceasefire monitoring and possible buffer zones.
The timing is also notable as fighting continues along the roughly 1,200km front line, with Russia maintaining strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and Kyiv carrying out long-range attacks on military and energy-related targets.
No significant compromise on territory has been signalled, particularly over the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, which remains a central point of disagreement.
Separate Iran and Ukraine-Russia talks set for Tuesday in Geneva
04:00 , Stuti MishraTwo sets of diplomatic talks – on Iran and on the war in Ukraine – are expected to take place in Geneva on Tuesday, according to a Reuters report quoting a source briefed on the matter.
A US delegation including envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner is set to meet Iranian officials on Tuesday morning, the source said. Representatives from Oman will be present to mediate the US-Iran contacts.
Witkoff and Kushner are then expected to take part in trilateral talks in the afternoon with representatives from Russia and Ukraine, the source added.
President Donald Trump has been increasing pressure on Iran following its crackdown on protesters and has expanded the US naval presence in the region. He is also seeking to push Kyiv and Moscow towards an agreement to end Russia’s four-year invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian missile attack kills two, injures five in Russia's Belgorod, governor says
03:30 , Stuti MishraA Ukrainian missile attack killed two people and injured five on Friday in the Russian city of Belgorod near the border, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
Mr Gladkov, speaking in a video posted on Telegram, said the men were members of crews restoring damaged heating and electricity networks the city.
Restoration work will resume on Saturday as it was too dangerous for crews to be operating at night, Mr Gladkov said.
Mr Gladkov had earlier said that the attack caused serious damage to energy facilities, and that electricity, heating and water supplies were cut. Three apartment buildings in the city sustained damage.
The unofficial SHOT Telegram channel said residents reported a series of loud explosions in the city and air defences were in operation.
Belgorod, about 40km (25 miles) from the border, has come under requent attack from Ukrainian forces.
Starmer joins Ukraine talks with Rubio and Zelensky at security summit
03:00 , Holly EvansSir Keir Starmer met the Ukrainian president and European leaders at a major defence summit.
Efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia are high on the agenda at the Munich Security Conference as the four-year anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion nears.
The future of transatlantic ties is also the focus of discussions as Europe grapples with antagonism from Donald Trump’s White House.
The US delegation is being led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who pointed to a “new era in geopolitics” before his arrival.
Read the full story here:
Starmer joins Ukraine talks with Rubio and Zelensky at security summit
Watch: Rubio warns ‘old world is gone’ ahead of Zelensky meeting
02:00 , Holly EvansA new round of US-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine is set for Geneva next week
01:00 , Holly EvansAnother round of U.S.-brokered talks between envoys from Russia and Ukraine will take place next week in Geneva, days ahead of the fourth anniversary of the all-out Russian invasion of its neighbor, officials in Moscow and Kyiv said on Friday.
The meeting will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s communications adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, confirmed the new round of negotiations.
Read the full article here:
A new round of US-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine is set for Geneva next week
Freezing on the front line: The Ukrainians struggling to survive in -26C cold
00:00 , Holly EvansAs three-way peace talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US stall, freezing Ukrainians say they are struggling to feed their families while Putin’s relentless assault continues.
Russian forces began the year by ramping up their strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, plunging large swathes of the country into darkness.
Ukraine is suffering its coldest winter in more than a decade, and without power, many of its people have been unable to cook meals while temperatures plummet as low as -26C.
Read the full story here:
Freezing on front line: The Ukrainians struggling to survive Putin’s war in -26C cold
Zelensky says he would hold an election if there was a 'two- or three-month ceasefire'
Friday 13 February 2026 23:14 , Harriette BoucherVolodymyr Zelensky has offered to hold an election if there is a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
In an interview with Politico at the Munich Security Conference, the Ukrainian president called for Donald Trump to ramp up its pressure on Russia, and said he would hold elections if Trump successfully pushed Vladimir Putin to a two- or three-month ceasefire.
When asked about whether there was any process in talks and whether Ukraine would hold an election this Summer, Trump said on Friday Zelensky better “get moving” if he wanted a peace agreement.
“He said something to me?” Zelensky responded in the interview, adding that it would be a “great idea” to hold elections.”
Zelensky said there would only be elections “when the war stops”, which wouldn’t require “necessarily an end to the war,” but that would need a ceasefire.
He said separately on Friday that Trump wanted to agree to a peace deal “all at once”, as he “like things in one big package,” like he did with his “one, big, beautiful bill”.
UK to double number of troops in Norway in response to Putin’s Arctic threat
Friday 13 February 2026 23:00 , Holly EvansBritain is set to double the number of its troops in Norway to bolster defences in the High North against Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
The commitment will see the number of UK forces in the country rise from 1,000 to 2,000 over the next three years.
Defence Secretary John Healey, speaking during a visit to Royal Marines at Camp Viking in the Norwegian Arctic, also pledged UK participation in Nato’s Arctic Sentry mission.
This alliance initiative seeks to improve regional security and address concerns raised by Donald Trump regarding Greenland.
Read the full article here:
UK to double number of troops in Norway in response to Putin’s Arctic threat
Zelensky slams Olympics officials after Ukrainian disqualified over war memorial helmet
Friday 13 February 2026 22:00 , Holly Evans Zelensky slams Olympics officials for disqualifying Ukrainian athlete
Starmer says Europe must 'take advantage of our huge defence capability'
Friday 13 February 2026 21:19 , Holly EvansEurope must make the most of its defence capability, Sir Keir Starmer told an E3 meeting at the Munich summit in which the leaders agreed the continent must take more responsibility for its own defence, according to Downing Street.
A No 10 spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Munich Security Conference this afternoon.
“Addressing the scale of the challenge facing Europe, they reaffirmed their commitment to continue working together, alongside other partners, to enhance our collective defence and security.
“They agreed that Europe needs to step up and do more to share the burden while protecting the enduring strength of the Euro-Atlantic partnership.
“We must take advantage of our huge defence capability in order to bolster our shared security and deliver for people at home, the Prime Minister added.
“They confirmed their enduring support for Ukraine, especially in the face of Russia’s horrific recent attacks, and the ongoing work to secure a just and lasting peace.
“They looked forward to further discussions in Munich this weekend.”
Rubio to meet with Zelensky in Munich on Saturday, US official says
Friday 13 February 2026 20:52 , Holly EvansU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, a U.S. official said on Friday.
Ukraine expects final IMF deal approval in coming weeks
Friday 13 February 2026 20:31 , Holly EvansUkraine expects its new $8.2 billion programme with the International Monetary Fund to be formally approved in weeks, its debt chief has said.
The agreement, which is set to replace an existing $15.6 billion IMF facility, will help Kyiv maintain economic stability and public spending against what is expected to be a near $140 billion budget shortfall over the next few years.
In an interview with Reuters, Ukraine's long-serving debt management head, Yuriy Butsa, said formal IMF Board sign-off on the money should come very soon.
"I would expect it in a matter of weeks," Butsa said during an interview in London where he was attending meetings. "I think February is still doable in terms of a timeline."
The IMF declined to comment on the potential timing of a formal approval. The four-year anniversary of the war is February 24. Since Moscow's invasion, Ukraine has required hundreds of billions of dollars of support from Western governments and institutions and a more than $20 billion sovereign debt restructuring.
"As of now we are waiting for the new IMF programme, but we already agreed on all the numbers for this and next year and will cover it (budget deficit) from existing commitments," Butsa said, also praising the EU's new 90 billion euro loan.
He said he wasn't getting carried away by talk of a potential U.S.-brokered ceasefire ahead of this month's anniversary. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday the U.S. needed to put more pressure on Russia if it wanted the war to end by summer, adding it was unclear whether Moscow would attend U.S.-brokered peace talks next week.
"We need to plan everything cautiously, we cannot get over-optimistic about any news flow," Butsa said, explaining a ceasefire wouldn't end the financial pressures anyway.
"The reason for that is, even for a ceasefire, we believe that we need to maintain a strong and large army and we will still need to re-arm ourselves."
Time for Europe to become geopolitical power, Macron says
Friday 13 February 2026 20:14 , Holly EvansEurope must turn its focus to long-term strategic thinking, including creating deep-strike capabilities and assessing how France's nuclear deterrent can fit into the bloc's future security architecture, France's president said on Friday.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, president Emmanuel Macron dismissed accusations that Europe was decaying and defended its push to tackle disinformation and the excesses of social media that were harming Western democracies.
"This is the right time for audacity. This is the right time for a strong Europe," Macron said. "Europe has to learn to become a geopolitical power. It was not part of our DNA."
Macron, who is set to enter his final year in office, said Europe would still face an aggressive Russia even if there were a deal on the Ukraine war and that it could not cave into Russian demands or allow a short-term accord that would not resolve core issues.
"The Europeans must start this work with their own thinking and their own interests. So my proposal today is to launch a series of consultations on this important issue, which we have started to flesh out with our British and German colleagues, but in the broader European consultation with all the colleagues here, with a lot of capacities, a lot of strategic thinking," Macron said.
Trump wants peace deal 'in one big package' like the 'one, big, beautiful bill'
Friday 13 February 2026 19:57 , Harriette BoucherVolodymyr Zelensky said Donald Trump wanted to agree to a peace deal “all at once”, as he “like things in one big package,” like he did with his “one, big, beautiful bill”.
His comments, which were reported by The Guardian, come after the US president warned Zelensky he was “going to have to get moving” if he wanted to reach a peace agreement with Russia.
But speaking from the Munich Security Conference, the Ukrainian president said that the process of talks was important as it needed to provide Ukraine with genuine reassurance, the newspaper reported.
In pictures: World leaders gather at the Munich Security Conference
Friday 13 February 2026 19:44 , Harriette Boucher Europe will still have to contend with an aggressive Russia, says Macron
Friday 13 February 2026 19:13 , Harriette BoucherEmmanuel Macron said western countries will still have a deal with an aggressive Russia even if it was no longer attacking Ukraine.
Speaking from the Munich Security Conference on Friday, the French president said that Europe must put pressure on Russia rather than cave in to their demands.
”We should exhibit strength and tenacity on Ukraine,” he said.
"This is the right time for audacity. This is the right time for a strong Europe.”
US senator says supporters of Russia must face 'a price to pay'
Friday 13 February 2026 18:53 , Holly EvansUS Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen says she's worried about what the outcome of any peace agreement would be.
"We are here because we support Ukraine. I want to make sure that whatever outcome happens, it's one that Ukrainians are comfortable with," she told the Munich Security Conference.
"I applaud Donald Trump for his effort to get the parties to the table, but the US and the Trump administration should be putting more pressure on Vladimir Putin.
"We need to ensure there is a price to pay for supporting Russia's war machine."
She stressed that the issue was also one of American security, and was also being watched carefully by Chinese president Xi Jinping.
"If he thinks the West is going to walk away from Ukraine, he is absolutely sure we're going to walk away from Taiwan and walk away from the Indo-Pacific,” she said.
"What we're doing in supporting Ukraine is to make sure we send a message to dictators around the world that the free world is not going to accept what they're doing."
Cooper fails to rule out UK troops boarding Russian shadow fleet vessels
Friday 13 February 2026 18:31 , Holly EvansYvette Cooper avoided ruling out the possibility of the British armed forces becoming involved in securing Russian shadow fleet vessels.
Asked whether UK troops could seize Russian boats in the future, Cooper says the UK has "already provided support for action against the Russian shadow fleet".
Pushed on whether that means UK troops would be willing to stop, raid and seize a shadow vessel, Cooper failed to commit but said: "We will look continually at every opportunity we can to put pressure on the shadow fleet.”
She added that while Europeans know "we need to invest more in defence", peace cannot be reached without security guarantees.
"Ukraine needs the security of knowing this is not just a peace for Putin to rearm and come again, in order to get to the peace agreement in the first place, we need that, as well as much greater pressure on Putin.”
Volodymyr Zelensky criticises IOC decision to disqualify Ukrainian athlete
Friday 13 February 2026 18:29 , Alex CroftRead everything you need to know in five bullet points:
Volodymyr Zelensky criticises IOC decision to disqualify Ukrainian athlete
Yvette Cooper 'hugely sceptical' of Putin's commitment to peace
Friday 13 February 2026 18:22 , Holly EvansForeign minister Yvette Cooper has said she was “hugely sceptical” of Putin’s commitment to peace and called for continued pressure on the Russian economy.
She told the Munich Security Conference: “I really hope that these talks can make progress and can get to a peace agreement, but I still think we are going to need to keep intensifying that economic pressure on Russia, including tightening the chokehold on oil and gas, tightening the chokehold on the Russian shadow fleet, keeping up that economic pressure with additional sanctions, and I hope to a maritime services ban as well, so we keep ramping up the pressure on Russia’s economy.
“The economy has already been heavily hit, but we need to keep that pressure up further.”
Trump says Zelensky 'going to have to get moving' to secure peace deal
Friday 13 February 2026 17:48 , Holly EvansDonald Trump has said that Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky' is "going to have to get moving" if he hopes to reach a peace agreement.
It comes after Zelensky said last week that the White House has set Russia and Ukraine a June deadline to reach an agreement to end the war, which has been ongoing since 2022.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump was asked about the possibility of elections in Ukraine and said: "Zelensky's going to have to get moving, Russia wants to make a deal, and Zelensky's going to have to get moving otherwise he's going to miss a great opportunity."
US not powerful enough to survive without Nato warns German chancellor
Friday 13 February 2026 17:45 , Alex CroftPutin envoy Dmitriev expected to hold talks with US delegation in Geneva in near future, source says
Friday 13 February 2026 17:14 , Holly EvansRussian president Vladimir Putin's special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, is expected to hold talks with U.S. officials in Geneva in the near future, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.
The source said Dmitriev, who heads the Russian side of the Russia-U.S. working group on economic issues, will not however join the official Russian delegation which is due to take part in next week's trilateral talks with Ukraine.
The Kremlin said earlier on Friday that Vladimir Medinsky, a Kremlin aide, would head the Russian delegation at talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States on ending the war in Ukraine in Geneva next week.
Merz calls for nuclear shield for Europe
Friday 13 February 2026 17:01 , Alex CroftGerman chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that Berlin had begun confidential talks with France about a European nuclear deterrent, saying the region had to become stronger in order to reset its relationship with the United States.
In a speech to open the Munich Security Conference, Mr Merz also called on Washington to "repair and revive trust" in a dangerous new era of great power politics, warning the US could not go it alone as the old global order crumbles.
The speech underscored how European leaders are increasingly looking to carve an independent path after a year of unprecedented upheaval in transatlantic ties, while also striving to maintain their alliance with Washington.
"I have begun confidential talks with the French President on European nuclear deterrence," Mr Merz said.
"We Germans are adhering to our legal obligations. We see this as strictly embedded within our nuclear sharing in NATO. And we will not allow zones of differing security to emerge in Europe."
Zelensky meets Iranian opposition figure Pahlavi
Friday 13 February 2026 16:50 , Holly EvansPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said he held a meeting with Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last Shah and a prominent voice in the opposition, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
"We discussed the importance of strengthening sanctions against the Iranian regime and any other dictatorial regimes," he said on X, adding that they both condemned cooperation between Russia and Iran.
California governor syas there has 'never been a more destructive president' than Trump
Friday 13 February 2026 16:37 , Holly EvansOn the main stage of the Munich Security Conference, California governor Gavin Newsom said that Donald Trump is “doubling down on stupid”.
He said: “Never in the history of the United States of America has there been a more destructive president than the current occupant in the White House in Washington, DC.”
In a conversation that was largely focused on climate change, he said that Trump “is trying to recreate the 19 century.”
“We’re proving at scale that we can implement, we can compete and we can dominate, but Donald Trump is trying to turn back the clock.”
He added:“I hope, if there’s nothing else I can communicate today, Donald Trump is temporary. He’ll be gone in three years.”
He also called on other world and corporate leaders to “call out” the U.S. president, stating: “We’re all becoming Chamberlains in this place, corporate leaders have to stand up.”