Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Ursula von der Leyen proposed the ‘ReArm Europe’ scheme, hailing a ‘watershed moment’
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
The Russian ambassador has claimed that the UK is “verty good at inventing threats” as he insisted that Moscow was of no threat to other European countries.
Andrei Kelin told Sky News: “Russia does not threaten France or the United Kingdom. Here in the United Kingdom, they are very good at inventing threats.”
He continued: “All of this is silly things which have been invented by politicians whose position is very shaky right now.”
It comes as President Donald Trump increases pressure on Nato countries to increase their defence spending, reiterating his stance that the US may withdraw funding.
Ukraine’s ambassdor said the US is destroying the rules-based world order by cozying up to the Putin regime in Russia.
“It’s not just the axis of evil and Russia” disrupting the global system but “the US is finally destroying this order”, Valerii Zaluzhnyi told a conference hosted by the Chatham House think tank.
Meanwhile, defence secretary John Healey is in Washington to meet with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth as he hopes to “strengthen” the bond between the two nations.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he had been approached by other leaders all day during an EU summit in Brussels about his offer to extend French nuclear deterrence and hopes to see cooperations by the end of the first half of 2025.
He also hit back at Russian reactions to his calling Moscow an existential threat to Europe, saying the Kremlin had clearly been triggered by the fact their game had been uncovered.
Speaking in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump reiterated his stance that European partners need to step up defence spending, when questioned on whether he might withdraw US funding from Nato.
“It’s common sense right, if they don’t pay I’m not going to defend them,” he said.
Asked about Macron’s comments that France might extend its nuclear umbrella over its European partners, Trump replies that he favours “denuclearisation” instead.
“We’ve made a lot of progress with Ukraine and a lot of progress with Russia over the last couple of days and it would be great to bring that to an end so we don’t have to talk that way about nuclear,” he says.
When asked about the temporary legal status of 240,000 Ukrainians who fled to the US and the suggestion it may be revoked, he said he is “looking at that” .
He adds: “We’re not looking to hurt them, especially Ukrainians, they’ve gone through a lot.”
Russia has hit out at Sir Keir Starmer’s plan for British troops to form part of a peacekeeping force if there is a deal to end the Ukraine war.
The Prime Minister, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, has been seeking to build a “coalition of the willing” to defend a peace deal.
But Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the move would amount to the “direct, official and unveiled involvement of Nato members in the war against Russia” and “it can’t be allowed”.
Meanwhile, the Defence Secretary said he was “fixed” on seizing the opportunity for securing peace and Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine and the US will hold talks ending the war in Saudi Arabia next week.
John Healey was meeting with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth on Thursday and said ahead of their talks that Donald Trump has “asked Europe to step up, and we are”.
Speaking to Sky News, the Russian ambassador said that the UK has been “inventing threats” against Russia as he hit out at the roles Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are trying to play in negotiation deals.
Andrei Kelin said: “Russia does not threaten France or the United Kingdom. Here in the United Kingdom, they are very good at inventing threats. I have said, we are threatening in space, in the air, in the sea, all over – it looks like the UK is living in a terrible situation encircled by Russia and soon it will raise a white flag and surrender.
“All of this is silly things which have been invented by politicians whose position is very shaky right now. They do not want to deal with internal affairs, but they would like to have an international profile like big leaders of something. It makes us laugh of course. This invention of threats – Russia is not threatening anyone.”
Russian forces launched a new mass drone attack on Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa late on Thursday, damaging energy infrastructure and triggering fires, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said.
“On the outskirts of Odesa, three private homes are on fire and energy infrastructure has been damaged,” Kiper wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Kiper said information on casualties was being clarified.
In an interview on The World With Yalda Hakim, Russian ambassador Andrei Kelin accused the UK, France and other European nations of not wanting to end the war in Ukraine.
“We are prepared to negotiate and to talk,” he said. “We have our position. If we can strike a negotiated settlement… we need a very serious approach to that and a very serious agreement about all of that – and about security in Europe.”
“What we will need is a new Ukraine as a neutral, non-nuclear state,” he said. “The territorial situation should be recognised. These territories have been included in our constitution and we will continue to push that all forces of the Ukrainian government will leave these territories.”
Asked if he thought the Americans would agree to give occupied Ukrainian land to Russia, he said: “I don’t think we have discussed it seriously. [From] what I have read, the Americans actually understand the reality.”
Volodymr Zelensky says his team will meet US officials in Saudi Arabia next week for talks on ending the war.
The Ukrainian president tweeted that he would meet the Saudi Crown Prince on Monday and that his team would stay on for talks with US partners.
“Ukraine is most interested in peace. As we told POTUS, Ukraine is working and will continue to work constructively for a swift and reliable peace,” he wrote.
He said he had a productive day in Brussels meeting EU leaders and that his priority could be to establish a ceasefire in the sky and at sea.
This would mean stopping missile, long-range drone and bomb strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure as well as halting all military operations in the Black Sea, he wrote.
The EU leaders have hailed the European Commission’s proposals to give them fiscal flexibility on defence spending, and to jointly borrow up to €150 billion (£125bn) to lend to EU governments to spend on their militaries.
In a joint statement agreed by all 27 member states, the leaders called on their governments to examine these proposals in detail urgently.
European Union leaders have backed new defence spending plans aimed at freeing up billions of euros for the continent’s security after the Trump administration signalled that Europe would have to fend for itself.
The 27 leaders signed off on a move to loosen budget restrictions so that willing EU countries can increase their military spending.
They also urged the European Commission to seek new ways “to facilitate significant defence spending at national level in all Member States”, a statement said.
The EU’s executive branch estimates that around 650 billion euros (£544bn) could be freed up in this way.
EU leaders have approved a statement in support of Ukraine without the backing of Hungary, an official has said.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seen as Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in Europe and has supported talks between US and Russia.
The document has not yet been officially published but in it the 27 leaders back plans to boost defence spending and to loosen rules to allow individual countries to invest in the bloc’s security.
A statement on the European Council’s website says: “The European Union will accelerate the mobilisation of the necessary instruments and financing in order to bolster the security of the European Union and the protection of our citizens.”
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in