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Halt to intelligence sharing came before Macron warned Europe to be ready if US was ‘no longer on our side’
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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will join EU leaders in Brussels for emergency talks on ramping up support for Kyiv, as the US withdraws its military and intelligence aid.
Leaders of the European Union’s 27 countries will discuss how they can quickly increase their military budgets as Ukraine looks to fill the gap left by Washington.
Meanwhile, Mr Macron warned Europe had to be ready for if the US was “no longer by our side” during a televised statement on Wednesday night. Mr Macron also said he was willing to discuss offering European allies the protection of France’s nuclear capabilities.
The US suspended its intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, severely impacting the flow of vital information that Kyiv uses to defend itself from Russian attacks.
The latest blow comes after Donald Trump suspended military aid to Kyiv, but American officials have said positive talks between Washington and Kyiv mean it may only be a short suspension.
“We have taken a step back and are pausing and reviewing all aspects of this relationship,” national security adviser Mike Waltz said on Wednesday.
France is offering intelligence to Ukraine to help fill the gap, French defence minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Thursday.
The Kremlin has condemned what it called a highly confrontational speech by French president Emmanuel Macron in which he called Russia a threat to Europe and said Paris would consider putting other countries under its nuclear protection.
Mr Macron said in Wednesday’s speech that France was ready to discuss extending the protection of its nuclear arsenal to other European countries.
“The speech is really extremely confrontational. It can hardly be perceived as a speech by a head of state who is thinking about peace,” Peskov told reporters.
“Rather, from what was said, one can conclude that France is thinking more about war, about continuing the war.”
Peskov said Mr Macron’s comments about nuclear protection amounted to a “claim to nuclear leadership in Europe” which he said was “very, very confrontational.”
UK defence secretary John Healey is expected to discuss the US decision to pause intelligence-sharing with Ukraine when he meets his US counterpart on Thursday.
Mr Healey will meet with US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth for a bilateral meeting on a possible peace plan as efforts continue to bridge the rift in approach between US and Europe.
The trip was agreed last week after Sir Keir Starmer announced a rise in the UK’s defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, and comes as the US suspended intelligence-sharing and military aid to Ukraine.
As he arrived in the Capitol, Mr Healey was asked what he would say to his counterpart about the issue when they meet for talks.
“Those are discussions for tomorrow, but it’s part of a two-day programme and we’re working hard for peace,” he said.
European MPs have sent an open letter to King Philippe of Belgium calling on him to support the seizure of €250 billion in frozen Russian assets to help fund the Ukrainian war effort.
The letter calls on support for the seizure of Russian assets held in Belgium and the prompt transfer of these funds to Ukraine at this “pivotal moment for Europe’s security”, European Pravda reported.
“There is both a legal basis and a moral imperative to act. International law recognises the right of states to seize the assets of an aggressor to compensate victims and finance reconstruction. Precedent exists,” the letter writes.
It was signed by 30 around 30 members of the national parliaments in several EU countries and the European Parliament, including from France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Sweden and more.
European drone company Nordic Air Defence (NAD) has urged Ursula von der Leyen to slash urgently red tape in the defence industry, warning that “war doesn’t wait for bureaucracy”.
As EU leaders gather in Brussels on Thursday for a special council on defence, Karl Rosander, NAD’s CEO warned that if Europe “is serious about building a resilient and cutting-edge defence industry, it must create an environment where breakthrough technologies can flourish, unleashing the full potential of its world-class talent and industry.”
He urged the European commissioner to “ensure that innovation is fostered and not stifled by overregulation”, warning: “In war, the sides don’t care about bureaucracy and regulation. If something works it’s used.”
“This is especially true with drones that can be bought and adapted cheaply. We’re facing rapid innovation and proliferation and our defence needs to meet the speed of the aggression or we’ll always fall behind”, he added.
Read Tom Watling’s full report by clicking here.
Russian forces have taken control of the village of Andriivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, Moscow’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday.
For months, Russian forces have been slowly advancing in the region as Ukraine struggles to cope with the sheer manpower of the military.
The battlefield report has not been independently verified.
Europe must be ready to offer security guarantees to Ukraine, EU chief Antonio Costa said ahead of talks later today, after the US cuts its military support to Kyiv.
EU leaders are set to convene in Brussels today for an emergency summit on how to quickly ramp up their support for Ukraine after Washington ended military aid and intelligence sharing in the past few days.
In a letter inviting EU countries to the talks, Mr Costa said: “As far as Ukraine is concerned, there is a new momentum, which should lead to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.
“The EU and its member states are ready to take more responsibility for Europe’s security. We should therefore be prepared for a possible European contribution to the security guarantees that will be necessary to ensure a lasting peace in Ukraine.”
American and British volunteers have survived a Russian missile strike in Ukraine which killed four people, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
More than 30 people were injured in the strike on the central city of Kryvyi Rih, Mr Zelensky added in a post on Telegram.
“Just before the strike, volunteers from one of the humanitarian organizations checked into the hotel – citizens of Ukraine, the United States, and Britain. They survived because they managed to get out of their rooms,” Mr Zelensky wrote.
“Many civilian facilities around the hotel were damaged by the strike. Rescuers are still working at the scene – all services.
“There can be no pause in the pressure on Russia to stop this war and terror against life,” he concluded.
Ukraine also shot down 68 drones out of a total 112 launched by Russia overnight, its air force said Tuesday morning.
France is offering intelligence to Ukraine to help fill a gap left by Washington’s suspension of intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
The move was announced by French defence minister Sebastien Lecornu, who said: “We have intelligence resources that we use to help the Ukrainians.”
“It has been suspended since yesterday afternoon,” he added, referring to US intelligence-sharing with Ukraine. “I think for our British friends who are in an intelligence community with the United States, it is more complicated.”
The US suspended the sharing as it pressures Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to cooperate with president Donald Trump’s bid to convene peace talks with Russia.
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