Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been speaking in Norway – appearing to set out red lines on Crimea and nuclear power. Earlier, he said Russian strikes overnight expose Vladimir Putin’s “true attitude towards peace”. Listen to The World below as you scroll.
Thursday 20 March 2025 16:40, UK
As Sir Keir Starmer convenes another meeting of his “coalition of the willing”, we take a look at what it is – as well as who’s in and who’s out…
Vladimir Putin must not be given a veto over the presence of European peacekeepers in Ukraine if a deal is done to end the war, David Lammy said earlier today.
Speaking at a business conference in London, the UK’s foreign secretary said: “Putin should simply accept an unconditional ceasefire. That is the plan on the table, let’s get on with it, what are we waiting for?
“What we certainly can’t do is give Putin a veto over the security architecture that will govern that peace.”
The Russian president has insisted he will not accept NATO or Western troops as peacekeepers as part of any peace deal.
Lammy continued: “And of course, that means that there must be a role for those of us in Europe and beyond that want to ensure that Ukraine has the ability to defend itself and to ensure that, as we saw in 2014, Putin is not able to come back for more a few years later.”
By Paul Kelso, business and economics correspondent
British banks should abandon outdated ethical standards and increase lending to domestic defence manufacturers in a “patriotic” effort to ensure the UK can meet its security needs, defence suppliers have told Sky News.
The defence industry has long complained that environment, sustainability and governance (ESG) standards, intended to guide business impact on society, have prevented small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) raising finance.
With the government promising to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, and the chancellor keen that SMEs in the sector should contribute increased growth, the industry believes ESG rules could hold British companies back.
Lizzie Jones of Supacat, which manufactures military vehicles used by special forces and infantry, told Sky News: “We have absolutely felt the disinterest from banks to invest in the defence industry, which has been really hard to deal with over the last few years.
“We’re hoping that the tide is beginning to change, and that actually some of the patriotic feelings that we need the defence industry, particularly right now, will help persuade the banks that investing in defence industries is good for UK growth.”
More on this story here.
Prince William is in Estonia to show his support for the country and troops based there who are providing a deterrent to Russian aggression in the region.
The Prince of Wales flew to the capital Tallinn for the two-day trip on behalf of the UK government and the Foreign Office.
His visit comes at a crucial time for reassuring Estonians of Britain’s commitment to both their security and to Ukraine.
Estonia shares a 183-mile border with Russia and has been a key supporter of Ukraine.
British forces are deployed to Estonia and Poland under Operation Cabrit, the UK’s contribution to NATO’s efforts to counter Russian aggression in the Baltic states.
Around 900 British personnel rotate on a continuous basis alongside Danish, French and Estonian forces.
By Mark Stone, US correspondent
The tone has changed totally.
Yesterday saw a remarkable turnaround from the Oval Office meltdown to the perfect phone call.
President Trump is wholly transactional.
His desire for give and take far outweighs any ideological instincts.
He has no particular alignment to Ukraine or, for that matter, to Russia – he just wants a deal. Peace would stop the killing as he has said repeatedly.
It would also allow for deals which can benefit America – recouping the taxpayer money spent on Ukraine and reconnecting the American economy with Russia.
But trumping all that is his legacy and his image. He wants to be seen as the peacemaker president.
Since the Oval Office moment, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy seems now to have recognised all that.
Watch: Inside Zelenskyy and Trump’s clash
Ukraine’s approach towards Trump has changed. Zelenskyy is now playing his game – transactionalism.
The minerals deal hasn’t dissolved. The indications I am getting is that it’s essentially been upgraded and broadened to a wider scope – fuller economic cooperation.
Zelenskyy needs to encourage America deep into his country economically.
Has he bought into the idea that a US economic footprint amounts to a key part of a security guarantee?
The old adage is: “If you are not at the table, you are on the menu.”
That’s too true with President Trump.
Zelenskyy now feels like he’s at the table and I’m told he doesn’t feel coerced.
The challenges remain huge though – he doesn’t trust Putin.
That’s what he tried to tell Trump in the Oval Office. The performance that day proved to him that Trump is inclined to trust Putin.
Zelenskyy must use transactionalism to draw an impatient Trump in.
President Trump is in a hurry for a deal.
He’s inclined to accept wholly disingenuous commitments from Russia, or as one source put it to me: “Trump has a high tolerance for bullsh*t…”
That’s the jeopardy for Zelenskyy.
The French government is reportedly planning to send a “survival manual” to all households containing advice on what to do in the event of an armed conflict, natural disaster or health crisis.
While French media said the manual does not mention Russia or the Ukraine war by name, earlier this month French President Emmanuel Macron warned the nation of “the Russian threat” faced by Europe as the US disengages from the continent.
Here’s what our Europe correspondent Siobhan Robbins makes of it…
If approved, it would be sent out before the summer and provide similar information to a government website launched in 2022. There people can find an online graphic showing what to put in a survival kit including chargers, spare keys, warm clothes and six litres of water per person.
France isn’t alone in issuing these updates, Germany is doing something similar, last year using war games to test how the military and civilians responded.
It’s also working on a bunker app which will show people where to take shelter if the country is attacked and has drawn up a top-secret document called Operation Deutschland detailing how it would protect critical infrastructure and mobilise its forces in times of war.
Like France, the advice relates to a range of threats including pandemics, natural disasters, and attacks.
Last year, several Nordic countries also issued pamphlets informing civilians what to do in a crisis.
“Armed conflicts are currently being waged in our corner of the world,” the Swedish version warned. “If Sweden is attacked, everyone must do their part to defend Sweden’s independence — and our democracy… In this brochure, you learn how to prepare for, and act, in case of crisis or war.”
After three years of war in Ukraine fought in the shadow of the pandemic Europe is preparing its people for an increasingly uncertain future.
Donald Trump has started speaking remotely at a digital summit in New York.
The US president often takes the opportunity to speak about the war in Ukraine in front of the cameras, so we’ll keep across what he says just in case he turns to the conflict.
You can watch along in the YouTube live stream below.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is having a busy day.
Before his news conference in Norway, he posted on Telegram summing up his address to the EU’s European Council meeting earlier.
He said it is “necessary” that European support for Ukraine “does not decrease, but rather continues and increases”.
The Ukrainian leader called for particular help with air defence and funding for artillery shells – asking specifically for 5bn euros for this ammunition.
“Everything needed to protect the continent must be produced here, in Europe. We must work on this together,” he said.
He went on to say Europe could benefit from Ukraine’s use of drones and electronic warfare for its defence.
Zelenskyy also urged the EU not to ease sanctions pressure on Russia.
“Sanctions must remain in place until Russia begins to withdraw its troops from our soil and fully compensates for the damage caused by its aggression,” he said.
Talks on a ceasefire should not lead to an easing of pressure, he stressed.
The news conference between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store has now wrapped up in Oslo.
But after Russia and Ukraine exchanged further overnight strikes, our security and defence editor Deborah Haynes says “the war rages on”.
Haynes explains it was interesting to see Zelenskyy go out of his way to describe how the Ukrainians have been “absolutely on board” with the US ceasefire proposal.
She says Zelenskyy is “clearly underlining the fact the Ukrainians see themselves correctly as the country that was invaded”.
“The Ukrainians want the war to end, but they want it to end but they want it to end on terms that are fair and durable,” she adds.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now asked about reports that Donald Trump is considering recognising Crimea as Russian territory in a bid to satisfy Vladimir Putin.
He’s asked specifically on whether he’s discussed this with Trump.
“That is a Ukrainian peninsula, President Trump did not raise this with me,” he says.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
He did say that in a previous call with the US president he outlined why Ukraine sees it as integral.
Interestingly, in a move that could be interpreted by some as a bid to appeal to Trump’s real estate background, he starts talking about the potential for tourism if it was back in Kyiv’s hands.
“You can do many things. Five star hotels, many different buildings,” he says, but without Ukrainians, the tourists won’t come.
Zelenskyy adds the area is declining in Russian hands.
“Everything is just dying out.”
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