Ukraine war latest: British and US defence secretaries hold talks after EU's emergency Ukraine summit (2025)

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just said he plans to head to Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

"After that, my team will stay in Saudi Arabia to work with our American partners," he added in a post on social media.

We reported earlier that a top US envoy said talks between Washington and Kyiv are in the works, with Saudi to host (see18:22).

Steve Witkoff said: "We are now in discussions to coordinate a meeting with the Ukrainians in Riyadh or even potentially Jeddah."

Zelenskyy also said the war "must end as soon as possible" and repeated the suggestion there could be a ceasefire in the sky and at sea.

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 advocated for the bloc to support talks between the US and Russia.

Our Europe correspondent Siobhan Robbins said Orban's reluctance was well known heading into the meeting.

He had written an open letter outlining he couldn't back vows to continue support for Ukraine for as long as it takes.

In any case, Robbins said there has been a "sea change" across the continent over defence spending, with a "renewed focus" since Donald Trump came into power for a second time.

"It has become really apparent that they believe there is a new threat, that there is a new era," she added.

Money from frozen Russian assets held in Europe must be "unfrozen", a Ukrainian MP has just told us.

Speaking to our chief presenter Mark Austin, Lesia Vasylenko said it is a "just and fair way to tackle the aggressor".

European leaders are looking at how to utilise some £232bn of assets frozen by the G7 after Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron said last week the assets could be used as leverage in negotiations with Russia to end the war.

Some have also argued they could be dedicated to the reconstruction of Ukraine.

But Vasylenko told us: "Before we start rebuilding Ukraine, we must actually preserve Ukraine as it is as an independent country."

She also urged the UK to take a lead.

"It's a matter of political will and political will that needs to come from the UK - the UK can set the example for the rest of Europe and certainly Brussels will follow," she added.

We're now hearing from the US defence secretary, who is meeting with his UK counterpart John Healey.

Asked if Donald Trump's decision to halt military aid to Ukraine is permanent, Pete Hegseth says: "As the president has pointed out, it is a pause. Exactly what he said from the beginning. Pause - pending a true commitment to a path to peace."

He adds Trump is "paying a very keen eye" to what Kyiv is "saying and doing about committing to that peace process".

"And we're very encouraged by the signs we're seeing," he adds.

"Ultimately, he [Trump] will make the determination."

Moscow has already had much to say about comments made by Emmanuel Macron yesterday.

The French president suggestedstarting talks about using France's nuclear deterrent to protect Europe from Russian threats - comments blasted this morning as "confrontational" by Kremlin mouthpieceDmitry Peskov.

Vladimir Putin also appeared to take aim at Macron today, saying there are still people "who want to go back to the times of Napoleon, forgetting how it ended".

Now Russia's foreign ministry has said his speech contained "notes of nuclear blackmail" and reflected Paris's ambition to "become the nuclear patron of all of Europe".

The ministry also warned Macron's statement "will be taken into account by Russia in its defence planning".

Some remarks to bring you now from Donald Trump's special envoy.

Steve Witkoff, whose brief is officially for the Middle East but has been involved in negotiations with Russia, has just said a meeting with Ukraine is in the works.

Hailing Volodymyr Zelenskyy's letter to Trump - sent after their disastrous meeting in the White House last week - as a "positive first step", he continued: "We are now in discussions to coordinate a meeting with the Ukrainians in Riyadh or even potentially Jeddah."

"The city is moving around a little bit, but it will be Saudi Arabia," he added.

Washington is trying to agree a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire for Ukraine, he said.

Vladimir Putin says "some people" seem to have forgotten what happened to 19th century French emperor Napoleon, in comments seemingly directed towards Emmanuel Macron.

Yesterday, the French presidentcalled Russia a threat to Europe and raised the idea of puttingother European countries under France's nuclear umbrella in a televised address.

Speaking this afternoon, Putin said: "There are still people who want to go back to the times of Napoleon, forgetting how it ended."

Napoleon marched his French army across Russia and into Moscow in 1812 but was then forced into retreat with massive loss of life.

Senior Trumpadministration officials will travel to Saudi Arabia to meetwith Ukrainian officials next week, according to reports.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, Axios said, citing two unnamed sources.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio and others depart for Riyadh on Tuesday for the meeting, which will include top Zelenskyy aide Andriy Yermak, a Fox News reporter posted on X.

Earlier we brought you remarks from the Russian ambassador to the UK in an interview with Sky News' The World With Yalda Hakim.

Andrei Kelin said Russia wanted "quick peace" in Ukraine and the UK was at the "head of those resisting" it.

He ruled out NATO peacekeepers and said Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia should be recognised as Russian.

You can now watch the full interview below...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed an upcoming meeting among military officials from countries "willing to put in greater efforts to ensure reliable security in the context of ending this war".

The meeting will take place on Tuesday, he said, after the pair talked on the sidelines of the European Council meeting in Brussels.

"I thanked Emmanuel for his clear and principled stance in support of Ukraine and the need for new, more substantial steps to protect our entire Europe - our peoples, our institutions, and our European way of life," said Zelenskyy.

"We have an absolutely clear shared vision that real and lasting peace is possible through cooperation between Ukraine, all of Europe, and the United States. The war must end as soon as possible."