Ukraine war live: Zelenskyy to meet Starmer, Macron and Merz in London over peace push

From 3h agoMorning opening: London talksJakub KrupaUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to meet UK’s Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Friedrich Merz for talks in London about the war in Ukraine.The meeting comes after three days of discussions between US and Ukrainian representatives in Florida without an apparent breakthrough amid an intensified push from Washington to end the war but with major territorial concessions from Kyiv.Donald Trump once again sought to put pressure on Zelenskyy, suggesting publicly that the Ukrainian president “isn’t ready” to sign off on a US-authored peace plan. “I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn’t yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago. His people love it, but he hasn’t,” the US president claimed to reporters on Sunday night. (Somewhat sidestepping the public rejection of the plan by Russia.)The leaders are expected around early lunchtime and will talk behind the closed doors to plan the next steps.I will cover the meeting here, bringing you all the latest pictures and lines on what’s going on at Downing Street.Zelenskyy is later expected to visit Brussels and Rome. On Sunday Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni spoke with Zelenskyy by phone and reaffirmed Italy’s solidarity after what she called a fresh wave of “indiscriminate” Russian strikes on civilian targets, her office said.Separately, I will also keep an eye on the EU’s reactions to Elon Musk and senior US officials’s comments about the bloc over the weekend. The billionaire was particularly active on the back of a €120m fine against his social media platform X, repeatedly calling for the EU to be abolished.And, finally, EU ministers are meeting in Brussels to sign off plans on migration and asylum laws.I will bring you all the key updates throughout the day.It’s Monday, 8 December 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.Good morning.Key events26m agoZelenskyy to meet Nato, EU leaders in Brussels later today46m agoTerritory remains 'most problematic' issue for ending Ukraine war, official says1h agoThe Netherlands to spend €700m on military support for Ukraine in early 20262h agoEU 'cannot accept threat to interfere in European politics,' EU's Costa says2h agoKremlin welcomes US security strategy with its pointed criticism of Europe2h agoSeven EU countries back reparations loan for Ukraine as 'politically realistic solution'3h agoMorning opening: London talksShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureZelenskyy to meet Nato, EU leaders in Brussels later todayUkraine’s Zelenskyy will come to Brussels late on Monday for further meetings after his talks with British, French and German leaders in London, Nato has just confirmed.He will be meeting with the alliance’s secretary general Mark Rutte and the EU leaders, commission president Ursula von der Leyen, and council president António Costa, it said.Territory remains 'most problematic' issue for ending Ukraine war, official saysThe issue of territory is still the “most problematic” in talks on ending the Russia-Ukraine war, an official familiar with the negotiations told AFP, ahead of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting with European allies in London following US-Ukraine talks.Territory is “the most problematic issue. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin does not want to enter into an agreement without territory. So they are looking for any options to ensure that Ukraine cedes territory,” the official, speaking on condition of anonymity said.“The Americans are pressuring, like ’faster, faster, faster,’” the source added, saying that Ukraine “cannot agree to everything without working out the details.”The Netherlands to spend €700m on military support for Ukraine in early 2026The Netherlands will earmark another 700m euros ($815m) to provide Ukraine with military support in the first quarter of 2026, the Dutch government said in comments reported by Reuters.The government had earlier pledged 3.5 billion euros in support for next year, but a large part of that money has already been spent this year.EU 'cannot accept threat to interfere in European politics,' EU's Costa saysEuropean Council president António Costa on Monday rejected any attempt by the United States to meddle in Europe’s politics, after Washington published a new security strategy sharply criticising the continent’s policies, AFP reported.“What we cannot accept is the threat to interfere in European politics,” Costa told a conference in Brussels.“The United States cannot replace European citizens in choosing which parties are good and which are bad,” Costa said.“The United States cannot replace Europe in what’s its vision is of freedom of expression,” he added.Costa said that the fact Russia had welcomed Washington’s new outlook as “largely consistent” with its own vision was a worrying sign.Kremlin welcomes US security strategy with its pointed criticism of EuropeLate last week, the new US national security strategy caused quite a stir, with its claims that Europe faces “civilisational erasure” within the next two decades as a result of migration and EU integration, and suggestions in a policy document that the US must “cultivate resistance” within the continent to “Europe’s current trajectory”.In the latest development, which won’t exactly allay Europe’s concerns, the Kremlin has heaped praise on the US strategy, calling it an encouraging change of policy that largely aligns with Russian thinking.“The adjustments that we see correspond in many ways to our vision,” the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said on Sunday. He welcomed signals that the Trump administration was “in favour of dialogue and building good relations”. He warned, however, that the supposed US “deep state” could try to sabotage Trump’s vision.Seven EU countries back reparations loan for Ukraine as 'politically realistic solution'Jennifer Rankinin BrusselsThe leaders of seven EU countries have said a reparations loan for Ukraine based on Russian frozen assets is the most “politically realistic solution” to meet Kyiv’s urgent funding needs.Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives for an EU Summit at the European Council building in Brussels earlier this year. Photograph: Omar Havana/APThe prime ministers of Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden, said they strongly supported the European commission’s proposal for a reparations loan funded by the cash balances from the immobilised Russian assets in the EU.The declaration of support was made in a letter to the European Council president, António Costa, and commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, ahead of an EU summit next week, when Ukraine’s financing needs will be top of the agenda.The reparations loan is “the most financially feasible and politically realistic solution [and] it addresses the fundamental principle of Ukraine’s right to compensation for damages caused by the aggression” states the letter.Last week German chancellor Friedrich Merz, who also backs the idea, flew to Brussels in an effort to persuade Belgium’s prime minister, Bart De Wever, to drop his opposition. No dramatic changes in position had been expected from the dinner meeting, also attended by von der Leyen. Most of the frozen assets in the EU are hosted in Belgium, which argues the plan is too risky and would complicate efforts to end the war.The leaders who signed the letter disagree with the analysis that the loan would impede peace efforts: they argue that reaching a decision on the reparations loan at next week’s summit would put Ukraine “in a stronger position to defend itself and a better position to negotiate a just and lasting peace”.Morning opening: London talksJakub KrupaUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to meet UK’s Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Friedrich Merz for talks in London about the war in Ukraine.The meeting comes after three days of discussions between US and Ukrainian representatives in Florida without an apparent breakthrough amid an intensified push from Washington to end the war but with major territorial concessions from Kyiv.Donald Trump once again sought to put pressure on Zelenskyy, suggesting publicly that the Ukrainian president “isn’t ready” to sign off on a US-authored peace plan. “I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn’t yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago. His people love it, but he hasn’t,” the US president claimed to reporters on Sunday night. (Somewhat sidestepping the public rejection of the plan by Russia.)The leaders are expected around early lunchtime and will talk behind the closed doors to plan the next steps.I will cover the meeting here, bringing you all the latest pictures and lines on what’s going on at Downing Street.Zelenskyy is later expected to visit Brussels and Rome. On Sunday Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni spoke with Zelenskyy by phone and reaffirmed Italy’s solidarity after what she called a fresh wave of “indiscriminate” Russian strikes on civilian targets, her office said.Separately, I will also keep an eye on the EU’s reactions to Elon Musk and senior US officials’s comments about the bloc over the weekend. The billionaire was particularly active on the back of a €120m fine against his social media platform X, repeatedly calling for the EU to be abolished.And, finally, EU ministers are meeting in Brussels to sign off plans on migration and asylum laws.I will bring you all the key updates throughout the day.It’s Monday, 8 December 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.Good morning.