White House claims ‘tremendous progress’ made in Ukraine-Russia peace plan but says more talks needed - Europe live

4.58pm GMT Earlier this week, Shaun Walker spoke to former Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, who expressed frustration that European countries have not been more proactive in the Ukraine peace talks. Landsbergis said: It feels like the only plan that we had for engaging with the United States is to remain within Trump’s good graces, rather than to have our own plan that we would try to sell to Trump and that we would be able to back with our own resources, own political will and ability to act upon it. Of the European “counter-plan”, which was announced soon after a US 28-point plan that seemed skewed heavily towards Russia’s demands, was made public, Landsbergis said: I think Trump can really understand that we were not serious … So that’s why there is no respect. That’s why secretary Rubio said what he said about the European proposal for the peace plan. He said basically, ‘I have not read it’. Imagine what a slap in the face it is for Europe. We are preparing a plan, and the people discussing our continent’s future have not even read it. He also said he believes the Trump administration has made a strategic decision to disengage from Europe, and focus on the Indo-Pacific, making attempts by European leaders to “court” the US president with gifts or flattery largely futile: They basically just want to disengage. And no amount of kilograms of gold is going to change that strategy. You might get some nicer words, some good pictures, something to bring back home where you say, ‘Look, we’re in a better position.’ We’re not. This is self-deception. 4.43pm GMT The ‘coalition of the willing’ call on Tuesday, which also heard from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was attended by US secretary of state Marco Rubio, in a rare example of American involvement in the coalition’s discussions, reports the PA news agency. Nato secretary general Mark Rutte also participated in the virtual meeting, said Nato’s press office. 4.28pm GMT Ukraine has not yet fully agreed to a peace proposal from the US, Downing Street suggested, amid suggestions from the US that Kyiv had done so (see 1.34pm GMT). The UK prime minister’s official spokesperson told the PA news agency: I’ve seen those reports, but our position hasn’t changed. We welcome the progress made, but there are still several points to work through. We are all resolute in our focus on securing Ukraine a just and lasting peace. The spokesperson also pointed totarmer’s statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday, in which he said there is still a “tough road ahead” to reach peace. 4.17pm GMT Speaking from Paris, Emmanuel Macron told Tuesday’s ‘coalition of the willing’ call that efforts to draw the Russia-Ukraine conflict to an end are now at a “crucial juncture”. The French president added: Negotiations are getting a new impetus, and we should seize this momentum not because there is reason for alarm – Ukraine is solid, Russia is slow, and Europe is steadfast – but because there is finally a chance to make real progress toward a good peace. Ukraine needs “a set of very robust security guarantees, and not paper guarantees” he also said, as previous promises were “shattered by successive Russian aggressions”. Updated at 4.57pm GMT 4.02pm GMT Keir Starmer urged leaders of the ‘coalition of the willing’ to “firm up” their commitments to a potential peacekeeping operation in Ukraine. The UK prime minister told a virtual meeting of the coalition that the “multinational force Ukraine” would play “a vital part” in guaranteeing the country’s security. He said: I urge colleagues on the call this afternoon to firm up their national commitments, because we need to ensure we have got the most robust capability, the most robust plans, on the table. And we will also pick up next steps with the US military on their own planning. And we must come back to this with a strong political guarantee to show Russia we’re serious about responding to any violation. Adding that the UK would send more air defence missiles to Ukraine in the coming weeks, Starme also called for a “full embargo of Russian energy” to keep up the pressure on Moscow, saying recent measures had already had an impact. 3.51pm GMT Ukraine talks 'moving in positive direction' in allied meeting, UK PM says Keir Starmer has said talks on a potential ceasefire in Ukraine were “moving in a positive direction” as he spoke to leaders of Ukraine’s allies on Tuesday. The UK prime minister led a call with leaders of the ‘coalition of the willing’ this afternoon after talks between Ukraine and the US in Geneva over the weekend appeared to bear fruit for a path to peace. Addressing a virtual meeting of the coalition from the cabinet room in 10 Downing Street, Starner said of the latest talks: Progress was made and I welcome some of the developments that have now come forward. It was a chance to ensure that the draft plan fully reflects Ukraine’s interests and lays the ground for a lasting peace. He added that Ukraine had “proposed some constructive changes”, supported by European national security advisers. According to the PA news agency, the prime minister said: I do think we are moving in a positive direction and indications today that in large part most of the text, Volodymyr [Zelenskyy] is indicating, can be accepted. 3.38pm GMT US army secretary’s talks with Russia on Ukraine 'going well', says spokesman Talks between US army secretary Dan Driscoll and Russia delegates on a US plan to end the conflict with Ukraine are “going well,” his spokesperson said on Tuesday, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). Lt Col Jeff Tolbert, Driscoll’s spokesperson, gave this update: Late Monday and throughout Tuesday, secretary Driscoll and team have been in discussions with the Russian delegation to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine. The talks are going well and we remain optimistic. 3.09pm GMT 'Tremendous progress' made says White House, but adds that delicate details on Ukraine peace plan require more talks The United States has made “tremendous progress” toward a peace deal with Ukraine and Russia, but some sensitive details will require additional talks, the White House said on Tuesday. “There are a few delicate, but not insurmountable, details that must be sorted out and will require further talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in an X post. Updated at 3.20pm GMT 3.02pm GMT France to restore voluntary military service - report French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to announce on Thursday that France will be restoring voluntary military service amid the growing Russian threat in Europe, AFP is reporting, citing sources. As well as being voluntary, the scheme would be remunerated and last 10 months, according to reports which we have not yet been able to independently verify. Conscription in France was abolished in 1996. No official details on the new military service have been publicly disclosed but it is reported that Macron will announce the change on a visit to an infantry brigade in southeastern France later in the week. It comes after Gen Fabien Mandon, who took over as army chief-of-staff in September, drew fierce criticism when he warned last week that France risked “losing its children” in a potential war with Russia. He suggested that France’s biggest weakness in today’s volatile world was the lack of a will to fight and said Russia is “preparing for a confrontation by 2030 with our countries”. Macron, a leading member of the ‘coalition of the willing’ (a group of countries that have expressed a commitment to defend a peace deal in Ukraine), warned that France should not show “weakness” in the face of the threat posed by Russia. “If we want to protect ourselves, we French - which is my sole concern - we must demonstrate that we are not weak against the power that threatens us the most,” he said. Updated at 3.05pm GMT 2.39pm GMT The Ukrainian foreign minister said earlier this afternoon that he had talked with his Estonian counterpart, Margus Tsahkna, and discussed ways to increase “pressure” on Russia to force it into “meaningful peace talks”, including through the “full use of its immobilized assets”. They also talked about the importance of security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent further Russian aggression. 2.25pm GMT Ukrainian foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, has just said in a post on X that he briefed his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, on the “massive” attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure last night amid an escalation of Russian “terror”. He added: We exchanged views on the next steps needed to strengthen Ukraine, advance the diplomatic activities and deliver a just peace for the security and stability of Ukraine and the whole of Europe. Grateful to Germany for its leadership and unwavering support for Ukraine. Russia launched a huge missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight, killing at least seven people, according to reports. A total of 22 missiles, including four hypersonic Kinzhals, and 464 drones, were fired by Russia in attacks that principally targeted Kyiv and the surrounding area, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Updated at 2.31pm GMT 1.57pm GMT Ukraine supports essence of peace deal's framework after Geneva talks - report A Ukrainian official has told Reuters that Ukraine supports the essence of the peace deal’s framework after talks in Geneva. The unnamed Ukrainian official added that the most sensitive issues of the framework are to be discussed between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump. More details soon … Updated at 1.57pm GMT 1.47pm GMT Keir Starmer sought to play down reports that Ukraine had agreed to the terms of a peace deal. The UK prime minister told MPs in the House of Commons: My understanding is this is not a new agreement, it is Ukraine confirming they are happy with the draft that emerged in Geneva yesterday, which of course doesn’t cover the question of territory. So my best understanding is this is a confirmation of basically what came out of Geneva but it isn’t a new set of proposals or agreements in any way. 1.34pm GMT The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, is currrently debating the Ukraine peace proposal in the House of Commons with MPs. My colleague Andy Sparrow, who is covering the updates in his UK politics live blog, has this update: Alex Sobel (Labour) asked Starmer to respond to what he described as reports just coming out of the US saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just agreed to the Trump peace proposal. Starmer said he spoke to Zelenskyy this morning. He said he would look into the report that Sobel was referring to. But he said the report was probably just a reference to progress on the talks process, not Ukraine agreeing in full to a peace plan. It is not clear what Sobel was referring to. He may have made the mistake of believing nonsense claims on X. Volodymyr Zelenskyyky, the Ukrainian president, posted in the last half hour on social media, after talks with the German chancellor and he did not say anything about accepting the US peace plan. 1.03pm GMT Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant needs cooperation agreement in event of Ukraine peace, says IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant will need a “special status” and a cooperation agreement between Russia and Ukraine if a peace deal is reached. Russian forces seized the plant, Europe’s largest with six reactors, in the first weeks of Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The plant produces no electricity, but each side regularly accuses the other of military actions compromising nuclear safety. Grossi said: Whatever side of the line it ends up, you will have to have a cooperative arrangement or a cooperative atmosphere. Grossi’s comments come as US president Donald Trump’s administration makes an intense new push to end the war. US and Ukrainian officials are trying to narrow the gaps between them over a draft peace plan that includes provisions for Zaporizhzhia’s future. Without peace, there is danger of a nuclear accident, Grossi said. According to Reuters, Grossi said in an interview: Until the war stops or there is a ceasefire or the guns are silenced, there is always a possibility of something going very, very wrong. No single operator can use a nuclear power plant when across the river there is another country which is resisting this and may take action against that. A draft version of the US-backed 28-point peace plan for Ukraine, according to a copy seen by Reuters, proposes restarting the plant under IAEA supervision, with electricity output split equally between Russia and Ukraine. Grossi said: Shared, not shared – and I don’t want to get into that because it’s political … it’s something that Ukraine and Russia will be deciding at some point. But one thing is clear, the IAEA is indispensable in this situation. Zaporizhzhia’s six reactors have been in cold shutdown since 2022, relying on external power lines and emergency systems to prevent a station blackout. The IAEA maintains a continued presence at the site to monitor safety amid ongoing shelling. 12.41pm GMT Starmer reaffirms UK's commitment to 'put boots on the ground' in Ukraine 'in the event of hostilities ceasing' UK prime minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed ongoing work by the ‘coalition of the willing’ to prepare for the deployment of a multinational force to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, Downing Street said. The UK is still willing to put boots on the ground to protect Kyiv if there is a cessation of hostilities, the prime minister’s official spokesperson confirmed, reports the PA news agency. In a readout of the call between the two leaders on Tuesday, a Downing Street spokesperson said: The prime minister began by sharing his condolences with President Zelensky on the appalling Russian attacks overnight, paying tribute to the Ukrainian people who showed such courage and resilience in the face of daily hardship and bloodshed from Putin’s ongoing onslaught. Reflecting on the talks in Geneva and the diplomatic discussions that have followed, the leaders agreed on the importance of securing a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. The prime minister said Ukraine could rely on the UK support as discussions continued. Looking ahead to this afternoon’s coalition of the willing call, the leaders discussed the international unity that has been shown in support for Ukraine and underlined the importance of the continued work by coalition partners in preparation for deployment for multinational force following the cessation of hostilities. The prime minister and president look forward to speaking again soon. No 10 said it would not get ahead of discussions among the ‘coalition of the willing’ on Tuesday afternoon but that “planning has continued on an enduring basis” after the UK and France’s commitment in the summer to a multinational force to help strengthen Ukraine’s path to peace. Asked whether the UK was still prepared to put boots on the ground, Starmer’s official spokesperson said: If you’re asking me directly, is the UK still willing to put boots on the ground in the event of hostilities ceasing, the answer is yes. That’s our existing position. 12.31pm GMT The European Union must ramp up efforts to break its dependence on China for rare earths faced with export curbs that amount to a “racket” by Beijing, the bloc’s industry chief said on Tuesday. “It is high time for Europe to step up its game. To redouble its efforts to reduce our dependencies on China,” European Commission vice-president Stéphane Séjourné told EU lawmakers, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). 12.13pm GMT Hello, Amy Sedghi here, taking over from my colleague Jakub Krupa. I will bring you Europe updates as they come in. Russia fired 22 missiles of various types and more than 460 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. The strikes knocked out water, electricity and heat in parts of Kyiv. Video footage posted to Telegram showed a large fire spreading in a nine-story residential building in Kyiv’s eastern Dniprovskyi district, reports the Associated Press (AP).Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said 20 people were injured in Kyiv. The Russian defence ministry said it targeted military-industrial facilities and energy assets. The strikes were a response to Ukrainian attacks on civilian objects in Russia, it added. 11.55am GMT In other EU related news, a top European court on Tuesday ruled that an EU nation had to recognise a gay marriage recorded in another member state, after a complaint by two Poles married in Germany. The couple, one of whom also has German nationality, were living there and married in Berlin in 2018, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). But when they tried to move to Poland and requested their marriage certificate be registered there, they were “refused on the ground that Polish law does not allow marriage between persons of the same sex”, the Court of Justice of the European Union said in a statement. The court said: The spouses in question, as EU citizens, enjoy the freedom to move and reside within the territory of the member states and the right to lead a normal family life when exercising that freedom and upon returning to their member state of origin. It said “such a refusal is contrary to EU law” and “infringes not only the freedom to move and reside, but also the fundamental right to respect for private and family life”. 11.27am GMT Sweden to invest in air defences to protect against robots, drones, helicopters Nordic correspondent Meanwhile, Sweden has today announced it is investing an additional 3.5bn SEK (£280m) in air defences amid the increased threat from drones and other forms of aerial attack. Speaking in Halmstad, in south-west Sweden, at the air defence regiment, the minister of defence, Pål Jonson, said: “Sweden’s defence needs to be strengthened against threats such as robots, drones and helicopters. The best way to guarantee peace and freedom is to invest in defence. The orders also contribute to growth, jobs and security of supply. It also improves the possibilities of increasing production capacity in the defence industry.” The new investments include additional air defence systems and modern radar systems. 10.53am GMT Zelenskyy talks with Starmer about 'many prospects' for peace after Geneva talks Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with UK prime minister Keir Starmer this morning, acknowledging “many prospects that can make the path to peace real.” Zelenskyy said that the Geneva talks brought “solid results,” but “much work still lies ahead.” Ahead of the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing later today, the pair also “coordinated our positions and the priority issues for discussion,” Zelenskyy said. He also condemned the Russian attacks overnight, saying that they came “at a time when Ukraine, together with America, Europe, and many others around the world, are working virtually around the clock to stop the bloodshed.” 10.16am GMT Russia launches deadly strikes on Kyiv amid new US-brokered peace talks in Kyiv Four people were killed and three injured at one site in Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district in the west, and two people were killed and five injured in the Dniprovskyi district. There were 13 separate reports of attack damage or falling debris including to a 22-storey residential apartment block. Interactive Liubov Petrivna, a resident of a damaged building in the Dniprovskyi district, said “absolutely everything” in her apartment had been shattered by the strike and “glass rained down” on her. The 90-year-old told Associated Press she did not believe in the peace plan under discussion: “No one will ever do anything about it. Putin won’t stop until he finishes us off.” Explosions were heard in two waves in the capital, first shortly after 1am, and again at about 7am, and also in the Dnipro, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Cherkasy regions in a wide-ranging assault against the country’s already battered infrastructure. Emergency power outages to Kyiv’s already disrupted service were announced by the Ukrenergo electricity generator, while heat supply was also affected in large parts of the capital on Tuesday morning as the city began a clear-up process. “The Russians are deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure and housing. Cynical terror,” Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the military administration for the capital, said on Telegram. Interactive Updated at 11.34am GMT 9.57am GMT Coalition of the Willing to meet this afternoon Separately to the US-led talks in Abu Dhabi, the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” will also meet virtually today to talk about its next steps. The call, bringing together some 30 countries, is expected in the afternoon. 9.16am GMT Zelenskyy could see Trump in US 'at earliest suitable date in November' to finalise talks, Ukraine's national security council chief says Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine and the country’s former defence minister, said the US and Ukrainian delegations “reached a common understanding on the core terms of the agreement discussed in Geneva,” hailing “productive and constructive” meetings with US counterparts. Seemingly keen to progress the talks on the revised terms further, he said: “We look forward to organising a visit of Ukraine’s President to the US at the earliest suitable date in November to complete final steps and make a deal with President Trump.” But this may not be that simple as Russia is yet to indicate its support for the revised proposals, somewhat complicating the path for the deal to be agreed. Updated at 9.17am GMT 9.13am GMT Driscoll's unexpected role in Ukraine talks suggest resurgence of isolationist vice-president Vance in Washington The US army secretary, Daniel Driscoll, was an unlikely envoy for the Trump administration’s newest proposal to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine – but his ties to JD Vance have put a close ally of the Eurosceptic vice-president on the frontlines of Donald Trump’s latest push to end the war. Before his trip to Kyiv last week, Driscoll was not known for his role as a negotiator or statesman, and his early efforts at selling the deal to European policymakers were described as turbulent. His close ties to Vance, with whom he studied at Yale and shares a close friendship, indicate the resurgence of the isolationist vice-president in negotiations to end the Ukraine crisis. It was Vance who stepped in during Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s disastrous first trip to the Trump White House in March and demanded he show Trump more “respect” – now Ukraine is once again resisting pressure from the US to cut a quick deal that local officials have described as a “capitulation”. Related: Surprise envoy pushing Ukraine ‘peace’ plan belies Vance influence on US policy 9.12am GMT Dan Driscoll is the unlikely point man for the Ukraine peace deal in Washington Little in Dan Driscoll’s résumé – past or present – suggests he has the qualifications to understand the often-tortured and bloody history of relations between Russia and Ukraine. A former investment banker with a degree in business administration, the current US army secretary’s main calling card for a prominent role in the Trump administration may be a friendship with JD Vance dating from when they were at Yale Law School together. Against that thin backdrop, Driscoll now finds himself in the unlikely role of US point man between Kyiv and Moscow as Donald Trump seeks to live up to his promise to end the near four-year war between the two countries, something he once promised to do on “day one” of his presidency. Previously seen by the president as the “drone guy” due to his interest in state-of-the-art technology, the army chief – not yet 40 – found himself on Thursday delivering a 28-point White House peace plan to Zelenskyy that Ukrainians and their European allies have denounced as a “capitulation” that effectively rewards Moscow for its aggression. Diplomatic neophyte that he may be, Driscoll’s advocates argue that his rise is due to more than just the default of others. Since being sworn in on 25 February, he is said to have impressed White House insiders as one of the administration’s most skillful performers. As army secretary, he is tasked with the unglamorous job of managing the budget and overseeing its 1 million-plus strong workforce of active duty personnel, national guard and reserve soldiers, as well as about 265,000 civilian employees. Related: Trump’s former ‘drone guy’ Dan Driscoll is the unlikely point man for the Ukraine peace deal 9.05am GMT Disarray over leaked US-Russia peace plan is ideal scenario for Putin Russian affairs reporter The Kremlin has barely lifted a finger in recent days. It hasn’t needed to. The 28-point US-Russia peace proposal, leaked to the media last week, has thrown Washington, Kyiv and European capitals into disarray, creating precisely the conditions Vladimir Putin has long sought: a negotiating table sharply tilted in the Russian president’s favour, with Ukraine cornered into weighing terms it cannot accept and the threat of losing its most important ally hanging over its head. The structure of the US negotiation process works to Russia’s advantage. Washington wants Kyiv to approve the plan before a US delegation travels to Moscow to finalise terms. The Kremlin believes any move by Zelenskyy to accept something close to the 28-point draft would trigger political turmoil in Ukraine – an outcome Moscow would welcome. And Putin knows Ukraine cannot simply abandon the talks: it remains reliant on US-supplied weapons and intelligence and could face a catastrophic winter if its central ally walked away. Putin is unlikely to retreat from his main goal of subjugating Ukraine and will instead push for a revised version of the current plan that more fully reflects Russia’s interests. Related: Disarray over leaked US-Russia peace plan is ideal scenario for Putin 8.59am GMT Morning opening: Secretive talks in Abu Dhabi The US army secretary Daniel Driscoll is reportedly meeting with Russian and Ukrainian officials for talks in Abu Dhabi today in another attempt to bridge the gap between the original US peace plan, informed by Russian demands, and the Ukrainian response, backed by Europe. Driscoll has already met with the Russians on Monday night, FT reported (£), although there was no official confirmation of the discussions. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the meeting, saying he had “nothing to say” about the talks. It is not immediately clear who takes part in both delegations, but media reports suggest that Ukraine will be represented by Kyrylo Budanov, the chief of the Ukrainian defence ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR). The meetings come after Geneva talks over the weekend, with Ukraine pushing back against some of the maximalist demands put forward by Russia. But, despite the diplomatic efforts, Russia continues its attacks on Ukraine, with another wave of strikes overnight killing at least six and injuring 13 people. Its attack on the capital, Kyiv, knocked out water, electricity, and heat in parts of the city, it was reported, with further damage also recorded to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The French president Emmanuel Macron has warned this morning against a deal ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine that would amount to a “capitulation” by Kyiv, stressing it would “give Russia all the freedom to go further, including to other European [countries] and put everyone’s security in danger.” In an interview with RTL radio, Macron said that any peace deal would have to be strong enough to hold and prevent Russia from re-invading Ukraine “six months, eight months later, two years later.” I will bring you all the key updates throughout the day. It’s Tuesday, 25 November 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live. Good morning.