The French president says Europe must increase their defence spending, in a televised address on the war in Ukraine.

European countries are scrambling to boost support for Ukraine as the US pursues direct talks with Moscow to end Russia's invasion. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Allies allegedly met opposition leader Tymoshenko, members of former President Petro Poroshenko’s party - Anadolu Ajansı

France and Britain are proposing a partial one-month truce between Russia and Ukraine that would cover air, sea and energy infrastructure attacks but not include ground fighting, French President Emmanuel Macron and his foreign minister said.

PARIS — France’s prime minister decried the U.S. pause on providing military aid to Ukraine as “unbearable” on Tuesday, describing it as tantamount to abandoning Ukrainians and allowing for a possible victory by Russia.

Zelenskyy has now indicated he is willing to sign a minerals deal with the US and to work with Trump on a peace plan. Starmer and Macron had both urged the Ukrainian president to urgently rebuild bridges with Trump after the row in the Oval Office last week.

After years of promising never to abandon its close ally, Washington did just that with South Vietnam in Paris and the government of Afghanistan in Doha. In both wars, the U.S. had spent years of blood and treasure propping up its ally.