Ukraine war: Only Ukraine standing in way of Putin 'annihilating European way of life', warns Zelensky

Several EU leaders are ready to provide Kyiv with aircraft to help it fight against Russia's invasion, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, has said.

"Europe will be with us until our victory. I've heard it from a number of European leaders... about the readiness to give us the necessary weapons and support, including the aircraft," Mr Zelensky told a news conference.
"I have a number of bilaterals now, we are going to raise the issue of the fighter jets and other aircraft."

He gave no further details about the pledges, and there was no immediate confirmation from any European countries.

It came as Andriy Yermak, Mr Zelensky's chief of staff, edited his own social media post on Thursday to say the question of fighter jets for Ukraine may be resolved, after earlier writing that it had already been resolved.

"It seems the question of long-range weaponry and fighter jets for Ukraine may be resolved," Andriy Yermak, chief of the presidential staff, wrote in the edited post on the Telegram messaging app. "Details still to follow."

03:28 PM

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03:21 PM

SpaceX accuses Ukraine of ‘weaponising’ Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has accused Ukraine’s military of “weaponising” its Starlink internet system in its war against Russia.

Ukraine's use of SpaceX's satellite internet system has been restricted amid claims that Kyiv has been using the technology for “offensive purposes.”

“Ukrainians have leveraged it in ways that were unintentional and not part of any agreement,” said Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and its most senior executive after Mr Musk.

Read more from James Titcomb here

03:06 PM

Pictured: Ursula Von Der Leyen and Volodymr Zelensky

03:01 PM

Britain sending Ukraine fighter jets is like going from ‘a bicycle to F1 team’ says Ben Wallace

The Defence Secretary has ruled out sending British jets to Ukraine in the near future, saying it would be like going “from a bicycle to a Formula 1 team” compared to simpler weapons.

Ben Wallace left open the prospect of future deliveries of British fighters to Ukraine but sought to throttle back expectations of a rapid change in policy, reiterating no options had been ruled in or out.

Mr Wallace was keen to establish political wiggle room after Rishi Sunak gave a warm reception to President Zelensky’s request for “wings” to protect his country’s freedom during his surprise visit to Britain on Wednesday.

Read more from Dominic Nicholls here

02:24 PM

Zelensky aide edits social media post to say fighter jets for Ukraine 'may be resolved'

A senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy edited his own social media post on Thursday to say the question of fighter jets for Ukraine may be resolved, after earlier writing that it had already been resolved.

Andriy Yermak, chief of the presidential staff, had issued the initial post (see post at 13:09) as Zelensky held talks in Brussels at which he raised Kyiv's request for more weapons to fight Russian forces.

"It seems the question of long-range weaponry and fighter jets for Ukraine may be resolved," Andriy Yermak, chief of the presidential staff, wrote in the edited post on the Telegram messaging app. "Details still to follow."

The initial version of the post was more categorical, saying the question "has been resolved."

02:20 PM

'We are defending you', Zelensky tells EU Parliament

Ukraine is the only force standing in the way of Russia “annihilating the European way of life”, Volodymyr Zelensky told MEPs on Thursday in a speech to the European Parliament, writes Joe Barnes.

“They tried to annihilate the Ukrainian and European way of life through total war,” he said, in his first public address since arriving in Brussels.

“We are defending ourselves from the most anti-European force of the modern world, we Ukrainians on the battlefield together with you,” he added.

Mr Zelensky said in contrast Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin sees its citizens as “bodies capable of carrying weapons”, as he accused the Russian president of wanting to plunge Europe into the darkness of the Second World War.

Kyiv, which became a candidate country last June, is vying to join the European Union at the same time it attempts to defeat the Russian invasion.

01:39 PM

UK says mindful of 'escalatory risks' in arming Ukraine

The UK is aware of "potential escalatory risks" in equipping Ukraine with more Western weaponry, as it considers giving Kyiv fighter jets, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman said on Thursday.

The comments come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits several European capitals, including London on Wednesday, to urge allies to supply combat aircraft to help his country fight invading Russian forces.

Britain has said it will start training Ukrainian fighter pilots and consider the proposal in the "long-term", although the United States and other NATO allies remain wary of getting more embroiled in the conflict.

"We take these decisions carefully and we do it thoughtfully," Sunak's spokesman told reporters about the broader policy of arming Kyiv, when asked about those concerns in some European capitals.

"We are aware of potential escalatory risks. But throughout we have been confident the approach we are taking is the best and quickest way to help Ukraine end this war, which is obviously in everyone's interest."

01:28 PM

Some EU leaders ready to give aircrafts to Ukraine, claims Zelensky

Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said several European Union leaders told a summit he attended on Thursday they were ready to provide Kyiv with aircraft to help it fight against Russia's invasion.

Zelenskiy spoke after joining - for the first time ever - all the 27 national EU leaders' talks in Brussels, part of his second trip abroad since Russia attacked a year ago this month and one meant to get more arms from allies.

"Europe will be with us until our victory. I've heard it from a number of European leaders... about the readiness to give us the necessary weapons and support, including the aircraft," Zelensky told a news conference.

"I have a number of bilaterials now, we are going to raise the issue of the fighter jets and other aircraft."

01:09 PM

Question of fighter jets for Ukraine 'resolved', says Zelensky aide

The question of fighter jets for Ukraine has been resolved, a senior aide to Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian President, said on Thursday as the president held talks in Brussels on Kyiv's request for more weapons to fight Russian forces.

"The question of long-range weaponry and fighter jets for Ukraine has been resolved," Andriy Yermak, chief of the presidential staff, wrote on the Telegram messaging app. "Details still to follow."

01:08 PM

Pictured: Zelensky delivering an address to European Parliament

01:05 PM

UK will seek to train Ukrainian pilots 'as quickly as humanly possible'

The UK will seek to train Ukrainian pilots "as quickly as humanly possible", Downing Street said, as Volodymyr Zelensky continued his push for European support.

The Ukrainian president addressed the European Parliament in Brussels on Thursday in the latest stop on a tour which began with his surprise visit to the UK.

Rishi Sunak, who promised further support for Ukraine during the British leg of Mr Zelensky's visit, said the offer of pilot training was the "first step" which could lead to the eventual supply of fighter planes.

"We're talking about further support, potentially with aircraft as well," the Prime Minister said.

"The important first step of that journey is to make sure that we provide the training for Ukrainian pilots to be able to use that very sophisticated equipment."

The UK is "exploring how quickly this can be done," No 10 said in a briefing.

12:21 PM

No 10: Government would not send fighter jets to Ukraine if it put the UK's safety at risk

The Government would not send fighter jets to Ukraine if it put the UK's safety at risk, No 10 has said.

Rishi Sunak's spokesman declined to comment on "speculation about the provision of jets" before a decision on whether to send any has been taken, when asked whether the UK has sufficient spares to give away.

"The UK has significant numbers of Typhoons and F-35s," the official said.

"Of course we would never do anything that would put UK safety at risk."

He added that the UK will be working with international partners to "work out how we could supply (Ukraine) with Nato-standard capabilities".

11:59 AM

'No free Europe without free Ukraine'

Volodymyr Zelensky told European Union leaders in Brussels there was no free Europe without free Ukraine as he tours Europe to ask allies for more arms to fight Russia and push Kyiv's bid to join the Western bloc.

"Europe should not have gray zones, our whole continent should be open to European destiny," Zelenskiy told the 27 national EU leaders gathered for a summit in Brussels ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion against Ukraine. "Unity of Europe is fundamental to security."

"Free Europe cannot be imagined without free Ukraine," he said. "Europe is free, Europe will be free and Europe is united."

11:52 AM

Zelensky thanks EU leaders for 'unwavering support'

Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked EU leaders at a summit in Brussels for their backing for Kyiv in its nearly year-long fight against Russia's invasion.

"I have to thank you personally for your unwavering support of our country and our aspirations, our aspirations to live in a united, free Europe," the Ukrainian president told the 27 leaders.

11:29 AM

Von der Leyen: We will support Ukraine every step of the way towards our union

11:15 AM

How Britain won the battle for Zelensky as Macron dithered

Volodymyr Zelensky chose to visit Britain before France after Paris ignored Kyiv’s offers to meet Emmanuel Macron, it has been reported.

French officials were forced into a face-saving scramble to arrange a last minute stopover in Paris on Wednesday evening before the Ukrainian president headed to Brussels on Thursday morning.

Mr Zelensky made Britain his second overseas, and first European, visit since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Read more from James Crisp here

10:57 AM

Poland to close Belarus border crossing until further notice, says minister

Poland is to close a key border crossing with Belarus until further notice, the Polish interior minister said on Thursday, as relations between Warsaw and Minsk sink to new lows.

The already tense relations between Poland and Belarus were further strained on Wednesday when a journalist of Polish origin was sentenced to eight years in prison by a Belarusian court in a trial Warsaw says was politically motivated.

"Due to the important interest of state security, I decided to suspend until further notice from 1200 on Feb. 10 this year traffic at the Polish-Belarusian border crossing in Bobrowniki," Mariusz Kaminski wrote on Twitter.

10:55 AM

Sunak 'discussing further support' for Ukraine

Rishi Sunak said he is discussing further support for Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelensky, potentially including fighter jets, but that the "first step" is training Ukrainian pilots.

The Prime Minister told broadcasters in Cornwall: "I also had very good conversations with President Zelensky yesterday about our ability to provide long-range missiles that they don't currently have, which again are going to make a big difference in the struggle against Russian aggression.

"And of course, we're talking about further support, potentially with aircraft as well. The important first step of that journey is to make sure that we provide the training for Ukrainian pilots to be able to use that very sophisticated equipment.

"And we announced yesterday that again, we'll be the first nation to start training Ukrainian pilots on Nato-standard aircraft.

"That's a really positive forward step and we will continue to stand by Ukraine because we want to see them victorious."

10:45 AM

Pictured: Zelensky in Brussels

10:40 AM

Zelensky: A victorious Ukraine will be part of European Union

Volodymyr Zelensky said that he believed his country would join the European Union after emerging victorious from its war with Russia.

The Ukrainian president made his remark during an address to the European Parliament in Brussels. Ukraine became a candidate to join the EU last June but the process of joining the 27-nation bloc takes several years.

10:23 AM

Zelensky: We are defending ourselves against 'biggest anti-European force of the modern world'

Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said his country together with Europe was "defending ourselves against (the) biggest anti-European force of the modern world."

He made the remark during an address to the European Parliament in Brussels.

10:21 AM

EU must quickly consider giving Ukraine jets, says head of EU parliament

European Union countries must quickly consider providing fighter jets to Ukraine, the head of the bloc's parliament said on Thursday as she hosted President Volodymyr Zelensky, touring Europe to win more arms to fight against the Russian invasion.

Referencing the biblical fight between David and Goliath, European Parliament head, Roberta Metsola said in addressing Zelenskiy in the chamber:

"You need to win and now (EU) member states must consider quickly as the next step providing long-range systems and the jets that you need to protect your liberty."

10:16 AM

'Ukraine is Europe'

The European Parliament on Thursday greeted Ukrainian President Zelensky with a standing ovation as he arrived to address lawmakers on his first visit to Brussels since Russia's invasion.

"Ukraine is Europe and your nation's future is in the European Union," Roberta Metsola, European parliament president, said in a speech.

"States must consider, quickly, as a next step, providing long-range systems and the jets you need to protect the liberty too many have taken for granted," she said in a speech.

10:11 AM

European Parliament gives Zelensky standing ovation

EU lawmakers gave Volodymyr Zelensky a long standing ovation before he spoke to the assembly, cheering and applauding him, some of them wearing the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flags in ribbons clipped to their jackets.

European Parliament chief Roberta Metsola backed Ukraine's call for more weapons.

"We know the sacrifice your people have endured for Europe and we must honour it not only with words but with action," she said, adding that this should include "the jets you need to protect the liberty too many have taken for granted."

09:56 AM

Italy calls invitation of Ukraine's Zelensky to Paris 'inappropriate'

Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, has said the invitation of Volodymyr Zelensky to Paris was "inappropriate".

"I believe our strength is community and unity .... but there are times when favouring internal public opinion risks being to the detriment of the cause, and this seems to me to be one of those cases," she said in Brussels.

The Ukrainian president met Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor on Wednesday evening.

Meloni will meet Zelensky in Brussels on the sidelines of the European Union leaders meeting, Italy's Foreign Minister said late on Wednesday.

09:48 AM

Nato must act together on jets for Ukraine, says Polish PM

Any decision on supplying fighter jets to Ukraine must be taken by Nato as a whole and Poland will not be the first to supply such aircraft, the Polish prime minister said on Thursday in Brussels ahead of a European Union summit.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian President, has urged allies to send Kyiv combat aircraft to help it repel Russia's offensive, in an attempt to overcome Western reluctance to take that step.

"Our position is clear, we can only act within the entire formation of Nato," Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters. "We will not be the first ones to hand over the fighter jets, but we will respond positively, provided that those who have the most of these jets will be able to give them to Ukraine."

Morawiecki said that Poland did not have enough fighter jets to be the first to supply them to Ukraine, and that it could not take steps that would weaken its own security.

09:40 AM

'Welcome home, welcome to the EU'

09:24 AM

'A salute to Ukraine and its people': Macron awards Legion of Honour to Ukraine's Zelensky

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has bestowed the Legion of Honour on Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to Paris.

It is the highest award a French president can give to a counterpart, the Elysee Palace said in an overnight statement.

"A salute to Ukraine and its people. A salute to you, dear Volodymyr, for your courage and commitment," Macron wrote on social media.

Zelensky told Macron and Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz late on Wednesday that they had the opportunity to be "game changers" in the war against Russia by not hesitating in delivering heavy weapons and modern fighter jets to Ukraine.

A video posted by the Elysee presidential palace showed Macron handing the medal to Zelenskiy, dressed in his trademark khaki attire, in an opulent room. The two men shared a warm embrace and held hands as Zelensky responded to Macron.

"I said to the president, I said I think it's too much for me, and that's why I address it (the decoration) of course for all of our people, the Ukrainians, for our society. And a great honour to be here," Zelensky is heard telling those in the room.

09:16 AM

Netherlands not ruling out any kind of military support to Ukraine

The Netherlands is not ruling out any kind of military support for Ukraine, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters on Thursday ahead of an EU summit in Brussels, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will be attending as well.

"We have consistently said that we rule nothing out as long as there is not an Article Five situation between NATO and Russia", he said.

09:03 AM

Zelensky arrives in Brussels to rally EU leaders

Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Brussels to rally EU leaders to step up support for his war-ravaged country on the third leg of his European tour, officials said.

The Ukrainian president flew into the seat of the European Union with French President Emmanuel Macron to address the bloc's parliament and attend a summit meeting.

09:00 AM

Pictured: A Ukrainian serviceman prepares to operate an unmanned air vehicle

08:55 AM

EU will deliver more military support to Ukraine

The European Union will deliver more military support to Ukraine, Josep Borrell, the EU'S foreign policy chief, reaffirmed to reporters on Thursday, as EU leaders arrived for a summit.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, is preparing to lobby European leaders on Thursday at a summit in Brussels for more weapons in the fight against Russia and a quick start to EU membership talks for his country.

08:32 AM

Rishi Sunak may be keen to send Ukraine jets, but trouble is on the horizon

At RAF Coningsby, just down the road from the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, two squadrons of Royal Air Force Typhoons lie on the asphalt and under the hangers, writes Dominic Nicholls.

The aircraft here make up a total of 100 Typhoons held by the RAF in its dwindling fleet of fighter jets.

They are among the next targets on Volodymyr Zelensky’s wishlist of weapons that he took to Westminster on Wednesday.

Read more on the story here

08:26 AM

Estonian PM: EU countries should jointly buy arms and ammunition for Ukraine

EU member states should jointly buy arms and ammunition for Ukraine, Kaja Kallas, Estonia's Prime Minister, told reporters on Thursday ahead of an EU summit in Brussels.

"It is very important that we speed up the military aid to Ukraine," she also said.

08:22 AM

Wagner paramilitary group says halted prison recruitment

The Wagner mercenary group said on Thursday that it had ended its recruitment drive at prisons across Russia, which aimed to bolster Moscow's forces fighting in Ukraine.

"The recruitment of prisoners to the private mercenary group Wagner had stopped completely," its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a statement distributed by his press service.

Reports emerged in mid-2022 that the Kremlin-linked businessman was recruiting inmates to fight, promising amnesty on their return to Russia if they survived.

Prigozhin added in the statement that all "obligations" towards those working for the group were being fulfilled.

Wagner forces claimed to have spearheaded the assault on Ukraine's eastern salt-mining town of Solder that fell under Russian control in January.

07:39 AM

Zelensky knows Britain is still the leader of Europe

Read more from Con Coughlin here

07:27 AM

Latest MoD update

06:42 AM

How the weather could impact the war

The weather continues to play a "significant role" in Russia’s war against Ukraine and may lead to offensives being avoided, the UK's Ministry of Defence has said.

Due to frozen ground, there has likely been little change in cross country mobility (CCM) conditions in eastern Ukraine in recent weeks, the ministry explained.

"On 08 February 2023, surface temperatures were around 0 degrees Celsius; over the coming week, forecasts suggest soil temperature increases and snow melt are likely to deteriorate CCM across the Donbas," the ministry said on Twitter on Thursday.

"CCM is likely to be at its worst, with extremely muddy conditions, over mid- to late-March. Commanders on both sides will highly likely seek to avoid scheduling major offensives at such times."

06:35 AM

Today's Daily Telegraph front page: 'Give us wings for freedom'

Read the full story by Ben Riley-Smith, Danielle Sheridan and Joe Barnes here

05:05 AM

Macron and Scholz's dinner pledge to Zelensky

French President Emmanuel Macron pledged that France would help Ukraine to victory in fighting the Russian invasion and would press on with efforts to deliver arms.

France is "determined to help Ukraine to victory and the re-establishment of its legitimate rights," he said.

He added: "Ukraine can count on France, its European partners and its allies to win the war. Russia cannot and must not prevail."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who joined Mr Zelensky and Mr Macron for dinner, said Germany and its partners had backed Ukraine "financially, with humanitarian aid and with weapons".

He added: "We will continue to do so as long as necessary."

04:54 AM

Watch Sunak and Zelensky's joint press conference

In a rousing address in Westminster Hall, the Ukrainian president told MPs: "Two years ago, I left Parliament thanking you for the delicious English tea. Today I will leave Parliament thanking all of you in advance for powerful English planes."

See the press conference, below:

04:36 AM

Friendship takes off

New pictures show Rishi Sunak joined Volodymyr Zelensky onboard a Chinook helicopter.

The pair visited Ukrainian troops being trained to command Challenger 2 tanks at a military facility in Lulworth, in Dorset.

04:28 AM

UK considers sending jets to Ukraine

During Volodymyr Zelensky's surprise visit to the UK, Rishi Sunak laid the groundwork for Britain to send fighter jets to Ukraine.

The Prime Minister ordered the Ministry of Defence to look into how planes could be provided and announced that Ukrainian pilots would be trained in Britain.

The aircraft here make up a total of 100 Typhoons held by the RAF in its dwindling fleet of fighter jets.

As Associate Editor Dominic Nicholls explains, the Prime Minister will have a tough job getting Mr Zelensky's men in the air on British planes.

Training new pilots at Coningsby, the UK’s training station, is out of the question. It would take too long and is impractical, given Britain’s constipated pilot training system.

04:24 AM

'Strong indications' Putin supplied weapon that shot down MH17

An international team of investigators said Wednesday it found "strong indications" that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the supply of heavy anti-aircraft weapons to Ukrainian separatists who shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014 with a Russian missile.

However, members of the Joint Investigation Team said they had insufficient evidence to prosecute Putin or any other suspects and they suspended their 8-year inquiry into the shooting down that killed all 298 people on board the Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

Russia has always denied any involvement in the downing of the flight over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, and refused to cooperate with the investigation.

Dutch prosecutors said that "there are strong indications that the Russian president decided on supplying" a Buk missile system, the weapon that downed MH17, to Ukrainian separatists.

"Although we speak of strong indications, the high bar of complete and conclusive evidence is not reached," Dutch prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer said, adding that without Russian cooperation, "the investigation has now reached its limit. All leads have been exhausted."

She also said that, as head of state, Putin would have immunity from prosecution in the Netherlands. The team played a recording of an intercepted phone call in which they said Putin could be heard discussing the conflict in eastern Ukraine.