Donald Trump’s NATO ambassador has told the UK and other allies that they must agree to increase defence spending significantly “starting now”. Follow the latest below and watch as defence ministers meet at NATO HQ – where Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a new ceasefire proposal.
Wednesday 4 June 2025 17:18, UK
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We’re now hearing from Ukraine’s defence minister, Rustem Umerov.
He says today’s meeting “marked a new stage in our joint efforts”.
“Ukraine’s military needs are the most important factor for us, I always stress this in our conversations with partners,” he says.
“Our partners came to me and asked if Ukrainian companies could build factories for producing cutting edge products in their countries… our partners said that they are willing to fully pay for all the production.”
Umerov tells the group that “together, we are not only defending freedom, we are shaping the future of Rammstein defence”.
He adds: “I’m grateful to my very good friends, peace in Ukraine must be lasting and protected by international unity.”
UK Defence Secretary John Healey is up first, and starts by warning of a “significant shift” in Russia’s recent strikes on Ukraine.
“Russia is routinely firing more than 300 drones a day into Ukraine… cities hit, homes destroyed and civilians killed,” he says.
“The United States and all of us here are calling for a ceasefire. Putin continues the war.”
Healey tells the Ukraine Defence Contact Group “we must step up, we must never step back”.
“President Zelenskyy and minister Umerov leave this meeting knowing that we stand with them, knowing that we will stand with them for as long as it takes,” he adds.
“Peace through strength is what President Trump calls for… we send a message today also to Moscow that Ukraine is strong, it has many friends that stand with them.”
Back to the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting in Brussels, where the defence ministers of the UK, Germany and Ukraine are holding a joint press conference.
You can follow along in the live stream at the top of this page. We’ll also be providing text updates.
The comments we’ve been bringing you out of Russia this afternoon are an indication that it is “still seething” after Ukraine’s series of recent attacks, our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett said.
But the key question now turns to where this leaves peace negotiations, after the most recent round of talks between Russia and Ukraine was held on Monday.
“Not much has been achieved yet after two rounds of face-to-face talks in Istanbul, only the promise of a second prisoner swap and now the exchange of dead soldiers,” he said.
“But judging by Vladimir Putin’s comments today and Sergei Ryabkov (see previous post), it feels like a ceasefire and a peace deal just got that much further away.”
Speaking about his question to Ryabkov – which you can watch in our previous post – Bennett said “all options are on the table” when it comes to a response from Russia.
He added that Moscow has sought to downplay the impact of Ukraine’s attack on multiple Russian airbases over the weekend.
“It is, of course, an embarrassing breach of their air defences,” he said.
“There’s been very little coverage of the attack here in the media, and it took the Kremlin nearly 48 hours to respond.”
Watch his full analysis in the video below.
We’ve had the first on-camera comments from Moscow responding to the series of Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia.
“Those outrageous criminal acts of the Kyiv regime definitely point to further escalation,” Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett.
Watch his full reaction in the video below.
While Volodymyr Zelenskyy remotely addressed the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting in Brussels, his chief of staff has been with the US secretary of state.
Andriy Yermak has taken to social media site X to post pictures of him greeting Marco Rubio in Washington.
“We discussed the situation on the front lines and the urgent need to strengthen support for Ukraine’s air defence,” he wrote.
“We also exchanged views on the meetings with the Russians in Istanbul, the further course of negotiations, the upcoming prisoner exchange, and the importance of bringing back all hostages and children abducted by Russia.”
He said that he emphasised during talks that Ukraine has done “everything possible to achieve peace” and is ready for a ceasefire, but Russia “refuses”.
“That is why additional sanctions are necessary,” he added.
We’re hearing more out of Russia now, with more detailed comments from Vladimir Putin.
He has labelled the explosions at bridges in the Bryansk and Kursk regions (see 15.03 post) as terror attacks aimed at wrecking peace negotiations.
“They [Ukraine] are asking for a summit meeting,” Putin said.
But he went on to ask how such meetings can be held “in these conditions” after Ukraine’s latest attacks.
“What is there to talk about? How can we negotiate with those who rely on terror?” he added.
Ukraine would no doubt reply that Putin did not mention the fact his forces continue to launch air strikes and drone attacks on Ukrainian towns and cities – which would also suggest the Russian side aren’t ready for serious peace talks.
At least seven people were killed and 122 were injured after two rail bridges in regions bordering Ukraine collapsed late on Saturday, the chair of the Investigative Committee of Russia has said.
He also said five improvised explosives were detonated at the Kerch Bridge in the annexed Crimea region.
Ukraine also launched a surprise attack on multiple Russian airbases on Sunday, hitting more than 40 bombers deep inside the country.
It said the attack was targeting military aircraft responsible for carrying out strikes on Ukrainian towns and cities, with Russia recently ramping up its strikes.
Some lines to bring you from Russia’s foreign minister now, who has been speaking about the latest round of talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul.
Sergei Lavrov has said there has been a real move forward in talks, adding that the process of direct talks is working with both rounds producing concrete results.
He said that Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused a proposal for a pause lasting two to three days to pick up the bodies of killed servicemen.
As we’ve explained, Ukraine’s president has been calling for a longer ceasefire and most recently proposed a pause until a meeting with Putin takes place (see 14.47 post).
Lavrov added that Russia should not fall for what he called Ukraine’s criminal provocations, and should use all means, including negotiations, to achieve the goals of the “military operation” in Ukraine.
“I agree with this,” Putin said in response.
At least 122 people were injured and seven people killed after two rail bridges in Russian areas bordering Ukraine collapsed late on Saturday, the chair of the Investigative Committee of Russia has said.
Alexander Bastrykin said the explosions were “acts of terror”.
He also said five improvised explosives were detonated at the Kerch Bridge in the annexed Crimea region.
Bastrykin said the evidence points to all three acts being organised by Ukrainian special forces.
Ukraine’s special forces, the SBU, had already claimed the attack on the bridge.
Watch: Explosion on Kerch Bridge
Before Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Ukraine Defence Contact Group moments ago (see 14.22 post), he spoke at a briefing in Kyiv.
Ukraine’s president put forward the idea of a ceasefire until a meeting between him and Vladimir Putin takes place.
“My proposal, which I believe our partners can support, is that we propose to Russians a ceasefire until the leaders meet,” he said.
It comes after the second meeting between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Istanbul, which was held on Monday.
Zelenskyy has been calling for a longer ceasefire between the two sides. But while the meeting ended in another agreement on a prisoner exchange, little progress appears to have been made on a ceasefire.
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