European countries are reportedly pressing US president Donald Trump to send fighter jets to Romania as part of security guarantees for Ukraine.
Military chiefs from several countries are discussing the use of American F-35s in Romania, where Nato is building its largest European airbase, to deter Russia from reinvading, according to The Times.
Mr Trump has ruled out sending American troops to Ukraine but said he was willing to provide air support.
A small group of military leaders held discussions in Washington on Wednesday to work out options for security guarantees, an official said, shortly after a bigger virtual meeting wrapped up.
Meanwhile, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov criticised European leaders for “rather clumsy” and “unethical” attempts to challenge the US president, adding: “We did not hear any constructive ideas from the Europeans there.”
Mr Lavrov added that Russia believed security guarantees should be ensured on an equal basis with the participation of countries such as China, the United States, Britain and France, a Russian news agency said.
The US is reportedly eyeing Budapest as a location for a possible meeting between Mr Zelensky and Mr Putin.
Key Points
- US prepares to host Putin-Zelensky meeting in Budapest
- Zelensky-Putin meeting 'better without me', says Trump
- Trump backs foreign boots and air support for Ukraine
- What could US and Europe security guarantees look like for Ukraine?
- Putin suggests Moscow as potential meeting grounds
What security guarantees may look like
03:55 , Jane DaltonInternational “reassurance” forces could be deployed in Ukraine after a ceasefire or peace deal:
What could US and European security guarantees look like for Ukraine?
Key territories Putin wants handed over
02:00 , Jane DaltonRussia occupies nearly 20 per cent of Ukraine already. See our map of occupied territories that it wants:
Mapped: The key territories Putin wants handed over to bring about peace in Ukraine
Is the UK ready to put boots on the ground in Ukraine?
00:30 , Jane DaltonSee how Britain’s military equipment and defence spending have changed over time:
UK defence in numbers: Are we ready to put boots on the ground in Ukraine?
Russian allies Belarus and Iran agree to boost defence ties
22:58 , Jane DaltonThe Belarus leader said he backed Iran’s “legitimate right to develop peaceful nuclear energy”:
Russian allies Belarus and Iran agree to boost bilateral defense ties
Allies working on new plan, says Zelensky aide
21:39 , Jane DaltonUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff says Ukraine is working on a plan with its allies if Russia prolongs the war or disrupts agreements on leaders’ meetings.
Andrii Yermak said the allies had already begun active work on a military component of security guarantees for his country.
UK military chief meets Nato counterparts for Ukraine talks
21:00 , Daniel KeaneThe head of Britain's armed forces has met with his Nato counterparts as Europe continues to push for security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin met senior US defence officials alongside other European military chiefs in Washington DC on Wednesday to discuss military options to secure peace in Ukraine.
He later attended a virtual meeting of Nato's military committee, described by its chairman Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone as "candid".
On Tuesday evening, Admiral Radakin, the chief of the defence staff, had dined with his US counterpart General Dan Caine.
Watch: Firefighters battle Ukrainian energy facility blaze after Russian drone strike
20:35 , Jane Dalton
Russian drone strike sees firefighters battle huge blaze at Ukrainian energy facility
Military chiefs in US talks on security guarantees
19:35 , Reuters | Jane DaltonA small group of military leaders is talking to Washington about options for security guarantees for Ukraine, a Western official has said, shortly after a bigger virtual meeting ended.
The source said US General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was holding the talks that also involved around half a dozen other Nato chiefs of defence.
The official said they expected further meetings of the chiefs of defence in a broader format to be called, to discuss any options worked out in the smaller group.
No time frame has been set as the final decision will lie with political leaders, the official said.
Watch: Lavrov warns West over excluding Moscow
18:59 , Jane Dalton
Russian foreign minister warns West over excluding Moscow from security discussions
Lithuania would contribute troops to a Ukraine peacekeeping mission, says president
18:06 , Daniel KeaneLithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda has said that the country would contribute troops and equipment to a future peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.
His comments come after the US said it would only provide limited air support to Kyiv as a security guarantee.
European countries have pledged to provide military assistance to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement.
Lavrov says security guarantees should be based on draft accord from 2022
17:45 , Daniel KeaneRussia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said Russia is in favour of "truly reliable" guarantees for Ukraine and suggested these could be modelled on a draft accord that was discussed between the warring parties in Istanbul in 2022, in the early weeks of the war.
Under the draft discussed then, Ukraine would have received security guarantees from a group of countries including the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - China, Russia, the United States, Britain and France.
At the time, Kyiv rejected that proposal on the grounds that Moscow would have held effective veto power over any military response to come to its aid.
Nato says military leaders had 'candid' discussion on Ukraine
17:22 , Daniel KeaneNato military leaders had a "great, candid discussion" during a video conference on recent talks on the war in Ukraine, the chair of the alliance's military committee has said.
"On #Ukraine, we confirmed our support. Priority continues to be a just, credible and durable peace," Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone wrote in a post on social media platform X.
Von Der Leyen denies leaving the room during White House talks
17:01 , Bryony GoochEU Commission president Ursula Von Der Leyen did not leave the room temporary during talks between talks at the White House between Zelensky and Trump, says deputy chief spokeswoman Arianna Podesta.
“These reports are completely false. The President participated in all meetings, at all times, with the other European leaders.”
We have seen reporting which claims President @vonderleyen left the room temporarily during meetings with @POTUS and @ZelenskyyUA in DC on Monday.
— Arianna Podestà (@arianna_podesta) August 20, 2025
These reports are completely false.
The President participated in all meetings, at all times, with the other European leaders.
Where could Putin and Zelensky meet for Ukraine war summit?
16:47 , Bryony Gooch
Watch: Deadly Russian strike devastates eastern Ukraine before Trump and Zelensky meet
16:24 , Bryony GoochLavrov calls for Chinese participation in Ukraine's security guarantees
16:14 , Bryony GoochRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said Russia believes Ukraine’s security guarantees should be ensured on an equal basis with participation from China among other countries.
"Russia agrees that Ukraine's security guarantees should be ensured on an equal basis with the participation of countries such as China, the USA, Britain, and France,” a report from Ria Novosti read.
Recap watch: Ukrainian sniper 'kills two Russians with single bullet from 2.5miles away in world record'
16:03 , Bryony GoochRussia is again provoking NATO countries, says Polish minister
15:53 , Bryony GoochRussia is again provoking NATO countries, Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Wednesday, after an official said the object that landed overnight in a cornfield in eastern Poland may have been a Russian version of the Shahed drone.
"Once again, we are dealing with a provocation by the Russian Federation, with a Russian drone. We are dealing in a crucial moment, when discussions about peace (in Ukraine) are underway," he told journalists.
Three killed in Russian shelling of key eastern Ukrainian city, local officials say
15:30 , Bryony GoochAt least three people were killed in a Russian artillery attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka, local officials said on Wednesday, as Moscow's troops advance to encircle the strategic hub in Ukraine's industrialised Donbas region.
Another four people were wounded in the attack, which Governor Vadym Filashkin said involved eight strikes from a multiple rocket launch system and targeted a local market.
He called on residents to evacuate the city, which has come increasingly under attack as Russian forces close in from three sides.
On Tuesday alone, Filashkin added, Russian forces dropped 10 guided bombs on Kostiantynivka, which has long served as a crucial logistics hub for Ukrainian troops defending a key swath of the front line.
"The Russians are deliberately striking to kill and maim as many civilians as possible," he said in a statement.
Russia has denied targeting civilians, but thousands have been killed since its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
UK targets sanctions circumvention and crypto networks exploited by Russia
15:15 , Bryony GoochThe United Kingdom has cracked down on Russia’s attempts to avoid sanctions by exploiting Kyrgyz financial systems and crypto networks, building on over 2,700 existing UK sanctions against Russia.
“Today’s action closes in on the Kyrgyzstan-based Capital Bank, and its director Kantemir Chalbayev, which Russia uses to pay for military goods.
“Sanctions also hit the Grinex and Meer cryptocurrency exchanges, the infrastructure behind a new rouble-backed cryptocurrency token A7A5, which has moved $9.3bn on a dedicated crypto exchange in just four months and is specifically designed as an attempt to evade western sanctions. “
Russia bars entry to 21 people it says spread disinformation against it in UK media
15:00 , Bryony GoochRussia said on Wednesday it was barring entry to 21 individuals it accused of working with "the destructive British media" to promote anti-Russian narratives.
The list includes journalists, experts and members of NGOs.
Their names were added to those of many hundreds of other Western nationals whom Russia has placed on its "stop list" since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Britain on Wednesday said it was imposing new sanctions on cryptocurrency networks it said were exploited by Russia.
What could US and European security guarantees look like for Ukraine?
14:50 , Alex CroftWorld leaders gathered in Washington on Monday for a summit billed as a potential turning point in efforts to end the Ukraine war.
In the Oval Office, Donald Trump hosted Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and senior European figures to thrash out what security guarantees for Ukraine might look like if a peace deal with Russia can be reached.
The meeting was described as “historic” by British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, who has emerged as one of the driving forces behind Europe’s response. Nato military leaders are meeting on Wednesday to discuss Ukraine and the way forward.
But even as the talks took place, Moscow dismissed the plans as dangerous and warned against any Western military presence in Ukraine.
Read the full report:
What could US and European security guarantees look like for Ukraine?
Russia must be involved in talks about Ukraine security guarantees, says Lavrov
14:33 , Alex CroftRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Moscow must be involved in any discussions about security guarantees for Ukraine
"Seriously discussing security issues without Russia is a road to nowhere,” Lavrov said, adding that the UK, US, France and China could provide equal security guarantees for the country.
“As for reports that the U.K., France, and Germany want to develop collective security guarantees, we support making these guarantees truly reliable," Lavrov claimed.
"Our delegation then agreed to work out security guarantees involving all permanent members of the UN Security Council — Russia, China, the US, France, and the UK," he said. "Germany and Turkey were mentioned, as well as others that may be interested in joining this group."
Nato military leaders were due to meet today to discuss creating effective security guarantees for Ukraine.
US prepares to host Putin-Zelensky meeting in Budapest
14:20 , Alex CroftThe US Secret Service is making preparations to host a meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, Politico is reporting.
Right-wing prime minister Viktor Orban holds warm relations with Donald Trump and is friendly with Moscow.
The Secret Service often scouts multiple locations and the venue could change, but Budapest is the White House’s first choice, a Trump administration official and a person close to the administration told the outlet.
Why is the future of Ukraine’s Donbas region becoming a key issue in peace talks?
14:15 , Bryony Gooch
In pictures: A makeshift memorial to fallen defenders in Independence Square in Kyiv
14:00 , Bryony Gooch
In numbers: Is the UK ready to put boots on the ground in Ukraine?
13:45 , Bryony GoochUK defence in numbers: Are we ready to put boots on the ground in Ukraine?
Early findings show military drone fell in Poland, prosecutor says
13:30 , Bryony GoochA military drone that exploded overnight in eastern Poland had no warhead, contained only a small amount of explosives and was most likely a decoy, newswire PAP reported on Wednesday citing source close to the defence ministry.
Poland has been on high alert for objects entering its airspace since a stray Ukrainian missile struck the southern Polish village of Przewodow in 2022, killing two people.
"Examination of the explosion indicates that the ... object is most likely a military drone," Lublin regional prosecutor Grzegorz Trusiewicz told reporters. He said it was most likely damaged by explosives.
Police had earlier announced that an unidentified object had fallen in a field in the village of Osiny in the eastern Lublin province, which borders Ukraine.
The blast shattered windows in several homes, but nobody was injured, PAP news agency reported. Police officers found burnt metal and plastic debris at the site, it said.
Comment: We had one chance to sink the Russian economy and we blew it – Putin knew we would
13:15 , Bryony Gooch
We had one chance to sink the Russian economy and we blew it – Putin knew we would
Erdogan tells Putin Turkey supports Ukraine peace effort
13:00 , Bryony GoochTurkey supports efforts to establish a permanent peace in Ukraine with the participation of all parties, President Tayyip Erdogan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Wednesday, the Turkish presidency said.
Erdogan also told Putin he was closely following developments related to the process, and that Turkey had strived for a just peace since the beginning of the war, it said.
Lavrov says Russia is ready to discuss political aspects of a settlement with Ukraine
12:49 , Bryony GoochRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Moscow is ready to discuss the political aspects of a settlement with Ukraine.
Russia is ready to conduct talks in any format and to raise the level of delegations in negotiations, he added. But he repeated Moscow's insistence that any meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian leaders should be the culmination of such negotiations, and would need to be carefully prepared.
Russia says its forces advance in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region
12:29 , Bryony GoochRussian forces have advanced in the east of Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, taking the village of Novoheorhiivka close to the Donetsk region, Russia's defence ministry said on Wednesday.
Russian forces said in July that they had taken their first village in Dnipropetrovsk, and U.S. estimates of the battlefield indicate Russian forces control less than 1% of the region.
Dnipropetrovsk is not one of the five regions of Ukraine that Russia has claimed as its own territory.
"Soldiers of the 57th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade pushed out the enemy from Novoheorhiivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region," Russia's defence ministry said. We could not independently confirm the battlefield report.
Russia's Lavrov says security discussions without Moscow are 'road to nowhere'
12:13 , Bryony GoochRussia is in favour of reliable security guarantees for Ukraine but it hopes the United States understands that discussing security issues without Russia is a "road to nowhere", Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.
The U.S. has an increasingly clear understanding of the "root causes" of the Ukraine crisis, Lavrov added.
