Donald Trump has threatened Russia with sanctions, saying both sides need to get to the negotiating table. It comes after the Kremlin and Ukraine shared very different starting points for truce talks. Watch Sky News live below – including coverage of an unscheduled Trump speech.
Friday 7 March 2025 16:04, UK
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Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, has proposed enshrining defence spending of at least 4% of GDP in the country’s constitution.
Poland currently spends a higher proportion of GDP on defence than any other NATO member, including the United States.
It reached 4.1% of GDP last year, according to NATO estimates, and could rise to 4.7% this year.
Donald Tusk, the prime minister, said in parliament that spending 5% on defence seems a „necessity“ and Poles have a „lot of effort“ ahead of them.
As we reported in our post at 2pm, he has announced a plan to offer military training to every adult male.
Donald Trump has threatened further sanctions against Russia.
That is based on the „fact“ that Moscow is „pounding“ Ukraine on the battlefield at present, he has written on Truth Social.
He is threatening banking sanctions and tariffs until a „ceasefire“ and a final peace settlement are reached.
The US president wrote: „To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!“
He did not provide any details on how extra sanctions might be imposed.
In January, Washington intensified the measures it is taking against Vladimir Putin’s regime by targeting Russia’s oil production and exports.
These pictures show firefighters battling a blaze after a Russian air attack in Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region.
Russian forces are steadily advancing on the region and have been slowly capturing village after village over the last few months.
The Polish government is drawing up plans to offer military training to every adult male.
Donald Tusk, the country’s prime minister, told the lower house of parliament the idea is to create a reserve force „adequate to possible threats“.
Poland is on NATO’s eastern flank and shares a border with Ukraine.
Concerns have become heightened after President Trump stopped providing Kyiv with military support and intelligence.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy needs to acknowledge security guarantees for Ukraine will be provided by Europe, the US treasury secretary has said.
Scott Bessent told CNBC the situation regarding any peace deal over Russia’s war in Ukraine is fluid.
Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK will „step up“ to provide security guarantees for Ukraine, but said it would „need the US to be working with us“.
As the world scrambles to react to Donald Trump’s policies, Vladimir Putin mostly keeps a low profile by comparison.
Compared to Trump, he’s not in front of the cameras often.
Today, though, he’s been chairing a meeting with members of Russia’s security council.
Two pictures show him leading the meeting – held via video link – in his usual surroundings of the Kremlin.
His government has been less open about the details of the security council discussion so far today.
Safe to say, we don’t expect a full transcript of their chat.
Russia has called for dialogue after President Trump said it would be „great if everybody got rid of their nuclear weapons“.
The Kremlin said discussions should include Europe’s nuclear arsenals.
France’s President Macron has suggested extending the protection offered by his country’s nuclear warheads to other countries on the continent.
Donald Trump said: „I know Russia and us have by far the most.
„China will have an equal amount within 4-5 years.
„It would be great if we could all denuclearise because the power of nuclear weapons is crazy.“
Asked about those comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: „Dialogue between Russia and the US on arms control is necessary, especially concerning strategic stability.“
Speaking on Wednesday, Emmanuel Macron called Russia a „threat for France and Europe“.
Moscow said the speech contained threats towards it and „notes of nuclear blackmail“.
The Kremlin has described it as highly confrontational and said France was staking a claim to „nuclear leadership in Europe“.
Ukraine is being „beaten up“ by the Trump White House, a senior military analyst has said.
It is happening „every day“, Sky News’s Professor Michael Clarke added.
The US administration loses „no opportunity to insult Zelenskyy“, he said.
Asked about the current American approach, Clarke said: „Apologists for President Trump say it’s all about strategy.
„Don’t worry about his tactics – his tactics are always to break things and create chaos and he pulls a rabbit out of the hat at the end of the show.
„And his strategy is to stop the fighting and to leave Ukraine as a strong, independent sovereign state.“
‚All the carrots are going to Russia‘
Clarke went on: „Well, that’s fine, if that’s what it comes to.
„But with the exception of one off-the-cuff remark he made, everything he’s said and everything the administration has done is completely against that.
„And so it’s a carrot and stick approach.
„But all the carrots are being offered to Russia, and all the sticks are being used to beat Ukraine.
„Every day they beat up Ukraine.
„In the administration, the Republican backers, they lose no opportunity to insult Zelenskyy, insult the Ukrainians, and yet Russia is not being asked for anything at the moment.“
Can Europe fill intelligence gap left by US withdrawal?
The US has withdrawn intelligence sharing from Kyiv.
Asked whether Europe could fill the gap, Clarke said there are Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft which can circulate over the Black Sea and provide Ukraine with „general intelligence“.
But US intelligence is „more or less instant“, he said.
Clarke explained: „So if the Russians move material around, they [Ukraine] can get coordinates on it and launch a missile against it with American intelligence.
„Can’t do that without it.“
A European future without American support has been on the way for a „long time“, Clarke said.
„Those of us in the analytical community could see this happening over the next five to 10 years.
„But President Trump has created an urgency – it’s happening now over six months or a year.“
NATO in jeopardy
„NATO is absolutely on the line now,“ Clarke added.
„NATO will continue but whether it’s a meaningful transatlantic relationship at a military level is now on the line.“
The US is looking further east, Clarke pointed out.
„A lot of us have been saying the Americans are going to take their equipment out of Europe and move it to the Pacific at some point in the next few years,“ he said.
Can Europe match US spending?
Clarke said the answer is yes. Big amounts of money, invested now, could „start to pay off in four or five years‘ time“.
But European countries „should have been talking about this in 2014“, he added.
„That was the great moment when the Russians invaded Crimea and parts of the Donbas.
„That was the wake-up call.“
Ukraine has received the first part of funds worth $1bn (£774m) from the UK, taken from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets, according to the country’s prime minister.
Denys Shmyhal says: „The funds will go towards strengthening Ukraine’s defence capabilities.
„We expect all sovereign assets of the Russian Federation to be confiscated and transferred to benefit our country in the future.“
France could launch a national loan to fund plans to boost its defence spending, according to the country’s prime minister and finance minister.
Given Donald Trump’s freezing of military aid for Ukraine, and his apparent cooling of support for NATO allies in Europe, countries across the continent are facing up to paying for more of their own defence.
Finance Minister Eric Lombard has said at a news conference today that a national loan dedicated to defence was „among the tools that we can choose from“.
Prime Minister Francois Bayrou also told Europe 1 radio and Cnews TV that such a loan was „a possibility“ – but he added „we would still have to decide on it“, and no such decision had yet been taken.
Macron’s defence push
In a televised address on Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron warned Europe of Russia’s threat.
The president said France would spend more on defence – though he did not say how much more.
He said there would be no tax increases to finance that, but tough choices would have to be made.
For context: Macron’s push to increase defence spending will not be easy. France has one of the biggest budget deficits in the European Union.
It passed its 2025 budget last month only after weeks of delay in a deeply divided parliament.
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Ukraine war latest: Trump threatens more sanctions against Russia as it 'pounds' Ukraine; rival visions for truce emerge – Sky News
