Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting Emmanuel Macron before a European leaders‘ summit on Ukraine tomorrow. Meanwhile, Russia attacked his hometown and a Ukrainian port city, hours after the Black Sea ceasefire deal was agreed. Follow the latest here.
Wednesday 26 March 2025 19:26, UK
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That’s all for our coverage for today but we’ll be back tomorrow with more updates on the war in Ukraine.
Earlier, Emmanuel Macron held a news conference with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and said France would provide an additional $2bn of military support for Ukraine.
The Ukrainian leader arrived in Paris ahead of a summit of European leaders on Ukraine and security tomorrow.
Here are the other key developments from today…
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that he expects the US will be able to ensure Vladimir Putin accepts a ceasefire.
„We believe America will be strong enough to lead Putin to accept an unconditional ceasefire,“ he says.
It comes after Moscow put forward conditions for a halt on strikes in the Black Sea brokered by Washington.
He also says countries should continue to put pressure on Russia.
Emmanuel Macron says Russia is reinterpreting what was agreed in ceasefire talks.
„I note today Russia is always tempted to reinterpret what we discuss and agree,“ he says.
„While saying it wants peace, Russia continues to strike intensely the Ukrainian territory, including civilian targets.
„These strikes we condemn them.“
He also says France will provide an additional $2bn of military support for Ukraine.
The French leader goes on to say Russia cannot dictate the conditions for a lasting peace in Ukraine.
Macron adds that anti-tank missiles, surface-to-air missiles and drones are part of the new military equipment aid to be provided to Kyiv.
„It is about Ukraine,“ he adds.
On the question of lifting sanctions on Russia, he says it is „much too early“ to lift sanctions.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron are now speaking from Elysee Palace in Paris.
We’ll be bringing you the key updates here – or you can watch live at the top of the page.
Estonia has passed a bill banning Russian citizens and non-EU residents residing in the country from voting in local elections.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said the move was „a victory for all“, adding on X: „The decisions in our local life won’t be made by the citizens of the aggressor states, but we’ll decide by ourselves.“
The restrictions, if signed into law, would ban Russian citizens and non-EU citizens from voting.
Nearly 80,000 Russian citizens hold a residence permit in Estonia, a former Soviet republic which regained its independence in 1991.
Further to reports we brought you earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived at Elysee Palace in Paris and been greeted by Emmanuel Macron – who has remained one of his closest allies during the three-year war.
The Ukrainian president is there for a summit of European leaders tomorrow.
The so-called „coalition of the willing“ nations that are allies of Ukraine will discuss options for a peacekeeping solution for the country after the war ends, with France and Britain leading efforts.
Officials said earlier discussions at the meeting in Paris would focus on a range of issues, such as on how to strengthen Ukraine militarily to deter future attacks, and how to monitor limited ceasefires over sea targets and energy infrastructure.
Images are emerging of rubble-strewn streets and battered buildings in Pokrovsk, which sits in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
Russian forces have for months focused on advancing on Pokrovsk.
But Ukraine’s military has reported success in recent weeks in holding back Russian forces in the area.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Paris ahead of a summit of European leaders on Ukraine and security tomorrow as part of Sir Keir Starmer’s „coalition of the willing“.
Emmanuel Macron is hosting the follow-up to his February and March gatherings of European and NATO leaders to discuss defence guarantees for Ukraine, with leaders and delegations from around 30 countries attending.
The Ukrainian leader is expected to have a meeting with the French president later today.
We’ll bring you any updates or images from Zelenskyy’s visit as we get them.
Further to Ukrainian reports we brought you earlier of a diesel spillage at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the Russian-installed management at the facility has dismissed the claims as „fake“.
Earlier, Ukraine accused Moscow of being incapable of managing safety at plant after what it called reports of a huge spillage of diesel (see post at 3.05pm).
„The spilled fuel was enough to power the station’s emergency generators for 25 days,“ the country’s foreign ministry spokesman, Heorhii Tykhyi, said.
He did not give the origin of the reports or say when or how the damage had come about, saying only that it was „a direct result of Russia’s reckless replacement“ of licensed Ukrainian experts with Russian staff.
Last week, Donald Trump suggested the US could help run and possibly own Ukraine’s nuclear power plants.
But Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the ownership has not been discussed and ruled out such a possibility.
A search is under way after four US army soldiers went missing in Lithuania, the US embassy in Vilnius reports.
The embassy said on their website that the soldiers went missing in a training area near Pabrade in eastern Lithuania, near the border with Belarus.
A search is being conducted by the US army, Lithuanian armed forces, Lithuanian law enforcement and others, the embassy added.
The embassy has not said when the soldiers went missing.
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