Prime Minister Keir Starmer begins his address in the Commons by saying that Nato and Britain's international allies can trust that his government will "put our collective security first".

He speaks about Labour's historical record when Nato was founded, and says the historical load to fulfil our duties is not as light as it once was.

These times demand a united Britain and we must deploy all resources to achieve security, he says.

Image source, House of Commons

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is about to deliver a statement on security and defence in Parliament, as he prepares to meet Donald Trump in Washington DC on Thursday.

We'll be bringing you updates and analysis here, and you'll be able to follow his statement at the top of the page by clicking the watch live button.

Image source, Getty Images

We're soon going to be hearing Keir Starmer make a statement on defence and security in Parliament.

The government has previously said it wants to raise UK defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), up from 2.3%, but is yet to set out a timetable for meeting the pledge.

It comes as US President Donald Trump has called on Nato allies to increase that contribution to 5%.

In the UK, a "strategic" review of military spending is due in the spring, with three-year departmental spending plans then set out in June.

But raising defence spending is problematic for Chancellor Rachel Reeves, whose self-imposed spending rules have become more difficult to hit amid worsening projections for the economy.

Last week, Reeves wouldn't answer questions on when or how she would hit the 2.5% spending target of GDP, but reiterated she was "absolutely committed" to doing so.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats say defence spending should rise to 3% as soon as possible and by 2030 at the latest.

• Read more about how much Nato countries spend on defence in this detailed analysis from BBC Verify

Image source, Reuters

Yesterday marked the sombre three-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, while on the other side of the globe, US President Donald Trump welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron in Washington.

If you are just joining us, here's what you need to know for today:

• The Kremlin seemed to offer the US a part in exploiting its rare minerals after reports that the US and Ukraine may soon be reaching their own rare mineral deal

• The EU has proposed a separate minerals deal with to Ukraine, but a source at the EU told the BBC its proposals are not in competition with the US

• Meanwhile, France's Macron has doubled-down on his commitment to securing a ceasefire with clear security guarantees for Ukraine after his meeting with Trump
• Following his footsteps, UK PM Keir Starmer will be flying out to Washington to meet Trump on Thursday for Ukraine talks
• Overnight, air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine, with more than 200 drones and seven cruise missiles launched from Russia, according to Kyiv's military. A 44-year-old woman was injured in an attack in the Kyiv region and several structures were destroyed

And within the hour, we're also going to be hearing from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who will be giving a statement on defence and security in Parliament. Stick with us.

Image source, PA Media

UK Prime Minster Keir Starmer is set to make a statement on defence and security today in the House of Commons.

Today's address comes just days before the prime minister jets off to Washington for his Thursday meeting with US President Donald Trump.

He'll be speaking at around 12:30 GMT, and we'll be covering his comments live here.

You'll also be able to follow along by pressing watch live above.

One of the major news lines we've been covering this week is how Kyiv and Washington are edging closer to signing a deal over US access to Ukraine's mineral deposits, according to officials.

Ukraine has been facing growing pressure from Washington to sign the deal, which has ended up in the centre of the growing rift between the US and Ukrainian presidents.

Zelensky first included the offer of an agreement on minerals in the so-called "victory plan" that he presented to Trump last September, in an attempt to offer a tangible reason for the US to continue supporting Ukraine.

Kyiv estimates that about 5% of the world's "critical raw materials" are in Ukraine. This includes some 19 million tonnes of proven reserves of graphite, which is used to make batteries for electric vehicles.

Ukraine also has a third of all European lithium deposits, the key component in current batteries. And prior to the Russian full-scale invasion, Ukraine's global share of titanium production, a lightweight metal used in the construction of everything from aeroplanes to power stations, was 7%.

Further, Ukraine has significant deposits of rare earth metals. These are a group of 17 elements that are used to produce weapons, wind turbines, electronics and other products vital in the modern world.

Some of the mineral deposits, however, have been seized by Russia.

Did the US send Ukraine $350bn of aid?published at 11:29 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February

11:29 GMT 25 February

By Thomas Spencer

One of the figures that President Trump has cited when discussing a potential minerals deal between Kyiv and Washington is the amount of money the US has sent to Ukraine.

The US president has repeatedly claimed that Washington has given $350bn (£277bn) in aid to Ukraine, but we can’t find evidence to back this figure up.

The US State Department says that since 2022, the US has provided over $65.9bn, external in military assistance to Ukraine and it lists a range of weaponry it has donated, including missiles, tanks and air defence.

A US government auditing body - the Special Inspector General for Operation Atlantic Resolve - also factors in other types of aid, including humanitarian assistance and future spending.

It includes the associated cost of increased US military activities in Europe, external following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

It calculates the overall US response at nearly $183bn between 2022 and 2024, external.

BBC Verify has asked the White House for its evidence for Trump’s much higher figure of $350bn, but it has not responded.

Image source, PA Media

It is "critical" that Keir Starmer succeeds in his talks with Donald Trump this week, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch says.

Delivering a speech on foreign policy this morning, Badenoch says that overall, the West has not done enough to support Ukraine, saying that it has been too ineffective and too indecisive.

This has given Putin time, and now an end to the war is being negotiated while Russia occupies of a fifth of Ukraine's territory, she says.

"The danger is that aggression does not merely go unpunished, but ends up rewarded," she says, as she cautions the UK against appearing "weak" when Starmer meets with his American counterpart on Thursday.

"Russia and other authoritarian regimes will be emboldened if that is how this war ends - and this is why it is absolutely critical that the prime minister succeeds in his talks with President Trump later this week."

We reported earlier that air raid sirens sounded across all regions of Ukraine overnight, and we can now bring you an update from the country's armed forces on those attacks.

More than 200 drones and seven cruise missiles were launched from Russia overnight, Kyiv's military says.

Ukraine's air force says it intercepted 133 of the drones and six of the missiles. Another 79 drones did not reach their targets, likely due to electronic warfare, it adds.

The report states that the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions were both affected by the strikes.

A 44-year-old woman was injured in an attack in the Kyiv region, the region's military administration said on its Telegram channel earlier.

Danny Aeberhard
Europe regional editor, BBC World Service

As we've been reporting, Ukraine's deposits of minerals - like rare earths, titanium, graphite and lithium - are attracting increasing attention.

The European Commissioner for industrial strategy proposed a deal on a trip to Kyiv on Monday, linked to the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Stéphane Séjourné said it would be a "win-win", adding that the EU would never demand a deal that was not "mutually beneficial".

It seems a markedly different approach to that of Washington.

President Trump has demanded massive deals, seeing them as a way of recouping past aid that Washington's sent to Ukraine.

President Zelensky has so far resisted, but is keen to keep the US on side.

A source at the EU now tells the BBC its proposals are not in competition with the US ones and that the EU is seeking to accelerate long-standing partnerships, linked to Ukraine's moves to join the bloc.

Image source, Getty Images

The European Union has proposed its own "win-win" deal to Ukraine on "critical materials", the AFP reports.

This comes after several reports that an agreement is in the works between the US and Ukraine to give Washington access to Kyiv's natural minerals in return for previous aid.

US President Donald Trump said last week that Ukraine should give the US "something for all of the money that we put up", and that he is "asking for rare earth and oil - anything we can get".

Kyiv estimates that about 5% of the world's "critical raw materials" are in Ukraine.

That includes millions of tonnes of graphite, which is used to make batteries for electric vehicles, significant deposits of lithium, and rare earth metals - which produce weapons, wind turbines, electronics and other products vital in the modern world.

Stéphane Séjourné, the European Commissioner for industrial strategy, told the AFP he had suggested a potential deal to Ukrainian officials during a visit to Kyiv, alongside the EU's Ursula von der Leyen.

"The added value Europe offers is that we will never demand a deal that's not mutually beneficial," he added.

• Continue reading about why Ukraine is negotiating a minerals deal with the US

Putin embarks on a charm offensivepublished at 10:04 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February

10:04 GMT 25 February

Vitaliy Shevchenko
BBC Monitoring's Russia editor

Image source, EPA

Russian President Vladimir Putin embarked on a charm offensive against Donald Trump in a televised interview on Monday night.

He praised the US president's approach to Ukraine, and made the dramatic step of offering the US to get involved in exploiting Russia's mineral resources.

Asked by the state TV reporter if Trump's policies "played into Russia's hands", Putin said his point of view was the opposite.

The Kremlin leader said Donald Trump was acting "in Ukraine's interests, in the interests of the Ukrainian state, to preserve Ukrainian statehood".

The Russian president also seemed to agree with Trump calling on Volodymyr Zelensky to step aside, as he claimed the Ukrainian president was "a factor corrupting the army, society and the state" in Ukraine.

"The US president certainly understands this," Putin said, and claimed that Russia would actually want Zelensky "to stay there and continue corrupting the regime".

Apparently responding to mounting speculation that the US and Ukraine may be close to striking a deal providing America with access to rare earth metals in exchange for security guarantees, Putin said Russia had "an order of magnitude" more of them, and invited America to use them together.

The offer, Putin said, also applies to mining mineral resources in Russian occupied parts of Ukraine.

He also said American companies should take part in projects such as energy and aluminium production in Russia.

Vladimir Putin's message to his American counterpart seems to be: “Donald, you and I are right, and everyone else is wrong. We could do so much together!”

It’s a parallel universe where Putin and Trump believe they know better than Zelensky about what’s good for Ukraine.

Image source, Reuters

Both Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are in Donald Trump's diary this week - while Macron had his meeting yesterday, Starmer's flies out for his tomorrow.

Like the French leader, Starmer has also been accused by Trump of having done nothing to end the war in Ukraine - though in the same breath Trump then said he considered Macron to be a "friend", and called the British prime minister a "very nice guy".

The UK leader has also seemingly responded to Trump calling Ukraine's president a "dictator", as Starmer has described Zelensky as his country's "democratically elected leader".

Within their separate visits, Macron and Starmer will be looking to present a united front to Trump. In a phone call on Sunday, the two "compared notes" on how best to approach the US president, government sources told the BBC.

Image source, Reuters

French President Emmanuel Macron is doubling down on his commitment to securing a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire that has clear security guarantees.

"We want peace. A peace that does not mean Ukraine's capitulation or a ceasefire without guarantees," he says in a post on X this morning.

"One that provides the conditions for long-term Ukrainian sovereignty. One in which we assume our responsibilities for our collective security."

These comments follow his meeting with US President Donald Trump yesterday, during which the French president stressed that any peace deal must "not be a surrender of Ukraine".

A ceasefire doesn’t mean peacepublished at 09:28 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February

09:28 GMT 25 February

James Waterhouse
Ukraine correspondent in Kyiv

Image source, Reuters

Despite Emmanuel Macron claiming a truce could soon be agreed, Ukrainian politicians, soldiers and civilians all argue that it would be useless without Western help to enforce it.

It’s why Kyiv has given a rallying cry to its remaining allies as the US challenges Europe to step up where it is less willing to do so.

More sanctions against Russia and military packages were announced at a summit in the capital yesterday. The European Union even offered its own natural resources deal with Ukraine to rival an American proposal.

In the coming days, we are going to see UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer follow his French counterpart by travelling to the White House. They are both trying to bridge a widening security gap between Europe and America.

What’s also reflected by these visits to Donald Trump is Europe still needing the US as a military safety net. If fighting was to break out again after a ceasefire was agreed, they’d want to know Washington would step in.

It seems Ukraine’s closer allies are increasingly willing to put boots on Ukrainian soil in the future, but only as a “reassurance force” away from the frontline.

There is still a European nervousness about potentially engaging in a confrontational capacity, as there is no guarantee all will be calm.

Russia will likely continue to occupy a fifth of Ukraine with its own sizeable military presence.

For context: Ukraine has always insisted any peace deal must include the full withdrawal of Russian troops, back to the pre-2014 borders, which includes Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, but US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said in recent weeks that this is "unrealistic"

Peace talks on ending the war cannot exclude Ukraine, British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper says.

Appearing on the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Cooper says discussions were at a "very important stage", and in order to achieve a lasting peace, Ukraine needs to be "at the heart of them".

She says that the US, UK and Europe all have to work together and do more, but the security backstop of the US is an essential guarantee for ensuring a lasting peace.

Her comments, which largely echo the Labour government's line, come just days before Prime Minister Keir Starmer heads to Washington to meet with President Trump.

Image source, EPA

There are so many elements at play at the moment, let's take a moment to bring you up to date with some of the major news that's come out over the last few days:

• In Ukraine, the fighting continues unabated, with air raid sirens ringing out across the country overnight

• Western leaders, including Canada's PM Justin Trudeau and a European delegation, gathered in Kyiv on Monday to mark the three years of full-scale war
• Zelensky warned the summit of the dangers of a hastily-negotiated peace deal but said that he hoped the war would end this year
• It came just days after Zelensky offered to resign in exchange for Nato membership in an effort to bring about peace - Russia has maintained that they would not accept Ukraine joining Nato as part of a deal
• A deal that gives the US access to Ukraine's natural minerals in return for previous aid appears to be close, according to US and Ukrainian officials
• On a visit to the White House, French President Macron said that it was feasible to talk about the war ending in weeks
• But relations between the US and its European allies were tested at the United Nations, where the US sided with Russia on two votes in opposition to France and the UK
• Both the EU and UK introduced further sanctions against Russia on Monday

As the full-scale invasion of Ukraine rages for the third year, we have seen a number of changes across the front lines.

Russian forces have slowly expanded the amount of territory they control over the past year, mostly in the east of Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces, however, have made those advances as slow and difficult as possible and have staged their own counter-offensive into Russian territory.

Some of that territory - as you can see below - has been regained by Russia, but Ukraine still has troops in the Kursk region.

Macron walks a tightrope with Trump on Ukrainepublished at 08:03 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February

08:03 GMT 25 February

Gary O'Donoghue
Senior North America correspondent in Washington

Image source, Reuters

Relations between Europe and the US are unquestionably in crisis, so merely keeping things together as French President Emmanuel Macron did at the White House on Monday stands as an achievement.

He did that by praising, flattering and gently cajoling the US president as they took questions in the Oval Office and held a joint news conference. This is a playbook that many leaders around the world now see as more productive than outright plain speaking or criticism of Trump.

Macron managed to navigate what could have been a tricky day in Washington without conceding or revealing too much.

He spoke of both countries wanting peace, and while he gently corrected one of Trump's claims on Europe's support for Ukraine, he also agreed that Europe needed to take more responsibility for its own security.

But Macron did make one important concession – that Trump was right to re-establish some kind of relationship with Russia's Vladimir Putin.

That is in sharp contrast to the view up until now in London, Paris and Berlin, which have all pursued a policy of isolating Putin and slapping sanctions on Russian industries and individuals.

• Read more: Macron walks tightrope with Trump as he makes Europe's case on Ukraine

Let's revisit those remarks that French President Emmanuel Macron made on Monday night, where he suggested a potential truce between Ukraine and Russia was edging closer to a reality.

Speaking at a joint news conference on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, Macron said any peace deal must "not be a surrender of Ukraine" and must be backed by security guarantees.

Trump, who like Macron, also suggested the war could end "within weeks", insisted Europe should shoulder the cost and burden of any peacekeeping deal for Ukraine.

For his part, Macron said he was working with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on a proposal to send troops to the region.

Negotiations on an end to the fighting, he added, would cover "security guarantees, land and territories".

Macron added that he has spoken with several European leaders and allies, and called Trump's second term a "game changer".