Image source, Reuters

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has just arrived.

She tells reporters waiting eagerly that she is looking forward to hearing from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the summit, including his reaction to yesterday's phone call with US President Donald Trump.

The stronger Ukraine is on the battlefield, the stronger it is at the negotiating table, she tells reporters, adding that defence spending is also on the table at the summit.

The defence white paper published by the EU yesterday is also top of the agenda, and the EU foreign policy chief says it will be "a big day" in Brussels.

Image source, EPA

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer first spoke of a "coalition of the willing" at the start of the month, when he hosted international leaders in London days after the public row between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump at the White House.

The aim of the group would be to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee peace afterwards - with French President Emmanuel Macron spearheading the initiative alongside Starmer.

"Europe must do the heavy lifting," Starmer said at the time, but added that any agreement would need US backing.

Last weekend, the prime minister hosted a virtual summit which representatives from 26 countries attended. At a press conference after, the prime minister said the "coalition" had grown and new commitments had been made - although he did not share specifics.

He added that attendees agreed on the need to move to an "operational phase".

Military chiefs are due to meet in the UK today. Earlier, Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard told BBC Breakfast he wants the coalition to be a credible force that "will allow Ukraine to enjoy a lasting peace".

We'll be on top of any developments from today's meeting a little later.

Image source, Reuters

More now from EU leaders, as they arrive at today's summit.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda says now they "are standing in front of strategic choice: to let the aggressor escalate the violence and fear, or to stop it".

It is "absolutely obvious" that Ukraine needs military assistance, and they are "ready to provide it", but pressure on Russia needs to be increased, he adds.

"Our leadership does not depend on our rhetoric... our leadership depends on our decisions". He also stresses a need to "re-arm" Europe.

Image source, Getty Images

We've been hearing from a member of the French senate this morning about what security in Ukraine would look like if a ceasefire deal is reached - and what Europe's involvement would be.

Ronan Le Gleut told the BBC's 5 Live Breakfast programme that France will "not send any" peacekeeping troops to Ukraine without a guaranteed ceasefire first - a position the UK has also taken.

He adds European troops should only be on "the second line" - rather than the front line.

Ultimately, Le Gleut says more detail is needed about what peacekeeping troops would actually be doing in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the European Union is increasing its investment in drones, AI and cyber warfare to accelerate military mobility, he says, adding the "architecture of security" in Europe is changing because of the "threat" Russia poses.

Image source, Getty Images

After Russian strikes across Ukraine overnight killed two and wounded at least 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says despite Russia's "propaganda statements" the attacks "do not stop".

In a statement on Instagram, he thanks emergency workers for their efforts.

"With each such launch, the Russians show the world their true attitude towards peace."

We're now getting pictures of European leaders arriving in Brussels for talks on peace in Ukraine.

We'll bring updates as we get them about key comments by the leaders ahead of today's meeting.

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Image source, epa

As we wait for more information from the EU summit today, let's take a look back at the role the European Union has taken in ceasefire talks.

The bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said the conditions demanded by Russia for any ceasefire in Ukraine show that Moscow doesn't really want peace.

That runs in contrast to assertations by US President Donald Trump, who has presented an optimistic view of negotiations. He has said repeatedly that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to strike a deal.

Since the war began in 2022, the EU has held regular meetings on Ukraine, and at an emergency summit earlier this month, the union pledged to increase defence spending to boost Europe's military capabilities following pressure to raise funding by US President Donald Trump.

Most European nations see a risk to the security of the entire continent, not just Ukraine’s sovereignty. Yet, cracks within the EU have also appeared, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban repeatedly trying to block EU aid to Ukraine.

As we've been reporting, Ukraine and Russia both carried out air strikes overnight.

In Ukraine, firefighters were carrying out rescue efforts after a Russian drone strike struck a building in Kropyvnytskyi, a town about 300km (186 miles) south from the capital Kyiv.

Image source, Reuters

Regional governor Arkadyi Raikovych says his city had "survived the most massive enemy attack", adding that residential buildings were destroyed.

Across the country, Kyiv's air defences shot down 75 out of 171 Russian drones, officials said.

Ukrainian police say 10 people, including four children, were injured.

Image source, Reuters

A man has been killed in Russian strikes in Kostyantynivka, Donetsk, the regional leader says in a post on Telegram.

He adds that two others were injured, several homes were destroyed and power lines were damaged.

No further details are shared about the casualty.

It brings the total of those killed in the overnight strikes to two.

Trump defaults to his instinct - trying to get something in return for Ukraine supportpublished at 08:41 Greenwich Mean Time 20 March

08:41 GMT 20 March

Jeremy Bowen
International Editor

The Zaporizhzhia plant is not producing electricity at the moment. But the significance here is that it is the biggest nuclear plant in Europe - in territory controlled by the Russians.

One of Putin's plans is to control the entire region, as well as the nuclear plant.

Potential US control and ownership of the plant demonstrates Trump is defaulting to his instinct, trying to get something in return for his support for Ukraine.

At the same time, Trump is struggling. His call with Putin showed that, ultimately, the only way they'd get peace in this war is for Ukraine to capitulate.

Effectively, Tuesday's call was Putin sticking to his guns but chucking Trump a morsel, which he could then spin as progress, or in fact a victory.

It's important to remember that Zelensky has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire, and Putin has not.

And Zelensky's response to his call with Trump yesterday was very different to the tone he adopted in that infamous bust-up in the Oval Office.

This time around, Zelensky used very measured language, and didn't forget to include fulsome thanks to Trump for his efforts.

That's because Ukrainians want to portray Putin as the problem in Trump's mind. But Kyiv's fear is that Trump wants a deal between the two big guys - him in the United States and Russia's Putin.

Image source, Reuters

We're continuing to hear from European leaders who are arriving in Brussels for a peace summit.

Speaking to reporters, French European Parliament member and Renew Europe chair Valerie Hayer says: "Let's be clear, Donald Trump's action makes it clear the United States commitment to European security can no longer be taken for granted".

The EU can be "more ambitious" and Europe needs to become a security provider, she adds.

"Sleep walking on our own security would be a grave mistake of history."

Coalition of the willing aims to flesh out what a peace force would look likepublished at 08:22 Greenwich Mean Time 20 March

08:22 GMT 20 March

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent

Today’s meeting, hosted by the UK’s Chief of Joint Operations at the Permanent Joint Headquarters will be very much behind closed doors.

The coalition of the willing will try to work out the nuts and bolts, the practicalities, of providing a peace monitoring force to Ukraine when a ceasefire is agreed.

Vladimir Putin, who appears to be getting everything he wants from negotiations, has made it clear he is totally opposed to the presence of any Nato states sending troops to Ukraine - under whatever hat or beret.

There are ways this possibly could be got round, but some of the countries that have indicated they are willing - including the UK - are expecting a backstop provided by US air power.

But the US has not so far indicated they are willing to provide that. If you put a peace monitoring force in place, it has to be ready to respond.

That risks a full-scale confrontation between the west and Russia, something the US and the rest of Nato has tried to avoid for many years.

Ukraine, of course, is not in a strong position. But now, they are trying to provide means of monitoring a peace deal, if and when it happens.

Image source, Getty Images

As a group of senior military officers meet today in the UK to discuss the future of Ukraine, armed forces minister Luke Pollard says they will "start the military planning" for what a peacekeeping force in Ukraine could look like.

It's the next meeting for the "coalition of the willing", supported by around 30 countries and created by France and the UK.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Pollard says the peacekeeping effort will be a mix of army, air and maritime forces.

He wants the coalition to be a credible force that "will allow Ukraine to enjoy a lasting peace".

This will help deter Russia, Pollard says: "Because we know in the past, when President Putin has made deals, he has broken them."

He adds that it is "essential that we secure a US backstop" to help with the effort.

Estimates suggest it will cost £2bn annually to keep up peacekeeping efforts in Ukraine. Pollard says they have increased defence spending to "meet the moment".

Ukraine's State Emergency Service say they have found one body in rubble following Russian strikes on Krasnopillia, in the Sumy region.

No details have been provided about the person's age or gender.

Earlier, we reported that Russia attacked the region with drones overnight.

A state of emergency has been declared in Engels, in Russia's Saratov region, following a Ukrainian drone attack, Russian state media reports.

There are earlier reports of explosions and a fire at an airfield in the area, which led to nearby residents being evacuated.

At least two people were injured.

We've been reporting this morning on news that US President Donald Trump has suggested that Washington could take control of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia power plant in Ukraine.

Let's take a closer look at the facility.

The plant has been the target of repeated air strikes since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Russia and Ukraine blame each other for drone attacks and other military activity at or around the power plant.

Last April, drone strikes targeting the plant renewed concerns about a "major nuclear accident", with the UN's nuclear watchdog warning against new attacks on the site. Russia said Ukraine was behind the attack, but Ukraine denied involvement.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says fighting a war around the plant has put nuclear safety and security in "constant jeopardy".

The Kremlin's military units guard the facility and a unit of Russia's state nuclear company, Rosatom, runs the plant.

Image source, Reuters

We are seeing leaders arrive now in Brussels, ahead of an EU roundtable later today.

"These are decisive days for Europe," Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, tells reporters ahead of the meeting.

Leaders have a packed agenda today she says. It's expected they will discuss lasting peace in Ukraine, competitiveness and security.

The EU is meeting today to discuss defence and a path to peace in Ukraine at a summit in Brussels.

The bloc's 27 leaders will come together at a roundtable this afternoon, as the region looks to bolstering its security against Russia. In recent weeks, several security summits have been held to discuss Ukraine's future.

EU leaders aim to boost military spending and buy more arms, with some arguing for Ukraine to be admitted to the bloc sooner rather than later.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made a rare visit to a nuclear-armed submarine, ahead of a meeting of the "coalition of the willing" later.

The prime minister says the Kremlin respects the UK's nuclear arsenal because "we've got our own independent deterrent and we're committed to Nato".

This morning he'll lay the keel of HMS Dreadnought, one of the next generation of nuclear-armed submarines.

Defence Secretary John Healey, who joined the prime minister on the visit, stressed the government's "unshakeable" commitment to the UK's nuclear deterrent, which he called "the ultimate guarantor of our national security and the security of our Nato allies".

Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring

There are reports of explosions and a fire at a key airfield hosting Russia's strategic aviation in Engels, Saratov region.

The regional governor, Roman Busargin, says "Saratov and Engels today came under the most massive drone attack ever".

Because of the fire at the airfield, local residents are being evacuated from surrounding areas, Busargin says.

At least two people have been injured, and windows have been damaged in a local hospital, school and two kindergartens because of the explosions.

Image source, Governor of Saratov Region