Image source, EPA

As EU leaders meet this morning, the UK will host its own talks, with a closed meeting of senior military officers from the "coalition of the willing".

They are drawing up plans for proposed peacekeeping forces for Ukraine.

Senior military officers from the nations that make up the coalition, led by Britain and France, are due to discuss how this would work in practice when they gather at the UK's Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood.

Last week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said they are moving to an "operational phase" of practical planning.

More than 30 countries are expected to contribute to the coalition, according to a UK government spokesperson.

The plan was set out earlier this month and would work to uphold any ceasefire in Russia's war on Ukraine.

• But there remain some major obstacles, our security correspondent Frank Gardner writes

Image source, Getty Images

The White House has said that US ownership of Ukraine's nuclear power plants was discussed during yesterday's Trump-Zelensky phone call - though the Ukrainian president later said the suggestion was only made about the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia facility.

Following the call between the two presidents, Washington's top diplomat Marco Rubio said "American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure".

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, in southern Ukraine, is the largest in Europe. Russian forces seized it shortly after launching their February 2022 full-scale invasion and have occupied it ever since, alongside most of the Zaporizhzhia region.

The facility stopped generating power in 2022, but needs a constant supply of electricity to cool one of its reactors which is in a state of "hot conservation", meaning it is not fully offline.

In its morning update, the Ukrainian Air Force says it shot down 75 of 171 drones launched by Russia overnight.

It adds that 63 were successfully redirected.

The regions of Sumy, Donetsk and Kirovohrad were targeted by the attacks, the force says.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine says 10 people, including children, were injured in an attack on the central city of Kropyvnytskyi.

Separately, other Russian strikes were carried out across Ukraine overnight. The governor of Dnipro says the city of Nikopol, near the Dnipro River, was struck this morning with Kamikaze drones.

In a post on Telegram, the governor adds it was also hit on Wednesday night with heavy artillery.

Image source, Reuters

Malu Cursino
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Good morning and welcome. We're resuming our live coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war, after reports in the early hours that an airfield near a Russian strategic base in Saratov was on fire following a series of Ukrainian drone strikes.

Roman Busargin, the regional governor of Saratov, says a Ukrainian drone attack was responsible for the fire and urged residents living nearby to evacuate. Reports from the AFP news agency suggest the airfield in question is in the town of Engels.

Aircraft based in the town are routinely involved in Russian strikes on Ukraine.

The town is about 700km (435 miles) away from the front lines.

Russia's defence ministry says its air defences had shot down 132 Ukrainian drones across six different regions in southern Russia - 54 of those, the ministry says, were in the Saratov region.

In Ukraine, at least 10 people were injured following Russian strikes, with the Ukrainian Air Force saying it shot down 75 of 171 drones launched by Russia.

The strikes follow days of intense diplomatic relations, largely brokered by the US. Both Russia and Ukraine are reportedly considering ceasefire proposals.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump held what he described as a "very good" hour-long phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, a day after speaking to Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

We'll be bringing you the latest lines throughout the day, stay with us.

Gabriela Pomeroy
Live reporter

When it comes to the world of diplomacy, so much can change in a matter of weeks.

Today we saw Presidents Trump and Zelensky strike a more positive tone following their hour-long phone call.

While no media was present during the call, the calm and diplomatic timbre of their statements is in stark contrast to the shouting match we saw in the Oval Office last month (you can watch a clip of their angry exchange above).

During that meeting, Trump accused Zelensky of being disrespectful towards the US and "gambling with World War Three". Things got so bad the White House asked Zelensky and his team to leave. Today, Trump said the call was "very good" and that "we are very much on track".

For his part, Zelenksy described the conversation as "positive, very substantive and frank". Full of flattery, he heaped praise on Trump's "concept of peace through strength".

Since the Washington showdown, US and Ukrainian officials have met in Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine backed a US-led 30-day ceasefire proposal, though Putin said he would only agree to it with a long list of conditions attached.

• We're ending our live coverage now. You can read more about today's meeting here

We're still waiting to see what exactly the outcome of all these phone calls between the American, Russian and Ukrainian presidents will be in practical terms.

This is how our correspondents interpreted today's developments:

The BBC's diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams says that efforts to end the war have yet "to reach first base: a ceasefire, of any kind", and the process has yet to bring Ukraine and Russia together.

Diplomatic correspondent James Landale says Trump is "showing substantial patience towards Putin" and is "ready to cajole Ukraine into backing a 30-day ceasefire across the whole country, but he is as yet not willing to threaten Russia when it fails to do the same".

We reported earlier that Russia and Ukraine both attacked energy infrastructure overnight despite an agreement not to do so. Our Eastern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford describes this as a "shaky start" but says it doesn’t automatically mean the mini-deal that emerged from Trump and Putin's phone call is a write-off.

Taking a look at headlines in Russia this morning following Trump's call with Putin yesterday, the BBC 's Russia editor Steve Rosenberg says it appears Moscow believes the conversation went well for the Kremlin. "Not only did Moscow not agree to an unconditional ceasefire, President Putin set his own pre-conditions for peace," he says.

And our defence correspondent Jonathan Beale, who is in Sumy, Ukraine, reports that there is "still deep scepticism inside Ukraine that talks between Presidents Trump and Putin will lead to any kind of ceasefire, yet alone peace".

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent

Image source, Reuters

A little earlier, the spokesperson for the US State Department, Tammy Bruce, was asked about the White House’s suggestion that Ukraine might benefit from the US taking “ownership” of parts of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Bruce said this might create “a deterrent to strike".

“It is probably somewhat beneficial to have an economic relationship with the nation that has a history of being able to protect itself and protect its friends,” she said, implying that Russia might hesitate to attack a power plant if American engineers were running it.

“When you have people running your infrastructure… who know what they’re doing,” Bruce said. “That maintains not just the economic framework but also a security framework.”

Ukrainian engineers, who have successfully kept the lights on across the country for three years, in the face of relentless Russian attacks on the energy grid, might possibly argue that they already know what they’re doing.

With US spokespeople apparently talking less about a minerals deal (“not being addressed at this moment”, Bruce said) and more about owning part of Ukraine’s energy grid, you once again get the impression of an administration which is making up policy on the fly, rather than following a carefully thought out plan.

EU unveils plans for ambitious defence spending in 'defining moment'published at 19:28 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March

19:28 GMT 19 March

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent

Spurred by the war in Ukraine and US criticism that Europe has done too little to manage its own security, the European Commission today unveiled plans for ambitious defence spending.

Its “White Paper for European Defence – Readiness 2030” builds on proposals to free up 800bn euros in defence funds first unveiled by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier this month.

Andrius Kubilius, the EU’s commissioner for defence and space, said this was “a defining moment for our Union".

“Europe can no longer afford to be a bystander in its own security,” he said. “We must take our defence into our own hands.”

The White Paper envisages loosening strict budget rules to allow member states to spend more on defence.

A new joint borrowing scheme, called Security Action for Europe (SAFE), would make 150bn euros available to member states to invest in critical defence projects.

The projects themselves will need to come largely from companies within the EU.

“We must buy more European,” Von der Leyen said.

Ukraine – an increasingly significant defence manufacturer – will also benefit.

But US defence contractors, which currently supply the lion’s share of European military equipment, will find themselves shut out, which could anger the White House.

Nor will the UK be eligible to participate in the scheme, although this will change if the EU reaches a defence and security pact with the UK, something the two sides are working on.

Over the last few posts, we took you through what each of the key players wants and might accept as part of a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire deal.

Here’s where you can find our guides:

• Want Ukraine wants
• Russia’s demands, at a glance
• The US vision for a ceasefire
• What about the UK?
• And Europe?

Alternatively, scroll back through our posts from 18:47 GMT onwards.

Image source, EPA

What they want: Peace that ensures Ukraine’s sovereignty and security

What they’ve said: At a UK summit, countries agreed to defend a deal in Ukraine and boost Kyiv’s defensive capabilities

What they might accept: Sending European troops to Ukraine – as per Starmer’s peacekeeping proposal – though some countries, such as Italy, are unlikely to send their own forces

Image source, PA Media

What they want: A peace deal that includes Russia but does not allow it to dictate the terms

What they’ve said: Following a summit of European and other allied leaders in London, UK PM Keir Starmer said the UK, France and other countries would establish a “coalition of the willing”. He said the UK would also send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine if and when the war ends

What they might accept: Starmer has said any agreement would need US backing and security guarantees, but “Europe must do the heavy lifting”

Image source, Reuters

What they want: US President Donald Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine in his first 100 days in office

What they’ve said: The US has ruled out Ukraine’s demands for Nato accession and a return to its pre-2014 borders. The US and Ukraine have agreed to propose a 30-day ceasefire in the air, on land and in the sea to Russia. Putin has expressed support, caveated with a list of tough conditions

What they might accept: It’s likely Trump would accept a deal that required Europe to provide post-war security guarantees to Ukraine

Image source, Kremlin

What they want: Russia has annexed parts of four regions of Ukraine since 2022, and wants them to be recognised as part of Russia – despite not having full control of them

What they’ve said: Russia is against Ukraine joining Nato and Europe deploying peacekeeping troops there if and when the war ends. They have also called for an election in Ukraine

• For context: Zelensky's first five-year term of office was due to come to an end in May 2024. However, Ukraine has been under martial law since the Russian invasion in February 2022, which means elections are suspended

What they might accept: The Kremlin swiftly ruled out Zelensky’s suggestion for a territory swap. This proposed that Russia could have back the land in the western Kursk region captured by Kyiv during its incursion last August, for Russia-seized territory in Ukraine. Putin also laid out key conditions for a lasting peace in the read-out of his call with Trump

• Putin last week claimed Russia was fully back in control of Kursk, while Ukraine hinted that its troops were pulling back

Image source, Reuters

What they want: Russian withdrawal; to join the Nato military alliance

What they’ve said: Any peace deal must include the full withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine back to the pre-2014 borders

• Some context: Eastern Ukraine has been contested territory since 2014, when Russian-backed fighters seized large swathes of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Russia had already seized the southern peninsula of Crimea in February 2014 before annexing it soon afterwards

What they might accept: Zelensky has suggested that Russian territory held by Ukraine could be swapped for the territory Russia has seized. He has also offered the US access to Ukraine’s mineral deposits - but the White House suggested earlier that the US might be "beyond" that now

In the last 24 hours, Donald Trump has held separate calls with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. But it's worth revisiting what's happened between these three leaders over the course of the last few weeks.

Earlier this month, the US and Ukraine agreed to propose a 30-day ceasefire to Russia. While Putin said that he supported a ceasefire, he also set out a list of tough conditions for achieving peace.

But this would only be temporary. The ultimate goal for each of the key players is lasting peace, or so they say.

Though united in vision, their demands remain at odds – as has been laid bare by the high-wire diplomacy of recent weeks.

Over the next few posts, we’ll take you through who wants what and what they might be willing to accept.

Stay with us.

Image source, EPA

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump spoke over the phone today, with both leaders describing the hour-long call as "very good" and "positive"
• Zelensky also said after the "very substantive" conversation that he believes lasting peace could be achieved "this year"
• The White House provided further details about the call and said Zelensky thanked the US for its support - particularly for Javelin missiles

• The exchange comes one day after a call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which Putin rejected an immediate and full ceasefire but agreed to halt attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure for 30 days
• But cross-border attacks continued overnight, with Zelensky accusing the Kremlin of targeting energy facilities, while Russia also accused Ukraine of attacking a Russian oil storage facility

• Earlier today, Ukraine and Russia swapped 175 prisoners of war each, with Zelensky describing it as "one of the largest" exchanges so far

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

We've just concluded a brief news conference at the White House with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

In addition to the points we've already mentioned, Leavitt noted that Trump asked Zelensky "about the children who had gone missing from Ukraine during the war, including the ones who had been abducted".

She added that the US president vowed to "work closely" with both the Russian and Ukrainian sides to ensure those children are returned him.

Later in the briefing, Leavitt was also asked about reports that the Trump administration halted funding for a program that tracked the mass deportation of Ukrainian children which was being led by Yale University.

The report has enraged some Democratic US lawmakers, who earlier this week reportedly sent a letter calling for the programme to be re-started and for sanctions against officials involved in the movement of the children.

Leavitt, however, said that the White House had nothing to add to those reports.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Leavitt was asked about the minerals deal between the US and Ukraine that was, just a few weeks ago, a main topic of conversation between both countries.

She did not answer directly, referring to the previous statement from Rubio and Waltz.

She did, however, say that the US is "beyond" the minerals deal and is now more focused on peace negotiations. Leavitt was also asked about a line in the Kremlin's read-out of the Putin-Trump call, which suggested that US and Russian ice hockey teams would play each other.

"It did come up," she responded. "However, we're more interested in a peace deal than scheduling hockey games."

So far, Leavitt seems largely content to cite the White House's own read-out on the call between Trump and Putin, with her answers on the topic relatively short.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

We're getting more details on the call between Trump and Zelensky from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Referring to a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Leavitt says Trump and Zelensky had a "fantastic" conversation.

She says Zelensky thanked the US for its support - particularly for Javelin missiles - and that "lasting peace under President Trump's leadership can be achieved".

The two men also discussed the fighting in Kursk, with Zelensky also requesting more air defence resources.

A technical meeting is expected soon, with a view towards a wider ceasefire on the Black Sea.

Trump also reportedly said that "American ownership" of Ukrainian energy infrastructure could help the country.

Much of the briefing thus far has focused on US immigration policies and domestic issues, particularly the legal wrangling over deportation flights.