Europe is mobilising on a scale "not seen for decades" to be ready to sustain a peace deal in Ukraine, Keir Starmer says at a summit of Kyiv's allies in Paris
European countries will deploy a "reassurance force" to Ukraine after a peace deal is secured, Macron says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls on the US to be stronger against Russia and to react to Moscow's violations of agreements
Leaders at the Paris summit agree that now is not the time to lift sanctions on Russia
Moscow said a maritime truce in the Black Sea announced on Tuesday would only begin once Western restrictions on Russia's food and fertiliser trade are lifted - Zelensky insists this isn't part of the ceasefire agreement
Ukraine's allies have accused Russia of playing games with peace talks - "a classic from the Putin playbook," Starmer says
French President Emmanuel Macron has started speaking, recalling that leaders from as many as 31 countries took part in talks.
Macron says European leaders gathered together in Paris showed their willingness to remain united.
While we've just heard an informal update from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, we're also expecting him and French President Macron to give statements on this morning's summit shortly.
They'll likely provide an update on what new packages of support are now being offered to Ukraine, and may also address the topic of sanctions on Russia.
You'll be able to follow along by tapping watch live at the top of the page, and we'll also bring you all the key news lines here.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has joined Zelensky and Scholz by saying now is "not the time for lifting sanctions" against Russia - "quite the contrary."
He told reporters that the nations taking part in the coalition of the willing summit agreed there should be no easing of sanctions against Vladimir Putin's Russia.
"There was absolute clarity that Russia is trying to delay and playing games, and we have to be absolutely clear about that," he said.
Outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoes remarks by Starmer and Zelensky, saying that it would be a mistake to lift sanctions on Russia.
Scholz says it made "no sense at all to end the sanctions until peace has actually been achieved."
"Unfortunately we are still a long way from that", he added.
Image source, ReutersGermany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz is speaking now in German. We're working on bringing you the latest lines - stick with us.
Image source, ReuZelensky thanks Starmer and France for their support, echoing that no sanctions should be lifted until Russia stops the war.
He also says new packages to support Ukraine are on the table and a there was a "common voice" on how to push Russia.
The Ukrainian leader stressed that "everybody" understood that Russia does not want "any kind of peace", but they will keep trying.
He adds that the group that met today is working on security guarantees, before he and Starmer shake hands and enter the embassy together.
We're now hearing from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is stood alongside President Zelensky and says that in today's summit European leaders discussed plans, military and operational, to support Ukraine.
Starmer adds that so many countries are standing with Ukraine "in this crucial moment, as they have for over three years".
He adds that they will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Image source, ReutersUK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky just left the summit together, giving a wave to the camera.
Asked by reporters if they could share a few words, the pair smiled, waved and carried on walking.
We should be hearing from Starmer and the host, French President Emmanuel Macron, shortly.
Image source, Getty ImagesUrsula Von der Leyen leaving a summit of European leaders in Paris
We're starting to see international leaders leaving the summit in Paris, co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Amongst those that have left the building are European Commission head Ursula Von der Leyen and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
We're expecting to hear from Macron and Starmer in due course. Stay with us.
Image source, EPAWhile talks in Paris consider how any peace agreement in Ukraine might be managed, fighting continues in the war torn country.
Zelensky's commander in chief Oleksandr Sryskyy this morning suggested that a "defensive operation" is ongoing in the Kursk region - the Russian region where fierce battles have been taking place over the past few weeks.
And, residential buildings suffered damage from overnight Russian drone strikes in Kharkiv, where the regional governor suggested 11 civilians had been hurt.
There is, though, the strong prospect of a truce in Black Sea, where Russia and Ukraine both agreed separate deals with the US for a naval ceasefire.
But, the Kremlin says it is waiting for a number of sanctions against its food and fertiliser trade to be lifted for the ceasefire to take effect.
Another tentative agreement has been reached between the two countries not to attack energy infrastructure - though Russia and Ukraine have both accused the other of breaching this deal with drone strikes on power stations.
Image source, EPADenmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (L), Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (front, C) and Luxembourg's Prime Minister Luc Frieden (R)
Image source, EPAPoland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk (L) speaks with Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store (C) and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen (R)
Image source, EPAZelensky, Starmer and Macron exchange words ahead of summit
BBC Monitoring
Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has suggested that work on the Black Sea ceasefire agreement is far from over.
Rybakov, when asked if Moscow has received "any signals as to the possibility" that sanctions on the Russian banks will be lifted, said there was a response "in very general terms", Tass news agency reports.
For context, the lifting of sanctions on Russia's banks processing transactions to do with trade in agricultural products and fertilisers is one of the conditions attached to the naval ceasefire deal reached in Saudi Arabia.
"There is a need to continue the dialogue, which professionals should get involved into. At present, there is no agreement of a specific nature about what will happen next, but we are working on that," Tass quotes Ryabkov as telling media.
Image source, ReutersMacron and Trump met in the White House, Washington DC, on 24 February
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with his US counterpart Donald Trump ahead of the summit being hosted in Paris, according to reports.
It's not yet clear what was discussed in the meeting, but in an earlier statement Macron suggested a European peacekeeping force could "respond" if Ukraine was attacked by Russia.
In a post on X this morning, the French president shared an image of the European leaders gathered for the summit, and wrote: "Building a robust peace for Ukraine and Europe."
Image source, ReutersUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has just posted a picture of himself alongside other European leaders.
The caption send a clear message: "Europe knows how to defend itself. We have to prove it."
Today's much anticipated talks will build on the 'coalition of the willing', an alliance of Ukraine's allies sketching out how they might support Kyiv if a ceasefire with Moscow were to be agreed.
Image source, Getty ImagesWorld leaders - with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer amongst them - have been arriving in Paris this morning.
In their increasingly regular get-togethers, the group known as the coalition of the willing shook hands and posed for pictures as they met once again.
Once hugs had been doled out, talks that have been ongoing for weeks continued when the leaders sat down for a summit this morning.
That meeting was closed to the media, but we can expect to hear an update on progress - if any - towards an agreement when Emmanuel Macron gives a press conference just after 12:00 GMT.
Image source, ReutersUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Paris, France, today as French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting a summit of European leaders to discuss the security of Ukraine.
This summit follows the cooling of Ukraine-US relations, after a fiery meeting between Zelensky and his US counterpart Donald Trump last month.
A Ukrainian delegation met with a team from the US in Saudi Arabia earlier this week to discuss a possible truce in the war.
"Europe can defend itself. We have to prove it," Zelensky said on social media, posting a photograph in which he stood with European leaders.
The summit in Paris today follows a meeting hosted by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the start of this month, where he announced a four-point plan to work with Ukraine to end the war and defend the country from Russia.
European leaders are gathering in Paris today for a summit to discuss Ukraine and the European defence project.
The "coalition of the willing" – which does not include the US – is attempting to form an agreement on what support European and other nations could offer to maintain a future ceasefire, if one was to be agreed.
French President Emmaunuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are co-hosting the summit, which is being attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The talks are expected to focus on both short and long- term military aid to Ukraine and prospects for a ceasefire.
Britain and France are also pushing to establish a potential European military force that could eventually play a role on the ground in Ukraine.
Stay with us as we bring you live updates and analysis throughout the day.
Adam Goldsmith
Live reporter
Volodymyr Zelensky's duties are now done for the evening after that interview with a panel of European journalists.
During his conversation with the panel Zelensky faced questions over his relationship with President Trump, and his concerns over Russian conditions for peace. He also warned that Putin was trying to weaken Europe by dividing the EU. You can read the key lines in our write-up.
Tomorrow, more diplomacy awaits the Ukrainian president in the French capital.
French President Macron and Zelensky will be joined by other heads of government for a gathering of the group known as the coalition of the willing.
They'll once again be trying to reach a consensus on what support European allies of Ukraine might offer the embattled country should a ceasefire deal be reached.
Crucially, they'll now attempt to do so without relying on America to do the heavy lifting - as our correspondent Jeremy Bowen reports.
For now, we're closing our live coverage, but we'll bring you all the news lines on the diplomacy that takes place in France here for you tomorrow. See you then.
The panel interview has wrapped up now, but we have one more clip to bring you, when President Zelensky was asked if he thought President Putin was afraid of Europe.
He replied that Russia had been trying to weaken the European Union from within.
Putin "trying to hit European Union from within" - Zelensky
Zelensky says Americans are under the influence of Russian narratives
President Zelensky has been facing questions about Ukraine's relationship with the US, and here is asked about whether Trump's administration is on his side.