Sunak sits down for questions after his speech, and is asked about reports that a deal with the EU could be imminent over a new post-Brexit trade arrangement for Northern Ireland.

"There is still work to do", Sunak says, acknowledging that there are "still challenges to work through".

He insists that no deal has been done with the EU, but that there's an "understanding" of what needs to be done.

Image source, Reuters

"Now is the moment to double down on our military support", Sunak says.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is "betting that we will lose our nerve", he says, in an echo of Kamala Harris's comments a short time ago.

He says the UK must prove Putin wrong, and goes on to speak about the importance of bolstering Ukraine's "long-term security".

The UK prime minister goes on to call for a new security framework that would protect non-Nato countries such as Ukraine against future aggression from Russia.

Later in his speech, he says winning in Ukraine would represent a triumph over wider global threats. He wants "a victory over the very idea of war".

Following that appearance from the US vice-president, we expect to hear from UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shortly.

He's expected to urge world leaders to double down on military support for Kyiv by providing Nato-standard capabilities.

Watch him live - press the Play button at the top of this page.

Image source, Reuters

Next, the US vice-president has a message for the Russian leader.

"If Putin thinks he can wait us out, he is badly mistaken," she says. "Time is not on his side."

Kamala Harris acknowledges that Ukrainians will "continue to be tried and tested", though she's confident they will "rise to the task".

She finishes her speech by reaffirming the US's commitment to Kyiv: "The United States of America is proud to be your partner in this noble pursuit."

Harris continues by saying: "We have examined the evidence. We know the legal standards. And there is no doubt these are crimes against humanity."

She repeats: "The US has formally determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity."

Harris says the US will continue to support international investigations into Russia's actions in Ukraine.

"I say to all those who have perpetrated these crimes and to their superiors who are complicit in these crimes, you will be held to account."

Image source, Reuters

"Russian forces have pursued a widespread and systemic attack on the Ukrainian civilian population", says the US vice-president.

Kamala Harris goes on to describe atrocities during the war in Ukraine, including in Bucha and the bombing of a theatre in Mariupol.

Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians.

We're expecting a speech from British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at noon (GMT).

But first, we'll hear some remarks from US Vice-President Kamala Harris.

We're live-streaming her now - press the Play button at the top of this page to watch.

Image source, Reuters

We're expecting Ukraine to be a focal point of a speech by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a short while.

Russian forces have been intensifying their attacks in the east – searching for weaknesses in Ukrainian defences ahead of an expected military offensive.

Ukraine was forced to pull back from the town of Soledar in January – Russia’s first significant victory after many months in retreat. Now, focus has turned to nearby Bakhmut.

Several Western countries have recently pledged to send tanks to Ukraine - on top of the money, weapons and other equipment already supplied. But they've stopped short of sending fighter jets, despite Kyiv's requests.

Yesterday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the conference, appealing to allies to speed up the delivery of weapons.

The Munich security conference has been a hive of activity this morning. Here are some of the big names we've seen involved in panel discussions so far.

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

In a short while, we expect to see US Vice-President Kamala Harris involved in a US-focused session; then the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to speak around midday (GMT).

This afternoon, the conference has scheduled a session on Ukraine with its Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

A little after that, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius will discuss Nato issues.

But we won't be seeing a delegation from Russia - it was not invited due to its invasion of Ukraine.

Iran hasn’t been invited either, with organisers citing the “current political situation”. Authorities there cracked down heavily on protests that were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in September.

Image source, Reuters

"Hysterical" and "absurd" were the words used by China's top diplomat Wang Yi to describe the US decision to shoot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon which flew over North America earlier this month.

One question for the conference in Munich is whether Wang agrees to meet any American officials. That would be the two sides' first high-level meeting since the row began. Nothing's been publicly confirmed.

Beijing denies the balloon was for surveillance, though President Biden said yesterday he made "no apologies" for shooting it down. Debris recovered from the sea has been sent to an FBI lab for analysis.

Since the balloon was spotted, three other flying objects have been shot down over North America, but it’s unclear what they were. Biden said it was unlikely they were foreign spy craft.

The balloon incident has caused renewed tension between the two superpowers.

Turning away from Northern Ireland for a moment - we've just been hearing from China's diplomat, Wang Yi, at the Munich Security Conference.

Wang commented on a row between his country and the US, after Washington shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon which flew over American territory.

He denounced Washington's handling of the incident, repeating Beijing's assertion that the craft was no more than an uncrewed civilian airship which flew off course.

Wang went on to question whether the US planned to shoot down every balloon in Earth's skies.

The UK government wants to change the Northern Ireland trade arrangement we referred to in our previous post. And after well over a year of talks with the EU, it appears a deal is finally around the corner.

Westminster wants to create different lanes for goods that enter Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK:

• A green lane would be for goods going to Northern Ireland only, and be exempt from checks and customs controls
• Meanwhile, a red lane would be for products going on to the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the EU - which would undergo full checks and customs controls
• The UK also wants to change tax rules for businesses in Northern Ireland, which currently follows EU limits on state aid and VAT
• Westminster also wants an independent body to settle trade disputes, rather than the European Court of Justice - something the EU has resisted

Image source, .

Image source, PA Media

As we've been reporting, Northern Ireland is set to feature in the UK prime minister's talks with the EU today.

If you're in need of a quick refresher, here's a quick look at what the Northern Ireland Protocol is.

• It’s a trading arrangement, that was negotiated during Brexit talks and brought into force in 2021
• It allows goods to be smoothly transported across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland without checks. Before the UK left the EU, this was simple because both sides followed the same rules
• But it's split opinion, with some arguing that it creates effective border across the Irish Sea, undermining Northern Ireland's place within the United Kingdom
• These disagreements have stopped the Northern Ireland Assembly functioning - and the UK and EU have been negotiating a way forward

Read our full explainer here.

Rishi Sunak has landed in Germany. As well as giving a speech on Ukraine at 13:00 local time (12:00 GMT), he's expected to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

That's amid reports that an agreement on new, post-Brexit trade arrangements for Northern Ireland could be imminent.

The Northern Ireland Protocol has been in negotiation for over a year, and after the prime minister’s trip to Northern Ireland yesterday, there's cautious optimism that a deal could be sealed next week.

But Sunak cautioned last night that there was still work to do.

James Landale
Diplomatic correspondent

Western leaders have begun to remake the case for supporting Ukraine to the global south – to all those other countries around the world who do not share the West’s view that this is a fundamental war that affects the global order.

All of these leaders have been saying this is not just about Ukraine, this is about a global principle of international sovereignty and territorial integrity. It’s an argument, so far, that’s fallen on deaf ears around the world.

But they are remaking their case in Munich because they realise that if they are going to get any kind of long-term support elsewhere, they have to convince other countries that this is not just about Europe protecting its backdoor.

James Landale
Diplomatic correspondent

Image source, Reuters

In one respect this conference is about sending a signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Yesterday, France’s President Emmanuel Macron said the West has to be credible in the eyes of the Kremlin, that it has the ability to last in this war. The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said we need to fight for as long as it takes.

The UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to talk today about the need to "double down" on Western military support for Ukraine.

Sunak says Vladimir Putin started the war and gambled on the West’s resolve faltering, and now the Russian president is betting the West will lose its nerve. Sunak will say the West needs to prove Putin wrong.

Image source, Getty Images

Following our last post - it's worth adding that it was the Ukrainian president who spoke at the opening of the conference yesterday.

Dressed in his usual green combat gear, Zelensky compared Ukraine’s war with Russia to the biblical tale of David and Goliath.

Zelensky said the hero had a sling in the story, but that Ukraine did not have David's Sling yet - a reference to an Israeli missile defence system he's been calling for.

He again called for allies to deliver weapons quickly as “delay always has been a mistake”.

Zelenksy ended his address by saying he hoped next year’s gathering would be a post-war security conference.

The three-day talks around global security started yesterday.

As expected, the war in Ukraine has been front and centre.

President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to the conference via videolink – asking for the supply of weapons to be sped up and warning that there was no alternative to victory over Russia.

French President Emmanuel Macron urged Ukraine’s allies to “intensify” their support, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on them to prepare for a long war.

Macron also said that now was not the time to open a dialogue with Russia because of its continuing aggression.

Image source, PA Media

Later today, we expect to hear UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling on allies to give Ukraine "advanced, Nato-standard capabilities" - as they "double down" on military support for Kyiv.

But he will also go further and call for Nato to offer long-term security assurances against Russian aggression.

The underlying theme of the conference is an attempt by allies to remake the case for defending Ukraine.

Sunak is expected to speak at 12:00 GMT.

• Read our preview here

Image source, EPA

The annual talks were set up in the 1960s as an opportunity for German officials to meet their allies in the US and other members of the Nato military alliance.

It is not an official governmental event but is privately organised and funded by a range of sponsors.

After the end of the Cold War – the period of political tension between the US and the former Soviet Union – the organisers decided to open participation to other countries to make the conference more representative.

These days, the talks focus on issues to do with security and defence and involve a range of participants including politicians, academics and activists.