Weekly Update #158
March 10, 2025
March 10, 2025
Refugees from Ukraine recorded across Europe
6,346,300
Last updated February 19 2025
Covers those granted refugee status, temporary asylum status, temporary protection, or statuses through similar national protection schemes, as well as those recorded in the country under other forms of stay
Refugees from Ukraine recorded beyond Europe
560,200
Last updated February 17 2025
Covers those granted refugee status, temporary asylum status, temporary protection, or statuses through similar national protection schemes, as well as those recorded in the country under other forms of stay
Refugees from Ukraine recorded globally
6,906,500
Last updated February 19 2025
Estimated number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Ukraine (as of Aug 2024)
3,669,000
Source: UNHCR collation of statistics made available by the authorities
As the full-scale war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, what does it mean for people forced from their homes?
How serious is the situation for displaced civilians?
Since the start of the full-scale war, almost 6.9 million Ukrainians have registered as refugees. A further 3.7 million are internally displaced within Ukraine. In total, that means nearly a quarter of Ukraine’s pre-war population have been forced to flee their homes. Of those displaced within Ukraine, more than half are women and a quarter are children, with both accounting for 76 per cent of all refugees from Ukraine as well.
More than 42,000 civilians have been wounded or killed – including 2,500 children – since Russia’s invasion, while attacks have also damaged or destroyed more than 2 million homes across Ukraine, roughly 10 per cent of the housing stock. It is estimated that $152 billion worth of damage has been done to vital infrastructure including housing, transport and energy, making civilian life a daily struggle.
Despite all the death and destruction, a recent UNHCR survey found that 61 per cent of Ukrainian refugees and 73 per cent of displaced people want to return home one day.
What more is needed?
There are 12.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid inside Ukraine – including communities in frontline regions close to the border with Russia – and 6.9 million Ukrainians living as refugees abroad.
Basic requirements include safe shelter and accommodation for those displaced and help to quickly repair the homes of those able to stay in their communities, essential aid like hygiene items and medicine, health care, education and psychosocial support, restoring documents that allow access to government services and employment – whether for Ukrainian refugees or those in their own country – and much, much more.
In 2025, the United Nations is appealing for $3.83 billion to fund the ongoing humanitarian and refugee responses.
To maximize impact and ensure sustainability, UNHCR complements the government-led response in Ukraine and works hand-in-hand with local partner organizations – such as Ukrainian non-governmental and faith-based organizations, community organizations and local administrations – procuring goods and services locally wherever possible.
Source: UNHCR
With levels of humanitarian needs remaining high, and a global trend of reduction to foreign aid, REACH’s Humanitarian Situation Monitor (HSM) provides regular data on humanitarian needs to inform prioritisation of assistance.
Assessment Overview
As part of HSM regular data collection every two months, this output focuses on two main questions:
Understanding the immediate impact the reduction in assistance may have on humanitarian needs in Ukraine;
Anticipating trends a continued reduction in assistance may have, to ensure humanitarian organisations can coordinate their limited resources to reach the most vulnerables. Between December 2024 and February 2025, HSM assessed 388 settlements 0-100km from the frontline and border with Russian Federation.
Data collection for Round 20 (December) occured between December 09-27,
and data collection for Round 21 (February) occured between February 10-21.
Key Messages
The prevalence and severity of humanitarian needs across settlements, as measured by the Settlement Vulnerability Index (SVI) (see Endnote 5), has not changed dramatically from December to February, suggesting it may take more time to see the effects of reduced humanitarian funding.
Direct reports by KIs on reductions in levels of assistance received from December to February remained limited to a few settlements (8%). However, trend analysis suggests a more severe impact (particularly in hygiene and food assistance), mainly in settlements further from the frontline. Reduction in
certain types of assistance may be underestimated due to key informants’ limited knowledge.
If these findings are indicative of the impact a continued reduction in humanitarian funding may have, vulnerable people further away from the frontline may be at risk of being underserved. With constrained resources, humanitarian organisations may have already recentred theirtheir support to
frontline areas, where needs are more acute.
24% of assessed settlements of assessed settlements were identified as having the distribution of hygiene items discontinued between December and February. However, HSM identified that 10% of assessed settlements newly received hygiene items/ kits over the same period.
In 8% of settlements, KIs reported a perceived decrease in assistance received, compared to December 2024. In 55% of settlements, KIs reported residents do not need more information on humanitarian assistance. This is a slight decrease since December (61%), suggesting the situation has not (yet) created large information gaps for affected population.
In 12% of settlements, KIs reported most residents receive information on humanitarian assistance through international and national aid organizations. This marks a decrease from an average of 20% between July and December). Residents of only 1% of settlements reportedly received none.
Regarding geographical trends: compared to previous rounds, the HSM observed an increase of reported assistance received in frontline oblast, but a decrease in oblasts further away. This could suggest that, faced with reduced means, humanitarian organisations are reprioritizing their operations on the most vulnerable population4. Food assistance was most reduced in Chernihivska, Odeska, and Poltavska while it increased in frontline Khersonska and Zaporizka (and remained stable in frontline Donetska, Kharkivska and Sumska). A similar pattern can be observed for hygiene assistance. This shift may leave previously supported communities further from the frontline underserved.
Change (in percentage-point) of settlements reportedly receiving food and hygiene assistance received between December and February (by oblast).
Change in severity of needs change in the profile of needs
Between December and February, the prevalence and severity of needs (as measured by the Settlement Vulnerability Index) 5 remained stable, indicating the reduction in humanitarian funds had not (yet) had a drastic impact on levels of need. The only noticeable change was a slight increase in vulnerability to health needs (from 46% to 56% of settlements) caused by an increase in people reportedly unable to access healthcare services and/
or medicines. Conversely, the prevalence of barriers such as “healthcare facilities being unavailable” and “shortage of specialists” decreased.
Source: REACH
Three years of relentless conflict has left Ukrainians displaced, traumatized, and facing an uncertain future. CAFOD warns that humanitarian needs remain critically high, with an increased need for mental health support alongside urgent needs such food, water, and shelter.
Despite international debate about peace talks, the situation in Ukraine remains extremely volatile, with daily threats of shelling and airstrikes continuing to put lives at risk. An estimated 12.7 million people (36% of the population) urgently need aid. Millions of people have been forced to flee, countless homes, schools, hospitals, and livelihoods have been destroyed, and the country's infrastructure is devastated. Conditions are particularly dire along the eastern and southern frontlines where jobs are non-existent, and survival is a daily challenge.
The UN stated that some 63% of households have reported experiencing mental health issues, while 1.5 million children are estimated to be at risk of post-trauma. Within Ukraine, CAFOD partners have reached over 11 thousand Ukrainian women, men, and children in Ukraine with mental health and psychosocial support services. The services are offered through their humanitarian day centres and mobile teams that drive out to rural, frontline areas in eastern Ukraine to reach the most vulnerable communities. Support provided includes peer group sessions to talk through anxieties, life experiences and build social networks, access to trained psychologists for one-to-one sessions, and raising community awareness about mental health.
Many of the millions of Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homes are now living in derelict of bomb-damaged houses, often without roofs, heating or means of cooking.
As well as mental health support, CAFOD’s partners carry out repairs for people to make homes habitable as well as providing cash assistance for food, water and medical supplies and fuel for heating.atic stress disorder.
A UN Survey at the end of last year revealed that 61 percent of Ukrainian refugees and 73 percent of internally displaced people still plan and hope to return home but the active conflict is preventing them.
Ukrainian refugees in Romania face this impossible choice. International humanitarian aid and local government funding is declining making it hard to stay, but the alternative to return to homes which are destroyed, occupied or under threat of bombs in not an option. Local organizations like CAFOD partner Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) are supporting refugees in Romania to integrate and make a life in Romania and live with hope and dignity.
JRS Romania runs a kindergarten for Ukrainian children in Bucharest, classes and group therapy for older children while providing legal support and employment coaching to the parents to help them rebuild their lives with dignity.
Thanks to generous support for CAFOD’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, and the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), of which CAFOD is a member, the charity has helped over 185,000 vulnerable women, men and children access vital aid including food, water, shelter, child-friendly spaces and psychological counselling support across Ukraine, working through local Ukrainian partner organisations: Depaul Ukraine, Caritas Ukraine and Caritas-Spes Ukraine.
Source: CAFOD
INTRODUCING THE UHF DATA HUB: A NEW ERA OF TRANSPARENCY AND IMPACT TRACKING
The Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) and OCHA Ukraine are pleased to announce the launch of the UHF Data Hub, a first-of-its-kind humanitarian dashboard for data transparency and operational visibility. In close collaboration with the CBPF Data Hub, OCHA Contribution Tracking System (OCT), OCHA Financial Tracking Service (FTS) and the OneGMS portal, this pioneering platform provides real-time insights on UHF operations in Ukraine, currently covering 2023 and 2024. Available in English and Ukrainian, it is built on the PowerBI and updated hourly to reflect the latest data from OneGMS.
Designed for maximum accessibility and impact, the UHF Data Hub is divided into four key sections:
Allocation Overview – See the big picture of UHF allocations, including partners, projects, and planned reach by location and cluster. Get granular insights into allocation breakdowns by sex, age, and disability, plus funding distribution by partner type and level.
Donor Contributions – Gain a full view of donor engagement, tracking paid and pledged contributions over time. It connects funding data to major humanitarian events and UHF allocations, providing a clear narrative of donor impact.
Partners – Explore UHF’s network of partners, categorized by location, organization type, and cluster. Find detailed information on each partner's projects, allocation amounts, and portfolio – all in one place.
Key Documents – Access essential UHF-produced reports and reference materials.
This dynamic, user-friendly dashboard is a go-to source for up-to-the-minute information on how UHF funding drives humanitarian action in Ukraine.
Source: OCHA
Highlights
Cash for winterization assistance reached 8,422 households in January, covering 29,453 people, including 13,946 children, either in frontline areas or with children in alternative care or with other child protection concerns. So far this winter, UNICEF has provided cash support to 58,325 families, including 198,200 people of whom 93,200 were children.
Heating services were improved for 385,324 people (63,804 children) in Zaporizhzhia, Lviv and Odesa. In Zaporizhzhia, the city heating utility was provided with three cogeneration units to provide consistent and sustainable heating services for 200,000 people, including during blackouts.
UNICEF and its partners operate 150 Student Learning Support Centres in frontline regions offering essential educational and psychosocial support to children in online and blended learning settings. In January, 10,614 students (5,410 girls) participated in structured catch-up programmes and socio-emotional learning sessions to help bridge learning gaps.
In January, UNICEF provided mental health and psychosocial support to 45,452 people, including 20,830 girls, 16,485 boys and 8,137 caregivers across the country. One partner, which facilitated 664 consultations with psychologists, reported the most frequent reasons for these consultations: severe emotional distress in children due to losing a parent in the war, difficulties in communicating with peers, and panic attacks.
Source: UNICEF
The State Specialized Financial Institution “State Fund for Assistance to Youth Housing Construction” (Derzhmolodzhytlo) in Ukraine and Habitat for Humanity Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote sustainable and affordable housing finance options for vulnerable people affected by the war in Ukraine.
Through the partnership, Habitat Ukraine will contribute its institutional knowledge in developing a sustainable housing finance system, drawing on its extensive experience in Europe and the Middle East. This collaboration will assist Derzhmolodzhytlo in advancing affordable housing solutions for internally displaced persons. Additionally, this partnership will serve as a foundation for knowledge-sharing, joint fundraising efforts to attract national and international resources, and organizing workshops to raise awareness about housing solutions for vulnerable populations who lack access to affordable housing.
This agreement marks a significant step toward ensuring long-term, sustainable housing solutions for those most in need. By combining Habitat for Humanity’s global expertise with Derzhmolodzhytlo’s national experience, this collaboration will help develop innovative housing finance mechanisms, advocate for policy changes, and attract much-needed investment to support Ukraine’s housing recovery.
Habitat for Humanity Ukraine, established in 2023, focuses on providing safe, affordable, and sustainable housing solutions, rebuilding homes, strengthening housing infrastructure through local partnerships, and advocating for effective housing policies.
The State Specialized Financial Institution “State Fund for Assistance to Youth Housing Construction” (Derzhmolodzhytlo) is a unique instrument of the state housing policy of Ukraine, which implements various mechanisms of state support for citizens in their pursuit of acquiring their own housing.
Source: Habitat for Humanity
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, with support from the Governments of Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the MPTF Ukraine Community Recovery Fund, is set to launch one of its largest debris removal initiatives globally.
According to the current assessment, 13% of Ukraine’s total housing stock has been damaged or destroyed (affecting over 2.5 million households). The cost of debris clearance and management (and demolition where needed) reaches around US$13 billion.
The project will span eight regions of Ukraine, targeting priority sites for debris clearance, including destroyed private houses, multi-storey buildings, schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure.
This initiative will also create over 350 job opportunities, supporting economic recovery.Debris removal and demolition operations have already started in Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Mykolaiv regions at the previous stages, but also will soon expand to Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson regions, as well as the cities of Sumy and Kharkiv.
Preparatory work is currently underway to ensure all operations align with "safety first" principles.
Currently, extensive non-technical surveys are being conducted across the target communities to ensure work sites are free from mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). These surveys are essential for the safety of workers and residents and must be completed before debris removal can begin. As of mid-February 2025, more than 260 sites had already been surveyed.
To further enhance safety and minimize risks, all personnel involved in debris removal operations are undergoing comprehensive training. This includes trainings on hazardous and asbestos-containing materials, explosive ordnance risk education, and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA).
So far, 48 personnel, including debris removal staff, managers, and engineers, have been trained to manage hazards and minimize risks. The trainings were held in Train-the-Trainer (ToT) mode, enhancing the efficiency by enabling first 2 groups of participants spread the knowledge to a larger team.
UNDP is leading the development of a comprehensive and unified approach to effective debris management that is specifically tailored to Ukraine’s unique context. This involves establishing robust legal frameworks, setting best practices for effective debris removal, and empowering local communities to manage and clear accumulated debris efficiently. Key priorities include mitigating risks associated with asbestos-containing materials and promoting sustainable debris recycling and reuse practices.
Source: UNDP
For the fourth year in a row, the level of basic web accessibility of government websites in Ukraine has risen, according to the fourth annual analysis of the basic accessibility of 100 websites of executive authorities. The analysis was conducted at the end of 2024 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine together with the Digital Accessibility Competence Centre as part of the DIA Support Project, which is funded by Sweden.
In 2024, 24 out of 100 analysed websites of government bodies in Ukraine were at sufficient and high levels of accessibility for people with disabilities. This represented a rise of 2% over 2023, while in 2021 the rise was 11%.
In 2024, seven websites had a high level of web accessibility, 17 sufficient, and almost half (55) of the websites showed an average level of accessibility. In 2021, only one website was at a high level of accessibility, 12 were at a sufficient level, and 48 were average. At the same time, the number of websites with a low level of accessibility decreased – from 39 in 2021, to 21 in 2024.
Three websites showed the greatest progress in improving basic accessibility over the year: the Diia and Diia.Osvita portals (both increasing by six points in the rating) and the website of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (up by five points).
The priority of the Ministry of Digital Transformation is to create such electronic services that are not only easy and convenient to use, but also accessible to all Ukrainians.
In recent years, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, with the support of UNDP and Sweden, has implemented a number of legislative changes aimed at encouraging improvements in web accessibility in the country. In particular, a new state standard on web accessibility was adopted, which became mandatory for state bodies.
Digital accessibility is critically important for Ukraine, as the number of people with disabilities is constantly increasing due to the war.
Source: UNDP
Russian forces conducted one of the largest ever missile and drone strikes against Ukraine on the night of March 6 to 7 as Russian forces continue to adapt strike packages to overwhelm Ukraine's air defense umbrella by increasing the total number of Shahed and decoy drones in each strike. Russian forces launched the largest combined strike package against Ukraine since November 2024 on the night of March 6 to 7.
The Ukrainian Air Force stated that Ukrainian forces downed Russian targets using F-16 and Mirage-2000 aircraft and that this was the first instance of Ukrainian forces using Mirage-2000s, which arrived one month ago, to defend against Russian strikes. The Ukrainian Air Force stated that Russian forces targeted Ukrainian gas production facilities during the strike. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other official Ukrainian sources stated that Russian strikes damaged energy facilities in Odesa, Poltava, Chernihiv, and Ternopil oblasts. Ternopil Oblast Military Administration reported that two Russian missiles struck a critical infrastructure facility, causing a fire. Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK stated that the strikes damaged an energy facility in Odesa Oblast.
Russia has likely leveraged the increased production of Shahed drones to increase the total number of drones launched in each strike package. Russian forces launched an average 83.4 drones per strike package in January 2025, an average of 139.3 drones per strike package in February 2024, and an average of 128.8 drones per strike package from March 1 through 7. Russian forces have only sporadically included missiles in the January, February, and March 2025 strike packages, and the 67 missiles launched in the March 6 to 7 strike series is a larger amount than in previous missile strikes this year.
Russia will likely take advantage of the suspension of US military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine to intensify its long-range strike campaign and deplete Ukrainian air defense missiles. US intelligence has contributed to Ukraine's early warning system against Russian strikes and its suspension.
Russia also likely intends to force Ukraine into quickly depleting its supply of Patriot air defense interceptors - which Ukraine relies on to defend against Russian ballistic missiles - during the pause in US military aid and intelligence sharing to maximize the damage of subsequent strikes. Ukrainian forces will likely have to be more selective in intercepting strikes as their stock of interceptors decreases with no resupply on the horizon, and successful Russian strikes against Ukrainian energy facilities will likely have lasting effects on Ukraine's ability to generate power for DIB and civilian use.
Russian forces recently advanced into northern Sumy Oblast for the first time since 2022 – when Ukrainian forces pushed Russian forces from significant swathes of Ukrainian territory following the initial months of Russian advances. Russian forces likely intend to leverage limited advances into Sumy Oblast to completely expel Ukrainian forces from Kursk Oblast among other objectives.
Source: ISW (March 7, 2025)
At least 20 people have died and dozens were injured overnight following Russian strikes in Ukraine, as Kyiv argued the Kremlin's war goals are "unchanged" despite pressure from the US to quickly resolve the conflict.
European leaders - and other global powers - are rallying to sort out what's next for Kyiv, with high-level talks scheduled in the days ahead.
Meanwhile, the US has pulled its military and intelligence support for Ukraine, cutting the country off from crucial satellite imaging.
On Monday, Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before a Ukrainian delegation - minus Zelensky - meet US officials in Jeddah on Tuesday to discuss a possible ceasefire.
On Tuesday, France will host military chiefs of staff from nations offering to provide military support if a peace deal is reached. The meeting follows UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's announcement of a "coalition of the willing" to back any peace deal - though a former UK national security adviser warns any plans for UK peacekeepers could last "many years".
Starmer's standing on the global stage has skyrocketed of late - images of him welcoming Zelensky after his bruising encounter with Trump at the White House made headlines around the world. But what the new attention Starmer means for the prime minister domestically is still unclear.
Source: BBC
Ukraine’s presence in Russia’s Kursk region has deteriorated sharply, with the Russian advance threatening Kyiv’s sole territorial bargaining counter at a crucial time in the war.
Military bloggers from both sides say Ukraine is on the back foot, while Ukraine’s army says Russian forces used a gas pipeline to launch a surprise raid in one area. Russia’s defense ministry on Sunday said its forces had captured four settlements in a couple of days.
Ukraine launched its shock incursion into Kursk in August, swiftly capturing territory in what was the first ground invasion of Russia by a foreign power since World War II.
As well as capturing land that could potentially be swapped for Russian-occupied territory, the campaign aimed to divert Moscow’s resources from the front lines in the east.
But since then, Ukraine has struggled to hold onto its territory in Kursk and faces a fundamentally transformed diplomatic picture, with United States President Donald Trump piling pressure on Kyiv to agree peace by halting US military aid and intelligence sharing.
Ukrainian and Russian military bloggers warn Kyiv’s hold on the region is more tenuous than ever, with Russian troops backed by North Korean forces launching incessant attack Kyiv’s fear is that Russia’s gains could cut off supplies to Ukrainian troops in Kursk. In a major report last month, the Institute for the Study of War, a US-based conflict monitor, estimated that Ukraine has at most 30,000 troops stationed in the region.
The Kursk incursion was embarrassing for Moscow and raised questions over its ability to protect its own borders. Russian President Vladimir Putin has since repeatedly pledged his forces would regain full control of the region.
Kyiv has lost about half of the territory it once occupied in Kursk.
In the face of Russia’s gains, some Ukrainian bloggers have suggested that the Kursk incursion may have exhausted its strategic value.
“I didn’t think I would ever say this. But maybe it’s time to ‘close the shop’ from the Kursk direction. It’s hard for our guys there,” said Serhii Flesh. “As a diversion of enemy resources, I think this operation has long since justified itself. As a political bargaining card, it is now questionable.”
Source: CNN
The United States has temporarily suspended satellite imagery services to Ukraine, a fresh blow to Kyiv from the Trump administration, which has frozen weapons shipments and intelligence sharing.
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has “temporarily suspended access” to the system that provides commercial satellite imagery purchased by the United States “in accordance with the administration’s directive on support to Ukraine,” the agency said in a statement.
Ukrainian forces have heavily relied on the service to give them a technological edge against Russian forces.
The United States has temporarily suspended satellite imagery services to Ukraine, a fresh blow to Kyiv from the Trump administration, which has frozen weapons shipments and intelligence sharing.
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has “temporarily suspended access” to the system that provides commercial satellite imagery purchased by the United States “in accordance with the administration’s directive on support to Ukraine,” the agency said in a statement.
U.S. partners and allies use the system to access the imagery through its orbital imaging services known as Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery. U.S. officials said the suspension affected multiple companies that deliver imagery through the program.
Ukrainian forces have heavily relied on the service to give them a technological edge against Russian forces.
Artillery and drone units study the images to assess quality targets and review the damage to refine the attacks. A constant refresh of satellite imagery helps commanders and soldiers keep tabs on where enemy positions and depots are, making it easier to find vulnerabilities and troop movements. And they help logistics soldiers plan vehicle routes, with alternative corridors laid out if pathways are mined or destroyed.
The suspension was immediately felt by soldiers in the Ukrainian military, some of whom described the decision as treachery, not politics. Near the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub where Russian forces have waged a bitter campaign, the satellite service “simply disappeared,” a soldier said.
The suspension follows a recent decision by President Donald Trump to pause intelligence sharing and halt future deliveries of weapons to Ukraine, with the intent of pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into peace negotiations with Russia.
Source: The Washington Post
About 20 countries are interested in joining a "coalition of the willing" to help Ukraine, according to UK officials.
It is not thought every one of the countries, which are largely from Europe and the Commonwealth, would necessarily send troops but some could provide other support.
The plan, spearheaded by the UK and France, was set out by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at this weekend's summit of 18 European and Canadian leaders, and would work to uphold any ceasefire in Russia's war on Ukraine.
Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said such a move "can't be allowed" because it would amount to the "direct, official and unveiled involvement of Nato members in the war against Russia".
It comes as Kyiv attempts to mend relations with Washington after the US paused its military aid to Ukraine and intelligence sharing in a bid to bring President Zelensky to the negotiating table.
Speaking on a visit to a defence firm in Merseyside, Sir Keir said it would be a "big mistake" to think that "all we've got to do is wait for a deal now" between Ukraine and Russia, which US President Donald Trump claims to be attempting to broker.
The PM said it would be crucial that "if there is a deal - and we don't know there will be - that we defend the deal", which meant ensuring Ukraine was "in the strongest position". But the PM stressed that defence plan should be made "in conjunction with the United States... it's that ability to work with the United States and our European partners that has kept the peace for 80 years now".
It is understood a meeting of officials was held on Tuesday to discuss providing security guarantees following any peace deal. British officials said it was "early days" but welcomed what they described as the expressions of interest in joining a "coalition of the willing" as a "highly positive step".
The Prime Minister's Deputy Official Spokesman said the government had been "very clear that it is for Europe and for the UK to step up and I think you are seeing evidence of that consistently."
The UK and France have proposed a one-month truce "in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure", backed up by a coalition of supportive western countries, but this has been rejected by Russia.
The UK announced a £1.6bn missile deal for Ukraine on Sunday and has now signed another deal with an Anglo-American security firm Anduril, to provide Ukraine with more advanced attack drones.
Also on Thursday, Defence Secretary John Healey held talks with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington DC. At the meeting, Healey said the US had challenged Europe to step up on defence spending and the UK had responded.
Earlier, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed another security deal, worth nearly £30m and backed by the International Fund for Ukraine. The deal will see Kyiv supplied with cutting-edge Altius 600m and Altius 700m systems - designed to monitor an area before striking targets that enter it - to help tackle Russian aggression in the Black Sea.
The announcement comes amid concerns that the US move to halt intelligence-sharing with Ukraine will affect the country's ability to use western weaponry and deprive it of advanced information about incoming threats.
'Clear and present danger'
In Brussels, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, held an emergency defence summit as the EU grapples with the prospect of Trump reducing security assistance for Europe.
Proposing an 800 billion euro (£670 billion) defence package, von der Leyen said this was a "watershed moment", adding: "Europe faces a clear and present danger and therefore Europe has to be able to protect itself, to defend itself, as we have to put Ukraine in a position to protect itself and to push for a lasting and just peace."
European Union leaders met Zelensky, who thanked them for their support, and said: "We are very thankful that we are not alone. These are not just words, we feel it." Turkey indicated Thursday it could play a part in peacekeeping efforts, while Ireland's Prime Minister Micheal Martin said Irish troops could be involved in peacekeeping but would not be deployed in any "deterrent force".
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also said he is "open" to sending troops to Ukraine as peacekeepers.
On Thursday Russia rejected calls for a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova telling reporters: "Firm agreements on a final settlement are needed. Without all that, some kind of respite is absolutely unacceptable."
Source: BBC
European leaders agreed to significantly boost defense spending to ensure Europe’s security and voiced near-unanimous support for Ukraine at an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, after the United States dramatically pulled back its assistance to the continent in a historic upending of transatlantic relations.
At the summit in Brussels, 26 European leaders signed a text calling for a peace deal that respects “Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” while including Ukraine in the negotiations. Hungary abstained.
In a separate text, all 27 leaders of Europe greenlit proposals that could free up billions of euros to boost defense spending, calling on the European Commission to find new ways to “facilitate significant defense spending at national level in all Member States.”
Leaders noted a proposal from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that would provide countries with loans totaling up to 150 billion euros ($162 billion) and said the plan would be studied ahead of another meeting at the end of the month.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky attended Thursday’s special session, and thanked the leaders of the European Union (EU) for supporting him as his relationship with US President Donald Trump disintegrated over recent days.
Following the Special European Council summit in Brussels, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters on Thursday that the EU will give Ukraine over $33 billion in assistance, taken from Russians sanctioned by the EU.
“The priority is to support Ukraine and its army in the very short term,” Macron said. “In 2025, the EU will provide Ukraine with 30.6 billion euros, financed by Russian assets.”
In Washington meanwhile, Trump reiterated his criticism of unequal defense spending among NATO countries. “I think it’s common sense. If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them,” Trump said.
Heads of the 27 EU nations had traveled to Brussels to find a path forward in the conflict; the latest in a string of sessions aimed at finding a ceasefire deal with Ukraine’s support before the US and Russia force one on Kyiv. But some fear that the involvement of ambivalent countries could derail efforts to put together a peace plan which might satisfy both Kyiv and Washington. And there is uncertainty across Europe that Trump would even be interested in any plan the continent presents him with.
A ‘new era’
Europe is “entering a new era,” Macron admitted in a televised address on Wednesday night, describing an increased weariness over the shift in Trump’s tone toward Moscow.
“The United States, our ally, has changed its position on this war, is less supportive of Ukraine and is casting doubt on what will happen next,” Macron warned.
And Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who was dismissed as Ukraine’s military chief last year in a major shakeup before becoming Kyiv’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, said in unusually blunt and potentially incendiary remarks that the US is “destroying” the current world order.
“We see now the White House takes steps towards the Kremlin, trying to meet them half way, so the next target of Russia could be Europe,” he said at London think tank Chatham House on Thursday. “It’s not just the ‘axis of evil’ and Russia trying to revise the world order, but the US is finally destroying this order.”
Hungary was the only country whose leader refused to sign Thursday’s Ukraine text at the summit, though Prime Minister Viktor Orban did agree to the statement on defense. By doing so, Hungary “isolated” itself from the consensus of Europe, European Council President Antonio Costa said in a statement to press after the meeting.
A meeting with a key difference
Thursday was the third hastily organized European meeting over the future of the war since the Trump administration dramatically pulled back its support for the continent.
A Sunday summit in London saw some progress: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said a small group of European nations would work with Zelensky on a ceasefire proposal, then present it to the US – a workaround that might avert another meltdown in relations between Trump and Zelensky.
But this meeting had a key difference: It involves every nation in the bloc, not just the countries who opted to attend Starmer’s summit. And some countries are neither willing nor interested in supporting Ukraine’s fight for survival.
Sharing the burden
A senior EU diplomat told CNN that discussions around burden sharing are likely to feature heavily in Thursday’s summit, stressing that the burden for Ukraine’s aid needs to be “shared more evenly” between member states.
Reaching an agreement on that will prove difficult. Without singling any countries out, the diplomat highlighted how the countries that aren’t paying their “fair share” when it comes to Ukraine are also usually failing to spend over 2% of their gross domestic product on defense.
Some serious progress is nonetheless expected. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a plan to rearm Europe in the build-up to the summit, and said the bloc could mobilize funds up to 800 billion euros ($862 billion) to achieve it. “We are in an era of rearmament,” she said in a statement Wednesday.
“The question is no longer whether Europe’s security is threatened in a very real way,” she added. “Or whether Europe should shoulder more of the responsibility for its own security. In truth, we have long known the answers to those questions.”
A senior EU official told CNN that they expect EU leaders to give a green light allowing von der Leyen’s defense plan to be moved “forward very swiftly.”
There are immediate discussions taking place too: including on what the peacekeeping force deployed to Ukraine to uphold a potential ceasefire might look like. First proposed just two weeks ago, the force has quickly morphed from an idea to an apparent condition of any deal.
The UK, France and Turkey would likely contribute the bulk of any such force, a European official familiar with the negotiations told CNN in the build-up to the summit.
Source: CNN
France will keep providing military intelligence to Ukraine after Washington announced it was freezing the sharing of information with Kyiv, French defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Thursday.
The U.S. said Wednesday it had paused its intelligence sharing with Ukraine, cutting off the flow of vital information that has helped the war-torn nation target Russian invaders, but Trump administration officials have said that positive talks between Washington and Kyiv mean it may only be a short suspension.
American intelligence is vital for Ukraine to track Russian troop movements and select targets.
Speaking to France Inter radio on Thursday, Lecornu said France is continuing its intelligence sharing.
Lecornu added that following the US decision to suspend all military aid to Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron asked him to “accelerate the various French aid packages” to make up for the lack of American assistance.
Lecornu said that in the wake of the U.S. decision, shipments of Ukraine-bound aid departing from Poland had been suspended, adding however that “Ukrainians, unfortunately, have learned to fight this war for three years now and know how to stockpile.”
Source: AP News
Together let us continue to invoke the gift of peace, in particular in tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In particular, I have learned with concern of the resumption of violence in some areas of Syria: I hope that they cease definitively, with full respect for all ethnic and religious components of society, especially civilians.
Insieme continuiamo a invocare il dono della pace, in particolare nella martoriata Ucraina, in Palestina, in Israele, nel Libano e nel Myanmar, in Sudan e nella Repubblica Democratica del Congo. In particolare, ho appreso con preoccupazione della ripresa di violenze in alcune zone della Siria: auspico che cessino definitivamente, nel pieno rispetto di tutte le componenti etniche e religiose della società, specialmente dei civili.
Links to the full text in ENGLISH and ITALIANPope: Let us make sure that Lent becomes a time of purification; let us pray for peace in Ukraine (Google translate)
Archbishop Gallagher on Trump’s negotiations with Putin, mass deportations and gutting of USAID
European Bishops praying for peace during Lent
EU Bishops: Ukraine’s struggle ‘will be decisive for the fate of Europe and the world’
Father Igor Boyko: words in support of Ukraine at the meeting of the Pontifical Academy "For Life" (Google translate)
A priest who served in Donetsk: people were thirsty for the word of God (Google translate)
Children and teachers from Ukraine at the JRS Romania after-school centre (Jesuit Refugee Service).