Markus Andrews

European leaders have rallied in support of Ukraine after a defiant Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Donald Trump’s suggestion that a peace plan may involve giving up land to Russia.President Trump, who is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next Friday in Alaska as he seeks to bring an end to the war, has said the talks could include “some swapping of territories”.But an angry President Zelensky hit back on Saturday, insisting Ukraine “will not give Russia any awards for what it has done” and that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier”. Members of the so-called coalition of the willing – countries which have pledged support for Ukraine against Russia’s aggression – were quick to show their support, insisting that any deal must include Ukraine and Europe, warning its security is “at stake”.The joint leaders’ statement from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and the European Commission said: “We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.“Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.”Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer tour the streets of Kyiv, Ukraine, after a meeting of the so-called “coalition of the willing” at the Presidential Palace in France earlier this year More

The UK is set to deport foreign criminals to free up prison space in the government’s latest immigration crackdown.Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood vowed the offenders will be sent “packing” immediately when they receive a custodial sentence.The proposed law change – which could save taxpayers an average of £54,000 per year, per prison place – would apply to prisoners serving fixed-term “determinate” sentences. Authorities would also retain their power not to deport a criminal but instead keep them in custody, for example, if the offender was planning further crimes against the UK’s interests or national security.“Our message is clear,” Ms Mahmood said. “If you abuse our hospitality and break our laws, we will send you packing.”She added: “Deportations are up under this government, and with this new law they will happen earlier than ever before.”Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood vowed that the offenders will be sent ‘packing’ immediately when they receive a custodial sentence More

Leading pollsters have suggested Labour‘s plan to lower the voting age to 16 could “backfire” as Reform UK and Jeremy Corbyn‘s new party could end up gaining the most from the policy instead.The “seismic” move announced by the government as part of a raft of measures last month would allow around 1.5 million more teenagers to cast a ballot, bringing UK-wide elections in line with Scotland and Wales by the time the country next goes to the polls, due by the summer of 2029 at the latest.Keir Starmer encouraged 16 and 17-year-olds to use their vote at the next election, with No 10 saying the prime minister would “absolutely encourage them to be as engaged as they can be in the future of their country”.But top pollsters have warned the rewards Labour may have been hoping to reap from their plans might not come to fruition, with Nigel Farage’s Reform and Mr Corbyn’s party the potential real winners.Respected pollster and Conservative peer Robert Hayward told The Independent: “I just don’t think the policy will be as beneficial as the Labour Party thought when they first proposed it.The ‘seismic’ move announced by the government as part of a raft of measures last month would allow around 1.5 million more teenagers to cast a ballot More

Sir Keir Starmer has pledged the UK’s “unwavering support” for Ukraine after a defiant President Zelensky rejected Donald Trump’s suggestion that a peace plan may involve giving up land to Russia. President Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next Friday in Alaska as he seeks to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, and said the talks could include “some swapping of territories”.But President Zelensky hit back, insisting Ukraine “will not give Russia any awards for what it has done” and that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier”. In a phone call with the Ukrainian leader on Saturday morning, Sir Keir reiterated “his unwavering support for Ukraine and its people”.After the call, President Zelensky said the two men “shared the same view” on the danger of discussing what he described as “the impossible”. Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky have spoken, No 10 said (Stefan Rousseau/PA) More

It may have been a rather turbulent launch, but the potential for Jeremy Corbyn’s new party to shake up the UK’s fractured political landscape has certainly not gone unnoticed in Westminster.The MP for Islington North has promised to “build a democratic movement that can take on the rich and powerful” in the form of a “new kind of political party”.But while the as-yet-unnamed party looks to the future – and the next general election – it may well contain more familiar faces than you might expect.The former Labour leader’s new party hopes to tempt a number of his former comrades-in-arms to join as it attempts to seize on Labour’s struggles in the polls and position itself in part as the party on the left of British politics that can take on Nigel Farage’s Reform, according to insiders. Corbyn has said his new party will ‘take on the rich and powerful’ More

JD Vance hit out at Keir Starmer’s plan to recognise Palestine as he met foreign secretary David Lammy in Kent on Friday for informal talks at the start of a private family holiday in the Cotswolds. The US vice-president questioned how the prime minister’s historic pledge would be achieved, because of the lack of a functional government in the territory. He confirmed Washington did not intend to follow the UK, saying the two countries had “disagreements” over how to respond to the crisis in Gaza but shared a common goal to end the war.Mr Vance also claimed he “loved” Britain despite a number of outspoken attacks in recent months. On a visit to Chevening, the foreign secretary’s official country retreat in Kent, the Republican revealed the rapport he has built up with the Labour MP.He heaped praise on Mr Lammy as his “good friend” and said their families enjoy spending time together. The two men are understood to have bonded over their Christian faith. Lammy and Vance at Chevening on Friday afternoon More

Ex-Reform member Rupert Lowe has pledged £1,000 to a fundraiser after he mistook a charity rowing team for illegal migrants.The now independent MP for Great Yarmouth had posted a picture on social media on Thursday night showing a boat near some wind turbines off the Norfolk coast.“Dinghies coming into Great Yarmouth, RIGHT NOW,” he wrote on X.“Authorities alerted, and I am urgently chasing. If these are illegal migrants, I will be using every tool at my disposal to ensure these individuals are deported.”But the vessel pictured was, in fact, an ocean rowing boat crewed by ROW4MND, a team of four who are attempting to row from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise money for motor neurone disease (MND).The crew – Matthew Parker, Mike Bates, Aaron Kneebone and Liz Wardley – said they had been contacted by HM Coastguard and asked if they could see a dinghy nearby, but it soon became clear the service was asking about their own boat.From left, Liz Wardley, Mike Bates, Aaron Kneebone and Matthew Parker, before they left Cornwall for Scotland on their charity voyage More

Sir Keir Starmer has warned Benjamin Netanyahu that his plans to occupy Gaza City are “wrong” and will “bring more bloodshed”, as he urged the Israeli prime minister to “step away from the path of destruction”. The prime minister’s comments come after the Israeli leader’s security cabinet approved plans for a major escalation in the conflict early on FridayThe Israeli plan stops short of fully taking over all of Gaza, as had been touted ahead of the war cabinet meeting.But Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has slammed the takeover plan as a “disaster” and “exactly what Hamas wanted”. A plume of smoke erupts during Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip as pictured from across the border in southern Israel More