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Earlier at the conference, Britain blamed the Kremlin for killing opposition leader Alexei Navalny
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CloseZelensky: 'Putin is a slave to war'
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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said the US “too often” asks Kyiv for concessions, rather than Russia in renewed calls for 20 year security guarantees.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Ukraine’s leader acknowledged he was feeling "a little bit" of pressure from Donald Trump, who yesterday said Zelensky should not miss the "opportunity" to make peace soon and urged him "to get moving".
"The Americans often return to the topic of concessions and too often those concessions are discussed only in the context of Ukraine, not Russia," Mr Zelensky said.
He confirmed that the US side had proposed 15 year security guarantees, although Ukraine wanted two decades or more instead.
Earlier at the conference, Britain blamed the Kremlin for killing opposition leader Alexei Navalny, which it said was likely done using a poison developed from a dart frog toxin.
Two years on from the death of Mr Navalny, the UK and its allies have pinned the blame on the Russian state following analysis of material samples found on his body, saying it was likely conducted using a poison developed from a dart frog toxin.
The Kremlin has always denied causing Mr Navalny’s death.
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Watch: Navalny died after being poisoned with dart frog toxin by Russia, UK says
Navalny died after being poisoned with dart frog toxin by Russia, UK saysBryony Gooch15 February 2026 01:00Rubio meets with Zelensky to discuss country's security and defence
US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said he met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the country’s security and ways to deepen defence and economic partnerships.
EUR-GEN ALEMANIA-CONFERENCIA DE SEGURIDAD (AP)Bryony Gooch15 February 2026 00:00Zelensky surprised Moscow replaced head of negotiating team
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he was surprised that Moscow had replaced the head of its negotiating team before another round of US-brokered talks and suggested the move was deliberately aimed at delaying negotiations.
The talks take place against a backdrop of continued fighting along the roughly 1,250-km (750-mile) front line, relentless Russian bombardment of civilian areas of Ukraine and the country's power grid, and Kyiv's almost daily long-range drone attacks on war-related assets on Russian soil.
During negotiations, Russian officials have insisted Ukraine give up more territory in the east of the country to end the war. But Mr Zelensky told The Associated Press that it was "a little bit crazy" to suggest Ukraine withdraw from its own territory or exchange it.
Thousands of Ukrainians have been killed defending the country's Donbas region, he said, pointing out that 200,000 people also live there and it would not be acceptable to effectively hand them over to Russia.
Mr Zelensky also questioned how the concept of a free economic zone would work.
Imagine, he said, if foreign soldiers patrolled the zone and "Putin provoked them and they left". In that case, he said, there could be a "big occupation" of Ukraine and a lot of losses.
If Mr Putin is given any opportunity for victory "we don't know what he will do next", Mr Zelensky said.
Bryony Gooch14 February 2026 23:00The Independent View: Keir Starmer is right to embrace our European future
Keir Starmer is right to embrace our European future
Editorial: In defence and economics, Britain’s interests lie in closer cooperation with its neighboursBryony Gooch14 February 2026 22:00Zelensky thanks international allies for support at conference
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his international allies for their support but suggested there was still questions remaining over the future security guarantees for his country.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Mr Zelensky repeatedly thanked American and European allies for helping Ukraine by providing air defence systems that protect infrastructure such as power plants and "save lives".
Previous US-led efforts to find consensus on ending the war, most recently two rounds of talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, have failed to resolve difficult issues, such as the future of Ukraine's Donbas industrial heartland that is largely occupied by Russian forces.
Bryony Gooch14 February 2026 21:40Russia killed opposition leader Alexei Navalny with dart frog toxin, UK and allies say
Navalny died after being poisoned with dart frog toxin by Russia, UK says
Britain and its allies said only Russia would have the ‘means, motive and disregard’ to launch such an attack – as his widow calls for Putin to be held accountable Bryony Gooch14 February 2026 21:20Zelensky meets with Witkoff and Kushner ahead of Geneva talks
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner ahead of trilateral meetings in Geneva.
“We count on the meetings being truly productive. We also discussed some developments following the meetings in Abu Dhabi. Not everything can be shared over the phone, and our negotiating team will present Ukraine’s position next week.
He continued: “I also spoke about our meeting with US secretary of state Marco Rubio. We greatly appreciate that America consistently maintains a constructive approach and is ready to assist in protecting lives. I thank President Trump, his team, and the people of the United States for their support.”
Bryony Gooch14 February 2026 21:00US ‘squandered’ claim to world leadership, German chancellor suggests
US has ‘squandered’ its claim to world leadership, German chancellor Merz suggests
Friedrich Merz was speaking on the first day of the Munich Security Conference, being held in the shadow of Donald Trump’s global influenceBryony Gooch14 February 2026 20:40Recap: UK claims Alexei Navalny was poisoned in prison
UK claims Alexei Navalny was poisoned in prisonBryony Gooch14 February 2026 20:20UK to deploy warships to Arctic following Trump’s Greenland threats
Britain to deploy UK warships to Arctic after Trump’s Greenland threats
The prime minister also used his speech at the Munich Security Conference to underline the UK’s commitment to Nato as he spelt out the ‘urgency’ for a closer UK defence relationship with EuropeBryony Gooch14 February 2026 20:00Newer1 / 6OlderMore about
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