Trump call shows 'Europe's time is over', says top Putin ally - as US denies Ukraine 'betrayal'

As NATO defence ministers meet in Brussels with the Ukraine war top of the agenda, cities near the frontline in the east and south of the country are bearing the brunt of Putin's attacks.

These images are from the town of Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia region, which has come under near-relentless bombardment.

Orikhiv is north of where Ukraine mounted one of its main counteroffensive pushes against Russian forces in 2023, but Kyiv's forces were unable to gain much ground.

We're getting the first pictures through showing NATO defence ministers gathering for their "family photo".

They have been meeting in Brussels to begin preparations for the NATO summit in The Hague in June.

The defence ministers have also been giving their reaction to Donald Trump's call with Vladimir Putin as the two leaders agreed to start negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Scroll down to view our 11.13am post for more on their reaction.

Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov speaks after the NATO chief.

He begins by thanking NATO and its leadership, and says "our focus is on security assistance" - adding allies are playing a key role in supporting this.

It comes after US defence secretary Pete Hegseth doubled down on comments yesterday that the US cannot guarantee European security any longer (see our 7.50am post).

Umerov finished his remarks by saying "we are strong and capable, we will deliver".

NATO secretary general Mark Rutte is speaking at the alliance's meeting of defence ministers with Ukraine's Rustem Umerov.

Rutte says the goal is to get Ukraine in the "best possible position" during peace talks and ensure the "peace is enduring".

He also says allies need to "keep up support" during these negotiations. 

Rutte also says it is "crucial" Vladimir Putin will "never again try to capture one more square kilometre of Ukraine".

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said yesterday that Kyiv could not realistically return to its pre-2014 borders, which is before Russia annexed Crimea.

He described any ambition to return to this as an "illusionary goal".

NATO secretary general Mark Rutte and Ukraine's defence minister Rustem Umerov are due to speak in the next five minutes from the alliance's meeting of defence ministers in Brussels.

You can watch their remarks live in the stream at the top of the page - and we'll bring you the key lines here.

Throughout the morning, we've been bringing you reaction to the call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin as they agreed to start negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

NATO defence ministers are meeting in Brussels and have been speaking on the talks between the two leaders.

UK defence secretary John Healey said "there can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine" while also calling for Ukraine's voice to be at the heart of any talks (see our 8.06am post).

Sweden's defence minister said NATO membership for Ukraine is "not off the table", although the US has said it was not a "realistic outcome" of talks.

A joint statement between European countries called for a "just, comprehensive and lasting peace" and insisted Ukraine and Europe should be part of any negotiations (see our 10.24am post).

Responding to concerns from European allies, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said talks with Putin are "certainly not betraying Ukraine" (see our 7.50am post).

We've just heard more details from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on the Trump-Putin call last night.

The focus now, he says, is on preparing a personal meeting between the two leaders, adding he was "impressed" with Trump's position as he hit out at Biden.

Here's a breakdown of what he said:

• It was premature to discuss timings for the Trump-Putin meeting, but it should be held "fairly quickly";
• Joe Biden's administration wanted to "keep the war going", but Trump's team is "trying to ensure peace";
• In response to a question about the possible return of some land to Ukraine: "For now, we would suggest not getting ahead of ourselves";
• And when it came to the question on whether China could mediate on Ukraine, he urged reporters to be patient.

On the prospect of Trump flying to Moscow on the invitation of Putin, our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett says: "Russia's so-called special military operation wasn't supposed to end in negotiations, but the leader of the free world flying into Moscow on a peace mission? You can see how Russia could spin that as a victory over the collective West."

A group of European countries have said they are ready to enhance their support for Ukraine.

In a joint statement between the UK, Germany, France, Poland, Italy and Spain, the group said it is committed to Ukraine's "independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity".

It also calls for Ukraine and Europe to be part of any negotiations, adding it should be provided with strong security guarantees.

"We share the goal to keep supporting Ukraine until a just, comprehensive and lasting peace is reached," it said. 

It comes after comments from US defence secretary Pete Hegseth, who insisted Donald Trump was "certainly not betraying Ukraine" in talks with Vladimir Putin (see our 7.50am post).

He also doubled down on comments yesterday that the US cannot guarantee European security any longer, saying standing up against the Russian war machine is an "important European responsibility".

We reported earlier that two Russian drones had blown up on Moldovan soil and that NATO member Romania had said its airspace had likely been breached (see post at 8.53am).

Now, Moldovan President Maia Sandu has confirmed on X thta the devices were Shahed drones.

This is what she had to say...

As we reported earlier, Kyiv said Moscow attacked Ukraine with 140 drones overnight, injuring one person in the Izmail district of Ukraine's Odesa region that borders Romania and Moldova.

The southern region is a central hub for Ukraine's Black Sea
exports and its port facilities have been regularly attacked by long-range strikes throughout the war. 

Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

 More now from one of Valdimir Putin's closest allies.

Dmitry Medvedev, a former president and current security official, has mocked Europe's role on the world stage.

Following on from his boast earlier this morning that Russia can't be beaten (see 6.54am), he's now said Europe is "mad with jealousy and rage" after the phone call between Donald Trump and Putin.

Medvedev said on social media app Telegram that Europe had not been warned of the call between the two leaders or consulted about its content.

"It shows its real role in the world," he said, adding: "Europe's time is over."