“So Ukraine – any part of it – in Nato as part of a deal would be unacceptable ... needed manpower and crippling its battle plans at a crucial time in its war with Russia. Facing every imaginable shortage, tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops ...

New research shows that the revenues of Russia’s top defence contractors outpaced those of their United States and European counterparts last year, as they increased weapons production more effectively than their Western rivals.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he wants to work “directly” with US President-elect Donald Trump and is open to his ideas, highlighting Kyiv’s eagerness to keep its most important ally onside as Russia intensifies its attacks.