Thanks for following this live blog on Prime Minister’s Questions. It has now closed.

Please visit the Express’s politics page for the latest news from our team in Westminster.

The gravity of the international situation meant this was a lower volume PMQs but there is no shortage of tension in British politics.

Labour MPs are painfully aware of the number of angry voters on subjects ranging from the tax on National Insurance contributions to the inheritance tax facing farmers.

But if – as reported – the Chancellor is going to cut billions from welfare spending then there will be anguish on the Labour benches as MPs field letters from frightened constituents.

Getting people into work is a national priority. But cutting welfare because the economy has failed to grow is another matter.

It was up to former Labour MP Rosie Duffield to ask a pointed question about the foreign aid budget. But this could be a taste of things to come from the PM’s own benches if the Chancellor swings the axe.

Independent MP for Canterbury Rosie Duffield asked the Prime Minister if he believed “children living in poverty” or “the world’s poorest” should pay for increases to defence spending .

The former Labour MP said: “Under his Labour Government, does the Prime Minister believe the UK’s estimated three million millionaires should contribute more to our vital national security, or is it just the world’s poorest by no longer benefiting from our international aid programmes, or the shameful almost six million children living in poverty in this country who should be paying for it? What happened to the wealth tax, Prime Minister?”

Sir Keir Starmer replied: “I think all should and all do make a contribution at this vital time.”

Sir Keir Starmer could return to Washington DC for talks with US President Donald Trump, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and France’s Emmanuel Macron, a spokeswoman for the French government said.

The UK and France have been co-ordinating European efforts to support Ukraine and develop a peace plan to end the war with Russia after Mr Trump alarmed allies on the continent by opening talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The French government said Mr Macron, Sir Keir and Mr Zelensky could potentially travel to meet Mr Trump.

Sir Keir Starmer said he had spoken to President Donald Trump three times by telephone since his visit last week.

In response to a question from Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch on what he was doing to help the US agree that a security agreement was in their interest, Sir Keir said: “On Thursday last week we did discuss security guarantees, the President made absolutely clear his commitment to article five of Nato, absolutely clear he would have our backs because of the relationship between our parties and agreed that our teams would sit down and talk through security guarantees.

“I’ve spoken to him, three times I think since then, on the telephone because it is vitally important that we work with the US, with Europe and Ukraine, and make sure that if there is a deal it has proper security guarantees in place.”

Conservative MP Vicky Atkins slaps down Sir Keir Starmer. Read the full story here.

Labour MP Lee Pitcher calls for an and to the “8am scramble” when people who need a GP appointment make desperate phone calls to their clinic.

In response to a question, Sir Keir wishes the Commons a happy St Piran’s Day – the patron saint of Cornwall.

Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has rebuked Conservative MP Victoria Atkins.

She was shouting “it’s a lie” at Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. MPs are not allowed to call each other liars, and of course they are not really supposed to shout at each other.

The Speaker tells her to withdraw the remark. She does, and the questions session continues.

Asked to ensure the UK will not be “drawn into war” with Russia, Sir Keir Starmer said “the surest risk” of conflict is “if Putin thinks that he can breach” a peace deal in Ukraine.

Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch said: “As the Opposition, we support efforts to resolve this conflict, but we cannot write a blank cheque. If British peacekeeping troops in Ukraine were attacked, whether directly or via proxies, we could be drawn into conflict with Russia. Can the Prime Minister reassure all those who are concerned about the UK being drawn into war?”

The Prime Minister replied: “Yes, that’s the last thing anybody wants to see and the whole point of ensuring that there’s a lasting peace and that any deal, if there’s a deal, is defended, is to avoid conflict, to ensure that we do have peace.

“The way to ensure we have peace is to ensure there are guarantees for any deal that is in place, because the surest risk, that will be conflict is if Putin thinks that he can breach any deal that may be arrived at.”

SNP MP Chris Law says the US is no longer our ally.

Keir Starmer ignores this but he has said repeatedly in answers to other questions that he rejects this view.

Keir Starmer told the Commons: “we need to do everything we can to ensure that the US, Europe and Ukraine are working together on lasting peace, and I am doing everything I can to play my part in that, in regular contact with all of the key players at the moment, including talking to President Zelensky yesterday afternoon.”

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said during Prime Minister’s Questions: “Divisions between Ukraine and the US only serve Vladimir Putin.

“President Zelensky is right to try and rebuild his relationship with President Trump. He is keeping a cool head under very difficult circumstances and I was glad to see President Trump receive his letter positively.

“What is the Prime Minister doing to help rebuild their relationship after a challenging week?”

Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to British soldiers as he opened Prime Minister’s Questions, telling the Commons “we will never forget their bravery and their sacrifice”.

The Prime Minister said: “Tomorrow marks 13 years since six young British soldiers were on patrol in Afghanistan when their vehicle was struck by an explosive tragically killing them all.”

He added: “These men fought and died for their country, our country. And across the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, 642 individuals died fighting for Britain alongside our allies, many more were wounded.

“We will never forget their bravery and their sacrifice, and I know the whole House will join me in remembering them and all those who serve our country.”

Keir Starmer says he is focused on achieving ‘a lasting peace in Ukraine’.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey asks him whether Donald Trump is a reliable ally.

He asks if the UK will ask for “an urgent extradition” of the Tate brothers, who Sir Ed says should stand trial in the UK.

Keir Starmer says this is “a live case” and he cannot say much.

After largely supporting the Government in questions about Ukraine and Trump, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch asks a more hostile question about inheritance tax imposed on farmers.

Keir Starmer responds: “She was doing so well.”

Starmer says the UK has begun talks with the US about a trade deal designed to ensure tariffs are not imposed on the UK.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch says recent global events, and the economic situation, means people in the UK are “worried”

Kemi Badenoch asks if it is true the US has “instructed” Britain to stop sharing intelligence with Ukraine.

She says the US is the UK’s greatest ally.

Keir Starmer says the UK “must not choose” between the US and Europe, and we need to be allies to both.

The PM pays tribute to UK soldiers who died in Afghanistan.

“These men fought and died for their country, our country”

He says British soldiers died “fighting for Britain alongside their allies”.

Perhaps he was always planning to do this – who knows? But it certainly sounded like a rebuke to US Vice president JD Vance.

One issue the Prime Minister is likely to be asked about is the Royal Navy warship shadowing a Russian task group as it sailed through the English Channel and the North Sea.

HMS Somerset kept watch over the Russian corvette Boikiy for three days as it escorted merchant vessel Baltic Leader on its voyage from Syria.

The cargo ship was transporting military hardware from the Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria, with crew on the accompanying warship seen burning papers and manning the ship’s machine guns.

A Royal Navy spokesman said: “The British Type 23 frigate utilised its powerful sensors and radars to report on Russian movements, launching her Merlin helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron to gather valuable information from the sky.”

The Prime Minister has left No10 Downing Street for the Commons ahead of his midday clash with Kemi Badenoch

UK Defence Secretary John Healey is set to meet his US counterpart Pete Hegseth on Thursday.

The Defence Secretary’s trip was agreed last week after Sir Keir Starmer announced an increase in the UK’s defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, and comes just days after the US halted military aid to Kyiv.

Diplomatic efforts had continued on Tuesday, with the Prime Minister speaking once again to the Ukrainian leader.

In their call, Sir Keir pushed the idea that it is vital for “all parties” to work towards peace.

It came after a further call with the US president on Monday.

Sir Keir Starmer will be at the first PMQs since his trip to Washington last week to meet Donald Trump.

It is the first weekly clash since the US President clashed with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a fiery row at the Oval Office.

Kemi Badenoch’s defence of JD Vance’s “random country” insult could come up at PMQs from midday.

The Tory leader said the vice-president did not call Britain a “random country”.

“A lot of people are getting carried away. They’re saying loads of things and getting quite animated. Let’s keep cool heads,” she said.

But even Reform UK leader Nigel Farage had said Mr Vance was “wrong, wrong, wrong”, adding that the UK “stood by America” for 20 years in Afghanistan.

It came after Mr Vance said a US stake in Ukraine’s economy was a “better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years”.