Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk arrived limping slightly after a recent operation, and Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte was also welcomed at Lancaster House.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned Sir Keir Starmer the West must “avoid the risk” of dividing during a visit to Downing Street on Sunday.

Sir Keir welcomed Ms Meloni for a bilateral meeting ahead of a summit of political leaders in London focused on Ukraine and wider European security.

Speaking in Downing Street, Ms Meloni said that in a “precious moment” it is “very important to talk to each other, to co-ordinate”.

She told Sir Keir: “We are all very committed about a goal that we all want to achieve, which is a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and I think it is very, very important that we avoid the risk that the West divides.

“And I think on this the UK and Italy can play an important role in bridge-building, let’s say. You know I have been also proposing a meeting between US and European leaders… if we divide ourselves that will make us all weaker.”

Sir Keir, who welcomed Ms Meloni on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street prior to the summit, said he was looking forward “to having the opportunity” to talk “about the important issues because I think we approach them with a very similar mindset”.

Sir Keir Starmer has arrived for crunch talks on the war in Ukraine with political leaders.

The Prime Minister will welcome leaders from across Europe and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Lancaster House in London.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be among those in attendance at the summit before he heads off to meet the King.

He travelled to the UK on Saturday after his Oval Office blowout with Donald Trump which has created a divide between the US and its European Nato partners.

French President Emmanuel Macron was pictured arriving at the summit around lunchtime on Sunday.

He was embraced by the Prime Minister before heading inside.

Sir Keir said earlier on Sunday that the UK will work with France “and possibly one or two others” on a peace plan for Ukraine that will be discussed with the US.

He told the BBC‘s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: “My driving purpose has been to to bridge this, if you like, and get us back to the central focus.

“And as a result of the meeting yesterday, we had quite a long time with President Zelensky, then President Macron and President Trump on the phone.

“We’ve now agreed that the United Kingdom, along with France and possibly one or two others, will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, and then we’ll discuss that plan with the United States.”

American comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) has recreated the White House clash between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in a skit featuring Canadian actor and comedian Mike Myers.

The US president and his Ukrainian counterpart met in the Oval Office on Friday where a series of testy remarks between the two leaders prevented the two nations from signing a minerals deal.

Austin Powers star Myers, 61, made a cameo on the US comedy show as billionaire and close Trump ally Elon Musk, who now runs a non-governmental agency called the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).

The skit begins with a voiceover that says: “Yesterday, president Trump hosted Ukrainian president Zelensky at the White House, and it went really, really well. The world is now a safer place.”

James Austin Johnson’s Trump welcomes Zelensky, played by Mikey Day, “to this incredible trap” before introducing US vice president JD Vance, played by Bowen Yang, and US secretary of state Marco Rubio (Marcello Hernandez).

Vance tells the Ukrainian president: “You haven’t said thank you to us once the past 15 seconds I’ve been yelling at you.”

During the White House meeting Mr Vance said to Mr Zelensky: “Have you said thank you once this entire meeting?”.

He then asked him to “offer some words of appreciation for the Unites States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country”.

Later in the skit, Myers, dressed as Musk, enters with a chainsaw and says: “Donald what are you doing in my office? You know I’m the president now, right? I’m kidding, I’m kidding, maybe not.

“Awesome, Awesome, Awesome. You’ve got to make a joke, you know.

“Legalise comedy, legalise comedy, come on legalise it!”, he shouts.

Mr Zelensky left the White House early, putting on hold plans for he and Mr Trump to sign a deal granting the US access to rare minerals in exchange for further military aid.

Mr Trump claimed Mr Zelensky was “gambling with World War Three” in the diplomatic blowout broadcast around the world.

On Saturday, Sir Keir Starmer met with Mr Zelensky and told him he had “full backing across the United Kingdom” and that Britain stands with Ukraine “for as long as it may take”.

European leaders will join Sir Keir and Mr Zelensky in London on Sunday for a defence summit.

The UK “shouldn’t be talking” of giving Donald Trump another state visit in light of the “unacceptable” scenes in the Oval Office, John Swinney has said.

Scotland’s First Minister also said there needs to be an “honest debate” about taxation in light of the increase to defence spending.

He has called on the offer of a state visit to the UK to be rescinded unless the US president gives “full scale” backing to Ukraine.

His comments come as European leaders discuss the way forward following the angry clash between Mr Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House, which was broadcast around the world.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer warmly embraced and shook hands with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as she arrived at 10 Downing Street ahead of a European leader’s summit.

European leaders descend upon London today for talks to “drive forward” action on Ukraine, according to the office of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The summit caps off a week of intense diplomacy for host mr Starmer, who met with President Donald Trump on Thursday in an effort to draw together the European and US approaches to the Ukraine conflict

Members of the Household Cavalry band march past Buckingham Palace and close to Lancaster House where Prime Minister Keir Starmer will chair a Ukraine Summit with leaders from Europe and Canada.

Veteran BBC world news journalist John Simpson posted on X that figures in the Kremlin semed pleased how President Zelensky’s meeting with Donald Trump

He wrote: “Putin’s supporters are cock-a-hoop about the Oval Office clash with Zelenskiy.”

Mr Simpson continued, sharing a quote: “‘How Trump and Vance stopped themselves from hitting that scumbag is a miracle of restraint’, writes the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he trusts both Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump.

Asked if he trusted the country leaders, he responded “yes, I do” to both questions when speaking to BBC‘s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.

Pressed on why he trusts the US President, he said: “Because I’ve spoken to him a number of times. I’ve got to know him. I’ve had extensive discussions with him and I believe his motivation is lasting peace.”

He added: “If the central question you’re putting to me is do I trust Donald Trump when he says he wants lasting peace? The answer to that question is yes.

“But, also, take a step back, the relationship between the US and the UK is the closest relationship of any two countries in the world, our defence, our security, our intelligence, are bound up one with another in a way that is not seen anywhere else in the world.”

Asked if he would trust Vladimir Putin, he said: “Well, no, I wouldn’t trust Putin, which is why I want a security guarantee.

“I wouldn’t trust him not to come again, because he’s proven that he will come again. He’s already done it and we know what his ambitions are.”

Europe is hopelessly out-gunned by Russia when it comes to nuclear missiles, a leading academic has warned – with the continent needing 1,000 more warheads to deter Vladimir Putin.

German political scientist Maximilian Terhalle warned European leaders need to invest in more than 1,000 nukes to match more than 1,500 currently held by the Kremlin.

The stark warning from Mr Terhalle, a visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, comes as heads of state from the continent and Canada meet for a summit in London today to discuss further support for Ukraine against Russia‘s invasion.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Britain, France and Ukraine have agreed to work on a ceasefire plan to present to the United States.

Mr Starmer said the plan emerged after talks among the four countries’ leaders following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Oval Office blowout with US President Donald Trump.

The Prime Minister told the BBC he believes the president wants a durable peace in Ukraine. He repeated his assertion that American security guarantees will be needed to make it stick.

Sir Keir Starmer said he is “working hard” to bring about three components of a lasting peace in Ukraine.

The Prime Minister told the BBC‘s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “What I am clear about is that if there is to be a deal, if there is to be a stopping of the fighting, then that agreement has to be defended, because the worst of all outcomes is that there is a temporary pause and then Putin comes again.

“That has happened in the past, I think it is a real risk, and that is why we must ensure that if there’s a deal it is a lasting deal, not a temporary pause.”

A security guarantee from the Americans is the subject of “intense” discussion, Sir Keir said.

He added: “For me, the components of a lasting peace are a strong Ukraine to fight on, if necessary, to be in a position of strength; to negotiate a European element to security guarantees, and that’s why I’ve been forward-leaning on this about what we would do; and a US backstop.

“That’s the package, all three parts need to be in place, and that’s what I’m working hard to bring together.”

Sir Keir Starmer said the clash in the Oval Office made him feel “uncomfortable” but he decided to “roll up my sleeves” rather than “ramp up the rhetoric” in response.

“Yes, I felt uncomfortable. Nobody wants to see that,” he told the BBC‘s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

The Prime Minister added: “The important thing is how to react to that. There are a number of different routes people could go down. One is to ramp up the rhetoric as to how outraged we all are or not.

“The other is to do what I did, which is roll up my sleeves, pick up the phone, talk to President Trump, talk to President Zelensky, then invite President Zelensky for an extensive meeting yesterday, a warm welcome, and then further pick up the phone to President Macron and President Trump afterwards.

“Because my reaction was we have to bridge this. We have to find a way that we can all work together. Because, in the end, we’ve had three years of bloody conflict. Now we need to get to that lasting peace.”

Of Donald Trump, the Prime Minister added: “I am clear in my mind that he does want a lasting peace.”

The UK will continue to be an “honest broker” if the US should stop aid to Ukraine, a minister has said.

News reports from the US have suggested Donald Trump is minded to halt support following his Oval Office clash with Volodymyr Zelensky.

Asked what the UK would do in such a situation, Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told Sky News: “We will continue to be an honest broker and bring the different parties together, but we will also continue to make the case that peace is made from a position of strength, not a position of weakness.

“So, it remains critical to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position.”

Asked if Britain could still trust the Americans, he replied: “Yes, I do believe we can trust the Americans.”

He later added “very significant diplomatic work” was now going on to repair ties between Kyiv, Europe and Washington.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is likely to be one of the first leaders to meet Sir Keir Starmer his morning at Downing Street.

European leaders will then gather to meet President Zelensky, with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau all expected.

Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and Council President Antonio Costa have also received invites.

Other leaders set to arrive will be the heads of Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Romania.

The foreign minister from Turkey will also be present.

The Liberal Democrats have called for Sir Keir Starmer to restore the size of the British Army to 82,000 troops, in step with the commitment to boost defence spending by 2027.

It comes as fears mount American military support in Europe could be withdrawn.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch warned in a Telegraph newspaper article that America’s commitment to Europe “cannot now be taken for granted”, after urging Sir Keir to push for “concrete” pledges during the summit.

European leaders will gather in London on Sunday to forge a common position on ending the war in Ukraine, before the country’s premier heads off to meet the King.

While Donald Trump‘s America is the driving force behind brokering a peace with Russia, Sir Keir Starmer wants Europe to be ready to lead peacekeeping efforts should a deal be struck.

At Lancaster House, a mansion near Buckingham Palace, the Prime Minister is expected to urge the 18 countries in attendance to follow the UK in answering the US’s calls to boost defence spending.

Sir Keir pledged this week to raise the UK’s defence spending to 2.5% of its economic output by 2027.

The summit comes after several days in which the foundations of the transatlantic Nato alliance have been shaken.

A clash between Mr Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office was broadcast around the world on Friday, in which the US President claimed his counterpart was “gambling with world war three”.

It resulted in Ukraine‘s president being kicked out of the White House, and a deal to exchange mineral rights for further US military support was placed on ice.

Reports in the US media suggested Mr Trump was even considering halting all aid to Kyiv after the meeting, in which he and his vice president, JD Vance, engaged in heated exchanges with Mr Zelensky.

European leaders soon rallied in a show of solidarity with Ukraine, while Sir Keir tried to keep the peace and spoke to both presidents over the phone.

The Prime Minister then welcomed Mr Zelensky to Downing Street on Saturday, in a meeting described as “meaningful and warm” by the Ukrainian leader.

The two men embraced as they met, and again later as they parted, and Sir Keir took the unusual step of walking Mr Zelensky to his car, instead of waving him goodbye from the front step of No 10.

Ahead of Sunday’s gathering, Chancellor Rachel Reeves meanwhile signed a loan agreement worth £2.26 billion with her Ukrainian counterpart, to pay for further military support and the rebuilding of Ukraine in future.

The UK hopes to recoup the costs from frozen Russian assets locked in bank accounts across Europe.

Mr Zelensky is expected to meet the King at his Sandringham estate in Norfolk on Sunday, after attending the summit.

The embattled Ukrainian leader meets Charles days after Mr Trump was offered an unprecedented second state visit to the UK as part of a charm offensive aimed at winning the US president’s support.

Sir Keir spoke to Mr Trump on Sunday, for the second evening in a row, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron, as he seeks to be a bridge across the Atlantic and smooth out the ongoing division between Western allies.

Red Cross volunteers and emergency workers attended a burning house hit by a Russian drone strike on a residential neighborhood in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.

During President Zelensky’s explosive meeting at the White House this week, US President Donald Trump claimed the Ukrainian leader was “gambling with World War III”.

But in an interview with Portuguese television this weekend, the French President said “if anyone is playing World War III, it’s Vladimir Putin” and not Mr Zelensky.

The French leader added: “If there is a single person, who we have all heard threatening us with nuclear weapons, who is playing at World War III, we should not look for him in kyiv. We should rather look in Moscow,” he told the Portuguese channels RTP1 and RTP3 on Friday.

Writing on the X platform, Mr Zelensky said: “London. A meaningful and warm meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

“During our talks, we discussed the challenges facing Ukraine and all of Europe, coordination with partners, concrete steps to strengthen Ukraine’s position, and ending the war with a just peace, along with robust security guarantees.

“A principled statement of support from the Prime Minister and an important decision: today, in our presence, Ukraine and the United Kingdom signed a Loan Agreement.

“This loan will enhance Ukraine’s defence capabilities and will be repaid using revenues from frozen Russian assets. The funds will be directed toward weapons production in Ukraine. This is true justice – the one who started the war must be the one to pay.

“I thank the people and government of the United Kingdom for their tremendous support from the very beginning of this war. We are happy to have such strategic partners and to share the same vision of what a secure future should look like for all.”

World leaders are expected to descend on London today for a summit to discuss the future of support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.

– Sir Keir Starmer will host leaders from Europe, as well as the Canadian Prime Minister, to map out support for Ukraine.

– King Charles is set to welcome President Zelensky to Sandringham for a private meeting.

– Last night the PM, the Chancellor and Mr Zelensky agreed a £2.26 billion loan from the UK which will be repaid using frozen Russian assets. Mr Zelensky said the loan was “true justice – the one who started the war must be the one to pay”.

His Majesty King Charles III is expected to meet the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today ahead of a summit of world leaders in London to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine.

The Monarch will be meeting Mr Zelensky after the Ukrainian leader returned from an explosive trip to Washington which saw a potentialy minerals deal called off by US President Donald Trump.

Billionaire Elon Musk shared a post by a user on his X platform suggesting the United States should leave the United Nations and NATO.

Reposting the comment onto his timeline, Mr Musk wrote: “I agree”.