Ahead of a meeting with President Trump, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine noted that Russia’s 2014 seizure of Ukrainian land became “a springboard for a new attack.”

In a message on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said President Zelensky “can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight”. He said there would be “no going into Nato by Ukraine” – keeping its neighbour out of the alliance and its mutual defence pact has been one of Russia’s key aims.