Vladimir Putin has signed off increasing Russia's military spending by 25% - to 32.5% of the total budget - the equivalent of £99.5bn. Meanwhile the new EU Council president Antonio Costa and high representative for foreign affairs Kaja Kallas are visiting Ukraine on their first day.

In further remarks to Sky News, the UK’s former representative to Nato, Sir Adam Thomson, said that Mr Zelensky appeared to be preparing domestic audiences for compromises, while “making opening moves” in a likely extended negotiation with Mr Trump over which line to take with the Kremlin.

Immediate NATO protection of Ukrainian-held territory is needed ‘very much otherwise [Russian President Vladimir Putin] will come back’, he said. President-elect Trump is reported to prefer that Ukraine surrender Russian-occupied territory in order to end the war and secure NATO membership.