Ukraine war briefing: Fears Trump will divert weapons to Middle East | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleIndependent ReportersThursday 26 March 2026 17:31 GMTTrump wants Kyiv to give up land in exchange for security guarantees, Zelensky saysDonald Trump suggested the US could divert weapons from Ukraine to the Middle East, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's plea for Europe not to let Vladimir Putin exploit the escalating Iranian crisis.Volodymyr Zelensky urged Europe to mobilise and not allow the Middle East conflict to divert attention from Ukraine, noting Russia has benefited from partially lifted US oil sanctions.The EU expressed concern that the US is pressuring Ukraine to cede territory to Russia in negotiations, a move EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described as a 'trap'.British prime minister Keir Starmer authorised the UK military to board and detain Russian ships suspected of circumventing sanctions, a decision welcomed by President Zelensky.NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that all NATO members met the 2% GDP defence spending target in 2025, with Europe and Canada increasing spending by 20%, and urged allies to aim for 5% by the next summit.In fullUkraine-Russia war latest: Trump says US could divert weapons from Kyiv to Middle EastThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in