President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a meaningful conversation with Donald Trump.

The pair spent an hour speaking on the phone, after Trump said he had spoken to Russian president Putin about beginning negotiations to end the war.

Zelensky said he and Trump discussed preparation of a document on security and economic cooperation between countries.

“We long talked about opportunities to achieve peace, discussed our readiness to work together at the team level, and Ukraine’s technological capabilities,” Zelensky said on X.

Zelensky said Trump also informed him about his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Nigel Farage has said it is “probably essential” for Ukraine to join Nato as part of the settlement of the ongoing war.

The Reform UK leader highlighted that he has long believed Nato and the EU’s eastward expansion was to blame for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He was criticised during the general election campaign for claiming the West “provoked” Russia into launching the deadly war.

But, without saying whether he would support Ukraine joining Nato or not, Mr Farage said: “I would have thought if we are going to get Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy into a place where we can have a reasonable negotiation, looking ahead it is probably essential that Ukraine joins Nato.

“That is going to need to be part of this negotiation.”

Pressed on whether he would support Ukraine joining, he added: “Am I supportive of a settlement that ends the war and ends any further encroachment into territories by Vladimir Putin? Absolutely.”

Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump have now spoken by phone.

Kyiv said the Ukrainian and US president spoke for around an hour on Wednesday evening.

After speaking with Russia’s Vladimir Putin earlier, Trump said he would be speaking with Zelensky on a separate call.

He and the Russian president discussed beginning negotiations to end the war in Ukraine immediately.

World leaders have responded to Trump’s phone call with Putin about beginning negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Spain’s foreign minister has said that nothing should be decided on Ukraine without Ukraine and Europe.

He told a meeting of foreign ministers in Paris that a war of aggression cannot be allowed to succeed.

Poland’s foreign minister said it would continue its support for Ukraine and reinforce sanctions before the potential talks.

As we’ve been reporting, the US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has called on European nations to step in relation to Ukraine.

The US president Donald Trump has also previously said the country leaders should up their defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP.

Spreaking at a press conference in Brussels, UK secretary for defence John Healey said: “It was a pleasure in his third full week in the job to welcome Secretary (Pete) Hegseth.

“He confirmed the US’s continued commitment to this group, to Ukraine’s pursuit of a lasting peace and the importance of security guarantees… we heard his call for European nations to step up. We are and we will.

“Nato allies pledged £40 billion euros in military aid for Ukraine in 2024 and then went on to deliver £50 billion. The majority, nearly 60 per cent of that aid to Ukraine last year came from European nations.

“And while at the same time, we did more on Ukraine and will do more, we did more on defence spending and will do more.”

Pete Hegseth told Nato defence ministers the US won’t support Nato membership for Ukraine – or most of its peace talk platform – leaving Zelensky little room to negotiate, writes World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley: