Sky News delivered an urgent update following the recent tensions between the United States and Ukraine. Darren McCaffrey paused the programme to reveal that Volodymyr Zelensky is hoping for a truce with Vladimir Putin as he plans to meet again with US representatives.

The Ukranian president’s comments come after his recent showdown with Donald Trump which led to a shouting match in the Oval Office last week.

McCaffrey said: “Just some more breaking news regarding Ukraine. President Zelensky, of course, is in Brussels today. We’re just hearing from him that he hopes the United States and Ukraine will have a meaningful meeting next week.

“He also says that Europe becomes a place that is the most effective place where weapons are produced. He’s currently at a meeting where EU leaders are talking about ramping up defence and expenditure.

“[Zelensky] is saying that rearming Europe – that plan is the right initiative but also says that he wants peace but not at the cost of giving up Ukraine.”

The broadcaster continued: “He’s also saying a truce in air and sea can prove that Russia accepts the need to end the war.

“He’s hoping there will be a meeting between Ukraine and the United States at some point next week while talking about a truce with Russia. But Russia would have to accept.”

His statements come as the Ukrainian leader tries to repair relations with Donald Trump after the US cut off weapons deliveries and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv after a disastrous meeting in the Oval Office last week.

Mr Zelensky this week said he will return to the negotiating table in a bid to win back US support and agreed to sign a long-contested US-Ukraine rare minerals deal.

Speaking at the EU defence summit, he added that Kyiv “wants peace, but not at the cost of giving up Ukraine”.

Zelensky also called on EU leaders in Brussels to support the idea of truce in the air and at sea towards achieving peace in Ukraine.

“Everyone needs to make sure that Russia, as the sole source of this war, accepts the need to end it. This can be proved by two forms of silence that are easy to establish and monitor, namely, no attacks on energy and other civilian infrastructure – truce for missiles, bombs, and long-range drones, and the second is truce on the water, meaning no military operations in the Black Sea,” he said.