In a major escalation in the was in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia’s nuclear forces be put on “high alert”.

The Russian President says NATO leaders are making “aggressive and hostile statements”.

In response, the European Union has announced it will close its airspace to Russian airlines and send lethal weapons to Ukraine.

Ukraine and Russia will hold peace talks on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border.

The two sides will meet at an unspecified place and time for negotiations, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he doesn’t expect them to succeed.

It comes after the Ukrainian President rejected talks inside Belarus.

Press PLAY below to hear how the US has reacted to Russia putting nuclear forces on standby

Ukrainian journalist ‘quite optimistic’ as Russian forces advance

Image: Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images