Mr Zelenskyy arrived in Washington on Thursday, and is hoping to persuade his American counterpart to allow his forces use of long-range Tomahawk missiles - which could feasibly reach Moscow.

The Kremlin has been warning against such a move, and Mr Zelenskyy suggested Mr Putin was "rushing to resume dialogue" because of the possibility after a surprise call with Mr Trump.

Read more:
Has missile threat brought Putin back to table?

Another Trump-Putin summit will take place in Hungary, Mr Trump revealed after his call with the Russian yesterday, though he did not confirm a date.

It would be the first known trip to an EU country by Mr Putin since the war began in February 2022.

Unlike most of the bloc, Budapest - under Viktor Orban - has maintained cordial ties with Moscow and questioned support for Kyiv.

The last Trump-Putin meeting, in August for a peace summit in Alaska, came and went without any sign of a ceasefire, with Russian bombardments of Ukraine continuing.

Mr Trump has appeared increasingly irritated with Russia in recent weeks, and has even gone so far as to propose Ukraine could take back all the land it has lost.

Even so, he described his latest call with Mr Putin - apparently made at Moscow's request - as "extremely frank and trustful" and "very productive".

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead a US delegation for talks with Russian officials next week.

Read more:
Putin's outreach seeks to temper support for Ukraine

Trump hopeful of another peace deal

Sky News US correspondent David Blevins said Mr Trump was looking to use the momentum from brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza to accelerate his efforts regarding Ukraine.

Before coming to office, he repeatedly claimed he'd be able to end the war in a day.

Speaking to reporters after his call with Mr Putin, he said: "My whole life, I've made deals.

"I think we're hopefully going to have this one done, hopefully soon."

Putin 'trying to derail momentum'

Mr Zelenskyy and his European allies, including Britain's Sir Keir Starmer, have repeatedly warned Mr Putin is not serious about peace.

The Ukrainian leader will worry that the prospect of another Trump-Putin summit will mean he leaves Washington without the Tomahawk commitment he was hoping for.

Mr Trump hinted as much late on Thursday, saying: "We have a lot of them, but we need them. I mean, we can't deplete our country."

Former US state department official Dan Fried said the Russian president was again "trying to derail the momentum toward greater pressure on Russia".

Mr Trump already appears to be looking forward to potential trade deals he could strike with Russia after the war, saying the two leaders "spent a great deal of time" talking about it during their latest call.

He also said Mr Putin had congratulated him on brokering the Israel-Hamas deal, and praised his wife, Melania, for efforts she's made to reunite displaced Ukrainian children with their families.

Why are Trump and Putin meeting in Budapest?

According to the Kremlin, Mr Trump suggested Budapest as the location for face-to-face talks with Mr Putin, who immediately agreed to the plan.

Hungarian Prime Minister Mr Orban, a critic of EU sanctions on Moscow, welcomed the news enthusiastically, calling Hungary an "island of peace" and confirming preparations after speaking with Mr Trump.

Budapest was among the shortlisted sites for the last summit between Mr Trump and Mr Putin in Alaska.

It also holds historical significance. In 1994, Ukraine surrendered the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal in exchange for security guarantees through the Budapest Memorandum.

Signed by Russia, the US, and the UK, the agreement promised to protect Ukraine's sovereignty. It was ultimately broken when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion in 2022.

What happened in Alaska?

Mr Trump met Mr Putin on US soil on 15 August for a summit which the US leader hoped would help convince the Russian president to enter peace talks to end the Ukraine war.

There were hopes after the call that a trilateral summit could be scheduled that would include Mr Zelenskyy.

Mr Putin spoke to Mr Trump again days after the summit when European leaders, including Mr Zelenskyy, were at the White House.

There's been no public confirmation from the White House or the Kremlin that any communication has taken place between the two since then, in which time Mr Trump has taken a tougher line towards Moscow.

Initiating a phone call with Donald Trump on the eve of Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to the White House was no coincidence.

The Kremlin is acutely aware of the American president's apparent shift in sympathy towards Ukraine, and it's fearful that it could translate into Kyiv being given permission to use US Tomahawk missiles.

This was a clear attempt to stave off the weapons - which Moscow regards as a dangerous escalation - and bring Donald Trump back around to Russia's way of thinking.

Judging by the White House readout of Thursday's call, Vladimir Putin appears to have had some success.

Instead of threats and castigation, Trump's rhetoric towards Russia is once again warm and fuzzy.

He described the call as "very productive," claimed the leaders made "great progress," and - crucially - we're told there'll be another summit.

But does that really count as progress? After the distinct lack of progress that followed Alaska, I expect Ukraine and its European allies will doubt whether Budapest will be any different.

What happens next?

There is a chance that Trump could still give Zelenskyy what he wants in terms of firepower at their meeting today, but I doubt it. If he does, Putin would be forced to respond, and Budapest would be bust.

The call, and its outcome, follows a similar pattern.

Just as Trump seems poised to throw his support behind Ukraine and apply pressure on Russia, in a manner that's more than merely verbal, Putin somehow manages to talk him down and buy more time, despite showing no sign of compromise or making any concrete concessions.

There was the demand back in March for a 30-day truce, which Putin countered by offering a ceasefire on strikes targeting energy infrastructure only.

In May, Trump tried again, but this time with the threat of joining Europe and imposing massive sanctions. Putin's response - direct talks with Ukraine.

And don't forget Trump's 50-day, then 12-day, deadline in the summer for Russia to end the war or face economic fury. That's what triggered the Alaska summit.

This feels like history is repeating itself.

How does Putin do it? His tactic seems to be the same each time - offer Trump something he can present as a breakthrough, and serve it with lashings of bald-faced flattery.

In this case, he congratulated Trump on his "great accomplishment" of the Gaza ceasefire; he thanked the first lady for her intervention on Ukraine's missing children; and he agreed to (or perhaps proposed) another face-to-face photo-op.

Back on EU soil with a smile

If Budapest happens, Trump will get what he wants - a TV moment to serve as the latest illustration of his peace-making presidency.

But perhaps the bigger prize will be Putin's, who'll be welcomed on to EU soil for the first time since the war began, despite Europe's ongoing sanctions on Russia.

You can already see his smile.

No, this isn't the controversial "mandatory" right to work checks announced recently - more on that later - but it is part of the same programme for pretty much all forms of government identification to be accessible on your phone by the end of 2027.

This will mean passports, driving licences, national insurance cards and many more being virtual instead of - or as well as - being stashed in a shoebox or under socks in a drawer.

At an event at the Tower of London - chosen for its millennia-old juxtaposition with the digital revolution - Beefeaters showed off their shiny new cards and joked of using it to get discounted food.

There was an occasional tech hiccup here and there with getting the cards downloaded, mostly due to dodgy internet, it seemed, but in general it was all smiles.

The minister in charge of the rollout, Ian Murray MP, crowed of the benefits of having documents on your phone and how it will make life easier.

"We all use our smartphones for everyday life," he explained.

"So it's about making the relationship with the citizen easier and making their access to government services easier."

Mr Murray said he is looking forward to the end of "having to continuously fill out my name, my address, my telephone number" and instead just scanning his phone.

How will it work?

Having all government documents accessible in an Apple or Google Wallet-style app is the end goal, and the solution is being built on similar secure technology that underpins storing payment cards on your phone.

The work is being done in house by Government Digital Service, part of the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, that houses the digitisation expertise in Whitehall.

Any mention of digitisation of the personal information raises questions around security, but the government insists its solution is safe with a "federated" approach.

To use the example of a veteran's ID, this would mean that the original data of who is a veteran, where they served, and all other relevant information would remain with the Ministry of Defence.

Once the sign-in and verification with this data has been completed on a phone, this can then be used to prove someone is a veteran, and easily give them access to housing, mental health support, shopping discounts, museum entry and other benefits, the government says.

What about other forms of ID?

For driving licences, the data would stay with DVLA, passports with the passport office, and national insurance with the Department for Work and Pensions.

Those who have worked on the creation of the software say this stops the creation of a single vault of everyone's personal data in one place.

In order to get the card on your phone, you would need to use the phone's security - such as a face scan, fingerprint, or pin code.

There is even talk that technology like contactless could be used with the government's version of the wallet to tap and verify things like age in an off-licence.

The hope from government is that it can speed up tedious paper-based interactions, like house buying, passport control, and the right to work.

It is here where the sticking point on this policy plan becomes apparent.

Papers, please?

Announcing "mandatory" digital ID last month, the prime minister made it clear this was about cracking down on immigration.

Straightaway, concerns were raised about why a compulsory digital ID was needed, who would check it, and what for.

Polling showed - especially among Tory and Reform voters - an opposition to this policy, when it is these people the immigration battle is being fought over.

Tory MP and a stalwart opponent of government overreach David Davis said: "Digital ID gives the state the unchecked power to digitally strip citizens naked."

He added: "Starmer's scheme will be even more risky as ransomware criminals, foreign states and other hackers will attack the strategic weak points in the OneLogin architecture."

Read more:
Do we need digital IDs?
The countries where digital ID already exists

If the government believes digitising identification is so beneficial, and such a win-win, why does it want to force people to use it rather than see the benefits and choose to use it?

Mr Murray said the right to work ID will be mandatory as "it's mandatory already to be able to prove that you can work in the UK".

He insists it will make the process for employees easier, and also make it easier for the Home Office to see which employers are not making checks - no more photocopying passports and scanning old phone bills.

The government is adamant this is the only mandatory use case, with the suggestion even that the digital ID could be deleted once employment is confirmed.

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But the flip side is that once this can of worms is opened, this or a future government could change tack and would have the digital infrastructure to do what it wants.

But Mr Murray said: "The principle here is to make the state and the citizen's relationship much easier - and the power of the data in the hands of the citizen."

Steve Marston was convicted in 1998 of stealing nearly £80,000 from his branch, based on faulty computer software called Capture that pre-dated the infamous Horizon scandal.

His case has been with the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) for nearly a year, but has still not been referred to the Court of Appeal.

'Sleeping isn't easy'

Mr Marston, who turns 70 in February, told Sky News: "This waiting is just unbearable… the chances of us all (the victims) being there at the endgame are, well, I'd say quite slim to be honest."

"The last thing I want to do is to not be here when it's sorted out," he said.

"I'm praying mine gets sorted while I'm still here to enjoy the benefit of it.

"You never know what's going to happen tomorrow."

He describes waiting for the CCRC to make a decision on his case as "soul destroying".

"Every day you're thinking about it, talking about it," he said.

"You've always got a permanent knot in the stomach. Sleeping isn't exactly easy."

The CCRC announced in July that the case of the late Pat Owen, a sub-postmistress convicted in 1998, would be referred to the Court of Appeal.

On Thursday, her case was formally sent to the court - three months after the decision was made to refer.

'Special resolution needed'

It comes after a Sky News investigation discovered a long-lost damning report relating to the Owen case, which proved Post Office lawyers knew about Capture errors.

The victims' lawyer, Neil Hudgell, says there is "no end in sight" for Post Office Capture victims convicted three decades ago, as timelines at the CCRC "keep getting shifted backwards".

He wants to see a "special resolution" for Capture cases to "shorten the process".

"I think these cases need to be dealt with in exceptional circumstances," he said.

"You've a cohort of very elderly people who have had a conviction hanging over them for the best part of three decades now and those circumstances are such that I think that they need a special resolution to them."

Mr Hudgell believes extending the government's mass exoneration legislation - which currently applies only to Horizon victims - could offer a faster solution.

"You're talking about a fraction of the number of people," he said. "It would be an expeditious fix. But it needs political will."

Read more from Sky News:
Minister pushed on Horizon
Scandal compensation shake-up
Post Office overhaul plans

Chair of the CCRC Dame Vera Baird, who has been tasked with carrying out a "thorough review" of the organisation, told Sky News that Capture cases are being given "what priority we can give them".

She described the main issue with cases as the fact that for most there is a "real dearth of information" with paperwork evidence not available.

Dame Vera added that staff members, however, will "dig and dig and dig to find what we can".

A special group of case review managers has also been set up to deal with Capture cases with "experienced commissioners ready to go when cases come through."

Dame Vera said the CCRC more broadly is "pretty short-staffed" and workers have cases of "about 30 or more", but they are recruiting.

She also told Sky News the CCRC had put in a special request to "accelerate" the Owen case through the Court of Appeal.

"Once we've referred," she said, "we do ask, where there is somebody who's not very well perhaps or somebody who is older, we try to accelerate it and the Court of Appeals is good they will accelerate it on our request almost always."

A Post Office spokesperson said: "We continue to fully co-operate with the CCRC by supplying documents and information, where this is available, that has been requested in relation to pre-Horizon convictions.

"Whilst we can't comment on individual cases, we continue to support the CCRC in dealing with pre-Horizon convictions."

West Midlands Police decided that stopping Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from going to their team's Europa League match against Aston Villa next month was the best way of dealing with fears of unrest and potential protests.

The force did reference concerns around "hate crime offences", but implied the Israeli fans could be responsible for those too.

Officers have partly cited the fact Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were caught up in clashes involving pro-Palestinian protesters when attending a game against Ajax last year.

And in response to follow-up questions, they've stood by this call "based on current intelligence and previous incidents" - even after Sir Keir Starmer called it the "wrong decision".

"We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets," he said.

It was a strong prime ministerial rebuke to the police, telling them all fans should be able to enjoy the match without fearing "violence or intimidation".

The Jewish Leadership Council, which works to protect British Jews, and the Campaign Against Antisemitism also criticised the move.

Read more from Sky News:
Antisemitism a 'stain' on Britain - report

The swift intervention from the PM came amid a brewing diplomatic row, after the Israeli government called for the police's decision to be reversed.

European football's governing body, UEFA, had backed away from a vote on kicking Israeli teams out of its competitions as the Gaza peace plan took shape last week - and the Trump administration told Sky News it would work to fight any suspension.

This ban on fans going to Villa Park, overseen by a Labour-run council, implies Birmingham has become unsafe for Israelis and authorities cannot protect them coming to a football match.

If that's the case, could Birmingham - which wants to host matches at the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup - hold a major international sports event again?