There has been a fierce backlash to the request from privacy campaigners and US politicians.

Apple is scrapping its most advanced security encryption feature for cloud data in Britain, the company said on Friday, an unprecedented response to government demands for access to user data.

Law enforcement in the country was pressuring the company to create a tool that would act like a back door into customers’ data.

Plans for the UK and other European countries to send troops to Ukraine are in their very early stages. But the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, will already be thinking about how such a move could play out at home. Sending UK troops abroad, even on a “peacekeeping” mission, always has the potential to spark huge public debate.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that any British plan to send troops to Ukraine as part of a potential peacekeeping mission would be unacceptable for Russia and that it was monitoring statements by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer with concern.

In the shadow of imminent defeat, European powers have unveiled their most audacious military initiative since the end of World War II. As Russia tightens its grip on Ukraine, Britain and France are preparing to cross a line that could potentially reshape the continent's security landscape forever.