Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been working with France and Ukraine ‘on a plan to stop the fighting’ with Russia, which they will then discuss with Donald Trump
In Full: Keir Starmer gives statement after Ukraine summit
Keir Starmer has agreed four “important steps” with European leaders to help secure peace and security in Ukraine after Donald Trump’s return to the White House accelerated talks.
The Prime Minister has been working with France and Ukraine on a “plan to stop the fighting” with Russia, which they will then present to and discuss with the US. But there is a risk President Mr Trump will not approve the plan – and ministers have warned that US backing is vital for a lasting and durable peace deal.
Mr Starmer hosted the Ukrainian President and 17 other leaders and representatives at an emergency summit at Lancaster House, a mansion near Buckingham Palace in London on Sunday. He said earlier that morning that his “driving purpose” was to act as a “bridge” between Volodymyr Zelensky and Mr Trump after their fiery bust-up in the Oval Office last week.
Speaking in a televised press conference at the summit, the PM unveiled plans to set up a “coalition of the willing” to defend Ukraine and to guarantee peace, backed with British “boots on the ground and planes in the air”. He said four steps had been agreed to ensure all nations step up “to their own share of the burden”.
Here’s a rundown of Mr Starmer’s four-point plan.
1. Point one: Military aid flowing
Mr Starmer’s first point of his four-point plan is a pledge to “keep the military aid flowing and keep increasing the economic pressure on Russia to strengthen Ukraine now”.
In a sign of this, Chancellor Rachel Reeves over the weekend signed off on a £2.26billion loan scheme to help Ukraine buy weapons and fund its reconstruction after the war, which will be repaid with the profits of frozen Russian assets. Mr Zelensky thanked the UK for the loan, writing on social media: “The funds will be directed toward weapons production in Ukraine. This is true justice – the one who started the war must be the one to pay.”
Mr Starmer also last week announced plans to increase defence spending to 2.5% of national income by 2027. The military boost will be funded by a cut to the foreign aid budget.
2. Point two: Ukraine must be at table
The PM’s second step of his plan is that “any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security and Ukraine must be at the table”.
Calls for Ukraine to be at the heart of peace talks were renewed after Mr Zelensky and Mr Trump’s heated clash in the Oval Office on Friday. Fears were first sparked over Ukraine being iced out of talks when the US President started to cosy up to Vladimir Putin.
Mr Starmer said leaders in France, Britain and Ukraine are drawing up a peace plan, which will be presented to Mr Trump. No plan has yet been hashed out but details of the tricky process have been trickling out to the media.
On Monday morning the UK downplayed reports from overnight that the French were proposing a one-month truce in Ukraine. Armed forces minister Luke Pollard warned a temporary pause in the fighting could give Russia time to regroup and attack again and said various options were on the table. He insisted no plan had been agreed after France ‘s president Emmanuel Macron said his country and Britain were backing the prospect of a limited ceasefire.
Meanwhile the UK ambassador to the US Lord Mandelson has been slapped down by a defence minister for suggesting that Ukraine should commit to a ceasefire before Russia. Lord Mandelson’s comments do not represent Government policy, Mr Pollard said.
3. Point three: Boost Ukraine’s defence
Mr Starmer’s third step is to “keep boosting Ukraine’s own defensive capabilities to deter any future invasion” in the event of a peace deal being reached.
The PM used his press conference on Sunday evening to announce that Ukraine will be given £1.6billion of UK export finance to buy 5,000 air defence missiles, which will be made in Belfast. He said the West is “at a crossroads in history today” and warned it is “not a moment for more talk, it is time to act”.
The lightweight-multirole missiles (LMM), which are capable of flying at 1.5 times the speed of sound and striking targets over 6km away, can be used to attack enemy vehicles, boats and drones. Mr Starmer: “This will be vital for protecting critical infrastructure now and strengthen Ukraine in securing the peace when it comes because we have to learn from the mistakes of the past.”
4. Point four: Coalition of the Willing
The PM’s final fourth point was a promise to develop a “’coalition of the willing’ to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee the peace”. Explaining this, he said: “Not every nation will feel able to contribute. But that can’t mean we sit back. Instead, those willing will intensify planning now – with real urgency.
“The UK is prepared to back this with boots on the ground, and planes in the air, together with others. Europe must do the heavy lifting but to support peace on our continent and to succeed, this effort must have strong US backing.”
Mr Starmer said “a number of countries” have indicated they want to be part of the plan and that he would let those nations make their own announcements on how they want to be involved. He said that countries outside Europe, such as Canada (which was present at the summit’s meeting), could be included in the coalition.
