Keir Starmer held calls with Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump and other European leaders ahead of high stakes in-person talks between the US President and Vladimir Putin on Friday
Starmer: ‘Viable’ chance of Ukraine-Russia ceasefire, thanks to Trump
Keir Starmer has said there is a “viable” chance of reaching a ceasefire in the Ukraine war because of Donald Trump’s work.
The Prime Minister said Britain stands ready to “increase pressure” on Russia if necessary after holding virtual calls with the US President, Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders. The talks came ahead of high stakes in-person talks between Mr Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
Briefing the Coalition of the Willing after the calls, Mr Starmer said: “As I’ve said personally to President Trump, for three and a bit years this conflict has been going on and we haven’t got anywhere near the prospect of actually a viable solution, a viable way, of bringing it to a ceasefire. And now we do have that chance because of the work that the President has put in.” It comes after the Kremlin warned of nuclear war after unleashing another night of hell on Ukraine.
The PM also thanked the countries in the Coalition of the Willing who have contributed to military plans “which are now ready in a form, which can be used if we do get to that ceasefire”.
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After the talks, Mr Zelensky said Mr Trump supports providing security guarantees for Ukraine if there is a peace agreement. He said: “There should be security guarantees. President Trump said that he supports this and about America’s readiness to take part.”
Elsewhere, the wartime leader accused Putin of “bluffing” ahead of Russia-US talks. The Ukrainian President said the situation at the frontline on the battlefield was discussed during the calls, adding: “I told the US President and all our European allies that Putin is bluffing. He’s trying to push forward along the whole front. And Putin is also bluffing, saying he doesn’t care about the sanctions and that they’re not working. In reality, the sanctions are very effective and they’re hurting the Russian military economy.”
Downing Street said European leaders thanked President Trump “for his efforts in bringing Putin to the table in pursuit of a ceasefire to end to the ongoing bloodshed.” “The Prime Minister was clear that our support for Ukraine is unwavering – international borders must not be changed by force and Ukraine must have robust and credible security guarantees to defend its territorial integrity as part of any deal,” No10 said.
“Europe stands ready to support this and will continue to work alongside President Trump and President Zelenskyy for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, they added. They looked forward to speaking again following the meeting in Alaska on Friday.”
Participants of the call included the leaders of the United States, Ukraine, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland, NATO and the European Union. The calls took place ahead of the US President’s face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The Russian tyrant and Mr Trump are expected to discuss the future of the Kremlin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine at the high-stakes meeting on Friday.
Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has launched a major offensive on Ukraine’s eastern front – days before the Kremlin-US peace summit. There are fears that Putin will try to hoodwink Mr Trump into believing Ukraine does not want a peace deal – with concerns that a plan might be negotiated without Kyiv’s involvement.
President Zelensky, who joined German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin today for the virtual talks, earlier today said: “This war must be ended. Pressure must be exerted on Russia for the sake of a just peace. Ukraine’s and our partners’ experience must be used to prevent deception by Russia.
“At present, there is no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war. Our coordinated efforts and joint actions – of Ukraine, the United States, Europe, and all countries that seek peace – can definitely compel Russia to make peace. I thank everyone who is helping.”
Intelligence assessments yesterday revealed Russian troops had quickly swept north in a two pronged attack, unusually gaining almost seven miles. Their aim is to land-grab the entire industrial heartland of Ukraine’s Donetsk region so they can claim this in forthcoming negotiations.