British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated on Sunday that the UK, France, and Ukraine have agreed to develop a ceasefire plan to submit to the United States. This comes as he prepares to host a summit of European leaders to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
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03-04, 2025The summit has been overshadowed by U.S. President Donald Trump's harsh rebuke of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday. Trump accused Zelenskyy of expressing dissatisfaction with U.S. support in Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion.
But Starmer said he is focused on being a bridge to revive peace talks and using the opportunity of broken negotiations to re-engage with Trump, Zelenskyy, and French President Emmanuel Macron, rather than "escalating rhetoric." Starmer emphasized that maintaining peace and stability is the current priority.
"We've now agreed that the UK will work with France and possibly one or two other countries to put together a plan for stopping the fighting, and then we'll discuss that plan with the United States," Starmer told the BBC. Both Starmer and Macron have spoken with Trump since Friday. The meeting on Sunday is seen as an important step forward.
The London meeting carries greater significance in defending the war-torn ally and bolstering the continent's defenses. Sunday's summit may include talks about establishing a European military force and deploying it to Ukraine to support a ceasefire. Starmer indicated that this would involve "a coalition of the willing."
Starmer stated that he does not trust Russian President Vladimir Putin, but he does trust Trump. "Do I believe that when Donald Trump says he wants a lasting peace? The answer is yes," he said. Starmer indicated that "intense discussions" are underway to obtain security guarantees from the U.S. as one of three components of a lasting peace.
"If there's going to be an agreement, if there's going to be a cessation of fighting, then that agreement has to be defended, because the worst of all outcomes is a temporary pause and then Putin comes again," Starmer said. "That's happened in the past, and I think that's a real risk, which is why we've got to make sure that if there's an agreement, it's a lasting agreement, not a temporary pause."
Ahead of the meeting at Lancaster House, an elegant 200-year-old mansion near Buckingham Palace, a charm offensive was launched last week to engage Trump in the White House, put Ukraine at the center of negotiations, and shift his allegiance toward Europe. The summit will also include leaders from France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Canada, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Romania. The Turkish Foreign Minister, the NATO Secretary-General, and the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council will also attend.
Following the White House debacle, Zelenskyy received widespread support from European leaders. What was particularly striking about the debacle was that it featured an attack on an ally and was broadcast on live television. Starmer embraced Zelenskyy upon his arrival on Saturday for private meetings—a day scheduled ahead of the summit. "As you heard from the cheers outside in the street, you have the full support of the whole of the United Kingdom," Starmer said. "We stand with you, with Ukraine, for as long as it takes."
Europe has been anxious since Trump initiated direct peace talks with Putin. Putin has been isolated by most Western leaders since invading Ukraine three years ago. The scramble to remain relevant and protect European interests is even more unsettling when their once-steadfast ally appears to be cozying up to Putin, especially as Trump has called Zelenskyy a dictator and falsely said Ukraine started the war. The meetings in recent days had offered some hope—until Zelenskyy's visit to the White House.
Macron's and Starmer's visits to the Oval Office were considered a step in the right direction. Macron had declared his visit a "turning point." The atmosphere of the meetings was cordial, and Trump even adopted a more moderate tone regarding Ukraine, although he would not commit to providing U.S. security guarantees and insisted that Europe needed to provide peacekeeping forces.
Within 12 hours of Starmer's return from Washington, the talk of peace seemed to unravel as Vice President JD Vance rebuked Zelenskyy for challenging Trump's assertion that Russian President Vladimir Putin is trustworthy. "Starmer has done an excellent job of maintaining European autonomy in the Ukraine war and conveying to President Trump that Europe is willing and able to take a leading role in implementing any credible peace agreement," said Rachel Ellehuus, a director at the Royal United Services Institute. "Unfortunately, the White House meeting on Friday was a major setback."
Ellehuus said that Ukraine can no longer count on the U.S. for military or political support after Trump announced that he was remaining neutral in negotiations. She said that Europe needs to step in and could release some 200 billion euros ($334 billion) in seized Russian assets to help fund the effort. "The imperative of the London meeting must be to keep Ukraine in the fight so that it can negotiate from the strongest possible position," she said.
Starmer pledged this week to increase military spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027. Other European countries may follow suit. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Saturday that Europe faces a historic test and must take care of itself. He said that European countries must increase arms spending to at least 3% of GDP. "If we don't step up soon and let the aggressor decide the conditions, we won't have a good outcome," he said.
Macron said that it is legitimate for the U.S. to shift its focus to dealing with China and Asia, and he also called for increased defense spending and urged neighboring countries to unite. "We should have woken up earlier," Macron said. "I have been saying for years that we need a more sovereign, more united, more independent Europe."
