UK PM Starmer rallies leaders to pressure Russia on ceasefire
UK prime minister Keir Starmer convened a virtual summit on Saturday, urging world leaders to apply “maximum pressure” on Russia to accept a US-backed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. The meeting, attended by around 25 nations, followed US president Donald Trump’s claim of “good and productive” talks with Vladimir Putin.
Starmer warned Putin not to “play games” with the ceasefire and stressed that any peace deal must involve US cooperation. “The position on the US hasn’t changed. We are talking to the US on a daily basis,” he said.
To prepare for a potential peace deal, Starmer announced plans for a “coalition of the willing” to help secure Ukraine “on land, at sea and in the sky”. He also confirmed that military chiefs would meet in the UK on Thursday to discuss a peacekeeping force.
Operational phase
“We agreed to accelerate our practical work and move into an operational phase,” he said. He also vowed continued military aid and sanctions to weaken Putin’s war machine.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen urged Russia to back the ceasefire, calling it a path to “a just and lasting peace”. She also pledged to strengthen Ukraine’s defences and boost European military spending through the ReArm Europe initiative.
As the summit concluded, Starmer called on leaders to maintain pressure on Putin, condemning Russia’s “continued barbaric attacks” and warning that the Kremlin’s “dithering and delay” contradict its claims of seeking peace.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer after a virtual meeting on peace in Ukraine © PHOTO LEON NEAL / POOL / AFP
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