NEW DELHI: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that the UK and France, along with potential other allies, will collaborate with Ukraine to develop a peace plan aimed at ending the ongoing war with Russia.
The proposal will be presented to the United States for discussion, he revealed in an interview with a prominent media house.
Following discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron, Starmer expressed optimism, stating, โI think weโve got a step in the right direction.โ
โThe United Kingdom, along with France and possibly one or two others, will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, and then weโll discuss that plan with the United States,โ he said.
While advocating for a ceasefire, Starmer stressed that any agreement must be enforceable and durable, warning against a scenario where Russia could exploit a temporary pause to regroup and launch further offensives.
โWhat I am clear about is that if there is to be a deal, if there is to be a stopping of the fighting, then that agreement has to be defended, because the worst of all outcomes is that there is a temporary pause, and then Putin comes again,โ Starmer cautioned.
โFor me, the components of a lasting peace are a strong Ukraine to fight on, if necessary, to be in a position of strength; to negotiate a European element to security guarantees, and thatโs why Iโve been forward-leaning on this about what we would do; and a US backstop.
Thatโs the package, all three parts need to be in place, and thatโs what Iโm working hard to bring together,โ he added.
Addressing the recent heated exchange between Zelenskyy and former U.S. President Donald Trump, Starmer admitted he โfelt uncomfortableโ watching the confrontation.
He emphasized the need for Western unity and said he had spoken to both leaders afterward to ease tensions.
โNobody wants to see that,โ he said when asked about the clash. Starmer confirmed that he had spoken to both Trump and Zelenskyy after the argument in an effort to ease tensions.
He said his role was to โbridgeโ differences and bring attention back to โsupporting Ukraine to stop the fighting in the long term.โ
As military aid from the U.S. remains uncertain, European leaders are meeting in London to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, including enhanced air defense commitments.
However, it remains unclear what leverage Europe has over the U.S. to influence Washingtonโs stance.
With Starmer recently announcing the largest increase in UK defence spending since the Cold War, he is expected to urge European nations to strengthen their own military capabilities in response to future threats from Russia.
