He is convening a summit in London with European and Canadian leaders today – President Volodymyr Zelensky is in attendance
Earlier, the PM told the BBC that the UK and France will work with Ukraine to stop fighting and will discuss the plan with the US going forward
Following today’s summit, Zelensky will meet with King Charles.The UK, France and Ukraine will work on a ceasefire plan to present to the United States, the prime minister has said, in the wake of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s White House clash with Donald Trump.
Sir Keir Starmer, who visited Washington on Thursday, said he believes Mr Trump does want a “lasting peace” between Russia and Ukraine.
He also said Europe is in a “moment of real fragility” and he would not trust the word of Vladimir Putin.
It comes as the UK hosts a summit between Mr Zelenskyy and European leaders in an effort to get a peace plan for Ukraine ‘back on track’.
Referring to the argument in the White House’s Oval Office on Thursday between Mr Trump, US vice president JD Vance and Ukrainian president Mr Zelenskyy, the PM said it made him feel “uncomfortable”.Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with Starmer ahead of the summit, and said the West must “avoid the risk” of dividing during a visit to Downing Street on Sunday.
After welcoming the leaders of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, a Downing Street spokesperson said the PM updated them “on his discussions with the leaders of Ukraine, France and the United States in recent days” and underlined “his focus on securing a lasting peace in Ukraine that ensures their future sovereignty, backed up by strong security guarantees”.
“They all agreed that Europe must unite and drive forward urgent action that will secure the best outcome, which will be vital for Europe’s future security,” they added.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (right) welcomes Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Credit: PA
Earlier on Sunday morning, Starmer told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that he hoped to build a “coalition of the willing” at the summit, where he, French President Emmanuel Macron, Zelenskyy, and possibly one or two others would work on a peace deal to present to the US.
Sunday’s summit will include leaders from France, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, Czechia, and Romania, along with the NATO secretary-general and the presidents of the European Commission and European Council.