British Prime Minister outlines European plans to end war with Ukraine – Country
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer rallyed his European counterparts on Sunday to lift the border and put their full weight in Ukraine as Ukraine announced plans to end the Russian war.
“Every country must contribute to it in the best way, thus bringing different capabilities and support to the table, but all countries take responsibility for action and strengthen their burdens,” he said.
Starmer's advice to the 18 leaders was that they needed to lift weights for their safety, two days after we supported Ukraine, and when President Donald Trump slammed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he said he was not grateful for the support of the United States.
The meeting was covered up by extraordinary scolding. Starmer used the opportunity as part of his broader effort to bridge the gap between Europe and the United States and save the beginning of the peace process that seemed to be ahead of Friday's quarrel.
Stemmer said he had worked with France and Ukraine to plan to end the war, while a group of leaders, mostly from Europe, agreed to four things.
The steps towards peace will be: keeping aid flowing to Kiev and strengthening Ukraine's hands against Russia to maintain economic pressure; ensuring that Ukraine is in the bargaining table, any peace must ensure its sovereignty and security; and continuing to arm Ukraine to prevent future invasions.
A “willing alliance”
Finally, he said they would build a “willed alliance” to defend Ukraine and ensure peace.
“Not every country will feel able to contribute, but that doesn’t mean we sit down,” he said. “Instead, those who will, will now be really urgently strengthening the program. Britain is ready to support this on the ground with boots and fly with others.”
He said any plan requires strong support. He didn't specify what it means, although he told the BBC ahead of the summit that there was “heavy discussion” to get security assurances from the United States
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“If there is a deal, if there is a stop to fight, then the deal must be defended, because the worst of all the results is a temporary pause and then (Russian President Vladimir) Putin comes again,” Starmer said.
Starmer said he will later bring more formal plans to the United States and work with Trump.
Two diplomatic steps forward
Europe has been feeling anxious since Trump and Putin's direct peace talks. When Trump said Zelenskyy said Ukraine began war, it was scrambling to stay relevant and protect Europe's interests as their once unwavering allies seemed even more disturbing.
Last week's meeting offered some hope – until Zelenskyy headed to the White House.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Oval Office, who declared his visit a “turning point” and Starmer was seen as a step in the right direction. The meeting was cordial, and Trump even adopted a more modest tone towards Ukraine, although he did not promise to provide security assurances for the United States and maintaining Europe would need to provide peacekeeping forces.
Within 12 hours of Starmer's return from Washington, the topic of peace seemed to collapse as Vice President JD Vance accused Zelenskyy of challenging Trump's claim that Putin could trust.
At a press conference, Starmer rejected the suggestion that the United States is no longer a reliable ally.
“No two countries are as closely aligned as our two countries, our defense, our security and intelligence are intertwined in the ways of the other two, so this is an important and reliable ally for us,” he said.
Starmer does not trust Putin
Starmer told the BBC ahead of the summit that he did not trust Russian President Vladimir Putin but did believe in Trump.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she had what happened to her for Zelenskyy in Washington. Meloni is both a strong supporter of Ukraine and head of the far-right party, and she is a natural ally of Trump. She was the only European leader to attend his inauguration.
She said after the meeting, she told reporters that Europe must continue to focus on its common goals, “It is disastrous for everyone to divide the West.”
“We need to work hard to strengthen our solidarity and I think Italy can play a role not only in its own interests, but in everyone’s interests,” she said. “I don’t want to think about other situations.”
Starmer presided over the meeting at Lancaster House, a mansion near Buckingham Palace after his Charming Offensive with Macron convinced Trump to put Ukraine at the center of negotiations and tilted his loyalty to Europe.
Leaders from Germany, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Canada, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Romania were at the summit. Türkiye's Foreign Minister, NATO Secretary-General and the President of the European Commission were also present.
Turn Ukraine into a “steel porcupine”
Starmer uses detailed terms to describe future challenges, saying that Europe is at a crossroads in its history and needs to strengthen “generation after generation.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stood out from the meeting and said she would propose a plan to “re-Europe” to strengthen the group's security after long-term investment.
As for the future of war-torn Ukraine, Von der Leyen said it needed security guarantees.
“We have to put Ukraine in a position of strength so that it has the ability to strengthen itself and protect itself,” von der Leyen said. “This basically turns Ukraine into an iron porcupine that the potential invaders cannot eliminate.”
Last week, Starmer promised 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 historic test and must take care of itself. He said European countries must increase their weapons spending to reach at least 3% of GDP.
“If we don’t increase our efforts quickly enough and let the invaders decide their conditions, we won’t be very good,” he said.
Starmer promises to provide more weapons to defend Ukraine, announcing that the UK will use £1.6 billion ($2 billion) of export financing to provide 5,000 air defense missiles.
–Associated Press writers Jill Lawless, Colleen Barry of Milan, Karel Janicek and Samuel Petrequin of Prague contributed.
