Speaking on Sunday, Starmer described the plan as a significant step forward and emphasised the need for a “coalition of the willing” within Europe to support Kyiv. However, he stressed that any ceasefire agreement must be backed by the United States to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from launching another invasion.
“In other words, we’ve got to find those countries in Europe that are prepared to be a bit more forward-leaning,” Starmer told BBC television.
“The UK and France are the most advanced on the thinking of this, and that is why President Macron and I are working on this plan, which we will then discuss with the US.”
The announcement followed Starmer’s discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron and Trump on Saturday. This came after he hosted Zelenskyy in Downing Street, just a day after the Ukrainian leader’s contentious meeting with Trump in Washington.
Reiterating his position, Starmer stressed that any peace deal would require a U.S. security guarantee to be viable.
“I’ve always been clear that that is going to need a US backstop, because I don’t think it would be a guarantee without it,” he said.
The UK is set to host Western leaders in London as part of ongoing efforts to advance a potential settlement for Ukraine.
First Published: Mar 2, 2025 4:11 PM IST
