Starmer sees viable chance of Ukraine ceasefire as Zelensky visits London

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Downing Avenue for personal discussions.

The pair are assembly forward of an important summit in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to debate ending the struggle in Ukraine.

Sir Keir has stated he believes there’s a “viable probability” of a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and pressured Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” should be protected and worldwide borders “should not be modified by drive”.

Zelensky and different European leaders, who will not be attending the assembly in Alaska, held a joint name with Trump on Wednesday to reiterate their place.

The high-visibility assembly at Quantity 10 might be a fastidiously co-ordinated present of help from the UK, scheduled simply 24 hours previous to the summit in Alaska.

In one other improvement, visiting US Vice-President JD Vance stated it was Trump’s mission to “carry peace to Europe as soon as once more”.

Final week Trump warned there could be “some swapping of territories, to the betterment of both”, resulting in fears Ukraine might need to surrender some areas so as to finish the bloody battle.

Ukraine has insisted it won’t settle for Russian management of land it has seized, together with Crimea, whereas Moscow needs to keep up management.

It additionally needs assurances that Ukraine won’t be a part of the Nato army alliance and a restrict on the dimensions of its military.

Addressing a digital assembly of the European leaders following the decision with Trump, Sir Keir stated “any ceasefire must be lasting and to be lasting it could want safety ensures”.

“That’s the reason we arrange this coalition of the keen,” he added.

The coalition is a bunch of primarily European international locations who’ve pledged to supply army help to Ukraine – together with probably boots on the bottom – so as to deter Russia from breaching any agreed peace deal.

Sir Keir stated the coalition had “credible” army plans prepared that might be used within the occasion of a ceasefire.

He stated the leaders of the group had been additionally prepared to extend financial stress on Russia if essential, for instance by rising sanctions.

He additionally praised Trump’s efforts to achieve an settlement, saying: “For 3-and-a-bit years this battle has been happening and we’ve not obtained anyplace close to the prospect of an truly a viable resolution, a viable method of bringing it to a ceasefire.

“Now we do have that probability, due to the work the president has put in.”

Sir Alex Youthful, the top of MI6 between 2014 and 2020, instructed BBC Radio 4’s At present programme: “It is true that Donald Trump is the one one who can resolve this,” however he warned “Putin is taking part in him”.

“They’re all speaking concerning the mistaken factor,” he stated, including that the US technique of resetting bilateral relations with Russia was “a complete fantasy” that didn’t recognise Putin’s goal of the “whole subjugation” of Ukraine.

“This is not about territory in any respect, it is about sovereignty and whether or not Ukraine exists – and Putin is set that it should not.”

Vance is presently on a non-public household vacation within the UK, and in addition joined the decision with Sir Keir and different European leaders on Wednesday.

Later that night, he gave an deal with at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire to American troops stationed within the UK.

The vice-president stated the 2 international locations had a “stunning alliance” and that the US had “labored with our pals from the UK to attain nice victories” over the previous 100 years.

“It is not nearly going to struggle, and it isn’t simply profitable after we do,” Vance added.

“Once we struggle collectively, after we make it clear that we all the time strategy each state of affairs with an open hand – but when issues go poorly, we’re keen to do what we now have to do, we make it simpler to attain peace and prosperity all around the world.”

Following the decision with European leaders, Trump instructed a press convention there was an opportunity of a gathering between Putin and Zelensky.

He stated he would use his preliminary assembly with Putin to “discover out the place we’re and what we’re doing”, including: “We’ll have a fast second assembly between President Putin and President Zelensky and myself, in the event that they’d prefer to have me there.”

He additionally warned Putin that he would face “very extreme penalties” if he didn’t agree to finish the struggle after Friday’s summit.

Zelensky, who joined the decision whereas in Berlin to satisfy German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, stated the US was able to proceed its help of Ukraine and accused Russia of not wanting peace.

“Putin can’t idiot us,” he stated.