Ukraine-Russia war latest: Starmer slams Putin’s ‘dithering’ as military chiefs set to meet in UK

The president of the European Council has mentioned “Russia wants to point out actual political will to cease the battle” following a digital assembly with 29 different world leaders.

Writing on X, Antonio Costa mentioned: “Thanks, Keir Starmer, for organising right this moment’s digital assembly to evaluate progress and take into account subsequent steps after this week’s talks in Jeddah.

“Now Russia wants to point out actual political will to cease the battle.

“We’re dedicated to making sure that Ukraine is ready of energy in future peace negotiations.

“The EU actively contributes to strengthening Ukraine and enhancing its defence via political, monetary, and navy help, to realize a complete, simply and lasting peace.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has advised Kyiv’s Western allies that they have to “outline a transparent place on safety ensures”, together with about basing a troop contingent on Ukrainian soil.

“The contingent have to be stationed on Ukrainian soil,” Zelensky mentioned in a submit on X, alongside a picture of him collaborating in a digital name with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and different European leaders and different Western allies.

“It is a safety assure for Ukraine and a safety assure for Europe,” he mentioned.

Sir Keir Starmer has mentioned Ukraine’s allies “should maintain growing strain on Putin” to interact in ceasefire negotiations.

Writing on X, the prime minister mentioned: “At this time I spoke to world leaders on how we are able to drive ahead motion to help a simply and lasting peace for Ukraine.

“We should maintain growing the strain on Putin to come back to the desk.

“And we should maintain strengthening the help to our Ukrainian mates.”

Sir Ed Davey has urged the Prime Minister to grab frozen Russian property to fund extra help for Ukraine.

Responding to Saturday morning’s assembly of the “coalition of the keen”, the Liberal Democrat chief mentioned: “Putin may finish this battle right this moment if he wished peace, nevertheless it’s clear he’s solely serious about destroying Ukraine’s sovereignty and turning it right into a vassal state of Russia.

“The one approach to obtain a simply and lasting peace is to strengthen Ukraine. We should redouble our efforts to help their defence within the face of Putin’s barbarism. If Ukraine loses, all of Europe can be much less safe.

“The PM should now decide to seizing the frozen Russian property within the UK and forge an settlement to do the identical throughout Europe, to assist strengthen Ukraine’s hand and guarantee we are able to obtain actual peace.”

Sir Keir Starmer has mentioned navy chiefs will focus on what the “coalition of the keen” pressure may do on the bottom.

He advised a press convention on Saturday: “The operational assembly is the place the discussions are going down as to what the capabilities can be.

“I’ve indicated a willingness for the UK to play a number one position on this and indicated that, if it’s crucial, that can be troops on the bottom and planes within the sky.

“There are completely different capabilities from completely different nations, however these are the operational discussions which might be occurring in relation to what this coalition of the keen will be capable of present.

“However, clearly, we’ve obtained to get a deal first, so there’s the strain that must be placed on to Russia to get across the desk, to get the deal, then there’s a query of a ceasefire for a potential quick interval, after which the lasting peace that we have to see.”

Sir Keir Starmer has mentioned that “new commitments had been placed on the desk” on Saturday.

He mentioned: “The group that met this morning is an even bigger group than we had two weeks in the past, there’s a stronger collective resolve and new commitments had been placed on the desk this morning, each in relation to the coalition of the keen by way of defending the deal, additionally in relation to the broader level, which is the collective defence and safety of Europe.

“So, extra commitments on the desk this morning and an settlement that we now transfer to the operational part, which is why the talks on Thursday, the navy talks, will turn out to be the following point of interest.

“There was a wider settlement this morning, which was that the ‘sure, however’ from Russia just isn’t ok, and we agreed our collective strain can be placed on Russia from all of us who’re within the assembly this morning.”

Frozen Russian property had been among the many matters mentioned by world leaders on a digital name on Saturday.

Sir Keir Starmer mentioned nations within the “coalition of the keen” need to tighten sanctions additional and the leaders mentioned “how a lot additional we are able to go”.

“That may be a sophisticated query, as I believe all people appreciates,” he advised a press convention after the assembly.

“So, we mentioned additional sanctions that have gotten nothing to do with the property, which we are going to take ahead because of this morning’s dialogue, but in addition a unbroken dialogue about what extra could be finished on the property themselves.”

Sir Keir Starmer seems to have put his cash the place his mouth is relating to placing peacekeeping troops in Ukraine.

After weeks of promising a “coalition of the keen” to ensure a ceasefire in Ukraine, the PM has lastly offered some extra element on who can be concerned, in addition to saying plans for a gathering of navy leaders on Thursday.

However the PM has to this point failed to offer particulars on the what the peacekeeping pressure will appear to be, what their remit is and whether or not the settlement has a foundation in worldwide regulation.

It’s probably that a number of these questions can be tackled at Thursday’s operational assembly of militaries within the UK.

In the meantime, the operation of the coalition depends on the achievement of a peace deal within the first place.

So whereas the PM seems to be following via on his promise, it’s clear he’s nonetheless dealing solely in hypotheticals.

Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated his place {that a} ceasefire deal should contain the cooperation of the US.

He advised the information convention: “I have been clear that must be finished along with the USA. As I believe you already know, we’re speaking to, the US every day.

“So the place on the doing this along with the USA hasn’t modified. And that is why we’re having the detailed discussions that we’re.”