LONDON: 02 March 2025 – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Europe must take responsibility for defending itself as world leaders met in London to discuss working together to stop Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Britain hosted the summit Sunday to shore up support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after an astonishing Oval Office meltdown with President Donald Trump that left many uncertain where the once staunch allies stood.
Starmer said Britain, France and Ukraine have agreed to work on a ceasefire plan to present to the United States.
Starmer pledged to supply more arms to defend Ukraine, announcing that the U.K. will use 1.6 billion pounds ($2 billion) in export financing to supply 5,000 air defense missiles.
The West is at a “crossroads in history,” Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer told European leaders at a pivotal summit in London on Sunday, as the continent sought to wrestle control of negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine war away from the US and present a united front amid a meltdown in relations between Kyiv and Washington.
”This is not a moment for more talk. It’s time to act,” Starmer said after a monumental day of diplomacy in London, which saw leaders on the continent attempt to forge a path towards a ceasefire in Ukraine.
of CNN reported , The urgency of the summit in London’s ornate Lancaster House was heightened after US President Donald Trump chastised Zelensky in the Oval Office, appalling the West and delighting Moscow in the process. Zelensky and an ensemble of European leaders were attendance, at a moment of intense anxiety in the conflict.
Starmer told reporters he was working with France and a small number of other nations to craft a plan to stop the fighting, which would then be presented to the US.
The process seems destined to rival the negotiation process that Trump’s administration opened with Russia last month, and suggests a tacit acceptance that bringing Trump and Zelensky to the negotiating table together could result in tensions combusting once more.
But it would still require American support, Starmer again reiterated during a Sunday press conference. He insisted the US was “not an unreliable ally” after Trump’s extraordinary argument with Zelensky deeply spooked Europe.
The West will hope Sunday’s summit has revived momentum in a peace process that appeared to be slowly building this week, only to come crashing down in those nasty few minutes on Friday. It displayed European unity, and several leaders in attendance sought to correct a narrative that the continent was a bystander in the negotiations to end the war.
“In the end, a deal will have to involve Russia, of course it will, but we can’t approach this on the basis that Russia dictates the terms of any security guarantee before we’ve even got to a deal – otherwise, we won’t make any progress at all,” Starmer said.
The UK and France have been attempting to put together a “coalition of the willing” that would enter Ukraine after a deal is agreed. “If a deal is done, it has to be a deal that is then defended,” Starmer said.
Zelensky enjoyed a heartfelt welcome from Starmer on Saturday that could not be more different than the reception he endured at the White House. King Charles also met with Zelensky at his Sandringham estate on Sunday.
The earlier spectacle of the American president and vice president berating the leader of a war-torn ally added intensity to Sunday’s summit, which had initially been convened by Starmer to build on the progress achieved during a similar meeting in Paris last weekend.
Trump and JD Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for American military support, for “gambling with the lives of millions of people,” and risking “World War III” by fighting Russia’s invading army in his country.
The scenes were Europe’s worst nightmare. “Nobody wants to see that,” Starmer told the BBC on Sunday. He said he “hit the phones” as soon as he watched the furious argument, adding: “My driving purpose has been to bridge this.”
Ukraine’s leader will return to Kyiv with more than just warm words. On Saturday Britain announced an agreement to accelerate $2.8 billion worth of loans to Ukraine. The first tranche of funding is expected to be disbursed next week, according to the UK government.
In a Telegram post on Saturday, Zelensky said “the money will go toward the production of weapons in Ukraine. This is the fair way: the one who started the war should pay.” He added that “the loan will strengthen our defense capabilities.”
Then on Sunday, Starmer announced a new deal that allows Ukraine to use £1.6 billion ($2 billion) of UK export finance to buy more than 5,000 advanced air defense missiles, which would be made in Belfast.
“We gather here today because this is a once-in-a-generation moment for the security of Europe and we all need to step up,” Starmer told leaders as he opened Sunday’s summit.
The meeting will have three goals, Downing Street said: Ukraine’s short-term needs, securing a “lasting deal” to end the conflict, and “planning for strong security guarantees.”
“I hope you know that we are all with you and the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes, everyone around this table,” Starmer told Zelensky during his opening remarks.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof says a safe and secure Ukraine is in the interests of all of Europe, including the Netherlands, and that’s why a united Europe is now “more important than ever. ”
Schoof, who attended the security summit in London Sunday said Europe “has to play a bigger role in safeguarding the security of our continent.” He said that depends on a number of factors:
— Our unwavering support for Ukraine, to ensure that the country can negotiate from the strongest possible position and bring about a lasting peace;
— A European plan for robust security guarantees to protect our continent – including Ukraine – and deter further Russian aggression;
— Europe must take more responsibility for its own security, including by bolstering European defense capabilities.
— Close transatlantic relations are also essential in this respect
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala welcomed the cooperation of Britain and France as they took a leading role in Europe to work on a ceasefire plan.
“They are the (U.N.) Security Council members, they are nuclear superpowers,” Fiala told Czech public television after the London meeting.
“It’s important that they work together and with our support. I think that’s good news.”
