Starmer Tells Zelenskyy He Is “Unequivocal” That Ukraine Must Be Involved In Talks To End War
Prime Minister Keir Starmer met President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky for a bilateral meeting in Washington DC last July (Alamy)
2 min read
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is "unequivocal" that Ukraine would have to be involved in any talks aimed at ending the war with Russia.
US President Donald Trump has said there is a "good possibility" of the war ending soon after having spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. After the talks, the leaders announced they would "immediately" start discussions on ending the conflict.
However, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by saying his country would "not be able to accept any agreements" made without its involvement, with the Kremlin then insisting Ukraine would be invited to take part in talks.
On Friday morning, Starmer had a call with Zelenskyy in which he reiterated the UK’s commitment to "Ukraine being on an irreversible path to NATO" – which was agreed by countries attending the Washington Summit last year. The two leaders agreed to "stay in close contact."
On Thursday evening Starmer spoke to Trump and on Friday hosted the US Special Envoy to the United Kingdom, Mark Burnett, at Downing Street, emphasising the "warmth of the connection between the two countries" during this visit. Starmer also discussed his upcoming trip to the US with Trump.
Speaking about Starmer's call with Zelenskyy, a Downing Street spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister began by reiterating the UK’s concrete support for Ukraine, for as long as it’s needed.
“He was unequivocal that there could be no talks about Ukraine, without Ukraine. Ukraine needed strong security guarantees, further lethal aid and a sovereign future, and it could count on the UK to step up."
They added: “Discussing the upcoming third anniversary of Ukraine’s courageous defence of its sovereignty in the face of Russia’s barbaric full-scale invasion, the leaders agreed that it would be an important moment to demonstrate international unity and support for Ukraine."
Trump's call with Putin blindsided European leaders and will be on the agenda when ministers from across the continent meet at the Munich Security Conference on Friday. Foreign Secretary David Lammy is leading the UK delegation.
There was also alarm when Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, said this week that the US "does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement".
24 February will mark the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
