British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday to sign up to a ceasefire in its war against Ukraine if he is “serious about peace” and said allies will “keep the pressure” on the Kremlin, including financially and militarily.
At the end of a virtual meeting of what he has termed the “coalition of the willing,” Starmer said the Kremlin’s “dithering and delay” over U.S. President Donald Trump’s ceasefire proposal, along with Russia’s “continued barbaric attacks” on Ukraine, “run entirely counter” to Putin’s stated desire for peace.
“We agreed that now the ball was in Russia’s court, and President Putin must prove he is serious about peace and sign up to a ceasefire on equal terms,” the prime minister said.
About 30 leaders were involved in the call, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was sworn into office in Ottawa on Friday, and European partners such as French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Also present were Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders from Australia and New Zealand, as well as officials from NATO and the European Union’s executive. The United States was not represented at the meeting.
Starmer convened the meeting, the second in two weeks, as a means of helping Ukraine in the face of a change of approach by the U.S. following the return of Trump to office, as well as gauging support for any future possible peacekeeping mission. Many more countries were involved this time than the previous meeting on March 2.
Stronger resolve from ‘coalition of the willing’
The British prime minister said there was a “stronger collective resolve and new commitments were put on the table,” both in relation to the “coalition of the willing in terms of defending the deal” and also on the wider issue of the defence and security of Europe.
Starmer said all of those attending had reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine’s long-term security and agreed that Ukraine “must be able to defend itself and deter future Russian aggression.”
He said that “robust and credible security arrangements” are the best way to ensure lasting peace in Ukraine and that military planners would convene again in the U.K. this week to put forward practical plans to support Ukraine’s future security.
Talk of troops to safeguard peace
Without providing precise details, Starmer again said the allies were ready to put troops into Ukraine in order to safeguard the peace after any ceasefire. Britain and France have been working to get Ukraine’s allies to provide troops, weapons or other aid to a European military force that could be deployed to reassure Ukraine and deter Russia from attacking again.
“We will build up Ukraine’s own defences and armed forces, and be ready to deploy as a ‘coalition of the willing’ in the event of a peace deal, to help secure Ukraine on the land, at sea and in the sky,” he said.
The meeting took place in the wake of a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, which Zelenskyy has backed. Putin has indicated that he supports a truce in principle but has set out a host of details that need to be clarified before agreeing to a ceasefire.
Starmer said Zelenskyy’s backing for an unconditional ceasefire shows that Ukraine is the “party of peace.”
Zelenskyy emerged from the meeting calling for strengthened sanctions to pressure Russia into accepting a ceasefire without conditions that could pave the way for a peace deal.
In a series of posts on X, he said, “Moscow understands one language” and that a 30-day ceasefire “without killings” would create a window in which “it would truly be possible to negotiate all aspects of a real peace.”
‘Good vibes coming out of Russia’: Trump
Trump voiced optimism on Friday that Putin, who met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff earlier in the week, will back a ceasefire.
“I’m getting from the standpoint about a ceasefire and ultimately a deal some pretty good vibes coming out of Russia,” he said.
Ukraine, under severe military pressure on parts of the front line three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, has already endorsed the truce proposal. Russia’s army has gained battlefield momentum, and analysts say Putin will likely be reluctant to rush into a ceasefire while he feels he has an advantage.
“The world is watching,” Starmer said. “My feeling is that sooner or later, he is going to have to come to the table and engage in serious discussions.”
Denial that Ukrainian troops surrounded in Kursk
Trump, writing on his Truth Social platform on Friday, said his administration held “productive” talks with Putin on Thursday, during which he urged him to “spare” Ukrainian troops he said were “completely surrounded.”
Ukrainian troops are still fending off Russian and North Korean forces in Russia’s Kursk region while they face a potential new attack on Ukraine’s northeast Sumy region, Zelenskyy said on Saturday.
In a statement on social media after being briefed by his top general, Zelenskyy said Kyiv’s troops were not encircled in Kursk but that Moscow was accumulating forces nearby for a separate strike.
“This indicates an intention to attack our Sumy region,” he said. “We are aware of this, and will counter it.”
“I would like all [our] partners to understand exactly what Putin is planning, what he is preparing for, and what he will be ignoring.”
Putin said on Thursday he supported in principle Trump’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine but would fight on until several crucial conditions were worked out.
‘Russia is prolonging the war’
“The buildup of Russian forces indicates that Moscow intends to keep ignoring diplomacy,” Zelenskyy added. “It is clear that Russia is prolonging the war.”
In his statement, he also said the battlefield situation near the strategic eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk had “stabilized,” and that Ukraine had successfully used a new domestically produced long-range missile in combat.
Kyiv is seeking to expand its domestic defence industry to wean itself off Western allies who have provided critical artillery, air-defence and long-range strike capabilities.
Ukraine’s new “long Neptune” missile has a range of 1,000 kilometres, Zelenskyy said.
