British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will try to revive hope for peace in Ukraine at a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other Western leaders on Sunday, two days after the Ukrainian president clashed with US President Donald Trump.
The British leader said in an interview with the British media BBC that an urgent round of phone calls to Trump, Zelenskiy and French President Emmanuel Macron over the weekend had cemented the idea that a "coalition of the willing" in Europe would need to move quickly to come up with a peace plan to present to the United States, writes A2.
This meant Europe was moving faster than it had done to show it could defend itself, Starmer said, adding that he was not criticizing other nations but making clear that countries should step up as Britain and France did by providing peacekeeping troops.
"Instead of moving at the pace of every single country in Europe, which would ultimately be a rather slow process, we should perhaps arrive at a coalition of the willing now," he told the BBC.
Trump has changed US policy on the three-year war since returning to the White House in January, casting doubt on its military and political support for Ukraine - and Europe - and ending Moscow's isolation.
Lacking the weaponry and depth of the United States' ammunition reserves, Starmer is trying to convince Trump that Europe can defend itself, but that Russia will only respect any ceasefire that comes with the support of the United States.
Starmer will ask leaders on Sunday what more they can offer in terms of assistance. After announcing an increase in Britain's defence budget, he will commit to providing further capabilities, training and support to Kiev.
European leaders reacted to the extraordinary destruction in the White House by expressing support for Ukraine, risking a major rift with their traditional US ally, but some leaders are also likely to encourage Zelensky to return to talks with Trump. (A2 Televizion)
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