Keir Starmer met with Volodymyr Zelensky today ahead of the Ukrainian leader’s upcoming discussions with Donald Trump. The US President and Zelensky are scheduled to talk about resolving the four-year conflict between Moscow and Kyiv at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Prior to the meeting, Trump mentioned on his social media platform a productive phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky, en route to Florida, conversed with Starmer, who has been collaborating with European partners on a Coalition of the Willing to oversee any potential peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Expressing gratitude for Starmer’s support, Zelensky shared details of their discussion on preparations for the Trump meeting and interactions with European allies. He emphasized the importance of the United Kingdom’s assistance and pledged to maintain communication.
A spokesperson from Downing Street confirmed that the UK Prime Minister engaged in a conversation with Ukraine’s President Zelensky, reiterating the UK’s steadfast backing for Ukraine and its pursuit of a just and lasting peace. Both leaders condemned Russia’s aggressive actions and recent assaults on Kyiv. They welcomed ongoing diplomatic endeavors and lauded Trump’s involvement in peace efforts, agreeing to stay closely connected in the days ahead.
Zelensky, after engaging in talks with European leaders, emphasized the urgency of pressuring Russia to face consequences for its aggression. He highlighted the significant attacks carried out by Russia over the Christmas period against Ukraine, emphasizing the need for continued international support against such actions.
Despite recent attacks on Kyiv, Zelensky embarked on his trip to Florida while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Kyiv and European backers of hesitancy in constructive negotiations. Lavrov suggested that Europe was preparing for potential conflict with Russia. Zelensky and Trump, set to discuss a comprehensive 20-point proposal for ending the conflict, will focus on key issues like an economic agreement and territorial matters.
Zelensky aims to address territorial concessions and seek US commitments mirroring NATO’s Article 5, ensuring a collective military response to any attack on Ukraine. While progress has been made on the peace plan, sensitive details remain unresolved, with territorial issues being a focal point of the upcoming discussions between Zelensky and Trump.