Starmer backs Ukraine’s ‘irreversible path to Nato’ in apparent swipe at Trump

In the first talks between the pair since Donald Trump and his defence secretary said it was unlikely Ukraine would join Nato, the prime minister reiterated the UK’s commitment to the country’s path into the alliance. Sir Keir Starmer has reaffirmed Britain’s support for Ukraine joining Nato in a call with Volodymyr Zelensky as world leaders gather for a major security summit in Munich. In the first talks between the pair since Donald Trump and his defence secretary said it was unlikely Ukraine would join Nato, but in an apparent swipe at that stance, the prime minister reiterated the UK’s commitment to the country’s path into the alliance.

“The prime minister reiterated the UK’s commitment to Ukraine being on an irreversible path to Nato, as agreed by Allies at the Washington Summit last year,” a readout of the call said, in a pointed message to the US. And, after Mr Trump said he had a “lengthy and highly productive” phone call with Vladimir Putin about the war, Sir Keir assured Mr Zelensky that Britain is “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,” the PM added. Mr Trump has suggested that a meeting between him and Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia could resolve the war, after the two had a telephone conversation in which the US president praised his Russian counterpart. US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has suggested that Russia could keep Crimea as part of a deal, and that Ukraine should be barred from joining Nato.

It comes ahead of foreign secretary David Lammy’s first meeting with Mr Trump’s new secretary of state Marco Rubio at the conference in Munich, with Ukraine expected to be at the top of the agenda. Later on Friday, Mr Lammy will attend a dinner between delegates from the US, France, Italy and Germany. Mr Zelensky, who is expected to meet US vice-president JD Vance in Munich on Friday, has appealed to western allies to stand firm and hold Russia accountable.

Writing on social media site X, he said: “Every night, Russia carries out such attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and cities. Russia continues to expand its army and shows no change in its deranged, anti-human state rhetoric. “This means that Putin is definitely not preparing for negotiations — he is preparing to continue deceiving the world. “That is why there must be unified pressure from all who value life – pressure on the aggressor. Russia must be held accountable for its actions.”.

Speaking to The Independent ahead of the summit, former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind urged Sir Keir and Mr Lammy to stand up to Mr Trump over Ukraine. The Tory grandee warned the pair against a repeat of the infamous 1938 Munich conference, where the then British prime minister Neville Chamberlain struck the “peace for our time” deal with Hitler and allowed him to invade Czechoslovakia.