Starmer calls for Zelensky to be part of Ukraine peace talks ahead of Trump meeting

With a rift opening between Europe and the White House over Ukraine, the prime minister and president Zelensky held talks on Saturday to plan for a ‘very active’ week ahead for the conflict. Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky are piling pressure on Donald Trump to ensure European leaders are at the table in talks to end Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

With a rift opening between Europe and the White House over Ukraine, the prime minister and president Zelensky held talks on Saturday to plan for a “very active” week ahead for the conflict. French president Emmanuel Macron and Sir Keir are each visiting Mr Trump in Washington to discuss his peace plans, days after the president accused France and Britain of having “done nothing” to end the war.

Mr Macron is expected to warn Mr Trump not to “be weak” in the face of Putin’s ongoing aggression, while Sir Keir has so far been reluctant to explicitly criticise his US counterpart for fear of being dragged into a trade war. Speaking to Mr Zelensky on Saturday, Sir Keir repeated his calls for Ukraine to “be at the heart of any negotiations to end the war”. He also said protecting Ukraine’s sovereignty is essential to deterring future aggression from Russia.

He promised to “progress these important discussions in the coming days and weeks, including with US President Trump whilst visiting Washington”, a Downing Street spokesman added. But the PM would not commit to telling Mr Trump directly to give Ukraine a seat at the negotiating table when they meet in the White House.

Sir Keir also spoke with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday, with the pair agreeing to “step up for the good of collective European security”. The PM is expected to use his US trip to set out a much-awaited timeline for Britain to boost defence spending from 2.3 per cent to 2.5 per cent of GDP. Mr Trump has urged Nato leaders to invest more in their own defence, calling for countries to spend at least 5 per cent of their GDP on defence.

And, in a further bid to curry favour with Mr Trump, Sir Keir is reportedly planning to give him an invite for a state visit from the King. But, in a move that threatens to deepen the rift between the pair on Ukraine, he is also planning a “triple whammy” of measures to pile pressure on Vladimir Putin, according to The Telegraph.

The measures are expected to include a major round of new sanctions, military aid to Ukraine and a crackdown on Russian dirty money in the UK. The talks coincide with the third anniversary of Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the PM using his call with Mr Zelensky to “reiterate the UK’s ironclad support for Ukraine and commitment to securing a just and enduring peace to bring an end to Russia’s illegal war”.

A Downing Street spokesman added: “The leaders reflected on recent developments in the conflict, as the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion approaches, and agreed on the need to continue working together with allies to achieve peace through strength.

“They agreed that this was a significant moment for the future of Ukraine and European security at large.”. In an interview with Fox News days after accusing Mr Zelensky of being a dictator, Mr Trump said he did not see the importance of him being involved in talks. He said Mr Zelensky has “been in the meetings for three years and nothing got done… so I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings”.

Asked about the upcoming visits from Sir Keir and Mr Macron, he said: “They didn’t do anything either (to end the war). The war’s going on, no meetings with Russia, no nothing. “They haven’t done anything. Macron is a friend of mine, and I’ve met with the Prime Minister and he’s a very nice guy (but) nobody’s done anything.”.