Speaking after the three-hour summit, he said: “Europe must play its role, and I’m prepared to consider committing British forces on the ground alongside others, if there is a lasting peace agreement, but there must be a US backstop, because a US security guarantee is the only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again.”.
Keir Starmer has urged Donald Trump to provide a US “backstop” to a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, saying it is the only way to deter Russia from attacking the country again.
Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said all European nations should boost their support for Ukraine and defence spending at home to protect themselves against Moscow, saying: “Russia is threatening all of Europe now, unfortunately”.
The emergency summit was convened by Emmanuel Macron at 48 hours’ notice amid growing fears in European capitals that Trump and Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, are trying to negotiate the future of the continent’s security over the heads of European leaders.
Criticising Trump’s decision to rush into peace talks with Russia, he said it was “highly inappropriate” that a debate had started about the outcome of peace talks that had not yet taken place, and were being conducted without the involvement of Ukraine.
