Starmer urges world leaders to ‘double down’ on support for Ukraine
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PM stressed shared ‘unbreakable commitment to Nato and Ukraine’ with Poland in meeting with Donald Tusk. Keir Starmer has urged world leaders to “double down” in their efforts to support Ukraine during a visit to Poland, days before Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency risks jeopardising international solidarity on the issue.
![[Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelenskyy talk as they walk together down a corridor in a Kyiv government building; a soldier in ceremonial uniform is standing to attention and saluting them to their side]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/c8893e5b52289a573cab20cce0ab061905e7180b/0_89_3560_2136/master/3560.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Speaking alongside the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, after the pair discussed a proposed defence-focused treaty, Starmer dodged questions on the possible impact of Trump, but insisted the only way forward was “peace on Ukraine’s terms”. He also faced a sightly awkward moment as Tusk, who was president of the European Council for much of the Brexit period, said it was “a dream of mine” that the UK should return to the EU – “instead of a Brexit a Breturn” – something definitely not a UK government policy.
![[Keir and Victoria Starmer stand, wearing dark coats and looking sombre, by the wooden huts at the site. The sign reading Arbeit Macht Frei over the gateway is in the background behind them.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/406d4eaf74d18b95ab548efc074e4f58f5e2c8bd/0_108_5500_3300/master/5500.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Starmer, who held talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday during his first official trip to Ukraine since taking office, said defence and security issues had dominated the talks in Warsaw. “As two of Europe’s biggest military powers and with our troops serving together, guarding the eastern flank, we share an unbreakable commitment to Nato, and an unbreakable commitment to Ukraine,” he said.
“We’re clear together that the route to a just and lasting peace comes through strength, the strength to secure that peace on Ukraine’s terms, to have a strength to maintain it. We will work with allies to that end, to step up our efforts to put Ukraine in the strongest position now, and a guarantee that Ukraine will be able to defend herself and deter Russia in the future.”.
