British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that London intends to work with France, Ukraine and other countries to develop a plan for a peaceful settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
This was announced by Starmer in an interview with the BBC before the start of the summit in London today.
The decision on this peace plan was made after the scandal that erupted in front of television cameras between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday.
"Great Britain and France, and possibly one or two other countries, together with Ukraine are working on a plan to end hostilities, after which we will discuss this plan with the United States," Starmer said.
"I am "I'm adamant that there must be a deal, there must be a cessation of hostilities, and then the agreement must be protected, because the worst possible scenario is for a temporary pause and then Putin to come back." Starmer said the US must provide security guarantees if Europe agrees to a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.
Keir Starmer listed three things he believes are necessary to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine:
"a strong Ukraine" that can continue to fight if necessary and be in a strong position to negotiate
A European element with security guarantees
A US backstop
"All three must be in place to guarantee peace," Starmer said.
"You can't have a deal that falls apart, and that's why Zelensky is worried," the British prime minister stressed, confirming: Zelensky "is rightly concerned that the proposed deal must endure".
Asked about what the "line" on the ground between Russia and Ukraine would be, Starmer declined to answer, saying only: "That is obviously a matter of discussion."
Asked to comment on the public spat between Trump and Zelensky, Starmer said: "It is something that no one wants to see" and considers it his job to act as a bridge between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States. That is why he held talks with both President Trump and President Zelensky during the day. The focus should be on lasting peace in Ukraine, Starmer asserted.
The British Prime Minister does not consider Zelensky's behavior in Washington to be wrong - "I think this is a man whose country has been at war for three years."
But the Briton said he trusts both Trump and Zelensky, but does not trust Putin.