UK and France to present Ukraine peace plan to Trump, PM says

        

 
According to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the United Kingdom and France will "discuss that plan with the United States" after working with Ukraine "on a plan to stop the fighting" with Russia.

Two days after a heated confrontation with US President Donald Trump in the White House, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is attending a summit of European leaders.
Sir Keir stated that serving as a "bridge" between the two men was his "driving purpose" at the moment on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on BBC One.

In an attempt to downplay the incident, Sir Keir said that "nobody wants to see that" and acknowledged that he felt "uncomfortable" when asked how he felt while watching the altercation in the White House.

 

In an attempt to "get us back to the central focus," the prime minister responded by calling his colleagues Trump and Zelensky that same evening.
Numerous paths are available for people to follow. One is to intensify the discourse around our collective outrage.
The alternative, he said, was to "roll up my sleeves" and call both guys right away. He also stated that he would talk to French President Emmanuel Macron about the part that the major European powers would play.

"Because my reaction was we have to bridge this, we have to find a way that we can all work together because in the end we've had three years of bloody conflict now, we need to get to that lasting peace" .
Additionally, he rejected efforts by SNP First Minister John Swinney to revoke Trump's invitation to make a second state visit to the UK.
Sir Keir stated: "I'm not going to be diverted by the SNP or others trying to ramp up the rhetoric without really appreciating what is the single most important thing at stake here - we're talking about peace in Europe."

'Europe needs to do more'

While avoiding assigning blame for the dispute, Sir Keir stated in his interview that he was "clear in my mind" that Trump "wants a lasting peace" and that he "yes" when asked directly if he thought Trump could be trusted.
He noted that while Zelensky could be trusted, Russian President Vladimir Putin could not, which is why any peace agreement must include a security guarantee from the US.
The prime minister agreed that a "coalition of the willing" would need to lead a European security guarantee.
Sir Keir stated that "Europeans have stood up in the last three years" although "generally Europe needs to do more in its own defence and security" .

 

Speaking on the Kuenssberg show, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch backed the PM on Ukraine but emphasised the need to maintain US involvement.
"We need to make sure that America does not disengage, it is in their interest for peace now, if we all get dragged into an escalation, America will get dragged into it eventually," she stated to the BBC.
Additionally, Badenoch reiterated her demand that the UK increase defence spending, stating that by the conclusion of this Parliament, it should account for 3% of national income.

 

His International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds resigned after the prime minister said earlier this week that he would reduce the foreign aid budget in order to increase defence funding from 2.3% to 2.5% of national income by 2027.

Trump's request for NATO countries to raise defence expenditure to 5% of their national incomes prompted the action.
France has committed to doubling its defence budget by 2030, which currently stands at 2.1%.
Sir Keir declared: "We've got to increase capability and we've got to co-ordinate more because in the Ukraine conflict we've seen that the co-ordination isn't there." He encouraged all European countries to reassess their defence budgets.

 

When questioned about what a European "coalition of the willing" meant, he responded, "We need to be clear what a European security guarantee [in Ukraine] would look like." We must identify European nations that are willing to take a slightly more progressive stance.
The UK and France, he claimed, were at the forefront of the discussion, but he added, "The more the better in this."
Shortly before the summit, which Sir Keir claimed they were approaching "with a very similar mindset," the prime minister of Italy welcomed Giorgia Meloni to Downing Street.

 

"We are all very committed about a goal that we all want to achieve, which is a just and lasting peace in Ukraine," Meloni told reporters in Downing Street. I believe that preventing the risk of Western division is crucial, and that the UK and Italy can play a significant role in bridging this gap."