UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday said that Russia “does not hold all the cards” in the war in Ukraine and stressed the importance of Kyiv’s involvement in any peace talks, as he prepares to meet US President Donald Trump later this week.
Speaking virtually at a summit of European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marking three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Starmer said: “I have a very simple, clear message today: the UK is with you.”
“This is a time for unity. In this crucial moment as talks begin, we must work together to shape the outcome. Russia does not hold all the cards in this war. Ukrainians have the courage to defend their country because Russia’s economy is in trouble, and because they have lost the benefit of their land forces and their Black Sea Fleet in this pointless invasion,” he added.
Starmer commended Zelenskyy’s leadership and shared a message from a patient named Petro, whom he met in a burns unit during a recent visit to Kyiv.
“He said to me ‘if Ukraine fails, Europe will be next’. And that is what is at stake here,” the PM said.
“That is why we will always stand with Ukraine and our allies against this aggression and for a just and lasting peace,” he added.
The British Prime Minister, set to meet with Trump in Washington DC on Thursday, said that Trump had “changed the global conversation” regarding the ongoing conflict, stating that this shift has “created an opportunity” to bring the war to an end.
“It has created an opportunity. Now we must get the fundamentals right. If we want peace to endure, Ukraine must have a seat at the table, and any settlement must be based on a sovereign Ukraine backed up with strong security guarantees,” the prime minister said.
“The UK is ready and willing to support this with troops on the ground, with other Europeans and with the right conditions in place, and ultimately, a US backstop will be vital to deter Russia from launching another invasion in just a few years’ time. So we will do everything we can to get the best outcome for Ukraine and for us all,” he added.
Starmer stressed the need for the West to “increase the pressure even further” on Russia and announced a new round of UK sanctions against the country.
He emphasised that an “enduring peace” could only be achieved by strengthening military support for Ukraine and imposing tougher sanctions on Moscow.
According to BBC, on Monday, the UK unveiled more than 100 new sanctions targeting individuals and entities aiding Russia’s invasion, including companies in China, the largest supplier of critical goods to Moscow’s military.
Meanwhile, the Home Office has expanded travel sanctions on Kremlin-linked elites.