Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday said that Britain along with France will work on a peace deal with Ukraine and present it to US President Donald Trump.
Starmer asserted that he is focused on being a bridge to restore peace talks and use the collapse of talks as an opportunity to re-engage with Trump and Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron rather than “ramp up the rhetoric.”
During an interview with BBC, the British PM said that felt “uncomfortable” watching the row between Zelenskyy and Trump at the White House but decided to “roll up sleeves” and call them both rather than “ramp up the rhetoric”
“We’ve now agreed that the United Kingdom, along with France and possibly one or two others, will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, and then we’ll discuss that plan with the United States,” Starmer said.
“I think we’ve got a step in the right direction,” he added.
This comes days after the on camera tussle between Trump and Zelenskyy between crucial discussion on a critical minerals deal in White House.
The clash stemmed from Trump’s frustration with Zelensky’s stance on peace with Russia, accusing him of not being “thankful” for US support in the ongoing war. Trump said, “You don’t have the cards right now,” warning that without a deal, Ukraine would face a grim future.
The contentious meeting, which ended abruptly, has raised serious concerns about the future of US-Ukraine relations and sparked fierce reactions from world leaders and US lawmakers alike.
Earlier, Starmer gave a “very, very warm” welcome to Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Downing Street. The discussion between the two leaders lasted approximately 75 minutes behind closed doors, ending with an embrace as Starmer accompanied Zelensky to his vehicle.
As part of his UK visit, Zelenskyy is also set to meet King Charles the same day the British PM will host a defence summit with European leaders in London.