LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will “sooner or later” have to negotiate peace in Ukraine, urging global leaders to maintain pressure on Moscow.
Starmer made the remarks during a virtual summit attended by around 25 world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The meeting, organised by UK, aimed to strengthen international support for Ukraine and discuss security measures in the event of a ceasefire.
“If Putin is serious about peace, it’s very simple: he has to stop his barbaric attacks on Ukraine and agree to a ceasefire,” Starmer told the summit.
“The world is watching. My feeling is that sooner or later he is going to have to come to the table and engage in serious discussions.”
Pressure on Russia to accept ceasefire proposal
The meeting followed Kyiv’s acceptance of a US-backed 30-day ceasefire proposal earlier this week.
However, Moscow’s response has been ambiguous, with Putin stating that Russia “agrees with the proposal” while also suggesting that the deal was “not complete.”
Starmer criticised the Kremlin’s stance, accusing Putin of showing “complete disregard” for the ceasefire offer. “The past week has shown once again that Ukraine is the party of peace,” he said.
“Zelensky has agreed to and committed to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. Putin is the one trying to delay.”
According to a statement from Downing Street, Starmer urged allies to maintain economic and diplomatic pressure on Russia to push Putin into serious negotiations.
He also called for increased military support for Ukraine and greater international preparedness to enforce a ceasefire agreement.
“The coalition of the willing must be ready to defend any deal and monitor a ceasefire to ensure peace lasts,” he said.
Peacekeeping efforts
While European nations have largely stood united in supporting Ukraine, significant differences remain over whether individual countries would be willing to deploy troops to enforce a ceasefire.
Some NATO members have raised concerns over the potential risks of direct military involvement.
The UK and other Western nations have consistently dismissed the idea of sending troops into Ukraine, but discussions are ongoing regarding alternative security mechanisms.
Saturday’s meeting follows an earlier summit in London two weeks ago, where leaders reaffirmed their commitment to backing Kyiv amid growing uncertainty over US support.
The administration of President Donald Trump has signalled a shift in Washington’s approach, with Trump stating on Friday that he had received “pretty good news” regarding a potential ceasefire.
Speaking on his Truth Social platform, Trump said there was “a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end.” However, he did not provide further details.
War on the ground
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, the situation on the battlefield remains volatile.
Ukraine has recently suffered territorial losses in the Russian border region of Kursk, which Kyiv had previously seized as a bargaining chip in negotiations.
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed on Saturday that its forces had recaptured two additional settlements—Zaoleshenka and Rubanshchina—just days after retaking the key town of Sudzha.
However, Zelensky dismissed Russian claims that Ukrainian forces were surrounded, stating that his troops were continuing to resist Russian forces in Kursk.
Meanwhile, aerial assaults have escalated, with Ukraine reporting that Russia launched 178 drones and two ballistic missiles overnight.
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed its air defences shot down 126 Ukrainian drones overnight but did not specify how many had bypassed its defences.
