Sir Keir Starmer will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Downing Street on Monday to discuss peace plans for the war in Ukraine. The talks center on responding to American proposals for ending the conflict, which the White House is pressing Kyiv to accept.
The meeting comes as Mr Zelensky completed three days of talks with US counterparts about the peace proposals. Over the weekend, he discussed «next steps» with Donald Trump's advisors and said he is «determined to keep working in good faith».
Ukraine and its European allies are expected to demand security guarantees from the US and what has been termed the «coalition of the willing» convened by the UK and France. They will oppose any territorial transfer to Russia as part of a ceasefire agreement.
Positions and Demands
Russia continues to reject the stationing of allied troops in Ukraine and demands large portions of Ukrainian territory for peace. Negotiators acknowledge that «real progress» depends «on Russia's readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace».
Sir Keir Starmer maintains that Ukraine must be allowed to determine its own future. One of his senior ministers said on Sunday that Ukraine must not be left «toothless» against Russian aggression.
Bombardment Continues
Russian forces continued their assault on Ukraine over the weekend, with drone and missile strikes killing at least four people on Sunday. Moscow's strategy includes targeting Ukrainian infrastructure to deny civilians heat and power.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed the new US national security strategy document, which makes improving relations with Moscow one of Washington's top priorities.
Washington Talks
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is traveling to Washington on Monday for talks with her US counterpart Marco Rubio. The discussions will focus on ending the war in Ukraine, UK-US cooperation on global security, and the ceasefire in Gaza.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
