British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday amid reports the US has secretly negotiated a peace plan with Russia to end the war in Ukraine. The discussions took place from South Africa, where Starmer is attending the G20 summit.
US officials drafted the leaked plan following meetings between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian counterpart Kirill Dmitriev. The proposals would require Ukraine to cede parts of eastern Donetsk, reduce its army to 600,000 personnel, and pledge not to join NATO.
Starmer spoke with Zelensky alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss the proposal. The Prime Minister has stressed that "the future of Ukraine must be determined by Ukraine" and emphasized he would use the G20 summit to shore up support for Kyiv.
Kremlin responds
Russia's Kremlin stated it has not officially received the US peace plan. Spokesman Dmitri Peskov said: "We are seeing some new elements, but officially we haven't received anything. There has been no substantive discussion of those points." He added that Russia remains "completely open to peace talks."
The Kremlin has consistently maintained that any peace deal must address what Moscow calls the "root causes of the conflict," a phrase used for maximalist demands.
Zelensky's careful positioning
In a carefully worded response, Zelensky posted on social media that Ukraine and its European allies "value the efforts of the United States, President Trump, and his team" and are "co-ordinating closely to make sure that the principled stances are taken into account."
He stated: "We are working on the document prepared by the American side. This must be a plan that ensures a real and dignified peace." His office said the plan "in the American side's assessment, could help reinvigorate diplomacy."
Rustem Umerov, one of Zelensky's most senior officials, denied providing assessments or approvals of the plan, stating Ukraine is "carefully considering our partners' proposals."
European concerns
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated Europe was not involved in drafting the plan. When asked about European involvement, she responded: "Not that I know of." She emphasized: "For any plan to work, it needs Ukrainians and Europeans onboard."
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul characterized the draft as a "list of topics and options" rather than a fully fledged document.
Starmer announces deals
While attending the summit, Starmer announced £400 million in business deals for trains, planes, and submarines at the G20 summit. The Prime Minister told reporters: "I think it's really important to be there and to talk to other partners and allies so we can get on with the discussions around global issues that have to be addressed [...]"
A UK mutual recognition arrangement with South Africa will boost exports by up to £700 million over five years, officials estimate.
Starmer stated that jobs generated in the UK from G20 countries over the last three years total 200,000.
Ukrainian public reaction
The leaked plan has triggered strong reactions within Ukraine. A Ukrainian soldier's widow told the BBC: "This is not a peace plan, it is a plan to continue the war."
A person from occupied territories stated: "I'm trying to keep my sanity here in the conditions of constant propaganda that Ukraine has forgotten us. I hope they will not sign this."
Current situation
US and European sanctions on Russia's two biggest oil producers came into force on Friday.
Russia currently controls approximately 20 percent of Ukrainian territory.
Overnight strikes killed six people on Friday.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
