British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed hope that a ceasefire in Ukraine could be announced by summer, according to an interview with The Telegraph aboard the Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier.
It comes amid US President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure a ceasefire agreement within 100 days of his inauguration in January 2025—an effort that failed. Trump has recently emphasized that the US has set a firm deadline for achieving a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, stating, “We have a deadline.
“It’s got to be a ceasefire that is on terms that all parties can accept, including Ukraine, and it’s got to be a lasting ceasefire,” Starmer told The Telegraph.
The Prime Minister emphasized that Ukraine must determine the terms of any peace agreement with Russia, challenging recent proposals from US President Donald Trump.
“In the end, I’m always mindful of the fact that it is Ukraine that must decide on those issues – it’s not for other people to decide on behalf of Ukraine. It is for Ukraine to decide. And Russia must come to the table for that unconditional ceasefire,” Starmer said.
Starmer contradicted Trump’s statements by asserting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not responsible for the failure to reach a peace agreement.
“No. Russia is the aggressor,” Starmer said when asked if Zelensky was to blame. “Never forget that Zelensky was offered safe passage out of his country in the first week of the conflict.”
Starmer refused to endorse US plans to formally recognize Crimea as Russian territory in any negotiated settlement. When asked if he would accept such terms, he responded: “That’s not for me to say. That is part of the discussions.”
The Telegraph reported that Britain continues to push for US security guarantees for a “coalition of the willing” that would involve Western troops based in Ukraine.
In March 2025, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer presented a plan to send up to 10,000 peacekeeping troops to Ukraine as part of a multinational force. The plan aims to protect Ukrainian cities, ports, and nuclear power plants and support the implementation of a peace agreement with Russia.
However, by late April 2025, UK officials indicated a reconsideration of these plans, citing that the risks of deploying a large ground force were now considered “too high” and the available forces “inadequate for such a task”
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