British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will host a summit on 2 March with European leaders to discuss their response to US President Donald Trump’s push for peace in Ukraine, Reuters reported on 27 February.
Trump has opened negotiations with Russia on ending the Ukraine war, excluding the participation od Ukraine and European leaders. Trump also claimed that Europe should increase defence spending and take responsibility for their own security. European leaders have responded with diplomatic efforts to show unified support for Kyiv.
The London meeting comes after Starmer’s visit to Washington on 27 Feb., where he hoped his pledge to increase defense spending would help maintain close US-UK relations.
“I accept that European allies, the UK included, must do more and that means on capability, coordination and spend,” Starmer told reporters on his way to Washington.
Leaders from Italy, Germany, Poland and potentially Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are expected to attend the Sunday talks. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte may also join.
Starmer emphasized the need for lasting peace rather than a temporary ceasefire and stressed the importance of US involvement in any security arrangement. “We will play our part and I’ve been clear that we will need a US backstop of some sort,” Starmer said.
This position appears to conflict with Trump’s statement that “We’re going to have Europe do that, because we’re talking about Europe as the next door neighbor.”
Despite potential disagreements, Starmer maintained he has a good relationship with Trump. “This relationship between our two countries is a special relationship with a long history, forged as we fought wars together, as we traded together,” he said.
Starmer recently announced an increase in UK military spending to 2.5% of national income by 2027. The boost is funded by cuts to the foreign aid budget, a move that has drawn criticism from development organizations and some MPs.
The planned meeting will come after a series of meeting of the European leaders with he US president Trump. On 24 February, on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron met Trump and said him that France’s goal is a lasting peace in Ukraine, and Paris is ready to provide security guarantees.
Read also:
- Macron, Starmer to urge Trump not to hold bilateral talks with Russia on Ukraine – The Times
- Ukraine still on “irreversible path” to NATO despite Trump’s stance, UK’s Starmer tells Zelenskyy
- UK PM Starmer urges European allies to increase Ukraine support
