British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that “the world is watching” during a virtual summit with the “coalition of the willing” on 15 March.
The summit brought together 25 world leaders potentially willing to participate in a peacekeeping process in Ukraine.
Starmer opened the meeting with a direct message to Putin. “Putin is the one trying to delay,” Starmer said. He added that the Russian president would “sooner or later” have to “come to the table” for negotiations.
Prior to this meeting, on 13 March, the US special envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Kremlin to present a 30-day ceasefire proposal, agreed between the US and Ukraine on 11 March. After the meeting with Witkoff, Putin claimed that Moscow would accept the ceasefire but demanded Ukraine freeze mobilization, military training, and foreign military aid deliveries during the 30-day period.
During his speech on the summit, the British PM contrasted Ukraine’s position with Russia’s approach, saying, “Ukraine had shown it was the ‘party of peace’ by agreeing to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.”
“If Putin is serious about peace, I think it’s very simple, he has to stop his barbaric attacks on Ukraine and agree to a ceasefire, and the world is watching,” Starmer said.
Amid all this diplomatic efforts to freeze the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 15 March about potential new Russian military actions.
“We are also observing directions along our eastern border of Ukraine, where the Russian army is building up forces. This indicates an intention to attack our Sumy Oblast,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian leader urged international partners to recognize Russia’s intentions.
“I would like all partners to understand exactly what Putin is planning, what he is preparing for, and what he will be ignoring,” according to Zelenskyy.
The US President Trump claimed earlier that the United States could take “devastating for Russia” actions if Moscow refuses to agree on a ceasefire deal with Ukraine.
Read also:
- Zelenskyy: Operation in Russian Kursk Oblast continues, no encirclement of Ukrainian troops
- Starmer: Putin should not be allowed to play with ceasefire in Ukraine
- FT: Putin unlikely to accept ceasefire until Russia achieves war objectives in Ukraine
