Keir Starmer to carry crunch G20 talks on Donald Trump’s Ukraine peace plan
The PM is set to discuss the US President’s 28-page plan with international allies at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa – as Trump gives Volodymyr Zelensky until Thanksgiving to respond
Keir Starmer will meet international allies at the G20 summit for crunch talks on Donald Trump ’s plan to end the war in Ukraine.
The Prime Minister has stopped short of criticising the US president’s 28-point peace proposal but admitted work is needed to “strengthen” it. He laid out the government’s position as Trump set Ukraine a strict deadline of November 27 – Thanksgiving in the US – to respond to his plan.
Speaking ahead of talks at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Mr Starmer vowed to work with international leaders to “secure a just and lasting peace once and for all.” He added: “We will discuss the current proposal on the table, and in support of President Trump’s push for peace, look at how we can strengthen this plan for the next phase of negotiations.
“There is only one country around the G20 table that is not calling for a ceasefire in Ukraine and one country that is deploying a barrage of drones and missiles to destroy livelihoods and murder innocent civilians. Time and again, Russia pretends to be serious about peace, but its actions never live up to its words. This week, we have seen almost one thousand Russian drones and 54 precision-guided missiles sent into Ukraine, maiming innocent people, including children and the elderly going about their everyday lives.”
The PM took a stand after Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke with US Vice President JD Vance for over an hour about “achieving lasting peace”. The Ukrainian President wrote on X: “Ukraine has always respected and continues to respect US President Donald Trump’s desire to put an end to the bloodshed, and we view every realistic proposal positively.”
Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, who met Zelensky in Ukraine earlier in the week, was also present at the meeting. Trump’s 28-point peace plan – leaked on Friday – includes an immediate ceasefire and Ukraine handing over territory.
The plan states Ukraine must give up the entirety of Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk to Russia. The cities of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia would be frozen along the existing lines of conflict. And Ukraine’s army, currently at roughly 880,000 troops, would be reduced to 600,000.
Some frozen Russian assets would go toward rebuilding Ukraine, while sanctions on Russia would be lifted and Moscow and Washington would enter into a series of “long-term” economic arrangements. The document adds Ukraine would not be allowed to join NATO, but would be eligible to join the European Union, and says elections must be held in Ukraine in 100 days.
President Putin has backed the plan, saying it can “form the basis of final peace settlement” in Ukraine. Addressing members of his security council in Moscow, the Russian leader said: “Despite certain complex issues and difficulties for us, we still.. agree with those proposals.
Putin goes on to claim Ukraine refused to accept the plan, adding: “I believe that is the reason why a new, in essence modernised version of the plan appeared, now comprising 28 points. We have its text.”
It comes after Keir Starmer held a hastily arranged call with France, Germany and Ukraine, where they discussed a way forward to ending the war in Ukraine. A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister spoke to the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, this afternoon.
“Discussing diplomatic developments in recent days, the leaders reiterated their unwavering commitment for a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. They underlined their support for President Trump’s drive for peace and agreed that any solution must fully involve Ukraine, preserve its sovereignty, and ensure its future security.”
