Keir Starmer condemns Russian strikes on Kyiv as Zelensky holds main peace talks with Trump
Keir Starmer holds call with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of his high-stakes talks with US President Donald Trump over ending Russia’s bloody conflict
Keir Starmer held talks with Volodymyr Zelensky today as Ukraine’s wartime leader prepared for crucial face-to-face talks with Donald Trump.
The US President and Mr Zelensky are expected to discuss ending the nearly four-year war between Moscow and Kyiv at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Sunday evening. Before the meeting in the Mar-a-Lago dining room, Mr Trump posted on Truth Social he held a “very productive telephone call” with the Russian despot Vladimir Putin.
As he flew into Florida, Mr Zelensky spoke with Mr Starmer, who has been coordinating efforts with European allies for a Coalition of the Willing. The group of nations has vowed to police any peace deal reached between Moscow and Kyiv. Ukraine’s leader posted on X: “Thank you, Keir, for the constant coordination! I started my morning in Florida today with a detailed phone call with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.”
He added: “We discussed preparations for the meeting with President Trump, as well as all our contacts with European partners. I informed him on the situation on the frontline and on the consequences of Russian strikes. We greatly value the United Kingdom’s support. We will stay in contact!”
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A Downing Street spokesman said: “The Prime Minister spoke with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy today. The Prime Minister reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s unwavering support for Ukraine and its commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace. They condemned Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion, as well as the recent attack on Kyiv.
“Both leaders welcomed ongoing diplomatic efforts and commended President Trump’s continued engagement in securing peace. The Prime Minister and President Zelenskyy agreed to remain in close contact in the coming days.”
Earlier, Mr Zelensky, who also held calls with European leaders over the weekend after days of intense diplomacy, said “a lot can be decided before the New Year“. He urged Ukraine’s allies to continue to pile pressure on Putin’s Russia to “feel the consequences of their own aggression” amid ongoing attacks on Ukrainian cities.
He said over the Christmas week alone the Kremlin’s war machine launched over 2,100 attack drones, around 800 guided aerial bombs, and 94 missiles. “All of this was directed against our people, against life itself and everything that sustains its normal functioning – above all, against our energy infrastructure,” he posted on X.
Overnight on Saturday, missiles and drones hit Kyiv, killing at least one person and injuring 28 while cutting power to thousands of buildings. But as Mr Zelensky travelled to Florida, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov claimed Kyiv and “European curators are not ready to engage in constructive talks”. He told the Russian-state media agency TASS Europe was “making no secret of the fact that they are getting ready to fight it out with Russia on the battlefield”.
During his high-level talks with President Trump, the duo, who last met in October, are expected to discuss a 20-point proposal to end the bloody conflict. Mr Zelensky has previously said a peace plan is “about 90% ready” and that he hopes to discuss an “economic agreement” and “territorial issues” with Mr Trump.
He has also said the draft peace plan includes a US commitment to provide guarantees mirroring the Nato alliance’s Article 5, which means an attack on Ukraine would trigger a collective military response from the US and its allies. But key details are still to be worked out, with territorial concessions the most sensitive of the issues the two leaders will discuss.
