Keir Starmer has warned Donald Trump not to turn his back on Ukraine as he said Europe faces a “generational moment”.
In a strong message to the President he said a US commitment to stopping Vladimir Putin is the “only way” to stop Russian aggression. The PM said Britain must take a “leading responsibility” in keeping the peace if a deal to end the fighting is agreed.
He demanded the US provides a security “backstop”, and said he would be taking this message to Washington DC next week. The Prime Minister said: “Europe must play its role, and I’m prepared to consider committing British forces on the ground alongside others if there is a lasting peace agreement.
“But there must be a US backstop, because a US security guarantee is the only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again.”
Mr Starmer scrambled to Paris to meet fellow European leaders at an emergency summit after the US announced it would be holding talks with Russia about ending the war. Ukraine and Europe have been frozen out, sparking alarm across the continent. President Volodymyr Zelensky said he has not been invited and will not accept a deal forced on him.
The PM stated that Mr Trump has “long expressed the wish for Europe to step up and meet the demands of its own security”. He said the President’s actions were “not a surprise” and added: “The issue of burden sharing is not new, but it is now pressing and Europeans will have to step up both in terms of spending and the capabilities that we provide.”
Mr Starmer said it is a “very early stage of the process”, but added: “I’ve been clear today, Britain will take a leading responsibility, as we always have, because Ukraine must have a secure future. Europe must have a secure future. Britain must have a secure future, and democratic values must prevail.”
After meeting leaders at an emergency meeting called by French President Emmanuel Macron, Mr Starmer said Ukraine poses an “existential question” for Europe.
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(Image: Anadolu))
Asked whether Mr Trump has undermined the UK, Europe and Ukraine by opening peace talks alone, the Prime Minister said: “What the United States wants is lasting peace, that’s what Ukraine wants, that’s what the United Kingdom wants and that’s what European allies want.
“What is important is that we ensure that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position, if we go into talks, or if the fighting is to continue, and to ensure that if there’s discussion about any guarantees that are being provided, that the European nations show willing, as I have done, but also are absolutely clear that it must be with a US backstop, because I don’t believe it will be a guarantee if there isn’t the US backstop behind those security guarantees.”
It comes after he said he is prepared to send troops to the wartorn nation if a deal is agreed – the first time a UK PM has done so since Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion.
The PM warned: “We’re facing a generational challenge when it comes to national security.” And he said that any deal cannot be “just a pause for Putin to come again”.
The emergency meeting was called by French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of talks between senior US and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, set to start on Tuesday. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said he has not been invited and he would not accept a deal forced on him.
Mr Starmer is set to travel to Washington DC next week, where he will discuss the crisis with Mr Trump. The PM said on Monday morning: “I think there’s a bigger piece here as well, which is that this isn’t just about the front line in Ukraine. It’s the front line of Europe and of the United Kingdom. It’s our national security.”
There is widespread alarm that the Trump administration could make sweeping concessions to Putin. It has already said allowing Ukraine to join defence bloc NATO or return to its 2014 borders – before Russia’s annexation of Crimea – is not realistic.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, the PM said: “If there is a peace deal, and everybody wants a peace deal, then it’s got to be a lasting peace deal, not just a pause for Putin to come again.
“So that needs to be discussed. There’s also a wider peace here, which is the collective security and defence of Europe. And here I think we’ve got a generational challenge.”
No10 refused to say how many troops it was prepared to send to enforce a peace agreement – amid demands to dramatically ramp up security spending. Former British Army chief Lord Richard Dannatt questioned whether Britain has the manpower for a long term mission – and said it would come “at a considerable cost”.
Lord Dannatt said: “Frankly, we haven’t got the numbers and we haven’t got the equipment to put a large force onto the ground for an extended period of time at the present moment.” The Government is under pressure to spell out how it will reach its target of hiking defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, as it has promised. No10 said it will do so in the spring – but is resisting calls from military chiefs to increase the target further.
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Mr Starmer called on European governments to “step up” defence capabilities and funding, and said the UK was committed to spending 2.5%. Health Secretary Wes Streeting refused to say whether this would impact the Government being able to meet other pledges – such as cutting waiting lists.
He said: “There is no greater priority for any government, or any government worthy of the name, than the security of the nation. And as I say, the Prime Minister feels this very strongly too.”
Mr Trump has called on NATO members to commit 5% to defence spending, while NATO chief Mark Rutte urged them to stretch to 3%. There are questions over the amount of resources the US would be prepared to deploy in Ukraine if peace was agreed.
Last week US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said it was not “realistic” for Ukraine to join NATO or return to its pre-2014 borders. It sparked a wave of criticism, with the Trump administration accused of capitulating to Putin.
It comes as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio travelled to Saudi Arabia for talks with Russian officials, aimed at ending the war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin’s aide, Yuriy Ushakov, were flying out to Riyadh for talks planned for Tuesday, Russian state-run media reported. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks will be focused on “restoring the entire complex of US-Russian relations” as well as setting up possible talks on Ukraine and a meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin.
Senior US figures including secretary of state Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Russian counterparts. This will be the first high-level meeting between the two nations since the invasion of Ukraine.
European leaders – including Mr Starmer – have insisted they should be central to discussions, and the decision to exclude Europe has sparked alarm. Last week Mr Trump spoke to Putin on the phone, and later said the two leaders had agreed to start negotiations to end the war.
Lavrov insisted there was no role for Europe during the make-or-break talks. He said: “If they’re going to come up with some crafty ideas about freezing the conflict like this, and they themselves … have in mind the continuation of the war, then why invite them?”
For the first time Mr Starmer has confirmed he is prepared for British troops to be part of an international mission to safeguard Ukraine when fighting stops. He said: “I do not say that lightly.
“I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way.”
Any British forces committed to Ukraine would be part of an international peacekeeping mission. He said the US should be a critical part of this.
Mr Starmer called on Mr Trump not to exclude Mr Zelensky from talks, stating: “Ukraine must be at the table in these negotiations, because anything less would accept Putin’s position that Ukraine is not a real nation.” He went on: “We cannot have another situation like Afghanistan, where the US negotiated directly with the Taliban and cut out the Afghan government.”