Keir Starmer warned the UK must be ‘alert to that ever-present danger from Russia’ – and said Vladimir Putin will ‘keep coming back for me’ if he gets the chance
Keir Starmer has warned a botched peace deal for Ukraine risks paving the way for worse conflict as pressure mounts from Donald Trump to end the war.
The Prime Minister said the UK cannot “let up” in its support for Kyiv and warned the UK must be “alert to that ever-present danger from Russia“. Speaking to the Commons Liaison Committee, he said: “History is littered with peace agreements in Europe which people had faith in but in the end fell apart and led to even worse conflicts.”
The PM was due to travel to Berlin tonight for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders on a plan for peace. “This is a critical period for Ukraine, and not just for Ukraine, for Europe and the UK,” he told MPs ahead of the visit.
“Putin has shown time and again that he will keep coming back for more if he sees the chance. We must never lose sight of that.”
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Mr Starmer said it was for Ukraine to decide on whether it cedes territory and said any peace deal must have strong security guarantees. He said: “We cannot let up in our efforts to bring about a just and lasting peace.
“That affects Ukraine, Europe and it affects the United Kingdom. We could see Russian intent in terms of land, in terms of what they’ve been doing in our waters, in cyber, what happened at Salisbury not so many years ago.
“We have to be alert to that ever-present danger from Russia and, therefore, the work that we do in Ukraine – I’m going straight to Berlin after this to continue that – is to ensure that we deal not just with the terrible conflict in Ukraine that’s been going on for nearly four years now.
“Russian aggression exacting a very heavy price in Ukraine, but it’s about our defence and security as well, and that’s why it’s such a central focus of what I’ve been doing.”
The Ukrainian President has been locked in talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Germany for two days over the terms of a peace agreement.
The discussions centre on a new 20-point plan, which is being kept under wraps, was drawn up to counter a US-led plan which was widely seen as favourable to Russia.
It comes as MI6 chief Blaise Metreweli warned Putin is stalling efforts to end the conflict, and is testing the West with tactics that fall “just below the threshold of war”.
In a speech in London, she said: “We all continue to face the menace of an aggressive, expansionist and revisionist Russia, seeking to subjugate Ukraine and harass NATO. I find it harrowing that hundreds of thousands have died, with the toll mounting every day, because of Putin’s historical distortions and his compromised desire for respect. He is dragging out negotiations and shifting the cost of war onto his own population.
“But Putin should be in no doubt, our support is enduring. The pressure we apply on Ukraine’s behalf will be sustained. Because it is fundamental not just to European sovereignty and security but to global stability.
“Alongside the grinding war, Russia is testing us in the grey zone with tactics that are just below the threshold of war. It’s important to understand their attempts to bully, fearmonger and manipulate, because it affects us all.”