United to win: British Prime Minister to hold summit of European leaders to plan next steps on Ukraine
Photo: president.gov.ua
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and more than a dozen European leaders to London on Sunday, March 2, to discuss security guarantees that countries can offer Kyiv in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.
Bloomberg reported this.
According to the Prime Minister's office, the invitations were received by the leaders of Germany, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Türkiye, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Romania.
The NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa will attend the event.
During the summit, Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron will brief their European allies on their meetings in Washington with US President Donald Trump, during which they sought to secure American military support if Moscow breaches a potential peace deal in the future.
The British Prime Minister's press service also noted that Starmer will have bilateral meetings with Zelensky and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
For reference:
Europeans want Trump to offer US aerial reconnaissance, surveillance, and air cover as a last resort to assist European peacekeeping forces in the event they come under attack of Russian troops after any peace deal is concluded.
At a press conference with Starmer in Washington on February 27, Trump refused to make such a guarantee, although when pressed, he said:
"If they need help, I will always be with the Britons."
Ahead of the talks, a British official said that even some ambiguity on the part of the United States could be a deterrent, leaving Putin unsure of what the United States would do if he attacked European peacekeepers. But the United States and Europe want both sides to make commitments first, which complicates the talks, said the official, who asked not to be named.
Britain and France have reportedly prepared a plan to deploy peacekeepers in Ukraine after a peace deal is reached and are seeking Trump's support.
During a joint press conference with Starmer yesterday, the US president expressed the opinion that the deployment of American troops to support Ukraine would not be necessary and that British peacekeepers "can take care of themselves." At the same time, Trump assured Starmer that he would "always be with the Britons" if they "need help."
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday. The issue of Ukraine was one of the main issues on the agenda of the negotiations.
It was also reported that on February 24, French President Emmanuel Macron visited the United States. He arrived at the White House for talks with US President Donald Trump.
