I am going to again Ukraine in talks with Trump, Starmer tells Zelensky

Sir Keir Starmer will focus on the significance of Ukraine’s sovereignty in talks with Donald Trump subsequent week, he mentioned in a name with the nation’s president.

The UK prime minister reiterated the UK’s “ironclad assist” for Kyiv when he spoke to Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday.

The 2 leaders held their second phone dialog in 4 days following US President Trump’s resolution to re-open relations with Russia and search an finish to the struggle in Ukraine.

Monday marks three years since Vladimir Putin’s invasion, which UK International Secretary David Lammy mentioned he’ll mark with additional sanctions on Russia.

On Saturday, 2,000 individuals marched to the Russian embassy in west London , i n assist of Ukraine forward of the anniversary of the invasion.

In line with a Downing Avenue spokesperson the prime minister additionally mentioned “Ukraine should be on the coronary heart of any negotiations to finish the struggle” and it might make certain of “the UK’s dedication to securing a simply and enduring peace to convey an finish to Russia’s unlawful struggle”.

Giving particulars in regards to the telephone name, Downing Avenue mentioned Sir Keir and Zelensky “agreed that this was a major second for the way forward for Ukraine and European safety at giant”.

Sir Keir additionally instructed Zelensky “that safeguarding Ukraine’s sovereignty was important to discourage future aggression from Russia”.

The prime minister added “he could be progressing these necessary discussions within the coming days and weeks, together with with Trump while visiting Washington DC subsequent week”.

Zelensky mentioned he had a productive discuss with Sir Keir, with the pair coordinating “our army cooperation, joint steps, and engagements for the approaching week, which shall be very energetic”.

In a submit on X, he wrote: “The UK and its individuals are amongst Ukraine’s largest supporters, and we deeply admire this.”

Writing in the Solar Sir Keir mentioned Trump was proper that European nations should take larger accountability for his or her safety and improve defence spending.

“Now we have talked about this for lengthy sufficient. Now it’s time for motion.

“President Trump can be proper to understand the nettle and see if a superb peace deal is on the desk.

“Each time I’ve spoken with him, I’m struck by his dedication to peace,” he wrote.

Sir Keir additionally mentioned Ukraine should have a voice in negotiations and wanted robust safety ensures, including: “I consider America should be a part of that assure.”

In a separate name on Saturday Sir Keir spoke with European Fee president Ursula von der Leyen and so they agreed Europe “should step up for the nice of collective European safety”, Downing Avenue mentioned.

The UK overseas secretary mentioned upcoming further UK sanctions on Russia would erode President Putin’s “army machine”.

“I plan to announce the most important package deal of sanctions towards Russia for the reason that early days of the struggle,” Lammy mentioned, forward of Monday’s anniversary.

The UK will proceed to work with the US and Europe to realize “sustainable, simply peace,” he added.

Sir Keir’s assembly with Trump on Thursday in Washington DC comes after per week which noticed a flurry of summits and telephone calls as European leaders scrambled to work out the way to strategy the US president’s sudden thawing of relations with Russia.

Forward of visits to the White Home by Sir Keir and French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump mentioned the pair “have not carried out something” to finish the struggle in Ukraine.

He additionally mentioned Zelensky had “no playing cards” in peace negotiations and that he didn’t suppose “he is crucial to be in conferences”.

However UK Defence Secretary John Healey wrote in The Sunday Occasions newspaper: “Any negotiations about Ukraine can not occur with out Ukraine. All of us need the combating to finish, however an insecure peace dangers extra struggle.”

He added: “I am happy with UK management and UK unity on Ukraine.”

Final Monday, European leaders held a hastily-arranged summit in Paris – a day earlier than US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, and amid fears that Ukraine and Europe may very well be excluded from peace negotiations.

On Tuesday, Trump known as Zelensky a “dictator” and mentioned he ought to “by no means have began” the struggle, regardless of Russia invading Ukraine.

Zelensky responded by saying the US president was “dwelling in a disinformation house” created by Russia.

On Saturday, individuals took to the streets of London in response to the US place on Ukraine, marching from exterior the Ukrainian embassy to the Russian embassy.

Margaret Owen, 93, accused Trump of “appeasement”, saying she remembered the Munich Settlement through which western powers signed a take care of Hitler within the years earlier than World Warfare Two.

“It is outrageous. We will not let the world be dictated to by these two inconceivable individuals,” she mentioned of Trump and Putin.

The chair of the Commons overseas affairs choose committee, Emily Thornberry, was among the many marchers and argued for a much less aggressive strategy. The Labour MP mentioned: “We need to affect the US president and we agree there should be peace. Why shout at him?

“You’d get a short-term buzz from shouting at Trump however if you wish to affect him, let’s attempt to affect him.”

“Ukraine must be on the desk, you’ll be able to’t determine the way forward for Ukraine with out Ukraine there and you’ll’t simply capitulate to Putin.

“They need to be invited into this course of by the Individuals and Russians.”

Ukrainian Oleksandra Udovenko, who’s from Kyiv and learning within the UK, mentioned: “I am right here to guard my nation’s pursuits, my nation’s independence, and my nation’s alternative and my nation’s proper to be impartial of any empire on this world.”