Putin must stop playing games with peace, Starmer says, ahead of coalition call
The Prime Minister will host a video call on Saturday, with as many as 25 countries, to develop a peacekeeping mission.
Russian President Vladimir Putin must stop playing games with a ceasefire and come to the table, Sir Keir Starmer said, as he convenes world leaders to discuss peacekeeping in Ukraine.
The Prime Minister will host a video call on Saturday with as many as 25 countries, to develop the peacekeeping mission he has dubbed the “coalition of the willing”.
European nations, the EU Commission, Nato, Canada, Ukraine, Australia and New Zealand are all expected to take part in the virtual meeting, which will look further into how each country may contribute to the coalition.
The countries involved will work to deter future Russian aggression should a peace agreement be brokered by US President Donald Trump’s administration.
Kyiv has given its backing to the US’s 30-day ceasefire proposal, but the Kremlin has so far held out, and Mr Putin and his officials suggested they would only do so if a series of demands are met.
Before he convenes the meeting of world leaders, Sir Keir said: “We can’t allow President Putin to play games with President Trump’s deal.
“The Kremlin’s complete disregard for President Trump’s ceasefire proposal only serves to demonstrate that Putin is not serious about peace.
“If Russia finally comes to the table, then we must be ready to monitor a ceasefire to ensure it is a serious and enduring peace.
“If they don’t, then we need to strain every sinew to ramp up economic pressure on Russia to secure an end to this war.”
Mr Putin has said “the idea is correct and we certainly support it”, but signalled he wanted Ukraine to drop its ambition to join Nato, and for Kyiv to cede control of regions captured by the Russians during the course of the war, before he agrees to stop the fighting.
The Prime Minister added: “Putin is trying to delay, saying there must be a painstaking study before a ceasefire can take place, but the world needs to see action, not a study or empty words and pointless conditions.
“My message to the Kremlin could not be clearer: stop the barbaric attacks on Ukraine, once and for all, and agree to a ceasefire now. Until then we will keep working around the clock to deliver peace.”
During Saturday’s call, leaders will receive updates from countries on the aid they could provide towards enforcing the peace.
The virtual gathering follows a week in which a diplomatic blitz saw Ukraine agree to the US’s peace plan, and US officials flew to Moscow in an effort to persuade the Kremlin to lay down arms.
G7 allies are united in calling for a ceasefire with “no conditions” to halt the fighting in Ukraine, Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said, in a bid to pile pressure on the Putin regime.
Mr Trump has meanwhile urged his Russian counterpart to spare the lives of Ukrainian soldiers who now find themselves surrounded in the Kursk region of Russia, saying Mr Putin can prevent a “horrible massacre”.
