The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a four-point plan to work with Ukraine to end the war and to defend it from Russia.
The UK, France and other countries will step up their support for Ukraine in what Mr Starmer called “a coalition of the willing” among European nations.
The British Prime Minister was speaking at the end of a summit of 18 mainly European leaders in London including Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr Starmer said: “We are at a crossroads in history today.”
The summit came two days after angry exchanges between the Ukrainian leader and US Donald Trump at the White House, in which Mr Trump urged President Zelensky to enter a peace deal with Russia but declined to commit US forces to provide a security guarantee.
Mr Starmer said four key points had been agreed at the London summit:
– to keep military aid flowing into Ukraine, and to keep increasing the economic pressure on Russia.
– That any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security and Ukraine must be present at any peace talks.
– In the event of a peace deal, to boost Ukraine’s defensive capabilities to deter any future invasion
– To develop a “coalition of the willing” to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee peace afterwards
Sir Keir said: “We have to learn from the mistakes of the past, we cannot accept a weak deal… which Russia can breach with ease, instead any deal must be backed by strength”. He did not state which countries had agreed to join this coalition but said its members would intensify planning now, with real urgency.
Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Chris Mason, Laura Kuenssberg, Steve Rosenberg and Jeremy Bowen.
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