Starmer Says 'Time To Act' On Ukraine As Europe At Crossroads

LONDON -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled a four-step plan agreed with European leaders and top representatives of NATO and the EU to support Ukraine and show they remain united in the face of Russia's aggression.

The British leader said it was a "time to act" for Europe in ensuring Ukraine's security, backing up his call at a summit in London on March 2 by pledging 1.6 billion pounds ($2 billion) in export financing to supply 5,000 air defense missiles to Kyiv.

The summit agreed that military aid must continue to flow to Ukraine, that Kyiv must be at the table for peace talks with Russia, that Europe work to deter any future Russian moves against Ukraine, and the formation of a "coalition of the willing" that will defend and guarantee peace in Ukraine after a deal is reached.

"We are at a crossroads in history today," Starmer told a news conference after the summit of 19 leaders from across Europe, Canada, and the NATO military alliance.

"This is not a moment for more talk – it’s time to act and unite around a new plan for a just and enduring peace," Starmer added.

Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron both said they are ready to deploy their troops on Ukrainian soil to help back up any truce reached between Kyiv and Moscow.

France's Le Figaro newspaper quoted Macron as saying in an interview that the two countries would also propose a one-month "limited" truce "in the air, at sea" as it would be difficult to quickly implement a full peace agreement given the length of the front line running through eastern and southern Ukraine.

The summit assumed fresh urgency following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's disastrous visit to Washington earlier this week and growing concerns over the United States' commitment to European defense under President Donald Trump.

Starmer was quick to point out that he believes Washington remains a "reliable ally" that wants to see a lasting peace agreement to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that is now in its fourth year.

The United States did not participate in the London talks. The summit was planned before Zelenskyy and Trump butted heads in a remarkably tense meeting in the Oval Office on February 28.

Your browser doesn’t support HTML5

'We Need A Lot More Money -- Quickly': British Security Specialist Pitches Rearmament Bank

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were among the European leaders who joined Starmer and Zelenskyy for talks on March 2 at the historic Lancaster House near Buckingham Palace in London.

Prior to the summit, Starmer held bilateral talks with Meloni, who could be an important figure in Europe's ongoing attempts to convince Washington of the need to support Ukraine.

A staunch Ukraine supporter, she is also ideologically close to Trump, who has warmly praised her.

Appearing next to Starmer, Meloni said that London and Rome could "play a key role in bridge-building" after the Oval Office face-off, while adding that it was "very, very important" for Western partners to avoid a schism.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa also attended the summit.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the United States and Europe need to show Russian President Vladimir Putin "that the West has no intention of capitulating before his blackmail and aggression."

On the eve of the conference, Starmer welcomed Zelenskyy at his Downing Street residence, followed by the announcement of a 2.26 billion pound ($2.84 billion) loan to Ukraine to enhance its defensive capabilities.

Zelenskyy said on social media that the loan will be repaid using revenues from frozen Russian assets.

Resuscitating the Trump-Zelenskyy relationship was a key item on the summit's agenda with leaders urging a path to restore the relationship after the U.S. president said Zelenskyy could come back to the White House "when he wants peace."

Von der Leyen said after the meeting that "we’re ready together with you [the United States] to defend democracy, to defend the principle that there’s a rule of law that you cannot invade your neighbor or you cannot change borders with force."

"It’s in our common interest that we prevent future wars," she added.

Zelenskyy has declined to apologize for the U.S. talks breaking down but said he believed the relationship could still be salvaged.

Even before Zelenskyy's trip to Washington, European leaders had demonstrated a growing sense of urgency to make themselves relevant to the Trump administration.

This was spurred by statements from senior U.S. officials suggesting Europe would not be directly involved in Ukraine peace negotiations -- and by signs of warming U.S. ties with Moscow.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused European countries of seeking "a 'continuation of the banquet' in the form of war."

In comments that Russian media reported on March 2, Lavrov praised Trump as "a pragmatist."

"His slogan: common sense," said Lavrov.

Previous crisis talks in Paris last week focused on whether Europe could muster a credible military force to deploy to Ukraine after a cease-fire or peace deal, as well as a longer-term aim of pledges to boost defense spending.

Some progress was made, but there was no decisive breakthrough announcement.

The challenge for the London talks, after the debacle in the Oval Office, is to achieve something more tangible and impressive.

Alongside this, some European leaders are raising the prospect that this goes beyond proving their worth to Washington. Instead, it’s about preparing for a possible scenario in which they cannot rely on the U.S. security umbrella.

The winner of the recent German elections, Friedrich Merz, declared a week ago that Europe needed to achieve "independence" from the United States.

After Zelenskyy's Washington trip, German Foreign Minister Annalene Baerbock said she would back measures to help Ukraine "withstand Russia's aggression even if the United States withdraws support."

Here in Britain, Starmer's position has been echoed across the political spectrum. Prominent figures who have been close to Trump urged him not to burn bridges with Zelenskyy.

Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party and vocal Trump admirer, said: "This is not the end of the story, far from it. A peace deal is essential, and Ukraine needs the right security guarantees."

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "The best way forward now is for the minerals deal to be signed as soon as possible. There is still a path to peace."

He was referring to an agreement that was supposed to be the great diplomatic prize of Zelenskyy's Washington trip, heralding a renewed relationship with the United States.

Those high hopes have been dealt a body blow. In London, leaders are desperately seeking a response.