Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 23, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 26, 2026
UK PM Starmer insists on Ukraine's participation in peace talks, emphasizing solidarity and security, ahead of meeting with Trump.
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday that there can be no talks about the future of Ukraine without the participation of Ukraine, setting his stall out before a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump this week.
"Nobody wants the bloodshed to continue. Nobody, least of all the Ukrainians," he told the Scottish Labour Party conference in Glasgow.
"But after everything that they have suffered, after everything that they have fought for, there could be no discussion about Ukraine without Ukraine, and the people of Ukraine must have a long-term secure future."
Starmer visits Washington on Thursday in the footsteps of French President Emmanuel Macron, who will meet Trump on Monday, exactly three years after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Both leaders are expected to try to convince Trump not to rush to a ceasefire deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin at any cost, keep Europe involved in the process and discuss military guarantees to Ukraine.
On Friday Trump told the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Audio that Starmer and Macron "haven't done anything" to end the war in Ukraine.
Starmer said on Sunday that the need to maintain solidarity with Ukraine is not only right morally, but is also in Britain's national interest.
"Instability in Europe always washes up on our shores, and this is a generational moment," he said.
Starmer said he supports U.S. calls for Europe to take greater responsibility for its security and that Britain will take a leading part.
"We have to be ready to play our role if a force is required in Ukraine once a peace agreement is reached, and we have to be ready to reshape our economy with industrial policy, to stand up for Ukraine, to stand up for Europe, but most of all to stand up for our security."
(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by David Goodman)
Keir Starmer stated that there can be no discussion about Ukraine's future without Ukraine's participation, emphasizing the importance of including the Ukrainian people in the talks.
Starmer mentioned that instability in Europe affects the UK directly, asserting that it is a generational moment that requires Britain's active involvement.
He expressed support for U.S. calls for Europe to take greater responsibility for its security and indicated that Britain would play a leading role in this effort.
Trump criticized both Starmer and Macron, claiming they 'haven't done anything' to end the war in Ukraine, highlighting the challenges in diplomatic efforts.
Starmer indicated that the UK must be prepared to contribute militarily if necessary once a peace agreement is reached and to reshape its economy to support Ukraine.
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