Britain must ‘lead from the front’ in Ukraine and ‘tough choices to come’, says Sir Keir Starmer
The UK Prime Minister spoke in Parliament after announcing a plan for a “coalition of the willing” to help enforce a peace deal in Ukraine. He also revealed that Kyiv would receive £1.6 billion in UK export finance to buy 5,000 air defense missiles.
He stated that the difficult decisions made last week are not over and emphasized the goal of achieving lasting peace in Ukraine. He reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to leading in European security.
The Prime Minister’s speech followed a busy diplomatic week, during which he met with former U.S. President Donald Trump, hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and attended a summit of world leaders. Meanwhile, a disagreement between Zelenskyy and Trump in Washington raised concerns about America’s continued support for Ukraine.
Sir Keir described the dispute as unfortunate but avoided taking sides. He stressed that the U.S. is a key ally and that Europe and America must work together for peace in Ukraine. He also suggested that European nations could take more responsibility for Ukraine’s security, though U.S. support remains crucial.
Trump has not confirmed whether the U.S. will provide security guarantees for Ukraine, and recent tensions between him and Zelenskyy have further complicated matters. After the Prime Minister’s speech, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey argued that the UK should reduce its reliance on the U.S., while opposition figures, including Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, supported the Prime Minister’s diplomatic efforts.
Sir Keir has positioned himself as a mediator between Europe and the U.S. as Trump moves away from NATO commitments. He has proposed that European nations strengthen their defense spending to support Ukraine while still seeking U.S. backing.
Shortly after the Prime Minister’s speech, Trump criticized Zelenskyy again, saying the U.S. would not tolerate him for much longer after the Ukrainian leader said the war with Russia was far from over.
