UK to defend Ukraine peace deal with 'coalition of willing', Starmer says

Sir Keir Starmer has suggested a coalition of European allies could step up and defend a potential deal for Ukraine to "guarantee the peace".

The prime minister indicated some EU nations could be prepared to increase defence spending to protect any peace deal that is agreed between Ukraine and Russia.

But speaking at a news conference following the summit of EU leaders in central London, Sir Keir acknowledged that no such coalition had yet been formed - and warned that "not every nation will feel able to contribute".

Instead, he said "those willing" - though he did not state which countries this included - would "intensify planning now with real urgency".

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In a sign this could see EU member states send their own troops to Ukraine, he added: "The UK is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air, together with others. Europe must do the heavy lifting."

The summit of EU leaders, along with Canada and Turkey, had been planned for over a week but took on an added urgency following the disastrous meeting between President Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday.

In front of the world's cameras, Mr Trump accused the Ukrainian president - who is met with the King at Sandringham - of "disrespecting" the United States and "gambling with World War Three" when he expressed scepticism that Vladimir Putin cold be trusted to honour ceasefire agreements.

The diplomatic breakdown intensified fears among some Western leaders that the United States could not be relied upon to support Ukraine militarily, with Kaja Kallas, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, posting on social media: "Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It's up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge."

Sir Keir has been positioning himself as a peace broker between the US and Europe following Mr Trump's ascension to the White House, but his task was made more pressing following the clash in the Oval Office - which he earlier admitted he found "uncomfortable".

'Our countries are intertwined'

However, answering a question from Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby, the prime minister rejected the claim that the US was no longer a reliable partner.

"I do not accept that the US is an unreliable ally," he said.

"The US has been a reliable ally to the UK for many, many decades and continues to be. There are no two countries as closely aligned as our two countries. Our defence, our security and intelligence is intertwined."

He confirmed the UK, France and Ukraine would work on a peace plan that will be presented to the US and that the White House would continue to be part of the process.

"The discussions we've had today, particularly the coalition of the willing, is on the basis that this is a plan that we will work with the US and that it will have U.S. backing," he said.

"That is the purpose of the plan and that is why I spoke to President Trump last night before we developed the work on this plan."

Asked whether he had been trying to persuade other nations to join the so-called "coalition of the willing" today, Sir Keir said "a number of countries" had indicated that they wanted to be "part of the plan that we are developing".

"I'll leave them to make their own statements about exactly how they want to make that contribution," he said.

"But we've been able to move that forward. I accept, without criticism and with respect, the position of other countries that may not feel that they want to contribute in that way - but I strongly feel that unless some move forward, we will stay in the position we're in and not be able to move forward."

Extra £1.6bn for Ukraine

Elsewhere in the news conference, Sir Keir announced a new deal which will allow Ukraine to use £1.6bn of UK export finance to buy 5,000 more air defence missiles.

The prime minister said the move will create jobs in the UK's defence sector and would also be "vital for protecting critical infrastructure and strengthen Ukraine".

It comes on top of the UK announcing that it would increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, from the current 2.3%.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves also announced that the UK would give Ukraine an extra £2.26bn for its war effort, funded by the profits made from hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of Russian sovereign assets that Western nations have frozen since the start of the full-scale war in February 2022.

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Europe 'must rearm'

While it has not been made clear whether EU member states will follow in the UK's footsteps on defence spending, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed the urgent need for action.

She said she will present a plan to "rearm" Europe in the coming days.

Speaking to broadcasters outside Lancaster House following the conclusion of Sunday's summit, Ms Von der Leyen said "comprehensive security guarantees" from Europe as well as the United States were needed.

She said "we have to put Ukraine in a position of strength" so that "it has the means to fortify and protect itself" in economic and military terms.

"Therefore the focus is not only on the military supply but also. for example, securing their energy system," she added.

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