Sir Keir Starmer’s plea to Donald Trump appears to have been instrumental in the decision to overturn an intelligence sharing ban (Image: Getty)
In a stunning reversal, the United States is poised to revoke its suspension on military aid and intelligence support for war-torn , following an influential intervention by
Recently, had after an unsatisfactory encounter with additionally prohibiting allies including the UK from sharing US intelligence with amidst their ongoing conflict with
But in advance of imminent peace negotiations scheduled in Saudi Arabia aimed at resolving the three-year strife, Sir engaged in a pivotal twenty-minute dialogue with , emphasising the critical nature of intelligence collaboration and military assistance. UK representatives have concurrently been persuading Ukrainian officials about the importance of complying with American conditions to restore military support.
Following the conversation, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister expressed optimism for a “positive outcome” from the forthcoming talks.
In the near future, Sir Keir is set to host another summit inviting nations eager to partake in the PM’s “coalition of the willing” to support post-peace agreement. A spokesperson from Downing Street remarked: “The Prime Minister said he hoped there would be a positive outcome to the talks that would enable US and intelligence to be restarted.”
Sir Keir addressed the Parliamentary Labour Party this evening, emphasising to MPs that the “real world is moving quickly and people look to their government to seize it and shape it for the benefit of the British people”.
He further stated: “That’s why I have been clear the security of is the future of Europe and our support for is unwavering. Our defence and security must come first. That is what we owe to the British people.”, reports
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) meets with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (Image: Getty)
Ahead of the negotiations set to occur in Saudi Arabia later today, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed optimism about the possibility of lifting the aid ban, stating: “I think the notion of the pause in aid, broadly, is something I hope we can resolve. Obviously what happens [today] will be key to that.”
However, he noted that any reinstatement of support would require concessions from , including being “prepared to do difficult things, like the Russians will.”
One such example could involve ceding land to as part of a peace agreement.
US officials report that plans to propose a ceasefire covering the Black Sea and long-range missile strikes during today’s discussions, along with exploring the potential for prisoner releases. Furthermore, is reportedly prepared to sign an agreement which include Lithium, Titanium, Cobalt, Silver, Uranium and Graphite, among others.
Following the problematic meeting in the Oval Office between President Trump and President Zelensky last month, the UK has taken steps to prevent a similar situation by sending Britain’s national security advisor Jonathan Powell to Kyiv. His mission is to guide Ukrainian delegates on what to say and avoid saying.
Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, left, and Keir Starmer, UK prime minister, centre, and Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, agreed to work together on peace proposals ahead of the talks. (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, President Trump is also hopeful about the upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia, expressing confidence that they will make “a lot of progress” towards resolving the conflict. In a shift from his previous position, the President claimed that the US had “just about” lifted the ban on sharing intelligence with , just before the talks.
However, Ukrainian officials maintain that they are still impacted by this decision. The talks on Tuesday follow an agreement between President Zelensky, Sir , and French President Emmanuel Macron to collaborate on peace proposals aimed at ending the ongoing conflict with , which has devastated for the past three years.