Keir Starmer has urged Vladimir Putin to consider a peace deal (Image: DX)
Keir Starmer has warned Vladimir Putin to stop his “barbaric attacks” on as he gathers 25 world leaders in a further push for peace. The Prime Minister will host a virtual “coalition of the willing” summit as pressure mounts on to agree to a ceasefire.
Sir Keir will say countries need to strain every sinew to further ramp up economic pressure on the Kremlin and force Putin into negotiations. Countries including Canada, , Australia and New Zealand, along with European partners, the EU Commission and NATO, are expected to join the virtual meeting on Saturday morning. The Prime Minister will tell leaders that now is the time for concrete commitments as Putin tries to “play pointless games” with Donld Trump’s peace plan.
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US President Donald Trump shakes hands with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a meeting in (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
He will say that countries need to ratchet up economic pressure on , to force Putin into negotiations, in the short term and be prepared to support and enduring peace in over the long term.
Sir Keir will also make clear that he will continue to ramp up Britain’s military support to .
Ahead of the summit the Prime Minister said: “We can’t allow President Putin to play games with President Trump’s deal.
“The Kremlin’s complete disregard for President Trump’s ceasefire proposal only serves to demonstrate that Putin is not serious about peace.
“If finally comes to the table, then we must be ready to monitor a ceasefire to ensure it is a serious, and enduring peace, if they don’t, then we need to strain every sinew to ramp up economic pressure on to secure an end to this war.
“Putin is trying to delay, saying there must be a painstaking study before a ceasefire can take place, but the world needs to see action, not a study or empty words and pointless conditions.
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“My message to the Kremlin could not be clearer: stop the barbaric attacks on , once and for all, and agree to a ceasefire now. Until then we will keep working around the clock to deliver peace.”
The call is expected to delve further into how countries plan to contribute to the “coalition of the willing”, ahead of a military planning session being held next week.
The call follows a week of intensive diplomacy by UK ministers after the Defence Secretary travelled to Paris to meet counterparts from Germany, France, Poland and Italy, and the Foreign Secretary travelled to Canada for G7 Foreign Ministers.
Speaking in Canada, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said it would be “wrong” for Putin to place conditions on a ceasefire between and .
He said a pause in fighting would be a “first step” towards allowing talks to start on “a full settlement” to end the war, as US President warned it would be “very disappointing” for Moscow to reject the proposal.
Talks between the US and produced the idea of a 30-day truce, with the US president sending envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow to discuss the plans with the Kremlin.