At the venue of the European summit in London, the UK and France agreed to work with Ukraine to find a peace deal to present to Washington in order to end the three-year-long war. The discussions with the European leaders came following Volodymyr Zelenskyy's blowout with United States President Donald Trump at the Oval Office during his Washington visit.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a crucial summit on Sunday to find a solution to end the Russia-Ukraine war. The agreed peace plan will be presented to the US, he told during an interview with BBC.
French President Emmanuel Macron has just arrived at an international summit in central London, hosted by Sir Keir Starmer.
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"We've had three years of bloody conflict. Now we need to get to that lasting peace," said Starmer adding that he believes Trump also wants to end the war.
'This is a once in a generation moment for the security of Europe'
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Sitting next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron, Sir Keir Starmer kicks off the Ukraine War summit in London.
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Ukraine President Zelenskyy held bilateral talks with Starmer, and others including Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other leaders from Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, and Sweden at the London summit.
Reportedly, the discussions at the summit focused on strengthening Ukraine's position, including ongoing military support and increased economic pressure on Russia.
Also, the UK signed a bilateral deal to deliver GBP 2.26 billion in loan funding to Ukraine, which will bolster Ukraine's armed forces. The loan is to be paid back using the profits generated on sanctioned Russian sovereign assets held in the European Union (EU).
The European leaders came together at the summit amid fears of losing US military aid to Ukraine.
During his meeting with Zelenskyy, Starmer expressed discomfort over the recent Oval Office showdown. "Nobody wants to see that," said Starmer.
Starmer is positioning himself as a bridge between Europe and America and aims to navigate the crisis. In the aftermath of the White House showdown, Starmer talked to Trump and then invited Zelenskyy for the crucial meet. Starmer also spoke with France President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday.
"The UK and France are the most advanced in thinking of this, and that is why President Macron and I are working on this plan, which we will then discuss with the US," said Starmer.
