UK’s Starmer to Host European Leaders in London for Ukraine Security Talks
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will host Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and over a dozen European leaders in London on Sunday to discuss security guarantees for Kyiv following a potential ceasefire with Russia, Bloomberg reports.
The gathering will serve as a platform for Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron to update their European counterparts on their recent discussions in Washington with President Donald Trump, during which they advocated for a US military “backstop” in the event of a future breach of any peace agreement by Moscow.
The leaders of Germany, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, Czechia, and Romania have also been invited, according to the Prime Minister’s office. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the presidents of the European Commission and European Council, Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, are also expected to attend.
Starmer will also hold separate bilateral meetings with Zelensky and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, his office added.
The European leaders are seeking a commitment from the US to provide aerial intelligence, surveillance, and air cover as a last resort to support European peacekeeping troops in an alleged case of an attack by Russian forces following a peace deal.
During a press conference with Starmer in Washington on Thursday, Trump declined to offer a definitive guarantee.
“If they need help I will always be with the British.”
