U.K.'s Starmer Says Europe Is At Crossroads In History As World Leaders Discuss Ending War In Ukraine | rssama.com

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday Europe was astatine a crossroads successful history and must do nan dense lifting to take sides itself arsenic world leaders met successful London to talk ways of moving together to extremity Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine.

Starmer pledged to proviso much arms to take sides Ukraine, announcing that nan U.K. will usage 1.6 cardinal pounds ($2 billion) successful export financing to proviso 5,000 aerial defense missiles.

His telephone for European friends to summation their arms spending to statement up their ain defenses and Ukraine’s was not a motion that he thought nan United States had go an unreliable ally, he said. No 2 countries are intimately aligned than nan U.K. and nan U.S., Starmer said.

“One point our history tells america is that if location is conflict successful Europe, it will lavation up connected our shores,” he said.

The acme comes 2 days aft U.S. support for Ukraine appeared successful greater jeopardy aft President Donald Trump lashed retired astatine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and said he wasn’t grateful capable for U.S. support.

“Even while Russia talks astir peace, they are continuing their relentless aggression,” Starmer said astatine nan outset of nan meeting.

Starmer, flanked by Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron, said nan 3 of them had agreed to activity connected a bid scheme to return to nan U.S., which has discussed brokering a bid deal.

“To support bid successful our continent, and to succeed, this effort must person beardown U.S. backing,” he said.

The gathering had been overshadowed by nan bonzer scolding of Zelenskyy by Trump.

Starmer said he’s focused connected being a span to reconstruct bid talks, whose illness he utilized arsenic an opportunity to re-engage pinch Trump, Zelenskyy and Macron alternatively than “ramp up nan rhetoric.”

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, greets Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy successful Downing Street, London, England, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

via Associated Press

Starmer says he trusts Trump but not Putin

Sunday’s acme included talks connected establishing a European subject unit to beryllium sent to Ukraine to underpin a ceasefire. Starmer said it would impact “a conjugation of nan willing.”

Starmer told nan BBC he does not spot Russian President Vladimir Putin but does spot Trump. “Do I judge Donald Trump erstwhile he says he wants lasting peace? The reply to that is yes,” he said.

Starmer said location are “intense discussions” to get a information guarantee from nan U.S.

“If location is to beryllium a deal, if location is to beryllium a stopping of nan fighting, past that statement has to beryllium defended, because nan worst of each outcomes is that location is simply a impermanent region and past (Russian President Vladimir) Putin comes again,” Starmer said.

The 3 essentials Starmer listed for a successful bid woody were: arming nan Ukrainians to put them successful a position of strength; including a European constituent to guarantee security; and providing a “U.S. backstop,” to forestall Putin from breaking promises.

Starmer hosted nan gathering astatine Lancaster House, a 200-year-old mansion adjacent Buckingham Palace, pursuing a charm violative past week to seduce Trump to put Ukraine astatine nan halfway of negotiations and tilt his allegiances toward Europe.

Leaders from Germany, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Canada, Finland, Sweden, nan Czech Republic and Romania were astatine nan summit. The Turkish overseas minister, NATO secretary-general and nan presidents of nan European Commission and European Council were besides successful attendance.

European leaders are backing Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy received wide support from leaders crossed Europe aft nan White House fiasco, an exceptional onslaught connected an state broadcast connected unrecorded television.

Starmer embraced Zelenskyy arsenic he arrived astatine nan gathering Sunday.

Europe has been anxious since Trump initiated nonstop bid talks pinch Putin, who had been isolated by astir Western leaders since invading Ukraine 3 years ago. The scramble to stay relevant and protect European interests arsenic their erstwhile stalwart state appeared to beryllium cozying up to Putin was moreover much troubling erstwhile Trump called Zelenskyy a dictator and falsely said Ukraine started nan war.

Meetings successful caller days had provided immoderate dream — until Zelenskyy’s sojourn to nan White House.

Visits to nan Oval Office by Macron, who had declared his sojourn a “turning point,” and Starmer were seen arsenic steps successful nan correct direction. The meetings were cordial and Trump moreover took a gentler reside toward Ukraine, though he would not perpetrate to providing U.S. information guarantees and maintained Europe would request to supply peacekeeping troops.

Within 12 hours of Starmer’s return from Washington, nan talk of bid seemed to illness arsenic Vice President JD Vance berated Zelenskyy for challenging Trump’s assertions that Russian President Vladimir Putin could beryllium trusted.

“Starmer did an awesome occupation of asserting Europe’s agency successful nan warfare connected Ukraine and conveying to President Trump that Europe is consenting and capable to return a starring domiciled successful implementing immoderate reliable bid deal,” said Rachel Ellehuus, director-general of Royal United Services Institute, a defense and information deliberation tank. “Unfortunately, Friday’s White House gathering was a awesome measurement backward.”

Ukraine tin nary longer count connected subject aliases governmental support from nan U.S. aft Trump declared himself neutral successful negotiations, Ellehuus said. She said Europe needs to measurement successful and could merchandise immoderate 200 cardinal euros ($207 billion) successful seized Russian assets to thief money that effort.

European leaders promise to summation subject spending

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said Saturday that Europe faces a historical trial and has to look aft itself. He said European countries person to summation their arms spending to scope astatine slightest 3% of GDP.

“If we don’t summation our effort accelerated capable and fto nan aggressor dictate its conditions, we won’t extremity up well,” he said.

Macron, who said it was morganatic for nan U.S. to displacement its attraction to dealing pinch China and Asia, besides called for much defense spending.

“We should person woken up earlier,” Macron said. “I’ve been saying for years that we request a much sovereign, much united, much independent Europe.”

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Associated Press writers Jill Lawless successful London, Karel Janicek successful Prague and Samuel Petrequin contributed.