Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed he will travel to Washington to attend Monday’s White House talks between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Downing Street said the Prime Minister would be “ready to support” the next phase of negotiations, reaffirming that any peace agreement must include President Zelensky at the table. A spokesperson said Starmer would also stress that Britain’s support for Ukraine “will continue as long as it takes”.
Starmer chaired a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing earlier on Sunday to review progress on security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a settlement. His attendance in Washington follows a wave of confirmations from other European leaders, signalling a strong show of Western unity.
Among those travelling are French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The line-up closely mirrors the virtual meeting of leaders held last Wednesday, ahead of Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Officials said the gathering is intended to build momentum towards a framework that balances Ukraine’s security needs with efforts to end the war.
In the meantime, President Zelensky is due to meet Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels this afternoon before joining another virtual round of discussions with European leaders, as diplomatic efforts intensify ahead of his appearance at the White House.
