The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attempt to revive hopes for peace in Ukraine during an upcoming meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky and other Western leaders on Sunday in London, following the conflict between the Ukrainian leader and U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.
According to Reuters, Zelensky is expected to receive assurances of support from Starmer and other European leaders during the meeting.
"On Sunday, Starmer hopes they will offer more concrete measures to support Ukraine and strive to revive a potential peace agreement with Russia, convincing Trump that Europe can defend itself. Some may also urge Zelensky to return to negotiations with the American leader," Reuters reports.
Thus, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Polish President Andrzej Duda have already called on the Ukrainian leader to find a way to restore relations. Nils Schmid, the foreign policy spokesperson for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats, stated on Saturday to Reuters that Europe needs to maintain contact with Trump.
Moreover, Starmer himself previously expressed his "steadfast support for Ukraine" in a statement.
Starmer will begin Sunday with talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. They will then be joined by French President Emmanuel Macron, EU representative Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and leaders from Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Canada, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Romania. The Turkish Foreign Minister will also be present at the meeting.
As noted by Reuters, Starmer hopes to take on a leadership role by proposing that the UK act as a bridge between Europe and the United States. Currently, Starmer aims to cool tensions following the dispute in Trump's Oval Office, the publication highlights.
"The Sunday summit and the extraordinary EU summit in Brussels next week will be crucial in determining whether European leaders can offer Ukraine something concrete and repair the damage done," the publication states.
It is also expected that on Sunday, European leaders will once again insist on conducting peace negotiations involving Ukraine, strengthening Kyiv's position, and providing the necessary security guarantees to ensure lasting peace and deter any future Russian aggression.
Conflict between Zelensky and Trump
On February 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Washington – where a mineral resources agreement was supposed to be signed. However, during the meeting between Trump, Zelensky, and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, a dispute arose, all occurring "live," under the watchful eye of cameras.
As a result of the altercation, the Ukrainian leader left the White House without the agreement being signed.
Bloomberg reported that after this altercation, Prime Minister Starmer attempted to persuade the presidents of the U.S. and Ukraine to return to the negotiating table. However, Trump's team rejected the request to return to negotiations. The White House stated that time was needed to cool down.