
UK to host virtual summit on Ukraine on March 15 as peacekeeping plans advance
Ongoing diplomatic and military talks between the U.K. and France aim to outline the structure and responsibilities of the proposed peacekeeping force.
Ongoing diplomatic and military talks between the U.K. and France aim to outline the structure and responsibilities of the proposed peacekeeping force.
"We're looking at putting this plan together in days and not weeks," a senior European diplomat told Reuters.
European countries have intensified talks on sending peacekeepers to Ukraine to monitor and enforce a possible ceasefire. But the potential deployment of European peacekeepers to Ukraine faces a lot of challenges and uncertainties. There is no unity among European countries on the issue, with some of them openly opposing the
President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer might visit Washington as early as next week to present a "united front" on peace in Ukraine, the British tabloid Daily Mail reported on March 5, citing diplomatic sources.
Ground and maritime operations, as well as energy infrastructure, would be part of a potential truce plan, Emmanuel Macron told Le Figaro.
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with King Charles III on March 2 following the conclusion of the European leaders' summit hosted by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Key developments on March 1 - 2: * Europe developing 'coalition of the willing' to back ceasefire in Ukraine, Starmer says * UK to provide $2.8 billion loan to Ukraine backed by frozen Russian assets * Macron, Starmer working to pacify Zelensky-Trump relations 'because what is at stake is too important' * U.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on March 2 that the U.K. had reached an agreement with Kyiv to provide Ukraine with 1.6 billion pounds ($2 billion) for the purchase of 5,000 air defense missiles.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on March 2 that a number of European nations, including the U.K. and France, are developing a 'coalition of the willing' that will include "planes in the air and boots on the ground" in an effort to negotiate a successful ceasefire in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and other top Western officials arrived for a London summit to discuss support for Kyiv, the Guardian reported on March 2.
The U.K., France, Ukraine, and possibly other countries will develop a ceasefire plan that will be presented to the U.S., U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in an interview with the BBC on March 2.
"The manifest destiny of the Americans is to be on the side of the Ukrainians, I have no doubt about it. What the United States has done over the past three years is entirely consistent with its diplomatic and military tradition," Macron said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau departed for London on March 1 to take part in a European defense summit focused on shaping the conditions for a lasting peace in Ukraine.
Amid the diplomatic fallout, the Trump administration has privately signaled that it expects a public apology from President Volodymyr Zelensky to mend relations, European officials told Bloomberg.
The loan, which is part of the Group of Seven's (G7) Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) credit initiative, was signed amid President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to London to meet with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
"We stand with Ukraine for as long as it may take," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters at a press briefing on March 1 in London alongside President Volodymyr Zelensky, adding that Ukraine has "full backing across the United Kingdom."
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on March 1, one day after Zelensky's heated exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House.
Zelensky earlier confirmed that he will travel to London for a summit with European leaders to discuss joint defense and security plans to be held on March 2.
Among those invited to the summit are leaders from all over Europe, including France, Germany, Denmark, and Italy, as well as Turkey, NATO, and the European Union.
"I'm working closely with other European leaders on this, and I'm clear that the U.K. is ready to put boots on the ground and planes in the air to support a deal, working together with our allies, because that is the only way that peace will last," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that steps towards a peace deal were "moving along pretty rapidly" and that he expected an agreement to be negotiated "fairly soon," or not at all.
The meeting took place ahead of President Volodymyr Zelensky's scheduled visit to Washington on Feb. 28, where he is set to sign a critical minerals agreement with the U.S.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is heading to Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump and convince him to continue playing a role in ensuring Ukraine's security amid Russian aggression.
It is the largest sustained increase in British defense spending since the end of the Cold War.
The U.K. will impose a travel ban on individuals who have significant ties to the Russian state or have built their wealth through Kremlin connections. The new sanctions come amid broader Western efforts to tighten pressure on Moscow.
Starmer will visit Washington D.C. in the coming week where he will meet Trump and emphasize that Kyiv “must be at the heart of any negotiations to end the war.”
Key developments on Feb. 20: * Zelensky-Kellogg meeting ends with no joint statements at US request, spokesperson says * Starmer to pitch plan on 30,000 European peacekeepers in Ukraine to Trump, Telegraph reports * US refuses to co-sponsor UN resolution condemning Russia, resists labeling Moscow 'aggressor' in G7 statement, media report * Russia
The U.S. delegation reportedly rejected the demand, but concerns remain over what concessions President Donald Trump might consider to secure a deal on ending war with Russia.
"We are, of course, following all these reports most closely... This is a cause for concern because the discussion is about sending NATO military contingents to Ukraine," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said at a press briefing.
"Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia's merciless war of aggression for almost three years... And it is simply wrong and dangerous to deny President Zelensky's democratic legitimacy," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on X.
French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit Washington next week to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, Fox News reported on Feb. 19.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to provide American military backing for a proposed European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, arguing that only a U.S. security guarantee can deter Russia from launching further aggression.