The Power Within: The Kyiv Independent’s first-ever magazine. Be among the first to get it.

pre-order now
Skip to content
Prime Minister Keir Starmer greets Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky at Downing Street on Oct. 10, 2024, in London, England. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer about coordinating steps for Ukraine's security, including a future meeting about peacekeeping troops, in a phone call on March 31.

Starmer, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, has been leading Europe's efforts to provide security guarantees for Kyiv in anticipation of a future ceasefire deal with Russia.

In a phone call March 31, Zelensky and Starmer discussed plans to convene military representatives from the "coalition of the willing," a group of countries that have pledged to contribute peacekeeping troops and other security assurances, at a meeting in Ukraine later this week.

"We are preparing a meeting between our military representatives for the preparation of contingents," Zelensky said via his official Telegram channel.

Starmer also shared with Zelensky details about his recent conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. Starmer and Trump agreed to keep up "collective pressure" on Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call on March 30.

"We appreciate the U.K.'s position regarding pressure on Russia — pressure must be strong enough to prevent the Russians from expanding this war," Zelensky said.

"All the more so now, as Moscow blatantly makes a mockery of our partners' efforts to advance a peace agenda — with constant new drone attacks and relentless, brutal shelling."

Starmer has said that the coalition of the willing will include "planes in the air and boots on the ground" to reinforce the Ukrainian military following a ceasefire agreement. While Downing Street announced on March 17 that the plan had moved into the "operational phase," both U.K. and U.S. officials have criticized the idea as underdeveloped and unrealistic.

Unless you act, ‘it’s just rhetoric’ — Baltic states skeptical of Western European leadership
As the U.S. chooses an increasingly hostile posture toward Europe, the U.K. and France have been gearing up to lead the continent’s defense without Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron has coined the term “strategic autonomy,” which envisions a self-sufficient Europe that can defend itself…

News Feed

7:21 PM  (Updated: )

Trump says 'nobody is asking' Ukraine to recognize Crimea as Russian.

"Nobody is asking (President Volodymyr) Zelensky to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory, but if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?" U.S. President Donald Trump wrote.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.