British PM set to call on 25 world leaders to boost Kyiv in lead-up to any peace deal or be ready to ramp up pressure on Russia
As we just mentioned, Keir Starmer has warned that Vladimir Putin cannot be allowed to “play games” with the possibility of a ceasefire in Ukraine, as he prepares to present proposals for a peace deal to a coalition of about 25 world leaders.
The UK prime minister will host a meeting on Saturday of the “coalition of the willing”, a group of nations that have agreed to help keep the peace in Ukraine. He will seek to pile pressure on the Russian president to “finally come to the table” and “stop the barbaric attacks on Ukraine” after Kyiv agreed this week to an immediate 30-day ceasefire.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he sees a “good chance to end this war quickly and secure peace” after Kyiv accepted a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire but Moscow said it would agree only if certain conditions were met. The Ukrainian president also urged the US and other allies to apply pressure on Moscow, reiterating his belief that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, will delay reaching a ceasefire for as long as possible. “If there is a strong response from the United States, they will not let them play around,” Zelenskyy told reporters. “And if there are steps that Russia is not afraid of, they will delay the process.” He said separately that Putin “will try to drag everyone into endless discussions … while his guns continue to kill people”.
