UK, European leaders unite to draft Ukraine peace plan for US discussions
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday that European leaders had agreed to draft a Ukraine peace plan to present to the United States, a crucial step toward securing Washington’s security guarantees that Kyiv deems essential to deter Russia.
At a summit in London, held just two days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy clashed with US President Donald Trump and abruptly ended his visit to Washington, European leaders reaffirmed their strong support for Ukraine and pledged to increase their assistance.
The leaders also agreed on the need to boost defence spending to demonstrate to Trump that Europe can defend itself. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested the EU could ease debt restrictions to facilitate this effort.
Starmer, who greeted a visibly shaken Zelenskiy with a warm embrace on Saturday, stated that the UK, Ukraine, France, and other nations would form a “coalition of the willing” to draft a peace proposal for Trump.
“This is not a moment for more talk. It’s time to act. Time to step up and lead and to unite around a new plan for a just and enduring peace,” Starmer said.
While leaders did not provide specifics on the plan, French President Emmanuel Macron told Le Figaro before the summit that it would include a one-month ceasefire covering air and sea attacks but not ground combat. He added that European troops would be deployed if a broader peace deal were reached, though it remained unclear whether other nations had agreed to this condition.
Following the meeting, Zelenskiy said he had secured “Europe’s clear support” and willingness to collaborate.
“There will be diplomacy for the sake of peace,” he said in his nightly video address. “And for the sake of us all being together—Ukraine, all of Europe, and definitely, definitely America.”
Earlier, Zelenskiy reaffirmed that Ukraine would not cede any territory to Russia in a peace agreement and expressed continued interest in signing a minerals deal with the US.
He also sought to downplay tensions with Trump following their heated exchange on Friday, saying he believed their relationship could be salvaged but that future talks should take place behind closed doors.
“The format of what happened, I don’t think it brought something positive or additional to us as partners,” he said.
European leaders are moving swiftly to ensure Kyiv is not sidelined in any negotiations after the Oval Office dispute raised fears that Washington could withdraw support and impose a Russia-brokered peace deal.
Several European officials stressed the importance of increased defence spending, seeing it as a potential way to secure US security guarantees for Ukraine.
“After a long time of underinvestment, it is now of utmost importance to step up the defence investment for a prolonged period of time,” von der Leyen told reporters.
Europe must transform Ukraine into “a steel porcupine that is indigestible for potential invaders,” she added.
