ABC News
LONDON — European leaders will gather in London on Sunday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, following a tempestuous White House meeting that thrust U.S.-Ukrainian relations further into crisis.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told BBC News on Sunday morning he had agreed with President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron that the U.K. and France would work on a Ukraine peace plan to then be presented to — and discussed with — the U.S. The prime minister added that “one or two” other nations may be involved in drafting the plan “to stop the fighting.”
In a statement, Starmer’s office said the prime minister will “intensify his efforts in pursuit of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine” while hosting Sunday’s summit in the British capital.
Zelenskyy arrived in the U.K. on Saturday, straight from his visit to Washington, D.C., in which an Oval Office meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance descended into an open argument in front of gathered reporters.
Trump and Vance lambasted Zelenskyy, falsely accusing Ukraine of starting the 3-year-old war with Russia, which began when Moscow troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The American leaders also expressed frustration over a proposed minerals extraction deal with the U.S. and Kyiv’s alleged unwillingness to reach a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
European leaders were quick to rally around the Ukrainian leader and his team, though several stressed the importance of Kyiv retaining good — and repairing damaged — relations with the U.S.
“The prime minister has this weekend reiterated his unwavering support for Ukraine and is determined to find a way forward that brings an end to Russia’s illegal war and guarantees Ukraine a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security,” Starmer’s office said in a statement.
Starmer spoke with both Zelenskyy and Trump on Friday evening in the immediate aftermath of the Ukrainian leader’s disastrous D.C. visit, which ended with the cancellation of a planned press conference and the Ukrainian delegation being asked to leave the White House.
Leaders from Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Romania, as well as the NATO secretary-general and the presidents of the European Commission and European Council, are expected to take part in Sunday’s summit.
The British leader’s statement said the key topics of discussion will include further military support for Ukraine, increased economic pressure on Russia, the need for a “strong” and “lasting” peace deal that “ensures that Ukraine is able to deter and defend against future Russian attack, plus planning for “strong security guarantees” provided by foreign partners.
“In partnership with our allies, we must intensify our preparations for the European element of security guarantees, alongside continued discussions with the United States,” Starmer said in a statement.
Zelenskyy on Saturday thanked Starmer for his “meaningful and warm” reception in London. The president also confirmed that Ukraine and London signed an agreement allowing Kyiv to access revenues generated by Russian financial assets frozen in the U.K.
“I thank the people and government of the United Kingdom for their tremendous support from the very beginning of this war,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media. “We are happy to have such strategic partners and to share the same vision of what a secure future should look like for all.”
Zelenskyy is also due to meet with King Charles III on Sunday, the Ukrainian leader’s spokesperson confirmed to ABC News.
ABC News’ Rashid Haddou, Victoria Beaule, Oleksiy Pshemyskiy and Tom Soufi Burridge contributed to this report.
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