- Says move brings resolution, peace closer
The UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, says efforts by United States (US) President, Donald Trump is surely bringing the Russia-Ukraine war closer to an end.
In an official statement on Ukraine after the Alaska summit between President Trump and President Putin, he also reechoed European Council’s call for robust security guarantees for Ukraine.
Starmer’s statement said: “President Trump’s efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended.”
It also echoed the joint statement released by the European Council by reiterating: “the next step must be further talks involving President Zelenskyy. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him.”
Starmer further said: “This morning, I spoke to President Zelenskyy, President Trump and other European partners, and we all stand ready to support this next phase.
“I welcome the openness of the United States, alongside Europe, to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any deal. This is important progress and will be crucial in deterring Putin from coming back for more.
“In the meantime, until he stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions, which have already had a punishing impact on the Russian economy and its people.
“Our unwavering support for Ukraine will continue as long as it takes.”
Meanwhile, a senior Ukrainian parliamentarian said on Saturday that by proposing to abandon a ceasefire agreement in favour of a peace agreement, Trump is taking Vladimir Putin’s position.
“Unfortunately, Trump has taken Putin’s position, and this was Putin’s demand,” Oleksandr Merezhko, the head of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, told Reuters.
“In Putin’s view, a peace agreement means several dangerous things – Ukraine not joining Nato, his absurd demands for denazification and demilitarisation, the Russian language and the Russian church,” he said.
