Ukraine on ‘irreversible path to Nato’, Starmer says in Zelensky call

Sir Keir Starmer has said Britain is committed to Ukraine being on an “irreversible path” to joining Nato after the US appeared to rule out membership for the war-torn country.

The Prime Minister bolstered his backing for Kyiv in a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky as global leaders gather in Munich for a major security conference.

Britain has so far sought to strike a delicate balance between supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion and keeping Donald Trump, who says he has agreed with Vladimir Putin to start “negotiations” to end the conflict, on side.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Secretary suggested to broadcasters in Munich these would be talks “about talks”, adding: “We are still some way from a negotiated peace.”

Sir Keir’s intervention on Friday contrasts with Washington’s position that Nato membership for Kyiv is not a realistic prospect.

In a readout of his conversation with Mr Zelensky, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister began by reiterating the UK’s concrete support for Ukraine, for as long as it’s needed.

“He was unequivocal that there could be no talks about Ukraine, without Ukraine.

“The Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s commitment to Ukraine being on an irreversible path to Nato as agreed by allies at the Washington Summit last year.”

The leaders agreed it was an “important moment to demonstrate international unity and support for Ukraine” and “agreed to stay in close contact”,” and that Kyiv needs further lethal aid and a sovereign future, the statement added.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy discussed the conflict with US vice president JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.

The pair also touched upon Nato, Aukus and the special relationship between the UK and the United States, according to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Following his meeting with Mr Vance, Mr Lammy told broadcasters he and the vice-president “share the view that there has to be an enduring peace” and agreed that Ukraine would “have to be part of that negotiated deal”.

He added: “Negotiations have not yet begun. These are talks, if you like, about talks, and we will continue to support Ukraine.”

It comes after the Ukrainian president warned that Mr Putin is “definitely not preparing for negotiations”, but to “continue deceiving the world” as he appealed for unified pressure from allies on Russia.

G7 delegates are gathering for the Munich Security Conference on fragile diplomatic terms amid fears in western capitals of Washington and Moscow negotiating European security over the heads of leaders on the continent.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy sat down for talks with JD Vance on Friday morning, with the US vice-president seeking to play down splits between Washington and the UK at the start of the meeting.

“Honestly, we have a lot in common, and the special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States will remain very strong,” Mr Vance said.

“We are going to talk about something that he and I spoke about a couple of years ago, which is our shared belief that Europe really should take a big role in its own security, and I’m glad the Foreign Secretary agrees with me on that.”

The UK Foreign Secretary said: “We are committed to increasing defence and encourage our friends across Europe to do the same, and of course we have got important issues to discuss on Ukraine and how we support Ukraine at this difficult moment, and also broader issues of UK-US security.”

Speaking to broadcasters on Friday’s morning media round, Cabinet minister Peter Kyle declined to say whether the US president’s approach to Mr Putin was akin to the appeasement of Hitler in the 1930s.

But he insisted that Ukraine’s voice must be at the heart of any peace talks, as other European countries have said.

“We need to act coolly and calmly going forward, and listen to what President Zelensky says he needs, and to be there to support him for it,” the Science Secretary, who is also in Munich, told LBC.

“It is great that we have a US president that is now so dedicated to bringing this war to an end. His defence secretary said that everything is on the table.

“This is a crucial opportunity and we want to make sure that this crucial opportunity is seized with both hands, and Britain is here in the middle of it, making sure that our voice and our desires and needs are here and taken care of and represented in the best way possible, too.”

Mr Trump said he had spoken to Mr Putin on Wednesday and agreed to “work together, very closely” to bring an end to the war as it nears its three-year anniversary.

He has said Ukraine should have a seat at the table of any discussions, but also insisted he can “trust” Moscow’s leader and that he wants Russia to be readmitted to the G7, from which it was removed over its 2014 invasion of Crimea.

America has already appeared to make some concessions, suggesting that Kyiv must accept it will have to give up some territory to the Kremlin, and that the country joining Nato was out of the question.

That position is a major blow to Mr Zelensky, as admission of new nations to the military bloc requires unanimous approval from existing members.

Meanwhile, Nato’s official stance – endorsed by Sir Keir’s Government in the UK/Ukraine 100-year partnership and reiterated by the Prime Minister on Friday – is that Ukraine is on an “irreversible” path to joining the alliance.

Mr Lammy will meet a series of allies at the summit in Germany on Friday before a dinner with delegates from the US, France, Italy and Germany – the so-called “Quint”.

He will also speak to the widow of late Russian dissident Alexei Navalny at the gathering, nearly a year on from his death, as Britain announces fresh sanctions on key figures with links to Mr Putin’s inner circle.

The Foreign Secretary said he would be “honoured” to meet Yulia Navalnaya, while Pavel Fradkov – a Russian defence minister – and Vladimir Selin, who heads up an arm of Kremlin’s defence ministry, were hit with UK asset freezes and travel bans.

Mr Zelensky, who is also expected to meet Mr Vance in Munich on Friday, appealed to western allies to stand firm and hold Russia accountable.

Writing on social media site X, he said: “Every night, Russia carries out such attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and cities. Russia continues to expand its army and shows no change in its deranged, anti-human state rhetoric.

“This means that Putin is definitely not preparing for negotiations — he is preparing to continue deceiving the world.

“That is why there must be unified pressure from all who value life – pressure on the aggressor. Russia must be held accountable for its actions.”

The Kremlin has denied a Ukrainian claim that Russia struck the Chernobyl nuclear plant with a drone carrying a high-explosive warhead overnight.