Starmer tells Zelensky he will press case for safeguards with Trump

Sir Keir Starmer has told Volodymyr Zelensky he will press the case for safeguarding Ukraine’s sovereignty in talks with Donald Trump next week as European leaders scramble to contain a growing transatlantic rift.

In a call with the Ukrainian president on Saturday morning, the Prime Minister said he would be “progressing important discussions” about Kyiv’s security on his visit to Washington, Downing Street said.

Sir Keir will meet Mr Trump in the coming days for what will be a critical moment in his leadership amid fragile relations between America and Europe after the US leader launched an extraordinary verbal attack on Mr Zelensky.

The US president has called Ukraine’s leader a “dictator” and said the British Prime Minister and French President Emmanuel Macron, both of whom will visit the White House next week, “haven’t done anything” to end the war.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK, France and other allies have been providing Kyiv with weapons and aid.

In a readout of the call, a Number 10 spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister began by reiterating the UK’s ironclad support for Ukraine and commitment to securing a just and enduring peace to bring an end to Russia’s illegal war.

“The Prime Minister repeated that Ukraine must be at the heart of any negotiations to end the war and that safeguarding Ukraine’s sovereignty was essential to deter future aggression from Russia.

“The Prime Minister said he would be progressing these important discussions in the coming days and weeks, including with US President Trump whilst visiting Washington DC next week. The leaders agreed to stay in close contact.”

Some European leaders have openly condemned Mr Trump’s remarks about Ukraine, which have included suggesting Kyiv “started” the war, and Sir Keir has faced pressure to challenge the president on support for the country.

Britain has so far sought to strike a delicate balance between supporting Ukraine and keeping the White House, which has been holding talks with the Kremlin on ending the war, onside.

But the Prime Minister, along with other European allies and UK opposition parties, backed Mr Zelensky as a “democratically-elected leader” after Mr Trump called him a “dictator without elections”.

Sir Keir also spoke with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday morning and in the afternoon with President of Finland Alexander Stubb, with whom he agreed that Europe must “step up” support for the security of the continent.

“Ahead of the three-year anniversary of Russia’s barbaric illegal war, they discussed the need to secure a just and enduring peace in Ukraine, and agreed that Europe must step up for the good of collective European security,” a Downing Street spokesperson said of his meeting with Ms von der Leyen.

Sir Keir told Mr Stubb the UK is “ready to play a role in future security guarantees”.

Both the Prime Minister and Mr Macron will visit Washington next week after the US President said of the two leaders in a Fox News interview: “They haven’t done anything.

“Macron is a friend of mine, and I’ve met with the Prime Minister and he’s a very nice guy (but) nobody’s done anything.”

He also said the Ukrainian president had “no cards” in peace negotiations.

Following Washington’s warning that Europe must shoulder more of the cost of its own security, Sir Keir is expected to use his upcoming trip to confirm a timeline to raise UK defence spending in a bid to ease tensions.

He is also set to extend an invitation for a state visit to Mr Trump – a known admirer of the royal family.