Starmer hopes sanctions will force Putin to make concessions over Ukraine

Sir Keir Starmer has imposed further sanctions on Russia in an attempt to force Vladimir Putin “not just to talk, but to make concessions”.

The Prime Minister said US President Donald Trump has “changed the global conversation” around Ukraine, but that this provided an “opportunity”, as world leaders marked the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

He repeated calls for Ukraine to have a seat at the table for any peace talks, and for a US “backstop” to any peace agreement, which he is expected to discuss with Mr Trump when he visits Washington later this week.

Sir Keir added that Russian President Mr Putin “does not hold all the cards in this war”, pointing to Ukraine’s continued “courage to defend their country” and the prospect of tightened sanctions hitting the Russian economy.

Speaking to a gathering of Ukraine’s allies, Sir Keir said the new package of UK measures will go after Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, used to transport oil and goods in defiance of sanctions, as well as companies in China and elsewhere providing Moscow with military components.

“We must keep dialling up the economic pressure to get Putin to a point where he is ready not just to talk, but to make concessions,” he said in a remote address to the meeting in Kyiv.

The Foreign Office announced 107 new designations, that include 40 “shadow fleet” ships and 14 “new kleptocrats”, including Russian billionaire Roman Trotsenko, as part of the largest sanctions package since 2022.

North Korean officials involved in sending troops to fight for Russia, Kyrgyz bank OJSC Keremet, and companies in China, Turkey and India that supply tools and goods to Russia’s military, were also listed.

The UK will put another £20 million into medical and rehabilitation support for Ukrainians on the front line, doubling the project’s funding, the Ministry of Defence said.

Sir Keir later said the UK would “play its full part” and welcomed the lead the US is taking on peace negotiations during a call with G7 leaders including Mr Trump, whose overtures to the Russian president have alarmed Ukraine’s allies.

The Prime Minister paid tribute to Ukraine’s “resilience, courage and leadership” over the last three years, Sir Keir’s official spokesman said.

“He welcomed the lead President Trump is taking on delivering peace, and committed to working with him and other G7 leaders to deliver a just and lasting peace.”

He told the Kyiv meeting: “President Trump has changed the global conversation over the last few weeks, and it has created an opportunity. Now we must get the fundamentals right.

“If we want peace to endure, Ukraine must have a seat at the table, and any settlement must be based on a sovereign Ukraine backed up with strong security guarantees.

“The UK is ready and willing to support this with troops on the ground, with other Europeans and with the right conditions in place and, ultimately, a US backstop will be vital to deter Russia from launching another invasion in just a few years’ time.”

Downing Street clarified that Sir Keir meant the US president had changed the global conversation around Ukraine “for the better”.

“He’s brought about these talks that could bring lasting peace in Ukraine, which is what we all want to see,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.

French President Emmanuel Macron is in Washington for talks with Mr Trump ahead of Sir Keir’s visit.

Mr Trump’s talks with Russia, his description of Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator”, and claim that Kyiv started the war, have shattered the transatlantic alliance on the issue.

The Prime Minister held his second call in three days with Mr Zelensky on Sunday, saying he would be “progressing important discussions” about Kyiv’s security on his visit to Washington.

The Home Office has also announced a move to widen travel sanctions for Kremlin-linked elites.

Local and federal politicians as well as managers or directors of large Russian companies will face exclusion from the UK under the rules, which come on top of existing travel bans on high-profile business figures such as former Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich.

Sir Keir’s visit to Washington on Thursday will mark a critical moment in his leadership as he seeks to balance support for Kyiv with keeping the US onside.

On Sunday, Mr Zelensky said he would be ready to give up his presidency if doing so would achieve lasting peace for his country under the security umbrella of Nato, which the US has suggested is an unrealistic prospect.

Some European leaders and opposition figures have openly condemned Mr Trump’s remarks about Ukraine and Sir Keir has faced pressure to challenge him when he visits Washington.

The Prime Minister has backed Mr Zelensky as a “democratically elected leader”, but avoided directly criticising the US president.

Sir Keir is also facing pressure to use the trip to confirm a timeline to raise UK defence spending to 2.5% of national income, amid US demands that Europe shoulder the overwhelming burden of security on the continent.

Ministers had previously suggested a path towards reaching the target would be set out in the spring after the strategic defence review.