A “US security guarantee” is the one path to peace in Ukraine, Sir Keir Starmer has mentioned.
Talking in Paris after an emergency summit with European leaders, the prime minister mentioned a “US backstop” is the “only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again”.
And he mentioned the way forward for Ukraine will not be the one factor at stake.
Picture:European leaders on the safety summit in Paris. Pic: Quantity 10/Flickr
“It is an existential question for Europe as a whole, and therefore vital for Britain’s national interests,” he added.
“This is a once in a generation moment for the collective security of our continent.”
It’s a “new era”, he mentioned, by which nations can not “cling hopelessly to the comforts of the past”.
Any peace deal for Ukraine should “safeguard its sovereignty” and deter Russian chief Vladimir Putin from participating in “further aggression in the future”, Sir Keir added.
Picture:Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron in Paris: Pic: Quantity 10/Flickr
The prime minister joined the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark and the European Union on the Elysee Palace in Paris, alongside NATO secretary common Mark Rutte.
The assembly was known as by French President Emmanuel Macron after Donald Trump shocked continental leaders by arranging bilateral talks between the US and Russia – excluding Europe and Ukraine.
The talks are set to start in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Sir Keir nonetheless insisted that “Europe must play its role”, including: “I’m ready to think about committing British forces on the bottom alongside others if there’s a lasting peace settlement.
“So I will go to Washington next week to meet President Trump and discuss what we see as the key elements of a lasting peace.”
It’s “clear the US is not going to leave NATO”, Sir Keir mentioned.
Evaluation: Sombre Starmer confronts rising new world order
He added: “However we Europeans should do extra. The problem of burden sharing will not be new, however it’s now urgent and Europeans should step up, each when it comes to spending and the capabilities that we offer.
“I spoke to President Zelenskyy on Friday. I will do so again in the coming days. And we envisage further [engagement] with European colleagues when I return from the US.”
Britain will “take a leading responsibility, as we always have”, the prime minister mentioned, including that “democracy must prevail”.
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1:50Starmer ‘prepared to send troops to Ukraine’
Mr Trump shocked Ukraine and Europe final week when he introduced he had known as Mr Putin to debate ending the warfare, with out consulting them.
Leaders have been left scrambling to confront a brand new future by which they’ve much less US safety and help and should do extra to make sure the safety of their very own continent.
‘Completely premature’
Nonetheless, regardless of three hours of emergency talks, European leaders left the assembly and not using a frequent view on potential peacekeeping troops in Ukraine.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the concept of deploying European peacekeepers as “completely premature” and mentioned it was “completely the wrong time to have this discussion”.
He added that folks had been “talking over Ukraine’s head” and mentioned he can be minded to help elevated defence spending provided that that was what European states needed.
Equally, Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen mentioned their nation was “open to discussing many things” however they harassed they had been nonetheless very far off deploying their very own troopers to Ukraine.
