British Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired a virtual international meeting to analyze the situation in Ukraine and develop collective strategies to strengthen military and financial support for the invaded country. Starmer urged leaders to maintain pressure on Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire, despite the apparent advantage gained by the Russian Army on the battlefield in recent months.
Starmer emphasized the importance of strengthening Ukraine's military capacity, ensuring a continuous flow of funding, and increasing collective support towards Kiev to guarantee lasting peace. The absence of the United States at the meeting was notable, especially after significant changes in U.S. policy towards the war in Ukraine since Donald Trump's return to the White House.
Despite the proposal for a temporary 30-day ceasefire put forward by the United States and backed by Ukraine and in principle accepted by Putin, the Russian leader conditioned his support on certain details under discussion. The virtual meeting focused on analyzing ways to bolster Ukraine both militarily and economically, as well as assessing possible peacekeeping missions in the event of achieving a cessation of hostilities.
Starmer highlighted the importance of intensifying support for Ukraine so that it can defend itself effectively and criticized Putin's delaying tactics. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, also emphasized the need to stop the brutal attacks on Ukraine and achieve a ceasefire. Three years after the large-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine continues to face intense military pressure on different fronts.
Starmer and Macron have played central roles in forming a "coalition of the willing" to persuade Trump to maintain military and strategic support for Ukraine. The meeting, attended by about 25 nations as well as representatives from NATO and the European Union, seeks concrete actions to address the situation in Ukraine and ensure security and stability in the region.
