UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday insisted that Russia "does not hold all the cards" in Ukraine's ongoing war and emphasized the importance of Kyiv's participation in any negotiations for peace. His comments precede his meeting with US President Donald Trump later this week.
Speaking to a summit of European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by video link, three years on from the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, Starmer reiterated the UK's firm backing for Ukraine.
"I have one very straightforward, simple message today: the UK stands with you," he declared.
Highlighting the need for unity as diplomatic negotiations begin, he further stated, "This is a moment of unity. At this critical juncture, as negotiations start, we must unite to determine the outcome. Russia does not have all the cards in this conflict. Ukrainians are brave enough to fight for their nation because Russia's economy is in trouble, and they have lost the strategic value of their ground forces and the Black Sea Fleet in this doomed invasion."
Starmer lauded Zelenskyy's leadership and told of a personal experience during his recent trip to Kyiv, relating an encounter with a patient named Petro in a burns unit.
"He said to me, 'If Ukraine falls, Europe will fall after that.' And that is what is at risk here," the Prime Minister added.
"That is why we will always stand with Ukraine and our allies against this aggression and for a just and lasting peace," he stated.
As he gears up to sit down with Trump in Washington, DC, on Thursday, Starmer admitted that the former US President has "changed the global conversation" on the war, and that this change has "created an opportunity" to bring the conflict to an end.
"This has provided an opportunity. Now we have to get the basics right. If we wish peace to last, Ukraine has to be at the table, and any agreement has to be founded on a sovereign Ukraine with robust security assurances," he said.
"The UK stands ready and prepared to do this—be it with soldiers on the ground, alongside other European partners, and under the appropriate circumstances. Ultimately, a US backstop will be vital to preventing Russia from attempting another invasion within the next few years. We will do everything in our power to get the best result for Ukraine and for us all," he added.
Starmer also demanded greater pressure on Russia, unveiling a new wave of UK sanctions against the nation.
He reaffirmed that in order to secure an "enduring peace," that is supported both by Ukraine's boosted military defence and tougher economic sanctions on Moscow.
The BBC reported on Monday that the UK imposed more than 100 new sanctions on people and companies supporting Russia's war effort, such as Chinese companies supplying key goods to Russia's armed forces.
Furthermore, the UK Home Office has further imposed travel bans on Kremlin-connected elites.
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