Sir Keir Starmer is set to speak to Ukraine’s European allies on Tuesday following the latest talks to secure peace in the war-torn nation.
The Prime Minister will host a coalition of the willing call after efforts over the weekend between the US and Kyiv to broker a truce with Moscow.
Sir Keir and other western leaders had pushed back against US President Donald Trump’s original 28-point peace plan ahead of the talks in Geneva, Switzerland, raising concerns about the prospect of a cap on Ukraine’s armed forces and land being ceded to Russia.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested after the talks ended there were fewer demands of his nation in the revised peace plan than in the original proposal.
Writing on messenger app Telegram, he said: “Now the list of necessary steps to end the war can become doable. As of now, after Geneva, there are fewer points – no longer 28 – and many of the right elements have been taken into account in this framework.
“There is still work for all of us to do together – it is very challenging – to finalise the document, and we must do everything with dignity. We appreciate that most of the world is ready to help us and that the American side is approaching this constructively.”
He vowed to “discuss the sensitive issues with President Trump”, adding: “Ukraine will never be an obstacle to peace – this is our principle, a shared principle, and millions of Ukrainians are counting on, and deserve, a dignified peace. We will do everything for this, and we are ready to work as quickly as possible.”
Mr Zelensky is unlikely to travel to Washington to meet Mr Trump this week, it is understood, ahead of what had originally been considered the deadline for him to accept the peace plan: Thursday, November 27.
Foreign Office officials appeared confident that progress made in Geneva meant this was no longer a hard deadline.
Ahead of the coalition of the willing call, Sir Keir said all partners in the alliance were focused on achieving a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
The peace “matters for all of us, because the conflict in Ukraine has had a direct impact here in the United Kingdom”, the Prime Minister added.
