Britain will “never falter” in its support for Ukraine, the Prime Minister has told MPs ahead of a meeting of the “coalition of the willing”.
Updating the Commons after last week’s G20 summit, Sir Keir Starmer reiterated his commitment to a “just and lasting peace” for Ukraine and stressed that Kyiv’s sovereignty “must be maintained”.
And he condemned continued Russian attacks on Ukraine, saying there was “only one nation that deploys a constant barrage aimed at murdering innocent civilians”.
Warning of “a tough road ahead” for Ukraine, the Prime Minister said the UK was “more committed than ever to this cause”.
Sir Keir told MPs: “This country will never falter in our support for the Ukrainian people.
“We will maintain a unity of purpose with our allies, and we will focus on delivering the calm, serious leadership that is needed to advance a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Sir Keir spoke directly to Volodymyr Zelensky, telling the Ukrainian president he could rely on the UK’s support as discussions of a ceasefire continued.
Mr Zelensky said he had had a “good and very productive” conversation with Sir Keir.
Later on Tuesday, the Prime Minister will convene a meeting of the 36 nations in the coalition of the willing to discuss both the peace process and plans for a peacekeeping force to be deployed to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
No 10 said it would not get ahead of discussions among the coalition of the willing on Tuesday afternoon but that “planning has continued on an enduring basis” following the UK and France’s commitment in the summer to a multinational force to help strengthen Ukraine’s path to peace.
Today our delegation returned from Geneva after negotiations with the American side and European partners. 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… pic.twitter.com/bsaKyNXHQH
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 24, 2025
Asked whether Britain was still prepared to put boots on the ground, Sir Keir’s official spokesman said: “If you’re asking me directly, is the UK still willing to put boots on the ground in the event of hostilities ceasing, the answer is yes.”
Tuesday’s discussions follow talks between US and Ukrainian representatives in Geneva over the weekend about a peace plan set out by Donald Trump’s administration following discussions with Russia.
Ukraine and its European allies have pushed back against the 28-point plan, which contained significant concessions to Moscow.
In the Commons, Sir Keir said he had spoken to Mr Trump and welcomed “the continued efforts of the United States to end the war and stop the killing”.
He said the American plan “included points that were not acceptable”, but added that it contained “some very important elements” such as security guarantees from the US and other partners.
And he sought to play down reports that Ukraine had agreed to the terms of a peace deal.
He told MPs: “My understanding is this is not a new agreement, it is Ukraine confirming they are happy with the draft that emerged in Geneva yesterday, which of course doesn’t cover the question of territory.
“So my best understanding is this is a confirmation of basically what came out of Geneva but it isn’t a new set of proposals or agreements in any way.”
Meanwhile US army secretary Dan Driscoll met Russian officials for several hours in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday to discuss the latest developments after the talks with Ukraine in Geneva.
Mr Zelensky is expected to travel to Washington before the end of November “to complete final steps and make a deal with President Trump”, senior Ukrainian official Rustem Umerov said.
