European leaders fought on Sunday to save Ukraine’s rupture with the United States, with Britain and France gathering a “eager coalition” to develop a plan to end Ukraine war with Russia. They hope that this effort will win the support of a skeptical President Trump.
Gathering in London at the invitation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Britain, leaders pledged to boost the support of President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine after his bitter conflict with Mr Trump last week. But many have also expressed the hope that the two could repair their violation, underlining Europe’s reluctance to eliminate a transatlantic alliance that has maintained peace for 80 years.
“We are at a crossroads in history,” Mr Starmer said after the meeting. “Europe must make the heavy elevation,” he said, but added, “to support peace and to succeed, this effort must have strong support.”
Mr Starmer said that he believed that despite Mr Trump’s anger at Mr Zelensky at the Oval Office on Friday, Mr Trump pledged to a constant peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. He said that Britain and France, working with other European countries, would develop their own plan with Mr Zelensky.
Details of the plan were cracked, but Mr Starmer suggested that Europeans could use it as a base to persuade Mr Trump to commit to US security guarantees. Britain and France have already pledged to contribute troops to a peacekeeping force and are trying to attract other countries across Europe.
“I would not take this step down this path, if I did not think it would give a positive effect on ensuring that we would move together,” Mr Starmer said, referring to Mr Trump.
His comments were occupied by the dilemma facing Europe two weeks after Mr Trump’s surprise to President Vladimir V. Putin in Russia. Neither Europe nor Ukraine currently have seats on the table in a possible peace deal with Trump. Nor did Mr Trump agree to give security assurances to prevent Russia from launching another invasion of its neighbor.
Mr Trump’s irregular exchange with Mr Zelensky deepen the gap. “No one wanted to see what happened last Friday,” said Starmer, who had his own, much smoother meeting with Mr Trump a day earlier.
The prime minister tried to mediate between Mr Zelensky and Mr Trump. Speaking to both men by phone after their conflict, he threw the idea of ​​Mr Zelensky’s return to the White House on Friday night to repair fences with the president, according to a senior British official.
Both leaders retreated, saying it would be better to let the air cool down and the air clean, according to an employee, who talked about the condition of anonymity due to the delicacy of the matter.
Mr Zelensky also expressed the belief that his rift with Mr Trump is not irreparable. “I think our relationship will continue,” he told reporters after a rally in London. However, he received a problem with what happened in the White House.
“I don’t think it’s right when such discussions are completely open,” Mr Zelensky said, adding that “the form of what happened, I don’t think it brought anything positive or in addition to us as partners.”
On Sunday in London, Europe wraps Mr Zelensky in a warm embrace. He won gestures from the 18 assembled leaders, such as President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada.
Mr Zelensky then flew to meet King Charles III on his estate, Sandringham, northeast of London. This visit, at the request of Mr Zelensky, had a symbolic coordination, after Mr Starmer had delivered a rare invitation to Mr Trump by the king to make a second state visit to Britain.
However, behind the choreographed demonstration of solidarity, there was a recognition that maintenance of the United States on the boat remains critical.
“Starmer has two goals,” said Mujtaba Rahman, analyst of the Political Risk Consultancy Eurasia. “Create an offer with Ukrainians and Europeans who maintain the US positively involved in Ukraine’s security, while preparing for a worse scenario where this may not be proven possible.”
This will require European countries to bear a much heavier weight in the defense of Epirus. Mr Starmer prompted leaders to follow Britain to reinforce his military spending. Mark Rutte, the NATO Secretary -General, said that several countries were committed to doing so, though he refused to name them.
On Saturday, after Mr Zelensky’s meeting, Mr Starmer gave Ukraine a loan of £ 2.26 billion (about $ 2.8 billion) to buy military material. On Sunday, it announced plans to allow Ukraine to use £ 1.6 billion ($ 2 billion) in British export funding to buy more than 5,000 advanced air defense missiles.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union would strengthen Ukraine with financial and military assistance, with the aim of turning into “steel steel that is witnesses to potential invaders”.
The War of Ukraine has pushed Mr Starmer into an unusual place for a British Prime Minister: the heart of Europe during a crisis. Over eight years after the country has been voted on to leave the European Union, the rapidly changing security landscape leads Britain closer to Epirus.
Catherine Ashton, a British who served as a high -profile representative for foreign and security policy, said Mr Starmer’s successful meeting with Mr Trump had strengthened his credentials as a leader for Europe.
“It is no surprise that the allies in Europe are gathering in London this weekend and equally surprising that the United Kingdom is being taken much more seriously in Brussels and capitals,” Ashton said.
And yet there are limits to Mr Starmer’s diplomacy. He could not extract security guarantees from Mr Trump, despite the excessive demonstration of the president’s appreciation including the king’s invitation.
In Washington, a Trump administration official said Mr Trump would meet Monday with the leading national security assistants, including Foreign Minister Marco Rubio and Defense Minister Pete Hegseth, to consider and possibly take action for a series of politicians.
These include the suspension or cancellation of US military aid in Ukraine, including final ammunition and equipment missions approved and paid during Biden’s administration, said the official, who spoke about the condition of anonymity.
For Mr Starmer, the crisis is an opportunity to approach Europe. He has long wanted to do this to the commercial front, but he has approached it carefully due to political sensitivities at home. The Labor Party does not want to lose the key voters of the working class, many of whom favored Brexit, in the anti -immigration party, the United Kingdom, led by Nigel Farage.
But strengthening military spending is popular with reformed voters. He stands behind Ukraine and also against Russian aggression also puts Mr Farage, with the story of the sympathy for Mr Putin, in a difficult position.
Either this will allow Mr Starmer to reintegrate Britain’s economy and trade with that of the European Union is another issue. Some analysts noted that the EU was in no hurry to review the existing trade agreement with Britain, which it considers beneficial to Epirus. Mr Starmer’s political property still depends on the driving of his government around Britain’s troubled economy.
“The country is in such a terrible situation that I do not think Starmer will be rewarded that he is an international politician,” said Rahman, an analyst. “It is undoubtedly a dangerous thing for a prime minister to try to build political capital abroad when the domestic agenda is not moving in the direction it wants.”
Mr Starmer’s use by the phrase “The Willing Coalition” had a worrying echo by President George W. Bush in promoting the war in Iraq. Britain, under the Prime Minister of Labor, Tony Blair, joined the United States, but France and Germany did not.
Mr Trump’s statements to Russia and Ukraine could reduce these divisions this time, he said diplomats.
“People realize that they can no longer count on a beautiful Russia and a generous America and that they have to take their act together on many issues, including defense and security,” said João Vale de Almeida, a former EU ambassador to the United States. The British, he said, are “more European than Americans in terms of what unites them in Europe and what unites them in America”.
Still, Mr Starmer, who said he discussed his plans with Mr Trump on Saturday night, rejected the proposals that the transatlantic alliance was over. “I do not accept that the US is an unreliable ally,” he said.
Eric Smitt He contributed a report from Washington.
