U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled a peace plan framework between Ukraine and Russia on Sunday, acknowledging that its success would heavily depend on U.S. support.
Starmer, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders, presented the proposal during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In a move to address concerns from President Donald Trump’s administration, Starmer emphasized the need for European nations to take on a larger role in providing security guarantees for Ukraine if a peace agreement is reached. He also mentioned that the U.K. is ready to send troops and air force assets to help maintain the peace, but stressed the plan’s reliance on U.S. backing.
Macron shared with French media that European leaders were considering a plan to pause air, sea, and energy strikes in Ukraine for 30 days, using that time to negotiate a broader peace deal.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has been working to manage fallout from a contentious meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House on Friday. Zelenskyy remains open to negotiating a rare earth minerals deal with the U.S. He faced further pressure from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said that “security guarantees” for Ukraine would only be discussed after peace talks begin. “Security guarantees, which I prefer to call deterrence, are contingent upon there being a peace,” Rubio explained, stressing that peace must come first.
Zelenskyy responded by stating that “the best security guarantees are a strong Ukrainian army.” He also argued that Ukraine’s failure wouldn’t just benefit Putin, but would be a loss for both Europe and the U.S.
In the U.S., some Republican lawmakers, including Senator Lindsey Graham, have rallied behind Trump’s criticism of Zelenskyy. Graham called for Zelenskyy to either resign or change his approach, following the tense White House exchange. “He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change,” Graham said on Sunday.
Zelenskyy fired back, suggesting Graham could offer input on Ukrainian leadership if he became a citizen of Ukraine. Graham responded, saying, “Unfortunately, until there is an election, no one has a voice in Ukraine.” He expressed doubt that Zelenskyy could ever “do a deal with the United States,” while still acknowledging the importance of the Ukrainian-American relationship.
