Sir Keir Starmer has signed a joint statement with European leaders which makes a thinly veiled swipe at Donald Trump following the US President’s attempt to secure a Ukraine peace deal.
The Prime Minister was among 13 European and international leaders to describe President Trump’s draft proposal as “a basis which will require additional work”.
The statement voiced particular concerns about the 28-point peace deal, including on halving the size of the Ukrainian armed forces and barring the ex-Soviet state from joining Nato.
“We welcome the continued US efforts to bring peace to Ukraine, the joint statement issued by the European Council said.
“The initial draft of the 28-point plan includes important elements that will be essential for a just and lasting peace.
“We believe therefore that the draft is a basis which will require additional work.
“We are ready to engage in order to ensure that a future peace is sustainable.
“We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force.
Sir Keir Starmer has signed a joint statement with European leaders which makes a thinly veiled swipe at Donald Trump following the US President’s attempt to secure a Ukraine peace deal
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PA
“We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack.
“We reiterate that the implementation of elements relating to the European Union and relating to Nato would need the consent of EU and Nato members respectively.
“We take this opportunity to underline the strength of our continued support to Ukraine. We will continue to coordinate closely with Ukraine and the US over the coming days.”
And Sir Keir is not alone in his public criticism of the peace deal.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage condemned the plan as “unacceptable” over President Trump’s push to cut Ukraine’s armed forces to just 600,000.
“I don’t think Ukraine being asked to halve the size of their army is acceptable,” Mr Farage told The Telegraph.
“I am waiting to see a counter-proposal from Zelensky’s government.”
The deal would also see Russia keep much of the Ukrainian territory that is currently under its occupation, such as Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk.
Addressing the nation, President Zelensky said on Friday that ‘today is one of the most difficult moments in our history’
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YOUTUBEAdditionally, all sanctions against Russia would be removed, President Putin would regain his seat at the G8, and Ukraine would have to conduct elections within 100 days of signing the agreement.
Speaking to the nation on Friday, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine now “faces a very difficult choice: either losing dignity, or risk losing a key partner”.
“Today is one of the most difficult moments in our history,” he added.
While Zelensky has not spoken with Mr Trump since the plan was leaked this week, he expects to talk to the President in the coming days.
President Trump told reporters later on Friday that “we think we have a way of getting peace”, adding that Mr Zelensky “is going to have to approve it”.
The US President also warned that Ukraine would face losing significant territory to Russia “in a short amount of time”.
Amid the ongoing peace talks, President Trump will not be in attendance at the G20 after his very public dispute with South Africa. JD Vance will represent the US, instead.
The US President claimed that South Africa’s white minority is the victim of large-scale killings and large-scale grabs, though this has been widely discredited.