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Sir Keir Starmer has said Europe will need to do the “heavy lifting” to ensure peace in Ukraine, but added “we need US backing”.
Following a security summit in London aimed at ending Russia’s war with Ukraine, the prime minister said that “any deal must be backed by strength”.
He added: “Not every nation will feel able to contribute but that can’t mean that we sit back. Instead, those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency, the UK is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air, together with others. Europe must do the heavy lifting.”
Sir Keir also announced a deal which will allow Ukraine to use £1.6 billion of export finance to buy more than 5,000 air defence missiles.
The PM also said “the US has been a reliable ally to the UK”.
“There are no two countries as closely aligned as our two countries and our defence, our security and intelligence is intertwined in a way no two other countries are, so it’s an important and reliable ally for us.”
He said that discussions on Sunday – “particularly around the coalition of the willing” – were on the basis “that this is a plan we will work with with the US and that it will have US backing”.
European Council president’s statement following summit
Scholz: ‘The path to peace is that Russia ends the war’
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said the “path to peace is the Russia ends the war”.
Speaking to reporters following the European security summit, Mr Scholz said: “Ukrainians can rely on our unwavering support. They must be able to defend their country – with a strong Ukrainian army and a security architecture that works.
“Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.”
Zelensky leaves after meeting with King
A helicopter could be seen departing the Sandringham estate in Norfolk at 6.35pm, following the meeting between the King and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Full report | King Charles meets Zelensky at Sandringham in show of support for Ukraine president
Canada’s Trudeau: Everything is on the table
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has said it was “important for Canada to be there with allies” as they discussed the defence of Ukraine.
“We all have an important role to play,” he said.
“Canada has been one of the strongest countries in support of Ukraine from the very beginning, for over 10 years now we’ve been training Ukrainian defence forces.”
He said Canada will continue to play a “significant” role.
Europe must urgently rearm, EU’s Von der Leyen says
Europe urgently needs to rearm and member states must be given the fiscal space to carry out a surge in defence spending, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a meeting about support for Ukraine.
Von der Leyen added that Europe also needed to show the United States that it was ready to defend democracy.
“After a long time of underinvestment, it is now of utmost importance to step up the defence investment for a prolonged period of time,” she told reporters after the meeting in London.
“Member states need more fiscal space to do a surge in defence spending.”
Some more pictures from the Kings meeting with Zelensky
Pictured | Zelensky meets King
Healey reiterates ‘unwavering support’ in meeting with Ukrainian counterpart
Defence Secretary John Healey has reiterated the UK’s “unwavering support” in a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart.
Mr Healey met with Rustem Umerov in London, as part of Volodymyr Zelensky’s delegation in the UK capital for Sir Keir Starmer’s defence summit.
The pair discussed additional military support such as the prospects of purchasing weapons using profits from confiscated Russian assets, and Mr Healey said the UK is “determined” to secure peace.
The Defence Secretary said that it was “great to welcome my friend Rustem Umerov to London for this weekend’s summit and reiterate to him our unwavering support.
“Together we are all determined to find a path to secure a just and lasting peace in Europe and the best outcome for Ukraine.”
Mr Zelensky was attending the summit of European leaders at Lancaster House in London on Sunday, after the confrontation in the Oval Office with Donald Trump on Friday.
In a post on Facebook, Mr Umerov said that the UK is “ready to increase military assistance to Ukraine and actively engage European partners in supporting the armed forces of Ukraine”.
He said that the pair “reviewed the prospects of purchasing weapons using profits from confiscated Russian assets and discussed the UK’s role in the Ramstein format, as well as its readiness to co-ordinate arms supplies for Ukraine”.
“I am grateful to our British allies for their unwavering support of Ukraine in the fight for freedom,” he added.
Watch | Starmer warns West is at a crossroads after Ukraine crisis talks
Source: independent.co.uk
