Starmer to present Ukraine plan to parliament after frantic diplomatic weekend
Sir Keir Starmer is set to make a statement in the Commons this afternoon to present a plan forged with President Macron over the weekend for a European “coalition of the willing” to guard a peace process in Ukraine.
The prime minister will take questions from MPs from 15:30, with an opposition response from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.
Over the weekend, Starmer worked to pick up the pieces following the disastrous meeting between President Trump and President Zelensky at the Oval Office. This resulted in the Ukrainian leader being ejected from the White House after angry interventions from Trump and vice president JD Vance.
Trump labelled the Ukrainian leader as “disrespectful”, whilst Vance demanded Zelensky to be more thankful for US support for Ukraine – in spite of numerous public statements of thanks, with CNN compiling the 33 times Zelensky thanked Americans and US leaders.
Zelensky has since reiterated his gratitude to the US, whilst praising the “unity” shown by European leaders over the weekend. Sir Keir Starmer hosted President Zelensky in Downing Street on Saturday, ahead of a summit of European leaders on Sunday.
The prime minister announced a four-step peace plan developed alongside France, with Starmer and Macron expected to mediate between the US and Ukraine.
President Macron said over the weekend that he is ready to discuss nuclear deterrence for Europe, as part of an effort to step up defence autonomy from the US.
Georgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, warned that “the West must not divide” on the issue of Ukraine.
Lord Mandelson, the new UK Ambassador to the US, told the ABC network that President Zelensky should give his “unequivocal” support to a Trump-backed economic peace deal – arguing that the presence of US companies in Ukraine would deter further Russian aggression.
Mandelson drew criticism from senior figures in Parliament, with the Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey posted on X that “Our man in DC should be securing US protection for our brave Ukrainian allies, not telling President Zelensky what to do.”
Meanwhile, the former foreign secretary James Cleverly posted: “The UK ambassador to Washington isn’t meant to communicate his own opinion, he is meant to communicate the UK government opinion.”
However, the former Tory leadership campaigner praised the prime minister’s diplomatic handling over the weekend, posting that “I’ll criticise him when he has done the wrong thing, but today he’s done the right thing.”