Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to urge Vladimir Putin to demonstrate a serious commitment to peace in Ukraine as he co-hosts the Coalition of The Willing meeting in Paris with President Macron.
During the meeting this morning [27th March], Starmer is set to call on European nations to strengthen their military and strategic support for Ukraine while reinforcing the need for sustained diplomatic pressure on Russia.
The Prime Minister is expected to tell leaders that while the US and European nations are increasing their military and strategic support for Ukraine, Russia has yet to show serious engagement in peace efforts.
“The US is playing a leading role by convening the ceasefire talks, President Zelenskyy has demonstrated his commitment repeatedly, and Europe is stepping up to play its part to defend Ukraine’s future. Now Putin needs to show he’s willing to play ball,” he is expected to say.
The meeting follows three days of UK-led military planning sessions at an operational headquarters in Northwood, where over 200 military planners from across the globe discussed how air, sea, and land forces could be structured to provide long-term security for Ukraine. Starmer will present the meeting’s outcomes this morning.
It is expected that Starmer will address the recent ceasefire negotiations where Russia initially agreed to a naval ceasefire in the Black Sea but later imposed new conditions, raising doubts about their commitment.
He will present this as an example of Putin’s lack of engagement in the peace process, saying: “Unlike President Zelenskyy, Putin has shown he’s not a serious player in these peace talks. Playing games with the agreed naval ceasefire in the Black Sea despite good faith participation from all sides – all while continuing to inflict devastating attacks on the Ukrainian people. His promises are hollow.”
The meeting comes at a crucial point as the UK and its allies assess how to continue supporting Ukraine and make real progress. Starmer is forecast to push for greater European defense coordination, including contributions to air, sea, and land capabilities, as well as intelligence-sharing and troop support.
Today, he will say that while excellent progress has been made, lasting peace in Ukraine can only be achieved if efforts are strengthened and credible security assurances deter Putin from returning in the future.
