Keir Starmer urges European unity to support Ukraine, announcing £1.6bn aid and a coalition to deter Russia.

In Short

Keir Starmer affirmed the need for Europe to support Ukraine for lasting peace and announced a £1.6 billion aid package for military supplies. He emphasised the UK’s leadership role alongside France in forming a coalition to stop the war, while highlighting the necessity of US involvement for effective ceasefire efforts.

Keir Starmer has stated that Europe is at a critical juncture in history and must support Ukraine for lasting peace.

He confirmed the UK and France will lead a “coalition of the willing” to help end the ongoing war with Russia.

Following a defence summit in London, Starmer emphasised that any ceasefire plan must involve the US to deter further Russian aggression. He announced a £1.6bn package allowing Ukraine to purchase 5,000 air defence missiles, which will be produced in Belfast, promoting job creation in the UK.

The summit followed a troubled meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump, where tensions were evident.

Starmer stated that European nations are ready to provide military support as part of a united response to the conflict. He described the meeting as historic, despite not securing additional military commitments from NATO allies.

Re-arm Europe

Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission acknowledged a need to re-arm Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron suggested a one-month truce to facilitate de-escalation, though it would not include ground fighting.

Starmer stressed the importance of security guarantees from the US to prevent potential ceasefire violations by Russia.

As the coalition plan develops, there is hope that Ukraine can still gain support from partners.