Europe faces ‘once in a generation’ moment for its security, Starmer says
Opening the summit, UK prime minister Keir Starmer – flanked by France’s Macron and Ukraine’s Zelenskyy – highlights last night’s warm reception for the Ukrainian president as he arrived at 10 Downing Street with a group of supporters cheering him on the street outside.
“We are all with you, with Ukraine, for as long as it takes,” he says.
But he warns that “this is a once in a generation moment for the security of Europe,” as he says that “getting a good outcome for Ukraine is not just a matter of right or wrong; it’s vital for security of every nation here and many others too.”
He adds that he spoke with the Baltic nations earlier, as they are “obviously part of our discussion” too.
Starmer says that he intends to work on a plan for Ukraine to “then discuss that with the US and take it forward together.”
Today’s talks will focus on “how we can deliver just, enduring peace together,” he says, and how to support Ukraine “because even while Russia talks about peace, they are continuing their relentless aggression.”
Starmer announces £1.6bn package for Ukraine for air missiles
On top of the £2.2bn loan announced yesterday, Starmer now adds another £1.6bn in UK export finance allowing Ukraine “to buy more than 5,000 air defence missiles, which will be made in Belfast, creating jobs in our brilliant defence sector”.
“This will be vital for protecting critical infrastructure now and strengthening Ukraine in securing the peace when it comes because we have to learn from the mistakes of the past. We cannot accept a weak deal like Minsk, which Russia can breach with ease,” he says.
Any deal will need to involve Russia, Starmer says
Starmer says that any final deal “will have to involve Russia,” but it should not dictate the guarantees that can be offered to Ukraine given the history of Russian breaches in the past.
“That is precisely the situation that I think we need to avoid this time around, which is why we’re going down this road,” he says.
Guarantees needed to avoid further conflict, Starmer says
Starmer also gets asked if he can rule out a conflict between the UK and Russia.
He says that the whole point of the guarantee he is assembling for Ukraine is to guarantee peace and avoid further conflict.
I do not want conflict in Ukraine, in Europe, and certainly not in the United Kingdom. I want stability in the United Kingdom.
The way to ensure that stability is to ensure that we are able to defend a deal in Ukraine, because the one thing our history tells us is that if there is conflict in Europe, it will wash up on our shores.
Starmer confirms plans for ‘coalition of willing’ to police any deal in Ukraine
Starmer says that leaders agreed to keep the military aid flowing and increasing the economic pressure on Russia, and they will insist that Ukraine needs to be at the table for any peace talks.
He confirms plans to assemble “a coalition of the willing” to enforce any peace deal, with the UK set to take a leading role.
We will go further develop a coalition of the willing to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee the peace.
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.
US not unreliable ally, Starmer insists
Starmer rejects a suggestion that US is now an “unreliable ally” and says that it has been a “reliable ally for many, many decades, and continues to be”.
He says the talks today were on the basis that Europe will work together with the US.
Source: The Guardian
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