Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it does not see the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine as a viable solution to the conflict and condemned recent U.K. statements on the issue as provocative.
"At a time when there is a genuine push for a comprehensive, fair, and lasting resolution to the conflict around Ukraine, including addressing its root causes, statements continue to emerge from London that not only contradict the efforts of Moscow and Washington, but also appear aimed at undermining them," the ministry said.
Starmer, along with other NATO leaders, has said Ukraine is on an "irreversible path" to membership of the security alliance.
"Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to the EU or NATO," the prime minister's official spokesman said on Monday.
Asked if Donald Trump could have a veto, the spokesman repeated that "our position on Ukraine and NATO hasn't changed" and that Ukraine is on "irreversible path" to membership.
He said No 10 is working "hand in glove" with Trump on Ukraine, when asked if Starmer was confident the U.S. leader would not try to veto membership.
The security guarantees the U.S. has signalled it is willing to provide will be an "important aspect of the discussions" at the White House today, he said.
Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff has suggested that measures similar to NATO's Article 5 mutual defence provision could be offered by the US without Kyiv joining the alliance.
Witkoff, who took part in the talks between Trump and Russian President Putin last week, said it "was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that" and called it "game-changing."
"We were able to win the following concession: That the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO," Mr Witkoff told CNN.
