British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday that the U.K. and France are collaborating with Ukraine on a plan to halt the war with Russia, as European leaders held emergency talks following a rift between Kyiv and Washington.
Speaking ahead of a summit in London with more than a dozen European leaders seeking a way forward on the three-year-old conflict, Starmer urged world leaders to "work together," saying "nobody wants to see" scenes like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. counterpart Donald Trump's clash in the Oval Office on Friday.
"We have to find a way that we can all work together. Because, in the end, we've had three years of bloody conflict. Now we need to get to that lasting peace." Starmer told the BBC.
"The United Kingdom, along with France and possibly one or two others, will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, and then we'll discuss that plan with the United States."
Ukraine's allies have been underscoring their steadfast commitment to counter growing concerns that Trump is about to sell Kyiv short in negotiations with Russia.
Starmer warmly welcomed Zelenskyy to the British capital on Saturday, the day after the Ukrainian leader was kicked out of the White House, extending a loan to strengthen Ukraine's depleted defences.
The London meeting brings together leaders from around continental Europe, including France, Germany, Denmark and Italy as well as Türkiye, NATO and the European Union.
With fears growing over whether the United States will continue to support NATO, the meeting will also address the need for Europe to increase defense cooperation.
In addition to attending the security summit, Zelenskyy is also due to meet King Charles III during his visit.
As Zelenskyy's convoy swept into London on Saturday, a crowd of supporters cheered.
"You're very, very welcome here in Downing Street," Starmer told Zelenskyy before their 75-minute closed-door talks.
Zelenskyy effusively thanked Britain and its people "for their tremendous support from the very beginning of this war."
The pair discussed Ukraine's position and how to end the war "with a lasting and just peace that will not allow Russia to use the cease-fire to rearm and attack again," according to a statement released by Zelenksyy's office.
They also unveiled a 2.26-billion pound ($2.84 billion) loan agreement to support Ukraine's defense capabilities, to be paid back with the profits of immobilized sovereign Russian assets.
Just hours earlier, Zelenskyy had been shouted down at the White House.
As cameras rolled in the Oval Office, Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance angrily accused Zelenskyy of not being "thankful" and refusing to accept their proposed truce terms.
Trump also accused him of gambling with the potential of World War III.
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, insisted there should be "no compromises" with Putin as the parties negotiate to end the war.
Trump has alarmed Kyiv and European allies with his abrupt pivoting of Washington's yearslong support for Ukraine.
The recently inaugurated Republican has cast himself as a mediator between Putin and Zelenskyy and has sidelined Kyiv and Europe while pursuing a rapprochement with Putin.
Last week, after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and with Starmer in Washington, Trump said there had been "a lot of progress" toward a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine and that negotiations were at a crucial stage.
Though he refused to apologize after the White House clash, Zelenskyy indicated that he was still open to signing a deal on Ukraine's mineral wealth – coveted by Trump.
"Despite the tough dialogue," Ukraine and the United States "remain strategic partners," Zelenskyy said.
"But we need to be honest and direct with each other to truly understand our shared goals," the Ukrainian leader wrote on X.
Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock accused Trump of "switching the roles of victim and aggressor" in the conflict.
"Yesterday evening underlined that a new age of infamy has begun," she said.
Moscow, meanwhile, branded Zelenskyy's Washington trip a "complete failure."
The Kremlin said in remarks aired Sunday that the United States's dramatic shift in foreign policy toward Russia largely aligned with its own vision.
"The new administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations. This largely coincides with our vision," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Russian state television recorded on Wednesday.
