LONDON, March 2. /TASS/. Leaders of 14 NATO states will visit London to attend a meeting dedicated to the discussion of peace in Ukraine, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer being the organizer.
According to the British PM's office, the leaders of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands, as well as Vladimir Zelensky, European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen, EU Council President Antonio Costa, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte have been invited to the meeting, which is scheduled to take place at the Lancaster House mansion in downtown London. Turkey will be represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Discussing sanctions against Russia
The UK prime minister's office said that the leaders at the summit will focus on addressing three clusters of topics, with the first being "strengthening Ukraine’s position now - including ongoing military support and increased economic pressure on Russia." The second topic was entitled "the need for a strong lasting deal that delivers a permanent peace in Ukraine." And finally, the attendees plan to discuss "next steps on planning for strong security guarantees."
On February 17, French President Emmanuel Macron organized a similar meeting in Paris, but on a smaller scale. The true goal of both the Paris and London summits is to attempt to coordinate the European position in response to US President Donald Trump's peace efforts. Earlier, the US leader said he was determined to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine as soon as possible, after which US and Russian representatives discussed the topic in person. Europeans, however, did not receive an invitation to the negotiating table, after which they increased their activities.
Thus, Starmer announced for the first time that British ground troops could be sent to Ukraine at the end of the conflict as a peacekeeping force. Recognizing that such a plan would be difficult to implement without the United States, Starmer and Macron paid visits to Washington this week. While Trump responded was indirect in his response to suggestions for the US to become a shield for European forces, the French and British leaders' talks at the White House were deemed a success.
Aftermath of Zelensky’s White House spat
Zelensky's visit to the United States, which was described as disastrous by many global media outlets, caused adjustments to Europe's plans to secure support from the United States. On February 28, Zelensky’s meeting with the US president, with reporters present, unraveled into a shouting match, with Trump scolding Zelensky for being disrespectful to the United States, and Vice President JD Vance noting that Zelensky had not ever said a "thank you" for all the support provided to Kiev. The news conference scheduled to follow the meeting was canceled. Trump posted a statement on the Truth Social media platform saying that Zelensky was disrespectful and not ready to negotiate peace for Ukraine.
After that, Zelensky traveled to London, where he will take part in today's meeting. Meanwhile, whereas the majority of EU leaders expressed their support for him, the NATO Secretary General urged him to restore relations with the US president and described their clash as "unfortunate."
The spat in Washington, according to British analysts, can only add to the disagreements between the US and Europe. Today's meeting may show how relations between Brussels and Washington will develop in the future, as well as London, which is attempting to act as a mediator in this situation, while keeping its own (primarily trade) interests and promises to Kiev in mind.
Ahead of the meeting, Starmer promised that the support for Ukraine would stay unwavering. "Today I will reaffirm my unwavering support for Ukraine and double down on my commitment to provide capacity, training and aid to Ukraine, putting it in the strongest possible position," the British PM said.