The UK will “play our part” in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security following any peace deal, Sir Keir Starmer said.
The Prime Minister and Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky discussed a proposal for Western peacekeepers to monitor a future ceasefire, but Sir Keir said his current focus was on ensuring Kyiv’s forces were in the “strongest possible position” on the battlefield.
Sir Keir’s first visit to Kyiv since entering No 10 coincided with a drone attack by Vladimir Putin’s forces on the Ukrainian capital.
“Let’s be clear, we all want this war to end, no-one wants that more than Ukrainians, but right now Putin shows no sign of wanting peace,” Sir Keir said.
The air raid on Kyiv while he was visiting was “a reminder of the daily attacks and the resolve of the Ukrainian people in the face of it”.
In response to the apparent message the Russian attack had sent, Mr Zelensky said: “We will say hello to them, too.”
France’s Emmanuel Macron has been leading calls for Nato allies to deploy troops to Ukraine to safeguard any peace deal.
Mr Zelensky said it was “a bit too early to talk about details”.
Sir Keir said: “We will work with you and all our allies for steps that would be robust enough to guarantee Ukraine’s security, to guarantee any possible peace and deter any future aggression.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer inspects a damaged vehicle in Kyiv (Carl Court/PA)
He said “those conversations will continue for many months ahead”, adding: “We will play our part when it comes to guaranteeing Ukraine’s security but we must never lose sight of the absolute need for Ukraine to be in the strongest possible position as we go into 2025.”
The visit comes just days before Donald Trump enters the White House, potentially signalling a shift in US support for Ukraine’s war effort in favour of a push for a peace deal.
Mr Trump’s pick for secretary of state Marco Rubio suggested on Wednesday that both Ukraine and Russia would have to make concessions to end the war.
Sir Keir’s desire to make sure Ukraine is in the “strongest possible position” is an indication that Mr Zelensky’s allies want to ensure he goes into any talks on the front foot.