Sir Keir Starmer has announced that he will kickstart an “operational phase” in his peacekeeping plan for Ukraine, saying that “the world needs action”.
Speaking during a No 10 press conference, he declared that top military chiefs are set to gather in Britain to discuss the next step in their mission to settle peace in Europe.
He made the announcement after meeting with a collection of 25 world leaders during a virtual summit – which was attended by the likes of Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen – to discuss the “coalition of the willing”.
The PM said nations must continue to support Ukraine, ensuring that “military aid [is kept] flowing” and that sanctions are applied to “weaken Putin’s war machine and bring him to the table”.
He said that the moment has come to “accelerate practical work” needed to move towards a peace deal, and that the UK is now moving into an “operation phase”.
“This is the moment to keep driving towards the outcome that we want to see: to end the killing, a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and lasting security for all of us,” he said.
Earlier this month, the PM doubled down on his willingness to put “boots on the ground” in Ukraine as part of a comprehensive four-point plan to support the war-torn nation.
Speaking at a press conference on March 2, Starmer emphasised that “Europe must do the heavy lifting” in supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.