London: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to urge world leaders to commit to a coalition dedicated to upholding any future ceasefire in Ukraine. During a high-level virtual summit on Saturday, attended by around 25 global leaders, Starmer will push for concrete commitments to ensure Russia does not exploit the peace process for strategic gains.
Starmer’s Call for Action
Ahead of the summit, Starmer issued a strong statement condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s handling of ceasefire negotiations.
“We can’t allow President Putin to play games with President Trump’s deal”, Starmer said in comments released by Downing Street late Friday.
He further criticized the Kremlin’s reaction to the ceasefire proposal, stating:
“The Kremlin’s complete disregard for President Trump’s ceasefire proposal only serves to demonstrate that Putin is not serious about peace. If Russia finally comes to the table, then we must be ready to monitor a ceasefire to ensure it is a serious, and enduring peace. If they don’t, then we need to strain every sinew to ramp up economic pressure on Russia to secure an end to this war”.
France and the UK Leading the Effort
Starmer, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, has been at the forefront of forming a “coalition of the willing” to support Ukraine against potential future aggression. This initiative follows direct negotiations between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Moscow.
The coalition aims to provide Ukraine with security guarantees, ensuring that any ceasefire agreement is backed by robust deterrence measures. On Friday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the discussions and revealed ongoing talks with Macron about the technical aspects of ceasefire implementation.
“Our teams continue to work on clear security guarantees, and they will be ready soon,” Zelensky announced on social media platform X.
I had a productive and substantive conversation with President of France @EmmanuelMacron. We discussed many important issues, different scenarios for the development of events, and our next steps.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 14, 2025
I shared the results of the meeting between the Ukrainian and American teams in… pic.twitter.com/ViHmP5c1qj
Troop Deployment and International Commitments
Starmer and Macron have expressed willingness to deploy British and French troops to Ukraine as part of peacekeeping and monitoring efforts. However, it remains unclear whether other nations will contribute ground forces.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin has explicitly ruled out sending Irish troops to any deterrent force, while Turkey has signaled its interest in peacekeeping efforts. Starmer, nonetheless, has welcomed all offers of support, suggesting that some nations might provide logistical and surveillance assistance instead of combat troops.
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Growing Pressure on Russia
France has intensified calls for Russia to accept the ceasefire proposal and refrain from delaying the process through strategic posturing. Macron urged Moscow to “stop making statements aimed at delaying the process” and to cease its “acts of violence” in Ukraine.
Germany has also voiced skepticism about Putin’s intentions. German foreign ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer stated on Friday:
“One must seriously question whether there is a genuine interest in working toward a lasting ceasefire and a resolution”.
Summit Agenda and Future Steps
The upcoming summit will focus on contributions from participating nations to the coalition, ahead of a military planning session scheduled for next week. The UK government emphasized that Starmer will stress two key points during the discussion:
The necessity of increasing economic pressure on Russia to force Putin into negotiations in the short term.
The importance of long-term military support for Ukraine to prevent further Russian aggression.
Global Participation in the Coalition
British Commonwealth allies, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, have already been involved in early coalition discussions and are expected to join the summit. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa will also participate. Additionally, leaders from Germany, Spain, Portugal, Latvia, Romania, Turkey, and the Czech Republic will be in attendance.
However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is not expected to join the call, having already rejected the idea of sending Italian troops to Ukraine.
As global leaders gather to discuss the next steps, the pressure mounts on Russia to demonstrate genuine commitment to peace, while Ukraine and its allies prepare to reinforce security measures against potential future threats.
