UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin will "sooner or later" have to "come to the table," following a virtual summit led by Downing Street on Saturday to muster support for a coalition that would guard any potential ceasefire in the current Ukraine conflict.
During the call, which was with 26 leaders, Starmer called for the coalition to focus on empowering Ukraine, obtaining guarantees for any ceasefire, and maintaining pressure on Moscow. He noted that while Ukraine had demonstrated its desire for peace by agreeing to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, it was Putin who was attempting to drag his feet.
Starmer made it plain that, if Putin is serious about peace, he must stop his "barbaric attacks on Ukraine" and agree to a ceasefire. "The world is watching," Starmer said.
Following the summit, Starmer reiterated that military leaders would meet again on Thursday in the UK as the coalition enters the "operational phase." He was optimistic about the growing resolve of the coalition and new commitments made on the call.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed Starmer's sentiments, saying that Russia must be prepared to support a ceasefire in the direction of a "just and lasting peace." Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof also went out of his way to demand maintaining the pressure on Russia to get back to the negotiating table.
Meanwhile, fighting rages on as Russia is reporting that it has taken two more villages in the Kursk border region, amid its efforts to reclaim territory lost to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was at the summit, denied that Ukrainian troops were encircled in Kursk, saying his forces were still holding Russian and North Korean troops at bay in the region.
Russia's defense ministry announced that it had taken control of the villages of Zaoleshenka and Rubanshchina, and Ukraine reported that it had downed 130 Iranian-made Shahed drones in 14 regions of the country.
As Moscow intensifies its activities in the Kursk region, Putin has called on Ukrainian troops to lay down their arms, with former US President Donald Trump making a plea to Russia not to kill them. Starmer condemned Putin's rejection of Trump's request for a ceasefire as additional evidence that the Russian president does not want peace.
Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have been working on building a "coalition of the willing," which would provide Ukraine security guarantees and deter Putin from violating any ceasefire agreement. The two leaders have suggested that British and French troops could be deployed onto the ground in Ukraine, though it is unclear whether other countries would be willing to make the same commitment.
Macron also participated in demands for Russia to consent to the offer of ceasefire and stop its "acts of violence" in Ukraine, while Germany condemned Putin's response to the US offer of ceasefire as a "delaying tactic."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was hopeful about the prospect of a truce, but said there was a lot still to be done.
On the military side, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was clear that Italy would have no part in any ground force, but Commonwealth countries such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand were among those in the discussions. Some other leaders present at the summit included NATO Chief Mark Rutte, European Union leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, and the heads of Germany, Spain, Portugal, Latvia, Romania, Turkey, and the Czech Republic.
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