Keir Starmer, the U.K. prime minister, presented a plan for peace between Ukraine and Russia on Sunday. He acknowledged that it heavily relies on the assumed support of the U.S.
Starmer, along with French president Emmanuel Macron and European leaders, revealed the plan during a Sunday meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Starmer, in a concession made to the Donald Trump administration of President, said that European nations would have to “improve their share of the burden” to provide security guarantees to Ukraine if a peace agreement were to be reached.
Starmer stated that the U.K. was prepared to send boots and air assets into Ukraine to make sure Russia didn’t violate a peace accord. Starmer said that the U.S. would also be a major supporter of this plan.
Macron said to French media that European Leaders were discussing a 30-day freeze on air and sea strikes in Ukraine, as well as attacks against energy infrastructure. He suggested that the 30-day window might be used for negotiating a larger peace agreement.
Zelenskyy has also been doing damage control after a disastrous Friday meeting at the White House with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Zelenskyy reiterated that he’s still ready to sign an agreement with the White House on rare earth minerals. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, on Sunday ruled out any “security guarantees” before the start of peace talks with Ukraine.
Rubio said on ABC’s “This Week” that “the security guarantees, or what I like to call the deterrence, is contingent upon there having been a peace.” Everyone says security guarantees will secure peace. But first, there must be peace.
After Sunday’s European meetings, he remained largely unapologetic. He said that “the best security guarantee is a strong Ukrainian Army.”
He said: “The failure in Ukraine wouldn’t just be Putin’s victory, but it would also be an American failure, a European failure, and a failure that would affect Europe.”
There are many Republicans who have backed Trump in his criticism of Zelenskyy. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC.) called for the resignation of the Ukrainian President on Sunday.
Graham told reporters after the meeting that either he needed to resign and we could send someone else over to do business with him, or he had to change.
Zelenskyy replied that Graham would be able to weigh in when he becomes a Ukrainian, and Graham’s response was: “Unfortunately, until an election is held, nobody has a say in Ukraine.”
The senator said that he didn’t believe Americans felt comfortable doing “business” with the Ukrainian President after the television dispute.
Graham has also stressed the importance of the Ukrainian-American relations. He cast doubts on Zelenskyy’s ability to “do business with the United States.”
