Starmer Urges Putin to Prove He is Serious about Peace by Signing up to Ukraine Ceasefire

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Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks at a press conference following this morning's virtual summit video conference at 10 Downing Street in London, England, March 15, 2025. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)
1 of 11 Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks at a press conference following this morning's virtual summit video conference at 10 Downing Street in London, England, March 15, 2025. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)
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Starmer Urges Putin to Prove He is Serious about Peace by Signing up to Ukraine Ceasefire

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Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks at a press conference following this morning's virtual summit video conference at 10 Downing Street in London, England, March 15, 2025. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)
1 of 11 Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks at a press conference following this morning's virtual summit video conference at 10 Downing Street in London, England, March 15, 2025. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to sign up to a ceasefire in its war against Ukraine if he is “serious about peace” and said allies will “keep the pressure” on the Kremlin, including financially and militarily.

At the end of a virtual meeting of what he has termed the “coalition of the willing,” Starmer said the Kremlin’s “dithering and delay” over US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire proposal, and Russia’s “continued barbaric attacks” on Ukraine, “run entirely counter” to Putin’s stated desire for peace.

“We agreed that now the ball was in Russia’s court, and President Putin must prove he is serious about peace and sign up to a ceasefire on equal terms,” the prime minister said.

Around 30 leaders were involved in the call, including European partners such as French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Also present were Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders from Australia, Canada and New Zealand, as well as officials from NATO and the European Union’s executive.

Starmer convened the meeting, the second in two weeks, as a means of helping Ukraine in the face of a change of approach by the US, following the return of President Donald Trump, as well as gauging support for any future possible peacekeeping mission. Many more countries were involved this time than the previous meeting on March 2.

He said there was a “stronger collective resolve and new commitments were put on the table,” both in relation of the “coalition of the willing in terms of defending the deal” and also on the wider issue of the defense and security of Europe, The AP reported.

Troops in Ukraine to safeguard peace Starmer said all those attending had reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine’s long-term security, and agreed that Ukraine "must be able to defend itself and deter future Russian aggression."

He added that “robust and credible security arrangements” are the best way to ensure lasting peace in Ukraine, and said military planners would convene again in the U.K. this week to progress practical plans to support Ukraine’s future security.

Without providing precise details, Starmer again said the allies were ready to put troops into Ukraine in order to safeguard the peace after any ceasefire. The UK and France have been working to get Ukraine’s allies to provide troops, weapons or other aid to a European military force that could be deployed to reassure Ukraine and deter Russia from attacking again.

“We will build up Ukraine’s own defenses and armed forces, and be ready to deploy as a ‘coalition of the willing’ in the event of a peace deal, to help secure Ukraine on the land, at sea, and in the sky,” he added.

Ceasefire without conditions The meeting took place in the wake of a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, which Zelenskyy has backed. Putin has indicated that he supports a truce in principle but has set out a host of details that need to be clarified before agreeing to a ceasefire.

Starmer said Zelenskyy's backing for an unconditional ceasefire shows that Ukraine is the “party of peace”.

Zelenskyy emerged from the meeting calling for strengthened sanctions to pressure Russia into accepting a ceasefire without conditions that could pave the way for a peace deal. In a series of posts on X, he said “Moscow understands one language” and that a 30-day ceasefire “without killings” would create a window in which “it would truly be possible to negotiate all aspects of a real peace.”

He also said it wasn't up to Putin who is stationed in Ukraine after any peace agreement as he gave his backing to a European contingent on the ground with an American “backstop."

"If Putin wants to bring some foreign contingent onto Russia’s territory, that’s his business. But it is not his business to decide anything about Ukraine’s and Europe’s security,” Zelenskyy said.

‘Good vibes coming out of Russia’ The United States has shifted its approach on the war since the return of Trump to the White House. The change of approach relative to that taken by President Joe Biden became particularly notable after Trump clashed with Zelenskyy on Feb. 28 in the Oval Office.

Starmer has taken the lead, along with Macron, in assembling the “coalition of the willing,” in part to persuade Trump to maintain support for Kyiv. One outcome has already been a growing acceptance from European countries in particular that they need to do more to ensure their own security, including by increasing their defense spending.

Trump voiced optimism Friday that Putin, who met with US envoy Steve Witkoff earlier in the week, will back a ceasefire.

“I'm getting from the standpoint about a ceasefire and ultimately a deal some pretty good vibes coming out of Russia,” he said.

Ukraine, under severe military pressure on parts of the front line three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, has already endorsed the truce proposal. Russia’s army has gained battlefield momentum, and analysts say Putin likely will be reluctant to rush into a ceasefire while he feels he has an advantage.

“The world is watching,” Starmer said. "My feeling is that sooner or later he is going to have to come to the table and engage in serious discussions.”



China’s Foreign Ministry Says Xi and Trump Did Not Have a Call Recently 

President Donald Trump, left, poses for a photo with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. (AP)
President Donald Trump, left, poses for a photo with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. (AP)
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China’s Foreign Ministry Says Xi and Trump Did Not Have a Call Recently 

President Donald Trump, left, poses for a photo with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. (AP)
President Donald Trump, left, poses for a photo with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. (AP)

China's foreign ministry on Monday said President Xi Jinping had not spoken to Donald Trump recently, nor were their respective administrations trying to strike a tariff deal, contradicting the US president's claim in an interview with Time magazine.

"As far as I know, the two heads of state have not called each other recently," Guo Jiakun, a ministry spokesperson, said. "I would like to reiterate that China and the US have not conducted consultations or negotiations on the tariffs issue."

"If the US really wants to solve the problem through dialogue and negotiation, it should stop threatening and blackmailing (China)," Guo told a regular news conference.

Trump said in an interview published on Friday that his administration was talking with China to reach a tariff deal and that President Xi had called him. Beijing last week repeatedly denied such talks were taking place, accusing Washington of "misleading the public."

Speculation about trade negotiations between the world's largest economies swirled last week, after Trump asserted on Thursday that trade talks were underway.

The Trump administration would look at lowering tariffs on some imported Chinese goods, pending talks with Beijing, Reuters reported last week, while China urged the US to cancel all "unilateral" tariffs.

The two countries have each hiked levies on each other's goods to over 100% since Trump took office in January, rattling global markets and disrupting business operations on both sides.

China has exempted some US imports from its 125% tariffs and is asking firms to identify critical goods they need levy-free, according to businesses that have been notified, Reuters reported on Friday.

Chinese policymakers on Monday downplayed the impact of US tariffs on its growth in a bid to assuage concerns the broad US tariffs could derail efforts to shore up a fragile economic recovery.