Europe at Crossroads in History as UK and Allies Pledge Support for Ukraine

Image credits: BBC

Europe is at a “crossroads in history” and must act now to secure peace in Ukraine, Sir Keir Starmer has said following a summit of European leaders in London. The Prime Minister said Britain and France were developing a “coalition of the willing”, and that talks would “intensify” to create security guarantees that include British troops on the ground in Ukraine and fighter jets. The summit at Lancaster House came after Volodymyr Zelensky was ordered to leave the White House on Friday when talks broke down in a televised row in the Oval Office. Sir Keir said Britain was “doubling down” on support for Ukraine and pushed for a greater contribution from European allies to continent-wide security, but needed “US backing”.

Sir Keir announced a new £1.6-billion-pound deal that would allow Ukraine to purchase 5,000 air-defence missiles using export finance. He also said that the UK is prepared to back the coalition of the willing with boots on the ground and planes in the air, together with others. Europe must do the heavy lifting, he added. The Prime Minister said that the UK, France, and Ukraine would work on a peace plan that will be presented to the US and that the White House would continue to be part of the process. He confirmed that the discussions with the US are on the basis that this is a plan that will have US backing.

A Ukrainian woman whose brother is serving on the front line told the PA news agency “we cannot rely on the US any more” and Europe needs to “stand up and to realise” that “we can survive without” America. Pro-Ukraine protesters outside Downing Street have called on Europe to defend the country - without America’s help. More than a thousand people gathered on Whitehall while world leaders held talks less than a mile away on the war-torn nation’s security. The use of the term "coalition of the willing" to describe the nations that agree to support an international force to help protect any ceasefire deal in Ukraine is interesting and notable, as it could perhaps be an attempt by Sir Keir Starmer to appeal to an American audience.

Here are the key points from the summit: * The UK will keep the military aid flowing and keep increasing the economic pressure on Russia to strengthen Ukraine now. * Any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security, and Ukraine must be at the table. * In the event of a peace deal, the UK will keep boosting Ukraine’s own defensive capabilities to deter any future invasion. * The UK will go further to develop a coalition of the willing to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee the peace. * The UK is prepared to back this with troops on the ground and planes in the air, together with others. The Prime Minister said that he does not accept that the US is an unreliable ally, and that the US has been a reliable ally to the UK for many, many decades and continues to be.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed the urgent need for action, saying that comprehensive security guarantees from Europe as well as the United States were needed. She said "we have to put Ukraine in a position of strength" so that "it has the means to fortify and protect itself" in economic and military terms. The UK has announced that it would increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, from the current 2.3%. Chancellor Rachel Reeves also announced that the UK would give Ukraine an extra £2.26bn for its war effort, funded by the profits made from hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of Russian sovereign assets that Western nations have frozen since the start of the full-scale war in February 2022.