Starmer urges Trump to put Ukraine at center of peace negotiations

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will tell U.S. President Donald Trump that Ukraine must be “at the heart” of any peace negotiations, the Prime Minister’s Office reported on Feb. 22.

In the leadup to the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Starmer reiterated the U.K.’s support for Ukraine and its commitment to a “just and enduring” peace in a call with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The call came a day after Trump said that Zelensky was not important in negotiations having previously labeled the Ukrainian leader a “dictator.” Trump’s rhetoric and decision-making have alarmed allies, particularly after Washington held direct talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18 without Ukraine and Europe.

Starmer will visit Washington D.C. in the coming week where he will meet Trump and emphasize that Kyiv “must be at the heart of any negotiations to end the war.” Protecting Ukraine’s sovereignty is “essential” to prevent further Russian aggression, the Prime Minister’s Office added.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants to negotiate a swift end to the full-scale war. On Feb. 22, the White House announced that a deal to end Russia's war against Ukraine could be reached as early as this week.

Trump previously said he would "probably" meet Putin before the end of February. Arrangements for an in-person meeting between the two leaders are already underway, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov claimed on Feb. 22.

With U.S. and Russian delegations already meeting in Saudi Arabia, Europe is pushing not to be sidelined from the process. Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said on Feb. 15 that Europe will not be directly involved in negotiations, but its interests will be considered.

Starmer has ramped up vocal support for Kyiv in the last weeks and even said that British peacekeeping troops could be deployed to Ukraine. He also called on Trump to provide American military backing for a proposed European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, arguing that only a U.S. security guarantee can deter Russia from launching further aggression.