PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer said Saturday (22) it was in the "interest" of US President Donald Trump to "stand by" Ukraine, in comments ahead of the third anniversary of Russia's invasion.
"It is in UK and US interests to stand by Ukraine with security guarantee," Starmer wrote in an op-ed for the weekly The Sun on Sunday, published on its website late Saturday.
The article comes ahead of the three year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, marked on Monday (24), as well as Starmer's visit to Washington to meet Trump on Thursday (27).
It also follows a week in which relations between Washington and Kyiv have soured after Trump sought to sideline Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from talks on the future of the conflict.
"President Trump is also right to grasp the nettle and see if a good peace deal is on the table," Starmer wrote, adding that "every time" he has spoken to Trump "I am struck by his commitment to peace".
However, he called for Ukraine to have a seat on the table and "strong security guarantees" from the US.
Earlier on Saturday, Starmer and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called for "a just and enduring peace in Ukraine" on a call, a Downing Street spokesperson said.
"Ahead of the three-year anniversary of Russia's barbaric illegal war, they discussed the need to secure a just and enduring peace in Ukraine, and agreed that Europe must step up for the good of collective European security," the spokesperson said in a statement.
In a separate call on Saturday with Zelensky, Starmer reiterated "UK's ironclad support for Ukraine", according to Downing Street.
"They agreed that this was a significant moment for the future of Ukraine and European security at large," said the statement, adding that Starmer would push for Trump to back Ukraine at his meeting next week.
Starmer is hoping to act as a "bridge" between the US and Europe and ensure territorial and security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a deal to end the war.
The task looks increasingly challenging following a public spat between Zelensky and Trump, who called the Ukrainian leader a "dictator".
Trump also accused Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron of doing nothing to end the war in a Fox News interview on Friday (21).
(AFP)
