Kyiv ‘must be at the heart of negotiations’ says PM as US threat to block Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites fuels wave of alarmKeir Starmer has raised the stakes before a crucial meeting in Washington with the US president, Donald Trump this week, by insisting that Ukraine must be “at the heart of any negotiations” on a peace deal with Russia.The prime minister made the remarks – which run directly contrary to comments by the US president last week – in a phone call on Saturdaywith Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in which he also said that “safeguarding Ukraine’s sovereignty was essential to deter future aggression from Russia”. Continue reading...

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British prime minister says force would need protections such as air cover that only US can provide Keir Starmer has urged Donald Trump to provide a US “backstop” to a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, saying it is the only way to deter Russia from attacking the country again.The UK prime minister’s appeal to Trump came after an emergency summit in Paris that heard widespread calls by European leaders for a large boost in defence spending. Continue reading...

Events

The prime minister said a US security guarantee would be the only way to effectively prevent Moscow from attacking the country again in future

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The PM warned it was the only path to lasting peace in Ukraine, but stopped short in saying whether that would include America deploying its troops.

Events

Prime Minister says allies across Europe must “take responsibility” for continent’s security by bolstering defence

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UK prime minister says future of Europe and Ukraine at stake after European leaders convene at emergency summit in ParisSwedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson told Reuters that deploying Swedish troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force is “absolutely a possibility.”His comments build on earlier declaration from Swedish foreign minister Maria Malmer Stenegard (9:40). Continue reading...

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Development of a joint defence shield would be politically explosive for Keir Starmer. But it’s an idea whose time has comeThe startling contempt for Europe’s intensifying security concerns displayed by Donald Trump and his henchmen has brought an old, controversial question back to the fore: should Britain and France pool their nuclear weapons capabilities and create a Europe-wide defensive nuclear shield to deter Vladimir Putin’s Russia, if the US reduces or withdraws its support?Trump has not so far explicitly threatened to cut US nuclear forces based in Europe. But speaking last week, the president said he wanted to halve the US’s defence spending, especially on nuclear weapons. Trump often denigrates Nato, keystone of European security. Last year, he encouraged Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to member states that, in his view, spend too little on defence. Continue reading...

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