UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on Western nations to ramp up economic pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin if he delays a ceasefire in Ukraine, as he prepared to host a fresh round of discussions with like-minded leaders about securing a truce.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Western nations to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin to engage in ceasefire discussions regarding Ukraine. Starmer believes Putin will eventually need to negotiate and accused him of delaying tactics in response to calls for a quick pause in fighting. He convened a meeting with world leaders to discuss support for Ukraine and how Europe can defend any potential deal while maintaining pressure on Putin, following Putin's statement about discussing a proposed ceasefire with the US. Russia has specific demands for ending the war, including territorial concessions, neutrality, and demilitarization from Ukraine, while opposing NATO troops in the country. Western officials believe Putin has maximalist goals unlikely to be met, and he's prepared to continue fighting if these goals aren't achieved.
