“It is crucial to understand that peace must not come at just any price,” Starmer emphasized. “Ukraine deserves a seat at the negotiation table, as failing to include them would validate Putin’s claim that Ukraine is not a legitimate nation.”

He further expressed, “Once this conflict concludes, it should not simply serve as a brief reprieve before Putin launches another assault.”

These strong statements followed recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who spoke with Putin earlier this month about the United States initiating negotiations with the Kremlin to halt the ongoing war. Trump also dismissed the idea of NATO membership for Ukraine, stated that American troops would not be deployed to enforce any peace agreement, and rejected Kyiv’s ambitions to reclaim all territories annexed by Russia since 2014.

The Trump administration has offered inconsistent messages regarding Ukraine’s involvement in peace discussions. Recently, POLITICO reported that high-ranking officials from the Trump administration would be traveling to Saudi Arabia to initiate talks with both Russian and Ukrainian representatives — an unexpected development for Kyiv.

In an opinion piece, Starmer noted, “While it is essential for European nations to rise to the occasion — and we will — the support from the U.S. remains vital, and its security guarantee is crucial for achieving a sustainable peace, as only the U.S. can effectively deter Putin from future aggression. I plan to meet with President Trump in the upcoming days to collaborate with him and our G7 allies to forge the robust agreement we need.”

Highlighting Trump’s calls for increased defense spending among European countries, Starmer mentioned that he would address his colleagues in their emergency meeting on Monday, insisting, “We must demonstrate our genuine commitment to our own defense and share the responsibility. We have discussed this issue for far too long — and President Trump is right to insist that we take action.”