Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed that military leaders from around 25 countries will meet next week to discuss potential peacekeeping operations in Ukraine.
Speaking in Downing Street ahead of a virtual summit with world leaders, Sir Keir said the planned meeting was necessary given recent developments, adding that "a lot has happened" in the past week.
Referring to recent talks between Ukraine and the US held in Saudi Arabia, Sir Keir praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he had shown that "Ukraine is the party of peace" after committing to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.
But he accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of "trying to delay," warning: "If [Putin] is serious about peace, he has to stop his barbaric attacks on Ukraine and agree to a ceasefire."
Speaking from Downing Street ahead of a virtual summit on Saturday, Starmer emphasised that Putin would "sooner or later" have to "come to the table" for serious discussions. "My feeling is that sooner or later he's going to have to come to the table, but the world is watching," he said.
Sir Keir outlined three key priorities for the international community: "Strengthening Ukraine so they can defend themselves," advancing preparations "for peace that will be secure and that will last," and applying collective pressure on Putin to enter serious negotiations.
