UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dismissing US-led efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine, claiming the Kremlin is not taking peace negotiations seriously.
Starmer’s comments came after Putin raised “serious questions” about the proposed 30-day ceasefire put forward by US President Donald Trump’s administration.
“We can’t allow President Putin to play games with President Trump’s deal,” Starmer said in a statement released by Downing Street. “The Kremlin’s complete disregard for the ceasefire proposal only serves to demonstrate that Putin is not serious about peace.”
The British leader believes Putin is deliberately stalling negotiations and is expected to push European and NATO allies to commit to supporting Ukraine during a virtual summit on Saturday.
Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have been working to assemble a “coalition of the willing” to provide Ukraine with security guarantees alongside the US. Both leaders have said they are prepared to deploy British and French troops to Ukraine, though it remains uncertain if other countries will follow suit.
Turkey has expressed interest in playing a role in peacekeeping efforts, while Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin has ruled out deploying Irish troops as part of any deterrent force.
