Western leaders gather in London to push for Ukraine peace plan

London: Western leaders, including more than a dozen European heads of state and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, gathered in London on Sunday for a defence summit aimed at advancing a peace plan for Ukraine following a week of intense diplomatic talks.

The summit, hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, focuses on strengthening Ukraine’s position through continued military support and increased economic pressure on Russia. It will also discuss the need for “a strong, lasting deal that delivers a permanent peace in Ukraine and ensures that Ukraine can deter and defend against future Russian attacks”.

Participants include the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Romania, along with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and the Presidents of the European Commission and European Council, Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is also attending.

The leaders are expected to outline the next steps to bolster European security guarantees, Xinhua news agency reported.

“In partnership with our allies, we must intensify our preparations for the European element of security guarantees, alongside continued discussions with the US,” Starmer said in a statement ahead of the summit, emphasising that the Russia-Ukraine war has now reached “a turning point”.

The summit comes amid diplomatic tensions, as a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump at the White House turned into a heated exchange, leading to the cancellation of an anticipated raw materials agreement between the two countries.

On Saturday, Zelensky met with Starmer at 10 Downing Street, where the British Prime Minister reaffirmed the UK’s “unwavering determination” to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine.

Following the meeting, Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko announced that Britain and Ukraine had agreed on a loan of 2.26 billion pounds ($2.84 billion) to support Ukraine’s defence capabilities. (1 pound = 1.26 US dollar)

Europe has been anxious since Trump initiated direct peace talks with Putin, who had been isolated by most Western leaders since invading Ukraine three years ago. The scramble to remain relevant and protect European interests as their once stalwart ally appeared to be cozying up to Putin was even more troubling when Trump called Zelensky a dictator and falsely said Ukraine started the war.

IANS