LONDON

(Back row L-R) NATO secretary General Mark Rutte, Netherlands’ Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Czech Republic’s Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, (Middle row L-R) Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Romania’s Interim President Ilie Bolojan, (Front row L-R) Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk pose for a family photograph during a summit held at Lancaster House in central London on March 2, 2025

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday he would work with Europe to set terms for a possible peace deal to present to the United States, after allies gathered in London pledged to spend more on security and assemble a coalition to defend any truce in Ukraine.

The weekend crisis talks, which brought together 18 allies, came at a delicate moment for war-battered Ukraine, facing uncertain U.S. support and on the back foot against Russia‘s three-year invasion.

Days earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump berated Zelensky in front of reporters at the White House, heightening fears he intends to force Kiev. into a peace deal that gives Russian President Vladimir Putin what he wants.

But European leaders closed ranks in support of Kiev., with Zelensky saying afterwards the summit cemented their commitment to work towards peace.

“We need peace, not endless war,” he said on Telegram.

“In the near future, all of us in Europe will shape our common positions — the lines we must achieve and the lines we cannot compromise on,” he added. “These positions will be presented to our partners in the United States.”

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer likewise said that Britain, France “and others” would work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, which they would then put to Washington.

And French President Emmanuel Macron, flying back from the summit, told Le Figaro newspaper that France and Britain wanted to propose a partial one-month truce “in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure”.

Starmer and Macron have said they are prepared to deploy British and French troops to Ukraine to help preserve any truce.

With no guarantee of U.S. involvement, “Europe must do the heavy lifting”, Starmer said.

  One-month truce

Macron told Le Figaro that a truce would not, initially at least, cover ground fighting.

The problem was that it would be very difficult to enforce given the size of the front line, he said.

Peacekeepers would be deployed at a later date, he said, adding: “There won’t be European troops on Ukrainian soil in the coming weeks.”

Macron also suggested that European countries should raise their defence spending to between 3.0 and 3.5 percent of GDP to respond to Washington’s shifting priorities and Russia’s militarisation.

While recently reinaugurated Trump has cast himself as a mediator between Putin and Zelensky, his approach has sidelined Kiev. and Europe while pursuing rapprochement with the Russian leader.

This shift was on full display at the Oval Office meeting with Zelensky, who Trump accused of not being grateful enough for U.S. aid and not being “ready” for peace with Russia.

Starmer, who had met Trump just days earlier, insisted the United States was “not an unreliable ally”. Any deal “must have strong U.S. backing” to succeed, he said.

But after the leaders gathered on Sunday, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen warned the continent urgently had to rearm to “prepare for the worst”.

And Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for the United States and Europe to show Putin “that the West has no intention of capitulating before his blackmail and aggression”.

On Sunday, Trump dismissed concerns over his closeness with Russia, saying the United States should worry “less” about Putin and more about domestic crime.

  ‘Constructive’ approach 

Trump’s Republican party has largely fallen in line behind his pivot towards Moscow’s narrative on the Ukraine war.

Top officials have suggested Zelensky should step down to ensure a peace deal.

“We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians, and end this war,” Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, told CNN.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Zelensky either “needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude, or someone else needs to lead the country.”

Zelensky has repeatedly suggested he would resign in exchange for NATO membership for Ukraine — a goal scorned by Trump.

“If there is NATO and the war is over, it means I fulfilled my mission,” Zelensky said Monday.

He also stressed the need to keep Washington onside, and signalled his readiness to sign a mineral deal coveted by Trump.

“I am ready to engage in any kind of constructive format in relations with the U.S.,” he said.

Zelensky told British media Sunday it would not be easy to replace him as Ukraine’s president, but repeated his offer to step down in exchange for NATO membership for his war-torn country.

“If they replace me, given what is going on, given the support, simply replacing me will not be simple,” Zelensky told British media.

“It’s not enough to just hold an election. You need to also not let me run. This will be a bit more difficult. Looks like you will have to negotiate with me,” he added.

“And I said that I am exchanging for NATO. Then I fulfilled my mission.”

He also said that Ukraine is ready to sign a minerals deal with the U.S.

“The agreement that’s on the table will be signed if the parties are ready,” he said.

“It is our policy to continue what happened in the past, we’re constructive,” Zelensky said, quoted by the BBC.

“If we agreed to sign the minerals deal, we’re ready to sign it.”

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