U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer put forward a framework for a peace plan between Ukraine and Russia on Sunday, though he acknowledged it relies heavily on assumed U.S. support.
Starmer revealed the plan along with French President Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday. In a concession to President Donald Trump’s administration, Starmer emphasized that European countries would need to “step up their own share of the burden” toward security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a peace deal.
Starmer said the U.K. is prepared to deploy boots on the ground in Ukraine as well as air force assets to ensure Russia does not infringe on a peace agreement. He nevertheless stated that the plan would rely heavily on U.S. backing as well.
Macron told French media that European leaders were discussing a plan that would freeze strikes from the air, sea and on energy infrastructure for 30 days in Ukraine. He said the window could be used to negotiate a wider peace deal.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy himself has been on damage control since a disastrous meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House on Friday. Zelenskyy has emphasized that he is still willing to sign a rare earth minerals deal with the White House. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday ruled out “security guarantees” for Ukraine before beginning peace talks.
“The security guarantees, which I actually like to call deterrence, is all contingent upon there being a peace,” Rubio told ABC “This Week.” “Everybody saying security guarantees to secure the peace, you first have to have a peace.”
The Ukrainian leader remains largely unapologetic, saying after Sunday’s meetings in Europe that the “best security guarantees are a strong Ukrainian army.” “The failure of Ukraine would not just mean Putin’s success, it would be a failure for Europe, it would be a failure for the U.S.,” he said.
Many Republicans on Capitol Hill have rallied behind Trump’s criticism of Zelenskyy. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called on the Ukrainian leader to resign on Sunday.
“He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change,” Graham said after Friday’s meeting.
Zelenskyy retorted that Graham could weigh in on Ukrainian leadership when he became a Ukrainian citizen, to which Graham responded: “Unfortunately, until there is an election, no one has a voice in Ukraine.”
According to the senator, he doesn’t think Americans saw the Ukrainian president as someone they feel comfortable going “into business with” following the televised dispute.
Graham also stressed that the Ukrainian-American relationship is “vitally important.” However, he cast doubt on whether Zelenskyy could ever “do a deal with the United States.”
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