ISTANBUL
Military chiefs from Europe will meet in London on Thursday to discuss peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday.
The military chiefs will meet to put "strong and robust plans in place to swing behind a peace deal," Starmer told reporters in a news conference after a virtual summit with around 25 other leaders including the European Commission, European nations, NATO, Canada, Ukraine, Australia and New Zealand, the so-called "coalition of the willing." He hopes the group would come up with commitments of help for Ukraine ahead of any peace agreement with Russia.
"This is the moment to keep driving towards the outcome that we want to see: to end the killing, a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and lasting security for all of us," he said.
He opened the summit by saying Putin "sooner or later" has to "come to the table” for the talks.
Criticizing Putin's stance on the peace in the three-year-long war, he said that while Kyiv had demonstrated that it was the "party of peace” by accepting a US-backed 30-day unconditional ceasefire, "Putin is the one trying to delay."
“If Putin is serious about peace, I think it’s very simple, he has to stop his barbaric attacks on Ukraine and agree to a ceasefire, and the world is watching,” he added.
Earlier this week, Putin said he is ready for a ceasefire in Ukraine, but any truce should address the root causes of the conflict.
Starmer highlighted the “profound” impact sanctions have had on the Russian economy. He said that increasing sanctions would apply more pressure on Russia, adding: "Doubling down and increasing the sanctions will cause even more pressure on the Russians."
“We will accelerate our military support, tighten our sanctions on Russia’s revenues, and continue to explore all lawful routes to ensure that Russia pays for the damage it has done to Ukraine,” he said.
He said that the consequences of instability in Europe directly affect the UK, adding: “Because the impact of what happens in Europe always washes up on our shores."
He also said that the UK government has reiterated its strong stance on nuclear weapons.
"We will do everything we can to prevent any increase in the availability of nuclear weapons," a position that remains consistent across multiple UK administrations.