Leaders of the 26 countries in a “will coalition” have agreed to increase pressure on Russia to support a ceasefire in Ukraine, but UK Prime Minister Sir Starmer admitted that the US was not yet prepared to provide a military “background” to ensure.
On Saturday, Starmer received a video meeting in which the group of mostly European countries agreed to increase military support for Ukraine and increase sanctions on Moscow to force Russian President Vladimir Putin in serious peace talks.
“The disappearance and delay of the Kremlin over President Trump’s ceasefire proposal and Russia’s constant barbaric attacks on Ukraine are fully contrary to President Putin’s declaration of peace,” Starmer said. “A position of ‘yes, but…’ It’s not good enough.”
Speaking at Downing Street, Starmer confirmed that the group of countries will “double and increase sanctions” towards Russia, including viewing the Russian asset capture option to intensify pressure on Putin.
British officials said a number of countries had made new offers to send troops to Ukraine to help secure a peace deal, but refused to say which. US President Donald Trump has not yet offered a security background.
“The US position has not changed,” Starmer said. “We have been clear that this should be done about the JSC” he said Britain was talking to the US every day.
Starmer began what he called a coalition of will at a Summit in London two weeks ago, with places gathered taking into account different levels of support for Ukraine.
Most of the countries in Saturday’s call were from Europe, but participants also included Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The EU and NATO were represented together with Ukraine. Starmer said Japan, who was not on the phone, had offered “support”.
Britain and France are the only countries so far that they have been firmly committed to sending troops to Ukraine to help guarantee a peace deal, though others are open to the idea. Some have provided financial or logistical support.
“My feeling is that sooner or later Putin will have to come to the table and get involved in serious discussions,” Starmer said at the beginning of the video call on Saturday, adding that “the ball is in his court.”
“But – and that’s a great but for us this morning at our meeting – we can’t sit and just wait for this to happen. We have to move on, moving forward and preparing for peace.”
Starmer told the meeting that it was time for less conversations and more “concrete engagements” and he claimed at a press conference after talks that progress was made in a number of areas.
Leaders agreed to prepare for a force to be sent to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal to act as a “strong” guarantee, with talks at a military planner to be held in London on Thursday.
Starmer said executives had agreed to increase financial and military support for Ukraine in the short term, but also in a longer term, to help this security guarantees.
He emphasized the need for us to support any peacekeeping operation, saying the danger was that “we will repeat the experience of recent years and Russia would violate the line again”.
He also confirmed that the executives discussed to increase sanctions if Putin disagrees with the ceasefire. Downing Street said the capture of more than 200 billion euros of Russia’s frozen assets was being considered.
Number 10 acknowledged that the capture of Russian assets – compared to the use of the interest they raised from them to support Ukraine, as it currently does – was “a complicated situation”.
Starmer said in a statement after Saturday’s meeting that leaders will “continue to explore all legitimate ways to ensure that Russia pays for the damage it has done to Ukraine.”
France and Germany, which have long opposed a full confiscation of EU assets, are warming for the idea and discussing with the United Kingdom and others the ways in which they can be used as part of a negotiation to end the war.
Britain and France have offered to place troops on Earth to help secure peace-but only if a proposed 30-day initial ceasefire holds-other countries are much more ready to carry out direct military support.
Starmer told the meeting that the “will coalition” had to help “monitor a ceasefire” during a 30-day proposed ceasefire. This will initially include satellites and supervision than the placement of troops in Ukraine, said UK officials.
Countries including Germany and Poland have reservations about sending troops to Ukraine. The office of Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, said Italian participation in a “potential military force on the ground was not foreseen”.
Dick Schoof, the Dutch Prime Minister, told X that the Netherlands would join the meeting of military planners in London on Thursday “in the context of security guarantees”.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said Topi was in Putin Court. “Meanwhile, we will support the strengthening of Ukraine and its armed forces,” she said.
“We will increase Europe’s defense efforts through Rearm Europe,” she added, referring to the new Brussels initiatives aimed at increasing national defense spending.
“It is now up to Russia to complete its daily attacks on the cities of Ukraine and civil infrastructure and finally begin the way to a stable and fair peace,” said German guardian Olaf Scholz.
The Chancellor to be Friedrich Merz, whose Democratic and Christian Party won last month’s election, has reached an agreement with the country’s main parties to inject hundreds of billions into the German defense sector and to exclude military assistance to Ukraine from the strict borrowing of the country. Parliament will vote on constitutional changes on Tuesday.
Additional reporting from Amy Kazmin in Rome, Anne-Sylvaine Chassany in Berlin and Andy Bounds and Henry Foy in Brussels
