British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared the UK is prepared to “put boots on the ground and planes in the air” to support a peace deal in Ukraine, following talks with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
Speaking at a joint news conference on Thursday, Starmer said they discussed a plan aimed at securing a “tough and fair” peace, shaped with Ukraine’s involvement and backed by strength to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from launching further aggression.
“I’m working closely with European leaders on this,” Starmer said. “The UK is ready to deploy troops and aircraft to support a deal — alongside our allies — because that is the only way to ensure lasting peace.”
Starmer described the meeting as “very productive,” highlighting that while the peace deal must come first, both countries’ teams will work on measures to guarantee the agreement is upheld.
On Sunday, the UK will host representatives from 18 countries for further discussions on Ukraine, he added.
However, Starmer cautioned that any deal must not reward Russian aggression.
“We must win the peace,” he said. “It cannot be a peace that rewards the aggressor… History must stand with the peacemaker, not the invader.”
Reporting from Washington, DC, TRT World’s Jon Brain said Starmer appeared to emphasize to Trump that Ukraine must play a central role in shaping any agreement and that the outcome must be both just and lasting.
President Trump, speaking before Starmer, expressed optimism about the progress of peace talks but warned that the window for reaching a deal may close soon.
“I think we’ve made a lot of progress, and it’s moving along rapidly,” Trump said. “It’ll either happen fairly soon, or it won’t happen at all.”
Trump also announced plans to sign a historic agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, making the United States a key partner in developing Ukraine’s mineral and rare earth resources.
