“Historic Opportunity”: Starmer Commits to Uniting the US and Europe Against Russian Aggression | World News
The Prime Minister has highlighted a “once in a generation moment” for the UK, US, and Europe to collaborate, cautioning against potential “divisions” within NATO. This comes as two high-ranking American officials travel to Saudi Arabia for peace discussions between Russia and Ukraine.
Sir Keir Starmer reiterated that the UK will strive to “ensure we keep the US and Europe united” in light of the current dangers posed by Russia.
These remarks followed a warning from the Ukrainian president, who noted, “The old days are over when America supported Europe simply because it always had.”
Earlier on Saturday, US officials confirmed that Europe would not participate in the upcoming peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
Analysis: Peace talks risk short-term win that rewards Putin
The French president is reportedly organizing crisis discussions among European leaders and NATO, with the Prime Minister set to attend.
Following that meeting, Sir Keir plans to convey messages to Washington, D.C., during his upcoming visit with US President Donald Trump, according to sources from Downing Street.
During a security conference in Munich, Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski expressed his satisfaction that President Macron has invited European leaders to Paris to address the challenges posed by Mr. Trump in a serious manner.
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Speaking to Sky News, Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns against the ‘danger’ of the Russian army
Washington has also dispatched a questionnaire to European capitals to inquire what they can offer in terms of security guarantees for Kyiv.
“It’s evident that Europe must assume a larger role in NATO,” stated Sir Keir on Saturday evening.
“We cannot permit any rifts in the alliance to detract from the external threats we confront.”
In related news, US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are reportedly headed to Saudi Arabia for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, as per two sources familiar with the developments who spoke to NBC News, Sky News’ US partner network.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Tel Aviv to commence his Middle East visit. Pic: Reuters
This development coincides with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s arrival in Israel on Saturday evening to initiate a diplomatic tour of the Middle East.
During his trip, he will address issues related to Gaza and the repercussions of the Hamas attack on Israel that occurred on October 7, alongside a widely criticized proposal by President Donald Trump to relocate Palestinians in Gaza.
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‘We need a European army’
On Wednesday, Mr. Trump mentioned a consensus to commence negotiations to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, following discussions with both Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian president hinted at these dialogues during the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, asserting that Europe should be a significant participant in the negotiations.
“Ukraine will never accept agreements made behind our backs without our engagement, and the same principle ought to apply to all of Europe,” Mr. Zelenskyy remarked.
“The old days are over when America supported Europe merely out of custom.”
He urged world leaders for the establishment of an ‘armed forces of Europe’, emphasizing that his military alone was “insufficient.”
Following his dialogue with President Putin, Mr. Trump shared on Truth Social that he and Putin “both agreed to stop the millions of deaths occurring during the conflict in Russia/Ukraine.”
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‘Unlikely’ Ukraine gets old borders back
Mr. Trump informed White House reporters that he did not foresee how “a country in Russia’s situation” could permit Ukraine to join NATO, also suggesting it was improbable that Ukraine would regain all its occupied territories.
This comes after Sir Keir assured Mr. Zelenskyy in recent days that Ukraine remained on an “irreversible path” to NATO membership.
However, on Saturday, US Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg noted that the peace negotiations might concentrate on territorial concessions from Russia and curtailing Mr. Putin’s oil income.
“Russia is essentially a petrostate,” he remarked, suggesting that Western powers need to enhance efforts to enforce sanctions against Russia.
Mr. Zelenskyy emphasized that the central concern in the peace talks should be “to prevent everything from conforming to Putin’s agenda.”
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds along with Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel will discuss the latest political developments in the UK and around the globe on the Trevor Phillips On Sunday show at 8:30 am this morning.
