Ukraine war latest: Starmer to present peace deal to Trump after ‘uncomfortable’ Zelensky White House clash

The Kremlin is continuing to heap praise on US president Donald Trump and criticise Europe for its support of Ukraine as European leaders convene in London today for a meeting to ensure Kyiv is protected against future Russian aggression.

Vladimir Putin is staying quiet but his long-serving foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who is leading the Russian delegation in talks with the Trump administration, is being vocal. As is Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

In an interview published this morning with Krasnaya Zvezda, the Russian defence ministry’s official publication, Mr Lavrov describes Mr Trump as a pragmatist with the slogan “common sense”. “That’s why it is interesting [talking to him],” he says.

He adds that while the US wants to end the conflict, Europe is demanding a “continuation of the banquet” and its talk of installing a peacekeeping force in Ukraine is an “incitement” of war against Russia.

It is no coincidence that there seems to be a crossover between the Kremlin and the Trump administration’s talking points.

Kyiv and Europe are adamant this force is necessary to prevent Russia from using a pause in fighting to recover its armed forces and attack Ukraine again, as they have done previously.

Mr Trump says the US will not get involved with a peacekeeping force and has claimed that Mr Putin would not go back on his word to him.

Mr Peskov, meanwhile, has told the main Russian television channel Rossiya-1 that if Mr Trump and Mr Putin maintain their political will, their path to normalising relations between the two countries can be swiftly completed.

Sir Ed Davey said Sir Keir Starmer should use Donald Trump’s upcoming state visit to the UK to leverage security guarantees from the US.

He denied that the visit should be cancelled, telling the BBC: “What we’ve said in the Liberal Democrats all along is that the state visit should be used to secure guarantees for Ukraine.”

A security guarantee from the US aimed at enforcing a peace deal is “not there yet”, Sir Ed said.

He added: “Therefore, I think we should use every single card that we have, and I think it should be made clear to the White House that the state visit would be a genuine one, we would welcome him here, but on condition that he steps up, that the US steps up, to work with the UK and Europe to support and defend Ukraine.”

The Lib Dem leader has told BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that he was “shocked and appalled” by the scenes in the White House on Friday.

He agreed with those who believed US president Donald Trump and vice president JD Vance’s attack on Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky was a “premeditated” ambush.

Sir Ed Davey has not thrown his support behind cancelling the state visit of Mr Trump but wants it to be used to leverage support from America for a military peacekeeping force.

He is more fulsome in his support for British boots on the ground as part of a closer cooperation with the European Union going forward.

“We cannot rely unfortunately as we have done on the United States.”

Kemi Badenoch has said her “her heart went out” to Volodymyr Zelensky after the Oval Office clash with Donald Trump on Friday, saying that the Ukrainian president was “being humiliated”.

Asked what her initial reaction to the meeting was, the Tory leader said: “Honestly, my heart went out to president Zelensky. I watched it, and I couldn’t believe what was happening. He was being humiliated.

“I don’t think we should conduct these sorts of difficult conversations in front of the cameras, and we have to remember that president Zelensky is a hero.

“He is the person who represents that strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people, and whatever differences and difficulties we might have during negotiations, we need to be able to set them aside when everyone’s watching, because the only person who would have liked that would have been Vladimir Putin.”

Nearly 20 leaders from Europe and North America will attend a summit today, hosted by Sir Keir Starmer in London’s Lancaster House, a 200-year-old elegant mansion near Buckingham Palace.

Sir Keir will first welcome to Downing Street Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, known as the Donald Trump whisperer for her good relations with the US president, before moving on to Lancaster House.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will be the main man at the meeting. He received widespread support after being berated by Mr Trump and US vice president JD Vance on Friday in the White House.

French president Emmanel Macron, German chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte will be among others attending.

Leaders from Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Romania will also be in attendance, as will the two European Union chiefs Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen.

The Turkish foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, will also be there. Turkey has signalled its willingness to act as a host for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. It hosted the initial peace talks back in March 2022.