European leaders promise Ukraine peace plan after London summit

By Susy Hodges

At the summit in London, European leaders agreed that they must spend more on defence to show US President Donald Trump that the continent can protect itself.

Saying Europe is at “a crossroads in its history,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain, France, Ukraine and some other countries would form a “coalition of the willing” and draw up a 4-point plan to stop the war in Ukraine. Starmer said they would also seek to involve the US in their support for Ukraine and take forward the peace plan together.

Before the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron told a French newspaper that the peace plan for Ukraine would involve a one-month ceasefire that would apply to air and sea attacks but not to ground combat. Macron said European troops would be deployed if a substantial peace agreement was reached.

European leaders are scrambling to ensure that Kyiv is not excluded from any peace talks after last Friday’s clash between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Donald Trump and US Vice President JD Vance at the White House. The incident has raised fears that Trump could cease support for Ukraine and impose a peace plan negotiated directly with Russia.

Following the summit, in another show of support for the Ukrainian leader, President Zelensky flew to meet Britain’s King Charles at his residence in eastern England.

At a later news conference, Zelensky told reporters Ukraine was not at this stage willing to discuss giving up territory Russia has captured as part of a peace agreement but said he was still willing to sign a mineral deal with the US. On arriving back home, Zelensky again reiterated his gratitude to the U.S. for its support to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia has said its military operation in Ukraine will continue until all objectives have been reached.

Commenting on the clash between Zelensky and Trump, the Kremlin on Monday accused Zelensky of a total lack of diplomatic ability and said the fragmentation of the West’s collective unity had begun.