Starmer to meet Zelensky as Russian bombardment continues

Sir Keir Starmer will welcome Volodymyr Zelensky to Downing Street to discuss peace plans on Monday as Russia continues to bombard Ukraine.

The meeting, also attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, is expected to focus on how to respond to American proposals for ending the war with Russia.

Mr Zelensky’s visit to London comes after his officials concluded three days of talks with their US counterparts on those proposals as the White House presses Kyiv to accept a deal.

Over the weekend, Mr Zelensky said he had discussed “next steps” with Donald Trump’s advisers and was “determined to keep working in good faith”.

But the negotiators also acknowledged that any “real progress” will depend “on Russia’s readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace”.

Ukraine and its European allies are likely to insist that any ceasefire comes with security guarantees from both the US and the “coalition of the willing” convened by the UK and France, while also objecting to any transfer of territory to Russia.

Sir Keir has repeatedly said that Ukraine must be allowed to determine its own future, while one of his senior ministers said on Sunday that the country must not be left “toothless” in the face of Russian aggression.

But Russia has repeatedly rejected the prospect of allied troops being stationed in Ukraine and continues to demand large swathes of Ukrainian territory in exchange for peace.

And Russian forces have continued their assault on Ukraine over the weekend.

At least four people were killed in drone and missile strikes on Sunday, while Moscow continues to target Ukrainian infrastructure in a bid to “weaponise” the cold by denying civilians access to heat and power.Monday’s meeting also comes in the wake of the publication of a new US national security strategy that made improving relations with Moscow one of Washington’s top priorities.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed the document, saying it was broadly in line with Moscow’s own vision.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will fly to Washington on Monday for talks with her US counterpart Marco Rubio.

She is expected to focus on efforts to secure an end to the war in Ukraine, as well as UK-US cooperation on global security and the ceasefire in Gaza.