He is not wrong: US-Ukrainian relations have been on a rollercoaster since then, culminating in the meeting in Riyadh earlier this week, where the two sides agreed on a 30-day ceasefire.

But Sir Keir’s coalition is a big, still somewhat nebulous undertaking, and there is clearly a great deal of work to be done before this ad hoc alliance is ready to take on something as complex – and potentially perilous – as keeping the peace in Ukraine.

Sir Keir says the coalition is now bigger and that “new commitments” are on the table, though he did not spell these out.

Participants of Saturday morning’s virtual summit, he said, had agreed to keep military aid flowing to Ukraine and tighten restrictions on the Russian economy, to weaken Russian PresidentVladimir Putin’s war machine.

Planning, he said, would now move to an “operational phase”, with military chiefs due to meet in the UK next Thursday.

“Overall, we are successfully gathering political and military momentum,” he said.

It is likely that we will see a rolling set of political, diplomatic and military gatherings as the plan slowly takes shape.

It is far from plain sailing.

Asked about vital US military support for any European-led operation – what’s being called a “backstop” – the prime minister was clear: the US position had not changed.

European national security advisors including Jonathan Powell – one of those credited with convincing Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept the US ceasefire proposal – were in Washington on Friday.

Unless US PresidentDonald Trump’s position on the backstop changes, Sir Keir’s coalition of the willing could struggle to get off the ground.

For Zelensky, the military clock is ticking, especially in Kursk, where his troops have been occupying a shrinking sliver of Russian territory since August 2024.

Ukraine vehemently denies reports that its forces are surrounded in Kursk – a theory promoted by Trump on Friday – but they are clearly under enormous pressure and are losing ground.

When I was in Kyiv towards the end of last year, Ukrainian troops told us they were holding onto territory in Kursk as a bargaining chip to be played in future negotiations.

But as those negotiations approach, it is a chip thatPutin seems determined to remove from the table first.

That may go some way towards explaining his “yes, but” approach to the idea of a 30-day ceasefire.

Military leaders will meet in London on Thursday “to put strong and robust plans in place to swing in behind a peace deal and guarantee Ukraine’s future security”, Sir Keir said.

The meeting follows Ukraine agreeing to a 30-day ceasefire after talks with the US. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agrees with the idea, but set a number of pre-conditions for peace.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who joined Saturday’s meeting, said “active pressure is needed, not just talks”.

“The world must understand that Russia is the only obstacle preventing peace,” he said.

“The path to peace must begin unconditionally. If Russia doesn’t want this, then strong pressure must be applied until they do. Moscow understands one language,” Zelensky added.

He urged European countries to produce their own weapons as soon as possible and to talk to the US and its President Donald Trump to reach a deal more quickly through “full sanctions, strong pressure, and forcing Russia to make peace”.

In a speech after the video call, Sir Keir said “the world needs actions…not empty words and conditions”.

In a statement, he said the “Kremlin’s dithering and delay” over the ceasefire proposal and its continued attacks on Ukraine “run entirely counter to President Putin’s stated desire for peace”.

Leaders agreed on Saturday that if Putin refused an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” they would need to “ratchet up pressure…to convince him to come to the negotiating table”, Sir Keir said.

“To deliver this, we will accelerate our military support, tighten our sanctions on Russia’s revenues, and continue to explore all lawful routes to ensure that Russia pays for the damage it has done to Ukraine,” the statement read.

Putin said on Thursday he supported the idea of a ceasefire, but added “there are nuances” and asked a list of questions about details, including whether a ceasefire would allow Ukraine to rearm and who would police it.

Participants in Saturday’s call included Nato, the European Union, nearly two dozen European countries, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Military chiefs will meet this week to move forward on “practical plans” for how their militaries can support Ukraine, Sir Keir said.

“We will build up Ukraine’s own defences and armed forces, and be ready to deploy as a ‘coalition of the willing’ in the event of a peace deal, to help secure Ukraine on the land, at sea, and in the sky,” his statement read.

Sir Keir introduced the idea of a “coalition of the willing” to defend a ceasefire earlier this month, and on Saturday said it had grown and includes backing from Japan and others.

The prime minister has previously said he is “ready and willing” to put UK troops in Ukraine to help guarantee its security as part of a peace deal. He has called on other European countries to commit to concrete security guarantees, and said a US “backstop” is needed.

In a news conference after the summit, Zelensky said there was a need for some form of “boots on the ground” after the ceasefire, although he admitted some were “sceptical”.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg after the summit that it is “still too early” to talk about putting troops on the ground as part of any security guarantee.

Stubb said Finland was willing to be part of efforts to defend a peace deal, but said: “It is too early to talk about boots on the ground because we don’t have a ceasefire, we don’t have a peace process. Once we have a clear plan, we start doing the commitments.”

He said there was “anywhere from zero to 50 different ways they can help out, boots on the ground is only one way”.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The UK exports hundreds of millions of pounds worth of steel to the US per year, which will be subject to the 25% levy.

The EU, facing the same tariffs, said on Wednesday it would impose counter-tariffs on €26bn (£22bn) of US goods, and Canada also responded with countermeasures.

Sir Keir said the UK was taking a “pragmatic” approach and was pushing for a trade deal, but opposition politicians called for a more “robust” response.

When Sir Keir visited the White House last month, trade was high on the agenda, with the PM seeking a trade deal and exemptions to Trump’s tariffs.

Asked at the time if the prime minister had convinced him not to impose trade tariffs on the UK, Trump said “he tried”, adding: “He was working hard, I’ll tell you that. He earned whatever the hell they pay him over there.”

It is understood tariffs were also discussed during a phone call between Sir Keir and Trump on Monday.

However, as the latest tariffs came into effect, there were no exemptions for any country.

European Union President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU’s retaliatory tariffs were “strong but proportionate” and that the EU remains “open to negotiations”.

The EU tariffs will be imposed on “products ranging from boats to bourbon to motorbikes,” the EU said. They will be partially introduced on 1 April and fully in place on 13 April.

Canada will impose C$29.8bn (£16bn) of retaliatory tariffs on US exports from Thursday, Canada’s Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc said.

Alongside steel and aluminium, the levies will apply to computers, sports equipment, and cast iron products, LeBlanc said.

Tariffs could lead to US companies buying less from overseas. A knock-on effect could be more cheap steel flooding other markets, including the UK, as trade is redirected, putting additional pressure on domestic producers.

Gareth Stace, director general at industry body UK Steel, said the US move was “hugely disappointing”.

Some steel company contracts have already been cancelled or been put on hold, he said.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham called on the government to “act decisively” to protect the steel industry.

The Community union called for a UK tax on carbon-intensive steel, produced with a bigger environmental footprint, which would include exports from China and India.

The UK exports a relatively small amount of steel and aluminium to the US, around £700m in total. However the tariffs also cover products made with steel and aluminium, worth much more, about £2.2bn, or about 5% of UK exports to the US last year.

Sir Keir’s comments at Prime Minister’s Questions came in response to Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, who called for the UK to be “more robust” with the US president “like the Europeans and like the Canadians”.

Conservative shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said Labour “can’t even get themselves in the room” to negotiate with the US”.

Sir Keir said: “We are… negotiating an economic deal which covers and will include tariffs if we succeed, but we will keep all options on the table.”

There have been frequent talks between ministers and US officials since the measures were first proposed in February, the BBC understands.

The UK hasn’t ruled out retaliation in the long term, but that seems unlikely for now.

Trump hopes the tariffs will boost US steel and aluminium production in the longer run, but critics say in the immediate term they will raise prices for US consumers and dent economic growth.

US share prices sank on Monday and Tuesday as traders and analysts expressed recession fears.

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) lobby group said the tariffs would boost US steel manufacturing, create jobs, and close a system of exemptions, exclusions and quotas that allowed foreign producers to avoid tariffs.

Others in the US do not support the tariffs.

Michael DiMarino runs Linda Tool, a Brooklyn company that makes parts for the aerospace industry, said he was concerned prices for steel would rise.

“If I have higher prices, I pass them on to my customers. They have higher prices, they pass it on to the consumer,” Mr DiMarino said.

The American Automotive Policy Council, a group that represents car giants such Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, said they were concerned tariffs on Canada and Mexico would add significant costs” for car makers’ suppliers.

In 2018, during his first term as president, Trump imposed similar tariffs on metal imports, but carve-outs were eventually negotiated for many countries.

On Tuesday, Trump u-turned on doubling the tariffs on Canada specifically in response to a surcharge Ontario had placed on electricity.

Addressing Labour MPs on Monday evening, the prime minister said the current welfare system was “the worst of all worlds”, discouraging people from working while producing a “spiralling bill”.

The comments come as Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall prepares to set out changes to the welfare system and cut the benefits bill in the coming weeks.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has earmarked several billion pounds in draft spending cuts to welfare and other government departments ahead of the Spring Statement.

Changes likely to be announced in the coming days include restrictions on eligibility for the Personal Independent Payment, which provides help with extra living costs to those with a long-term physical or mental health condition, and cuts to incapacity benefits for people unable to work and receiving Universal Credit.

There is unease over the plans within the party, with Labour MP Rachael Maskell warning against “draconian cuts” that risk “pushing disabled people into poverty”.

Maskell told the BBC she had picked up “deep, deep concern” among Labour MPs.

She said: “I look in the past at what Labour has achieved in this space and believe that we can hold on to our values, ensure that we’re helping people and not harming people.”

Another Labour MP, Neil Duncan-Jordan, also expressed concern, telling Newsnight: “If we are going to make poor people poorer then there will be a number of MPs who won’t be able to sign up to that.

“It feels like it could be a re-run of austerity and I’m worried about that.”

However, other sections of the Parliamentary Labour Party are calling for change.

The Get Britain Working group of 36 Labour MPs has said the government has a “moral duty” to help long-term sick and disabled people to work if they can.

In a letter to Kendall, the MPs said the country faced “hard choices” to overcome a “crisis of economic inactivity”.

Speaking at a meeting of Labour MPs on Monday night, Sir Keir said: “We’ve found ourselves in a worst of all worlds situation – with the wrong incentives – discouraging people from working, the taxpayer funding a spiralling bill.

“A wasted generation, one-in-eight young people not in education, employment or training, and the people who really need that safety net still not always getting the dignity they deserve.

“That’s unsustainable, it’s indefensible and it is unfair, people feel that in their bones.

“So, this needs to be our offer to people up and down the country: If you can work, we will make work pay – if you need help, that safety net will be there for you.

“But this is the Labour Party – we believe in the dignity of work and we believe in the dignity of every worker.”

A number of MPs leaving the meeting said they had been satisfied with the prime minister’s words.

One said they accepted that welfare reform had to happen and were reassured that he had said it had to be done with Labour values and through the dignity of work.

However, another said constituents were frightened and needed to know that support would be there.

They said there had been little recognition that reducing benefits like the Personal Independence Payment, which helps people keep their independence, had the potential to push up costs.

Labour MP Diane Abbott said she would have liked to query the impact of the prime minister’s proposed cuts to welfare but was told the meeting was full.

In a letter to Reeves, a dozen charities have argued there is “little evidence to suggest cutting benefits increases employment outcomes”.

The charities – including Disability Rights UK, Citizens Advice, Scope and Sense – urged her to “think again about cuts to disability benefits”.

They said: “There are disabled people out of work who want to work given the right support. And for some disabled people, work isn’t appropriate.

“Changes to welfare must start here. Not with cuts.”

But ministers are worried about the surge in the number of people claiming benefits since the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost to the taxpayer.

As of January, 9.3 million people aged 16 to 64 in the UK were economically inactive – a rise of 713,000 since the pandemic.

The Department of Work and Pensions says some 2.8 million people are economically inactive because of long-term sickness.

Last year, the government spent £65bn on sickness benefits and that figure is forecast to increase by tens of billions before the next general election.

Some of the reforms to the welfare system have already been announced and include plans to use 1,000 work coaches to help the long-term unemployed into work.

Conservative shadow businesses secretary Andrew Griffith said Sir Keir had “rightly” talked about the problem of millions of working-age people on welfare.

“That is a stain on our country’s character,” Griffith told the BBC. “But it also holds back the economy and it’s one of the reasons why we’re not growing.”

However, Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesman Steve Darling said “slashing support without fixing broken public services is not the answer”.

“We need long-term reform and investment in health and social care, not short-term cuts that balance the nation’s finances on the backs of the most vulnerable,” he said.

The package includes loans and weakened deficit rules in a bid to boost the continent’s military forces.

Speaking after a call with EU leaders earlier, the prime minister said the “historic” move was “another sign of Europe stepping up”.

It comes as Sir Keir tries to persuade European countries to join a “coalition of the willing” to deter Russia in the event of a peace deal in Ukraine.

According to UK officials, about 20 countries are interested in joining the coalition, although would not necessarily offer to send troops, but instead provide other support.

In recent weeks, EU leaders have repeated longstanding promises to boost Europe’s military capabilities, after voicing concerns the continent cannot rely on US security support under President Trump.

At a summit in Brussels on Thursday, they backed plans to jointly borrow €150bn to lend to EU governments for military expenditure.

The European Commission has also proposed diverting regional development funds towards defence, alongside an emergency suspension of the bloc’s rules on government debt and deficit levels.

Starmer was briefed on the plans in a call earlier with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, alongside the leaders of Canada, Turkey, Norway and Iceland.

Afterwards Downing Street said the prime minister “applauded the progress” made at the Brussels meeting.

He also discussed plans for the “coalition of the willing” and noted a meeting in Paris next week would be an “important moment to drive forward planning,” a No 10 spokeswoman added.

The UK and France have said they are willing to provide peacekeeping troops to Ukraine and are urging other European countries to make the same commitment.

But Sir Keir has said that in order to be effective, their presence in Ukraine must be backed by security guarantees from the US.

US President Donald Trump has so far avoided committing to such support, instead arguing that the presence of American workers in Ukraine as part of a potential minerals deal, would be sufficient to deter Russia from further invading Ukraine.

Russia has flatly rejected such a move saying it would amount to “direct, official and unveiled involvement of Nato members in the war against Russia”.

Talks between the US and Ukraine aimed at reaching an agreement will take place next week in Saudi Arabia.

Ahead of the talks, Trump said on Friday he was “strongly considering” new sanctions and tariffs on Russia, following a wave of overnight strikes on Ukraine.

Writing on social media, he added: “To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!”

UK Defence Secretary John Healey earlier returned from Washington DC, where he met with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth to discuss ending Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Speaking in Washington, Healey said: “It’s a lasting, secure peace that we all want to see. We’ve got a big role to play in Europe and we are determined to do that.”

Hegseth dismissed as “garbage” suggestions that under Trump’s leadership the US was becoming “pro-Russia”.

He said the president was “working with both sides in a way that only President Trump can”.

Progress towards an agreement appeared to take a step back after Trump and Zelensky had a dramatic row in front of cameras in the Oval Office.

However, Hegseth said the US president was “very encouraged by the signs we’re seeing” from Ukraine.

On Thursday the UK’s Ministry of Defence signed a £30m deal with an Anglo-American firm to provide Ukraine with Altius 600m and Altius 700m systems, designed to monitor an area before striking incoming targets.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves also announced a £2.26bn loan to Ukraine, funded by the profits generated from frozen Russian assets.

On Friday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed they had received the first tranche of the loan, amounting to £752m.

In a social media post, he said: “I am grateful to Keir Starmer, the UK government and our G7 partners for the mechanism to make Russian money work for Ukraine.

“We expect all sovereign assets of the Russian federation to be confiscated and transferred to benefit our country in the future.”

Earlier this week, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urged the prime minister to seize the frozen Russian assets held in the UK.

Sir Keir replied there were “ongoing discussions” but that the situation was “complicated”.

The Liberal Democrats are now calling on the attorney general to publish the legal advice on taking the assets.

The party’s shadow attorney general Ben Maguire said: “We need the chance to properly scrutinise the decision-making on this crucial issue, so the UK can then make the right choice for Ukraine.”

Sir Keir Starmer was asked whether the government would step in by the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey.

The influencers, who grew up in Luton, flew to Florida from Romania last week after a travel ban was rescinded.

Sir Keir said he would “tread carefully” but added: “Justice must be done in all cases, including in this case.”

The brothers are now under criminal investigation in three countries. They deny all wrongdoing.

Andrew, 37, and Tristan, 35, were detained last year in Bucharest after Bedfordshire Police said it had obtained an arrest warrant in relation to allegations of rape and trafficking dating back to between 2012 and 2015 .

The pair also face allegations of trafficking minors, sexual intercourse with a minor and money laundering in Romania.

A Romanian court ruled they could be extradited to the UK once the proceedings in that country had been concluded.

The Florida Attorney General, James Uthmeier, said on Tuesday that he had ordered a criminal inquiry into the pair.

He said he had directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution “to execute search warrants and issue subpoenas in the now-active criminal investigation into the Tate brothers”.

Andrew Tate told reporters that the US authorities were “trying to find crimes on an innocent man”.

There is also a civil action in the UK brought against him by four women, after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to prosecute in 2019.

Three of the British accusers were the subject of an investigation by Hertfordshire Constabulary, which was closed in 2019.

Sir Ed said he was “delighted” the pair were now subject to a criminal investigation in Florida.

In the Commons, he asked the PM whether he would agree “that people who are wanted by British police for such appalling (alleged) crimes should stand trial in our country”.

Sir Keir responded: “This is a live issue, as he’ll appreciate,” but added that “the principle is absolutely clear” in relation to whether the brothers should face justice.

“But I won’t go into the detail as it’s a live case, as he knows,” the prime minister added.

The Romanian government was reportedly pressed to lift travel restrictions on the brothers earlier this month by the Trump administration.

US President Donald Trump has denied any knowledge of the case.

Romania’s anti-organised crime agency, DIICOT, said prosecutors had cleared a request to “modify the obligation preventing the defendants from leaving Romania”.

Its statement continued: “The defendants have been warned that deliberately violating these obligations may result in judicial control being replaced with a stricter deprivation of liberty measure.”

In separate proceedings last December, Devon and Cornwall Police was given permission to seize more than £2m from the siblings.

A magistrate ruled they had failed to pay any tax on £21m of revenue from their online businesses.

During the meeting, the non-EU countries were briefed on the EU’s plans to step up defence, which include freeing up €800bn (£670bn) for military spending.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the move would help Europe protect “our people, territories and assets” and help “the long-term security of our brave neighbour Ukraine”.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey earlier returned from Washington DC, where he met with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth to discuss ending Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Addressing Hegseth, he said: “You challenged us to step up on Ukraine, on defence spending, on European security – and I say to you that we have we are and we will further.”

Hegseth said UK leadership was “critical” adding that “European leadership of Nato, led by the UK and others is we believe the future of defence on the continent”.

The US has paused military aid to Ukraine and stop sharing intelligence as it reviews “all aspects of this relationship”.

In a televised speech, French President Emmanuel Macron said “I want to believe the US will stay at our side, but we must be ready if that is not the case.”

The UK and France have said they are willing to provide peacekeeping troops to Ukraine and are urging other European countries to join what they have called a “coalition of the willing”.

According to UK officials about 20 countries are interested in joining the coalition, although would not necessarily offer to send troops, but instead provide other support.

But Sir Keir has said that in order to be effective their presence in Ukraine must be backed by security guarantees from the US.

US President Donald Trump has so far avoided committing to such support, instead arguing that the presence of American workers in Ukraine as part of a potential minerals deal, would be sufficient to deter Russia from further invading Ukraine.

Russia has flatly rejected such a move saying it would amount to “direct, official and unveiled involvement of Nato members in the war against Russia”.

Talks between the US and Ukraine aimed at reaching an agreement will take place next week in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking in Washington, Healey said: “It’s a lasting, secure peace that we all want to see. We’ve got a big role to play in Europe and we are determined to do that.”

Hegseth dismissed as “garbage” suggestions that under Trump’s leadership the US was becoming “pro-Russia”.

He said the president was “working with both sides in a way that only President Trump can”.

Progress towards an agreement appeared to take a step back after Trump and Zelensky had a dramatic row in front of cameras in the Oval Office.

However, Hegseth said the US president was “very encouraged by the signs we’re seeing” from Ukraine.

On Thursday the UK’s Ministry of Defence signed a £30m deal with an Anglo-American firm to provide Ukraine with Altius 600m and Altius 700m systems, designed to monitor an area before striking incoming targets.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves also announced a £2.26bn loan to Ukraine, funded by the profits generated from frozen Russian assets.

On Friday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed they had received the first tranche of the loan, amounting to £752m.

In a social media post, he said: “I am grateful to Keir Starmer, the UK government and our G7 partners for the mechanism to make Russian money work for Ukraine.

“We expect all sovereign assets of the Russian federation to be confiscated and transferred to benefit our country in the future.”

Earlier this week, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urged the prime minister to seize the frozen Russian assets held in the UK.

Sir Keir replied there were “ongoing discussions” but that the situation was “complicated”.

The Liberal Democrats are now calling on the attorney general to publish the legal advice on taking the assets.

The party’s shadow attorney general Ben Maguire said: “We need the chance to properly scrutinise the decision-making on this crucial issue, so the UK can then make the right choice for Ukraine.”

The prime minister said Europe would have to do “the heavy lifting” as part of a peace deal but reiterated that a peacekeeping force would need “strong US backing”.

As Sir Keir was speaking in the House of Commons, Trump posted on social media: “Europe… stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the US – probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?”

He also accused Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky of not wanting peace adding: “America will not put up with it for much longer.”

Following a summit of western leaders over the weekend, the UK and France said they would produce a plan to stop the fighting, which would then be discussed with the US.

Addressing MPs, Sir Keir said Britain would “play a leading role” in any agreed deal including, if necessary, deploying British troops in Ukraine to deter Russia from further attacks.

Trump has so far not agreed to provide any security guarantees and has instead focused on a deal to open up Ukrainian minerals to US companies.

He has argued that the presence of American workers in the country would help discourage Russia from trying to encroach on Ukraine territory.

Asked by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage if the minerals deal would provide “enough of a security guarantee”, Sir Keir said the deal “is not enough on its own”.

The prime minister received widespread backing from MPs across different parties, with Conservative former Foreign Secretary James Cleverly saying he had “not put a foot wrong” over the weekend.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she backed the PM’s decision to fund an increase in defence spending by cutting the aid budget and added that she would support him to make further “difficult choices – including on welfare”.

Speaking about the deployment of British troops, the prime minister said he did not take any such move “lightly” and promised MPs a vote if that happened.

He argued that backing Ukraine was not only “the right thing to do” but was also in British interests.

“If we do not achieve a lasting peace then the instability and insecurity that hits living standards of working people in Britain, that will only get worse and Putin’s appetite for conflict and chaos, that will only grow.”

He later said “success was not guaranteed but I am not going to let up”.

Russia has flatly rejected the idea of western troops being sent to Ukraine as part of any peace deal.

Sunday’s summit in London came after an explosive spat between Trump and Zelensky at the White House last week.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Trump was “no longer a reliable ally with respect to Russia” and that it was time the UK reviewed its dependency on the US.

“I don’t agree with him,” replied Sir Keir, adding: “The US and UK have the closest of relationships – our defence, security and intelligence are completely intertwined.

“A huge mistake at a time like this would be to suggest any weakening of that link is the way forward.”

Labour MP – and chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee – Emily Thornberry questioned Sir Keir’s decision to cut aid in order to bolster defence spending.

She said it was “hard to believe” there would be enough left in the budget to “provide meaningful support” and it could “hobble” the prime minister’s attempt to show global leadership.

At the weekend, President Macron had suggested a partial, month-long truce between Russia and Ukraine, in which both would agree to a truce for four weeks in the air, on the sea and around energy infrastructure, but it would not cover ground fighting along the frontline in the east.

Eléonore Caroit, a member of the French foreign affairs committee, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that President Macron’s proposal sent a “very strong message” to Europe “that if we want, we can do something”.

But Defence Minister Luke Pollard told the BBC it was “not a plan that we currently recognise”.

He added: “Certainly there are a number of different options being discussed privately between the UK, France and our allies… What we are certainly doing is looking at what plan would bring peace as soon as we can, and what plan creates a lasting peace.”

The prime minister hosted the London summit as allies scramble to shape peace negotiations and smooth over fractured relations between Trump and Zelensky.

At the summit, Sir Keir announced a four-point plan to work with Ukraine to end the war and defend the country from Russia.

The plan involves including Ukraine in talks, continuing to supply it with military aid, boosting its defence capabilities and building a “coalition of the willing” to defend a deal to end the fighting.

The UK and France are taking a leading role and have both committed to send soldiers to Ukraine, under the proposals.

But apart from increasing spending on defence, there appears to be no consensus on a plan to end the war among European leaders.

Defence Secretary John Healey will visit the US later this week to move discussions forward.

In other developments over the weekend:

• Zelensky said he was prepared to resign as president if his country was granted membership of Nato, the western security alliance
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said she will present a plan to “rearm” Europe in the coming days
• Chancellor Rachel Reeves signed off a £2.26bn loan scheme to help Ukraine buy weapons and fund its reconstruction after the war
• Sir Keir has announced a £1.6bn missile deal for Ukraine.

The UK, France and other countries will step up their efforts in a “coalition of the willing” and seek to involve the US in their support for Ukraine, he said on Sunday – after calling a summit of 18 leaders – mostly from Europe and including Volodymyr Zelensky – three days earlier.

“We are at a crossroads in history today,” Starmer said after the summit while Zelensky said Kyiv felt “strong support” and the gathering showed “European unity at an extremely high level not seen for a long time”.

It comes two days after a fiery exchange between the Ukrainian leader and US President Donald Trump in the White House.

“We are all working together in Europe in order to find a basis for cooperation with America for a true peace and guaranteed security,” Zelensky said after the summit.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron told Le Figaro newspaper that Paris and London wanted to propose a one-month truce between Russia and Ukraine “in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure”.

Speaking at a news conference shortly after the meeting of leaders, Starmer said four points had been agreed:

• to keep military aid flowing into Ukraine, and to keep increasing the economic pressure on Russia
• that any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security and Ukraine must be present at any peace talks
• in the event of a peace deal, to boost Ukraine’s defensive capabilities to deter any future invasion
• to develop a “coalition of the willing” to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee peace afterwards

Starmer also announced an additional £1.6bn ($2bn) of UK export finance to buy more than 5,000 air defence missiles. This comes on top of a £2.2bn loan to provide more military aid to Ukraine backed by profits from frozen Russian assets.

“We have to learn from the mistakes of the past, we cannot accept a weak deal which Russia can breach with ease, instead any deal must be backed by strength,” he said.

The prime minister did not state which countries had agreed to join this coalition of the willing, but said that those who had committed would intensify planning with real urgency.

The UK, he said, would back its commitment with “boots on the ground, and planes in the air”.

“Europe must do the heavy lifting,” he said, before adding that the agreement would need US backing and had to include Russia, but that Moscow could not be allowed to dictate terms.

“Let me be clear, we agree with Trump on the urgent need for a durable peace. Now we need to deliver together,” Starmer said.

When asked if the US under Trump was an unreliable ally, he said: “Nobody wanted to see what happened last Friday, but I do not accept that the US is an unreliable ally.

Countries at the summit included France, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, Norway, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Finland, Italy, Spain and Canada.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that there was now an urgent need to “re-arm Europe”.

These sentiments were echoed by Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, who said the meeting had seen European countries “stepping up” to make sure Ukraine has what it needs to “stay in the fight as long as it has to continue”.

0:51Watch: Starmer says “coalition of the willing” needed in peace deal

After the summit, Zelensky went to Sandringham where he met King Charles III. He later spoke to reporters at a final press briefing where he said he was ready to sign a deal on minerals with the US.

Ukraine was expected to sign the deal – which would grant the US access to Ukraine’s rare mineral reserves – during Zelensky’s visit to Washington, but the Ukrainian delegation ultimately left early after a heated confrontation with Trump in the Oval Office.

Earlier on Sunday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned a deal on minerals between the US and Ukraine could not be signed “without a peace deal” with Russia.

But when asked by the BBC about the future of the deal following the summit, Zelensky said it was ready to be signed.

“The agreement that’s on the table will be signed if the parties are ready,” he said.

Sunday’s summit concludes a hectic week of diplomacy, which included visits to Washington by Macron, Starmer and Zelensky.

Zelensky’s meeting, however, culminated in a heated exchanged with Trump and US Vice-President JD Vance, in which the US president accused his Ukrainian counterpart of “gambling with World War Three”.

Trump has said he wants to end the war in Ukraine and has expressed trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin, to the consternation of many of his Western allies.

The US has also begun peace talks with Russia – excluding Ukraine.

At one point, the US leader accused Ukraine of starting the war – even though it was Putin who launched a full-scale invasion of Russia’s neighbour on 24 February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due at a summit of European leaders, two days after a fiery exchange with US President Donald Trump in the White House.

Sir Keir told BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that his “driving purpose” right now was to act as a “bridge” between the two men.

Asked about how he felt watching the spat in the White House, Sir Keir sought to play down the incident, saying “nobody wants to see that” and admitted he felt “uncomfortable”.

The PM’s response was to pick up the phone to his counterparts Trump and Zelensky that same night, in an effort to “get us back to the central focus”, he said.

“There are a number of different routes people can go down. One is to ramp up the rhetoric as to how outraged we all are or not.”

He said the other option was to “roll up my sleeves” and quickly phone both men – and then also to speak to French President Emmanuel Macron about the role that the leading nations of Europe would play.

“Because my reaction was we have to bridge this, we have to find a way that we can all work together because in the end we’ve had three years of bloody conflict now, we need to get to that lasting peace”.

In the interview, Sir Keir was careful to avoid laying any blame for the row and insisted he was “clear in my mind” that Trump “wants a lasting peace”, answering “yes” when asked directly if he believed Trump could be trusted.

Zelensky could also be trusted, he added, but not Russian President Vladimir Putin – which is the reason the US needs to provide a security guarantee for any peace deal.

The prime minister acknowledged that a European security guarantee would have to be led by a “coalition of the willing”.

Sir Keir said that “Europeans have stood up in the last three years” but that “generally Europe needs to do more in its own defence and security and that’s why I’ve said we need to increase spending, we’ve got to increase capability and we’ve got to co-ordinate more because in the Ukraine conflict we’ve seen that the co-ordination isn’t there”.

Earlier this week, the PM announced he would cut the foreign aid budget to fund an increase in defence funding to 2.5% of national income by 2027, which led to the resignation of his International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds.

The move came after Trump had called on the US’s Nato allies to increase defence spending to 5% of their respective national incomes.

France spends 2.1% on defence and has pledged to double this by 2030.

Sir Keir urged all European nations to review their defence budgets, saying: “Generally Europe needs to do more in its own defence and security and that’s why I’ve said we need to increase spending, we’ve got to increase capability .

Asked to explain what a European “coalition of the willing” he said: “We need to be clear what a European security guarantee [in Ukraine} would look like.

“We’ve got to find those countries in Europe that are prepared to be a bit more forward-leaning.”

He said the UK and France were leading the thinking on it but added: “The more the better in this.”