[ Source: Reuters ]

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday European leaders had agreed to draw up a Ukraine peace plan to take to the United States, a vital step for Washington to be able to offer security guarantees Kyiv says are vital to deter Russia.

At a summit in London just two days after Volodymyr Zelenskiy clashed with U.S. President Donald Trump and cut short a visit to Washington, world leaders offered a strong show of support to the Ukrainian president and promised to do more to help his nation.

European leaders agreed they must spend more on defence to show Trump the continent can protect itself. And the European Commission chief, with many EU nations struggling with already stretched public finances, suggested the bloc could ease its rules that limit debt levels.

Starmer, who welcomed a visibly shaken Zelenskiy on Saturday with a warm hug, said Britain, Ukraine, France and some other nations would form a “coalition of the willing” and draw up a peace plan to take to Trump. He did not name other nations, but said more countries were willing to join.

“We are at a crossroads in history today,” Starmer said. “This is not a moment for more talk. It’s time to act. Time to step up and lead and to unite around a new plan for a just and enduring peace.”

Zelenskiy said after the summit that European unity was “at an extremely high level not seen for a long time.”

“We are all working together in Europe in order to find a basis for cooperation with America for a true peace and guaranteed security,” Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram.

Europe is scrambling to ensure that Kyiv is not squeezed out of any talks after Trump’s shouting match with Zelenskiy in the Oval Office raised fears that the U.S. could pull support for Ukraine and impose a peace plan negotiated with Russia.

Several leaders said they must increase defence spending – something that could help bring Trump on side to offer a U.S. security guarantee in the event of peace.

Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.