Zelensky enjoyed a heartfelt welcome from Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday that could not be more different than the reception he endured at the White House. King Charles has also accepted an invitation to meet Zelensky on Sunday, the Ukrainian leader said.
But between niceties, a crucial day of diplomacy looms. The West hopes Sunday’s summit will revive momentum towards an acceptable peace deal that had appeared to be slowly building this week, only to come crashing down in a nasty few minutes on Friday.
Starmer told the BBC on Sunday morning that he will work with France, Ukraine and “possibly one or two others” on a plan to stop the fighting, which he will then present to the US.
That strategy seems destined to rival the negotiation process that Trump’s administration opened with Russia last month, and suggests a tacit acceptance that getting Trump and Zelensky to come to the negotiating table together will be a challenge.
Already, Ukraine’s leader will return to Kyiv with something tangible: on Saturday, he and Starmer signed an agreement to accelerate $2.8 billion worth of loans to Ukraine. The first tranche of funding is expected to be disbursed next week, according to the UK government.
In a Telegram post on Saturday, Zelensky said “the money will go toward the production of weapons in Ukraine. This is the fair way: the one who started the war should pay.” He added that “the loan will strengthen our defense capabilities.”
The earlier spectacle of the American president and vice president berating the leader of a war-torn ally stunned Europe and would have delighted the Kremlin. It added intensity to Sunday’s summit, which had initially been convened by Starmer to build on the progress achieved during a similar meeting in Paris last weekend.
Trump and JD Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for American military support, for “gambling with the lives of millions of people,” and risking “World War III” by fighting Russia’s invading army in his country.
The scenes were Europe’s worst nightmare. “Nobody wants to see that,” Starmer told the BBC on Sunday.
One day before the shouting match, a chummy Starmer managed to get Trump to walk back previous false remarks that Zelensky was a “dictator,” voice his “respect” for Ukraine’s leader and even raise the possibility that Ukraine would claw back occupied territory from Russia in a ceasefire deal. All of those comments were notable reversals from Trump, and seemed to set the table well for Zelensky’s trip.
Now Europe is starting from square one again.
“Three years on from Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, we are at a turning point. Today I will reaffirm my unwavering support for Ukraine and double down on my commitment to provide capacity, training and aid to Ukraine, putting it in the strongest possible position,” Starmer said in a statement ahead of the London summit.
“In partnership with our allies, we must intensify our preparations for the European element of security guarantees, alongside continued discussions with the United States,” he said. “Now is the time for us to unite in order to guarantee the best outcome for Ukraine, protect European security, and secure our collective future.”
The summit will have three goals, Downing Street said: Ukraine’s short-term needs, securing a “lasting deal” to end the conflict, and “planning for strong security guarantees.”
As European leaders rushed to reaffirm their support for Zelensky on Friday evening, Starmer was noticeably silent. A few hours later, we learned why: Downing Street said he had spoken to Trump and Zelensky following their heated encounter. “He retains his unwavering support for Ukraine and is playing his part to find a path forward to a lasting peace, based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine,” Starmer’s spokesperson said.
The role of interlocutor between the Europe and the White House is one Starmer is taking seriously, even – perhaps especially – when it seems futile. It is one he will hope can reap rewards this weekend, but an increasing sense of desperation is setting in.
Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a Ukrainian member of parliament, wrote on Telegram ahead of the meetings in London: “If you thought the situation would somehow miraculously improve today… don’t count on it.”
