Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a significant meeting at Downing Street on Monday. This high-profile gathering will also include French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The meeting is taking place amid ongoing challenges in reaching a peace agreement that could bring an end to the Ukraine war, which is about to enter its fourth year.
Recent discussions between Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Miami highlighted efforts to create a viable peace plan. These talks were described as “constructive” by both sides. Additionally, Zelensky shared positive conversations with U.S. peace envoy Steve Witkoff over the phone.
At Downing Street, European leaders are expected to focus on the latest initiatives to develop a new peace strategy and consider assurances regarding Ukraine’s postwar security. According to reports from The Guardian, the four leaders previously participated in a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing” around two weeks ago. During this session, they explored plans to establish a European peacekeeping force that could be deployed in Ukraine if a ceasefire is achieved.
The upcoming meeting follows concerns raised by European leaders and Zelensky regarding a 28-point plan initially proposed by the U.S. This plan, reportedly drafted by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian adviser Kirill Dmitriev, included demands that many saw as too strict for Ukraine and potentially harmful to its sovereignty. Key points involved limiting the size of Ukraine’s military, requiring withdrawal from certain cities in the Donbas region, and a pledge not to join NATO.
Ukraine made several modifications to the plan, which were then discussed by Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner with Putin for five hours last week. However, Putin ultimately rejected the deal, with his foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov stating there was “still a lot of work to do.”
It is believed that Moscow is resistant to any agreement that does not grant it control over the entire Donetsk province, leading to a stalemate in negotiations. Putin later remarked, “Russia does not intend to fight Europe, but if Europe starts, we are ready right now.”
Tensions between the U.S. and Europe were further highlighted by leaked transcripts of a call between Macron and Zelensky. According to Germany’s Spiegel magazine, Macron warned of the risk of the U.S. betraying Ukraine on territorial issues without clear security guarantees. Merz reportedly criticized Trump and his team for “playing games” with EU leaders and Zelensky.
Despite these challenges, Russia continues to attack Ukraine, reaffirming its commitment to capturing more territory. Putin stated, “All this boils down to one thing: Either we take back these territories by force, or eventually Ukrainian troops withdraw.” On Friday night, Russia launched a drone and missile attack on Ukraine’s power and transport infrastructure, with the Ukrainian military reporting 653 drones and 51 missiles launched overnight.
Domestically, Zelensky’s government has faced a corruption scandal that has led to the resignation of some of his close allies. Last month, his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, stepped down after an anti-corruption raid on his home. In recent weeks, Ukraine’s anti-corruption bureau Nabu and specialized anti-corruption prosecutors office (Sap) have linked several prominent figures to an alleged $100m (£75m) embezzlement scandal in the energy sector.
Zelensky had previously attempted to limit the independence of Nabu and Sap but reversed his decision following widespread protests against the bill.
