As he announced, the talks in Johannesburg, which will be attended by “friends and partners of Ukraine”, will discuss “how we can ensure a full ceasefire and create space for meaningful peace negotiations.”
“There is only one country at the G20 table that is not calling for a ceasefire in Ukraine and one country that is using drones and missiles to destroy livelihoods and murder innocent civilians,” Starmer said.
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What peace plan for Ukraine will Keir Starmer discuss?
Who will take part in the talks in Johannesburg?
What did Donald Trump say about the Ukraine peace plan?
Why is Ukraine considering an alternative peace plan?
“We will cooperate with Washington and Kiev”
The Prime Minister recalled that this week alone “we witnessed the launch of almost a thousand Russian drones and 54 precision-guided missiles towards Ukraine, which maimed innocent people, including children and the elderly, going about their daily lives.”
The head of the British government emphasized that no one wants peace more than the Ukrainian people. He noted that Kiev has been ready for peace negotiations for months, while Russia “is stuck at a deadlock and continues its murderous expansion.”
— That's why we must all work together, with both the United States and Ukraine, to ensure a just and lasting peace once and for all. (…) We will continue to work closely with Washington and Kiev to achieve this, because we cannot simply wait for peace, he said.
Starmer said “we need to cut off Putin's money by ending our dependence on Russian gas.” “It won't be easy, but it's the right decision,” he added.
On Thursday, Axios published details of the 28-point peace plan for Ukraine negotiated by the US and Russia. According to it, Kyiv is to undertake, among others: not to join NATO, limiting the number of troops to 600,000. soldiers and giving Russia part of the territory.
On Friday afternoon, Reuters, citing three sources, reported that Ukraine, France, Germany and Great Britain were working on an alternative proposal to the American plan.
US President Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News that he wants Ukraine to respond to the peace plan by Thursday. At the same time, he suggested a possible extension of this deadline.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement to the nation that Ukraine is facing “one of the most difficult moments” in its history, with the choice “either loss of dignity or risk of losing a key partner.”
The American leader will not attend the G20 leaders' summit, which will be held in South Africa this weekend.
