Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Starmer urges Trump to back Ukraine ahead of third anniversary

'It is in UK and US interests to stand by Ukraine with security guarantee'

Starmer urges Trump to back Ukraine ahead of third anniversary

Keir Starmer, speaks during an interview on January 16, 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer said Saturday (22) it was in the "interest" of US President Donald Trump to "stand by" Ukraine, in comments ahead of the third anniversary of Russia's invasion.

"It is in UK and US interests to stand by Ukraine with security guarantee," Starmer wrote in an op-ed for the weekly The Sun on Sunday, published on its website late Saturday.


The article comes ahead of the three year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, marked on Monday (24), as well as Starmer's visit to Washington to meet Trump on Thursday (27).

It also follows a week in which relations between Washington and Kyiv have soured after Trump sought to sideline Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from talks on the future of the conflict.

"President Trump is also right to grasp the nettle and see if a good peace deal is on the table," Starmer wrote, adding that "every time" he has spoken to Trump "I am struck by his commitment to peace".

However, he called for Ukraine to have a seat on the table and "strong security guarantees" from the US.

Earlier on Saturday, Starmer and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called for "a just and enduring peace in Ukraine" on a call, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

"Ahead of the three-year anniversary of Russia's barbaric illegal war, they discussed the need to secure a just and enduring peace in Ukraine, and agreed that Europe must step up for the good of collective European security," the spokesperson said in a statement.

In a separate call on Saturday with Zelensky, Starmer reiterated "UK's ironclad support for Ukraine", according to Downing Street.

"They agreed that this was a significant moment for the future of Ukraine and European security at large," said the statement, adding that Starmer would push for Trump to back Ukraine at his meeting next week.

Starmer is hoping to act as a "bridge" between the US and Europe and ensure territorial and security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a deal to end the war.

The task looks increasingly challenging following a public spat between Zelensky and Trump, who called the Ukrainian leader a "dictator".

Trump also accused Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron of doing nothing to end the war in a Fox News interview on Friday (21).

(AFP)

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less