Ukraine's European allies press for more security guarantees

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Friedrich Merz in London on Monday to discuss the latest version of a peace plan, drafted during talks between Ukrainian and US officials last week. Following the meeting, France said work would be "intensified" to provide security guarantees for Kyiv. On Monday evening Zelensky was due to travel to Brussels to meet Nato officials and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen."

"Ahead of the talks he hosted at Downing Street, Starmer said there needed to be "hard-edged security guarantees" in a peace deal for Ukraine. Merz stated he was "sceptical" about some of the details of the potential peace plan coming from the US side. "But we have to talk about it. That's why we are here," he added. There is nervousness in Kyiv and across Europe that the US could end its support of Ukraine over frustration with the slow progress of negotiations."

""We can't manage without Americans, we can't manage without Europe and that is why we need to make some important decisions," Zelensky said in London. Last week, Ukrainian officials spent three days with the US negotiating team in Florida pushing for changes to a US-backed peace proposal which has been widely considered favourable to Russia. Ukraine is looking for security guarantees to ensure that in the event of a peace deal, Russia would be deterred from carrying out another invasion or attack."

European leaders met in London with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to review a new peace plan and intensify efforts to secure guarantees for Kyiv. France committed to intensifying work on security guarantees while Zelensky planned to meet NATO and European Commission officials in Brussels. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer demanded hard-edged security guarantees and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed scepticism about some US-origin plan details. Kyiv and European capitals worry the United States could withdraw support over slow negotiations. Ukrainian negotiators recently sought changes to a US-backed proposal seen as favorable to Russia, and territorial concessions remain a key sticking point.

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