European leaders seek ‘coalition of willing’ to secure Ukraine

LONDON: Leaders from 18 European countries Sunday scrambled to salvage Ukraine’s relationship with the United States following a bitter bust-up last week between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Trump. They pledged to cobble a “coalition of the willing” European countries to develop a plan for ending the war, which they hope could win the backing of a skeptical Trump.

Gathering in London at the invitation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the leaders vowed to bolster support for Ukraine. But they also expressed hope that Zelensky and Trump could repair their breach, underscoring Europe’s reluctance to cast off a trans-Atlantic alliance that has kept the peace for 80 years, reports AFP and the international media.

Talking to BBC, Premier Keir Starmer said Britain and France will work on a peace deal with Ukraine and present it to President Trump, describing it as a step in the right direction.

Starmer said he hoped a European “coalition of the willing” would come together to support Kyiv, but that any ceasefire had to be underpinned by the United States to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine again.

“In other words, we’ve got to find those countries in Europe that are prepared to be a bit more forward leaning,” he said. “The UK and France are the most advanced on the thinking of this and that is why President Macron and I are working on this plan, which we will then discuss with the US.”

Starmer spoke to Macron and Trump on Saturday after he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Downing Street, a day after Trump and Zelensky clashed in an extraordinary meeting at the White House.

Starmer repeated his assertion that a peace deal would only work in Ukraine if a possible European peacekeeping force had a security guarantee from the United States.

“I’ve always been clear that that is going to need a US backstop, because I don’t think it would be a guarantee without it,” he said.

Starmer said any new deal to support Ukraine must be backed by strength, and that every nation must contribute in the best way it can, by all taking responsibility and stepping up their own share, BBC reported.

The prime minister said leaders at the summit agreed four important steps:

To keep military aid flowing into Ukraine while the war is ongoing, and increase economic pressure on Russia, any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security; and Ukraine must be at the table for any peace talks. In the event of a peace deal, European leaders will aim to deter any future invasion by Russia into Ukraine. There would be a “coalition of the willing” to defend Ukraine and guarantee peace in the country.

Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said it was “very, very important” to avoid the “risk that the West divides” over Ukraine. “It is very, very important that we avoid the risk that the West divides and I think on this, the UK and Italy can play an important role in bridge-building,” Meloni said as she met Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer in his Downing Street home. Meloni met with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on the fringes of the meeting, according to a statement from the Italian government. “The meeting provided an opportunity to reaffirm Italy’s support for Ukraine and its people, as well as its commitment to building a just and lasting peace, guaranteeing a future of sovereignty, security and freedom for Ukraine,” it added.

In a related development, top Washington officials suggested Sunday that Zelensky might have to step down if a peace deal was to be reached, underscoring President Donald Trump’s stunning shift in approach to the war with Russia.

“We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians, and end this war,” National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told CNN.

“And if it becomes apparent that President Zelensky’s either personal motivations or political motivations are divergent from ending the fighting in this country, then I think we have a real issue.”

His remarks and those of other key Republicans follow Trump’s dramatic turn against Zelensky during a televised Oval Office meeting on Friday.

The unprecedently public spat resulted in Zelensky leaving the White House without the anticipated signing of a preliminary pact on sharing Ukrainian mineral rights.

While European leaders have rallied around Ukraine, Republican officials appeared Sunday on news programs questioning whether any deal could be reached with Russia so long as Zelensky remains.

“Either he needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude, or someone else needs to lead the country to do that,” said Republican Mike Johnson, speaker of the House of Representatives. “I mean, it’s up to the Ukrainians to figure that out, but... we need President Zelensky to do what is necessary.”

Senior Democrats have angrily pushed back since the debacle Friday, saying Trump has come dangerously close to an all-out embrace of Russia.

“The White House has become an arm of the Kremlin,” said Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat who has emerged as one of Trump’s most outspoken critics.

“It appears America is trying to align itself with dictators,” he said on CNN.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted, however, that the White House was clear-eyed about Putin’s Russia. “No one here is claiming Vladimir Putin is going to get the Nobel Peace prize this year,” he said on ABC.

Rubio added, however, that the first step in securing peace is to get the parties to talk together. “You cannot end a war unless both sides come to the table,” he said.

“I’m not promising you it’s possible,” he added. “I’m not telling you it’s 90 percent likely.

“I’m saying it’s zero percent likely if we don’t get them to a negotiating table.”