Keir Starmer warns 'borders must not be changed by force' as PM and EU leaders put pressure on Donald Trump not to hand parts of Ukraine to Russia

Daily Mail​

16 hours ago

Sir Keir Starmer today warned 'borders must not be changed by force' as he joined EU leaders in pressuring Donald Trump not to hand parts of Ukraine to Russia.
The Prime Minister and some of his European counterparts joined a call this afternoon with the US President and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky.
The emergency virtual summit comes ahead of Mr Trump's meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
There are worries in London and other European capitals that Mr Trump will offer to cede Ukrainian territory to Russia as part of a ceasefire deal.
The PM used Wednesday's call to thank Mr Trump for his efforts in trying to secure an end to the three-year conflict in Ukraine.
He said the US President's actions had created a 'viable' chance of a peace agreement.
But he also pledged his 'unwavering' support for Ukraine, after Mr Zelensky blasted Mr Trump's suggestion that a peace agreement could include 'land-swapping'.
As well as Sir Keir, Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky, Wednesday's call also included the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland, and EU and NATO officials.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: 'All leaders agreed this week marks an important moment for the future of Ukraine.
'They thanked President Trump for his efforts in bringing Putin to the table in pursuit of a ceasefire to end to the ongoing bloodshed.
'The PM was clear that our support for Ukraine is unwavering - international borders must not be changed by force and Ukraine must have robust and credible security guarantees to defend its territorial integrity as part of any deal.
'Europe stands ready to support this and will continue to work alongside President Trump and President Zelenskyy for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, they added.
'They looked forward to speaking again following the meeting in Alaska on Friday.'
In his own comments following Wednesday's call, Mr Zelensky revealed how he told Mr Trump that Mr Putin is 'bluffing' about his desire to end the war.
'I told the US President and all our European colleagues that Putin is bluffing,' the Ukrainian President said.
'He is trying to apply pressure before the meeting in Alaska along all parts of the Ukrainian front. Russia is trying to show that it can occupy all of Ukraine.'
Mr Zelensky added that he wanted a three-way meeting with Mr Trump and Mr Putin, saying no talks about Ukraine should exclude Kyiv.
Earlier this week, ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting, Mr Zelensky declared he will not hand his country's eastern Donbas region to Russia as the price for peace.
He warned, if handed to the Kremlin, Mr Putin would merely use the region as a 'springboard for a future new offensive' on Ukraine.
Ahead of Wednesday's summit, a European diplomatic source told The i Paper that permanent changes to the Ukraine-Russia border would not be accepted.
They added that land swaps must be off the table in Mr Trump's discussions with Mr Putin.
But there are also reported tensions between the UK and EU capitals, with a British official revealing concerns about 'unhelpful running commentary' from European leaders about the Trump-Putin talks.
'Unlike our European colleagues, we are not publicly out there making demands of the Americans,' they told The Telegraph.
'A lot of the way the Europeans seem to be behaving, they're going to annoy the Americans, they're going to annoy Trump if they start making demands and if they put out red lines.'
It comes after Mr Merz and Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat, both publicly called for Mr Zelensky to be allowed to attend the talks in Alaska.
Ms Kallas said: 'We cannot accept that territorial issues between Russia and America are discussed or even decided over the heads of Europeans and Ukrainians.'
Later on Wednesday, Sir Keir co-chaired a meeting of the so-called 'coalition of the willing' meeting to update wider partners on the day's discussions.
The coalition of the willing is an international effort to support Ukraine towards a lasting peace, led by the UK, France and Ukraine.
It is made up of 31 countries that have pledged strengthened support for Kyiv, including 27 European countries, as well as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
Mr Zelensky said at a news briefing on Tuesday that Mr Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30 per cent of the Donetsk region that Kyiv controls as part of a ceasefire deal.
This was conveyed to him by US officials, Mr Zelensky added.
However, he reiterated that Ukraine would not withdraw from territories it controls because it is unconstitutional and would only serve as a springboard for a future Russian invasion.
Mr Trump has also signalled he thinks Ukraine might need to cede territory in order to end the conflict, stating there is likely to be 'some land-swapping going on'.
Speaking during a lengthy press conference on Monday, Mr Trump pledged to 'try to get back' some of Ukraine's 'oceanfront property' from Russia.
He said: 'We're going to change the lines, the battle lines. Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine. They've occupied some very prime territory. We're going to try and get some of that territory back for Ukraine.
'They have taken largely – in real estate we call it oceanfront property. That's always the most valuable property.'
A statement released by the EU on Tuesday read: 'A just and lasting peace that brings stability and security must respect international law, including the principles of independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and that international borders must not be changed by force.
'The people of Ukraine must have the freedom to decide their future. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.
'Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities.'
In response, Mr Zelensky said on X (formerly Twitter): 'I am grateful to the leaders of Europe for their clear support for our independence, territorial integrity, and precisely such an active approach to diplomacy that can help end this war with a dignified peace.
'Indeed, We all support President Trump's determination, and together we must shape positions that will not allow Russia to deceive the world once again.
'We see that the Russian army is not preparing to end the war. On the contrary, they are making movements that indicate preparations for new offensive operations.
'In such circumstances, it is important that the unity of the world is not threatened.
'As long as they continue the war and the occupation, all of us together must maintain our pressure – the pressure of strength, the pressure of sanctions, the pressure of diplomacy.'