UK and France to spearhead Ukraine ceasefire efforts
The United Kingdom, France, and possibly other countries will collaborate with Ukraine to develop a ceasefire plan, announced British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday during an interview with the BBC. He also commented on the altercation at the White House involving Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.
The United Kingdom and France, along with potentially other countries, will work with Ukraine to create a ceasefire plan. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made this announcement during an interview with the BBC. He emphasized that achieving "lasting peace" in Ukraine is crucial, as it is essential for the security of all of Europe.
During the interview with the BBC, Keir Starmer also addressed the incident on Friday at the White House, where a dispute occurred between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance. The British Prime Minister admitted that he "felt embarrassed" by the situation and noted that "nobody wanted to watch this."
Starmer explained that after the incident, he immediately contacted both presidents. The aim of these discussions was to "overcome" the tension and focus on the "central objective," which is to support Ukraine in striving for a long-term resolution of the armed conflict.
Zelenskyy in London
After visiting the United States, where discussions with President Donald Trump did not yield the expected results, Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the United Kingdom. In London, he met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the talks concluded successfully.
Ukraine's Finance Minister, Serhiy Marchenko, and the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, signed a document providing Ukraine with over £2.2 billion, which corresponds to nearly $3 billion CAD. These funds are part of a $50 billion CAD G7 mechanism aimed at supporting Ukraine.
"The funds will be managed and repaid from future revenues obtained from immobilized Russian state assets. The financing is planned for 30 years, and the obtained funds will be allocated for the purchase of defence equipment according to Ukraine's needs," reports the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance.
UK's support for Ukraine
Serhiy Marchenko emphasized that Zelenskyy’s visit to London shows that the United Kingdom continues to support Ukraine. "This is confirmed by the latest agreement, which contributes to strengthening Ukraine's defensive capabilities. I am grateful to the UK government for this support and personally to Rachel Reeves for her significant efforts that enabled the conclusion of this agreement," noted Marchenko.
Under the G7 ERA mechanism, Ukraine has already received $1 billion CAD from the USA and €3 billion, which is approximately $4.3 billion CAD, from the European Union. Zelenskyy's meeting with Prime Minister Starmer ended with a warm farewell, highlighting the positive atmosphere of the talks.
