Europe leaders to go with Zelenskyy for Washington talks

Keir Starmer praised Donald Trump’s offer of a security guarantee for Ukraine. Photo / Getty Images

Sir Keir Starmer has praised Donald Trump’s offer of an Article 5-style security guarantee for Ukraine, as European leaders prepared to head to Washington for a crucial meeting with the US President and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The British Prime Minister chaired a meeting with the Ukrainian President and members of the Coalition of the Willing on Sunday.

Afterwards, Downing Street said the leaders “commended President Trump’s commitment to providing security guarantees to Ukraine, in which the Coalition of the Willing will play a vital role through the Multinational Force Ukraine, among other measures”.

The US is understood to have offered a Nato-style collective defence guarantee for Ukraine, which special envoy Steve Witkoff described as “game-changing”.

Nato’s Article 5 states that an armed attack against one or more of its members should be considered an attack on all.

Ukraine would be able to enjoy a guarantee resembling this clause without becoming an official member of the bloc.

Witkoff confirmed today that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to the guarantee at talks in Alaska, saying it was “the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that”.

French President Emmanuel Macron said: “If we are weak with Moscow, we are preparing for tomorrow’s conflicts.”

He also repeated Europe’s demands that territorial decisions can only be made by Ukraine and no limits can be placed on Kyiv’s armed forces moving forward, in a video address from Fort de Brégançon, the President’s official holiday residence.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Starmer, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will accompany Zelenskyy to Washington.