LONDON, Mar 16: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday that Western allies other than the US were stepping up preparations to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, with defence chiefs set to firm up "robust plans" next week.
Starmer hosted a virtual meeting to marshal more pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept a ceasefire deal being pushed by US President Donald Trump, and to gather commitments to help secure any agreement - something Trump has made clear he expects Europe to take on.
Around two dozen leaders took part, including those from Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Australia, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and NATO's secretary general - but not the US
Starmer said the "coalition of the willing" had reaffirmed its commitment both to helping Ukraine resist Russia's three-year-old invasion and to securing any ceasefire that emerges from Trump's overtures to Russia.
While Russia has welcomed the ceasefire proposal in principle, it has also set conditions that essentially restate its war aims, suggesting that any agreement will not come quickly.
Starmer told reporters: "We agreed we will keep increasing the pressure on Russia, keep the military aid flowing to Ukraine, and keep tightening restrictions on Russia's economy to weaken Putin's war machine and bring him to the table." �"REUTERS
