Sir Keir Starmer backs both Ukraine and Trump after Zelensky call

Sir Keir Starmer has backed both Ukraine and Donald Trump after a call with Volodymyr Zelensky about a US-backed peace plan.  

The Prime Minister said he and the French and German leaders had emphasised to Mr Zelensky the 'fundamental principle' that Kyiv should be in charge of its own destiny.

Following the call, Sir Keir told broadcasters: 'We all want a just and lasting peace. That's what the president of America wants. That's what we all want.

'And so we need to work from where we are to that end. But the principle that Ukraine must determine its future under its sovereignty is a fundamental principle.'

It comes as Ukraine is facing pressure to agree to a controversial 28-point plan by Thursday that would force it to give up its land, cut its army in half and hold elections within 100 days. 

The deal is said to have been negotiated by Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Kremlin representative Kirill Dmitriev.

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed Moscow had received the proposal and cautiously welcomed it on Friday, saying it 'could form the basis of a final peace settlement'.

But he said the plan had not been discussed with the Russian side 'in any substantive way'. The Kremlin leader said he assumed this was because the US had not been able to get Ukraine's consent.

In a somber video address, Zelensky pledged to work with the US on the plan but said he expects more political pressure over the next week.

He urged Ukrainians to remain united in the face of what he said were additional attempts by Russia to derail the peace process.

'Now is one of the most difficult moments of our history. Now, the pressure on Ukraine is one of the heaviest,' he said.

'Now, Ukraine can face a very difficult choice — either losing dignity or risk losing a major partner.'

No 10 said during the call, Sir Keir, Mr Zelensky and the other leaders agreed to 'co-ordinate with partners and allies in the coming days' on a plan to end the war, including at the Johannesburg G20 summit.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: 'They underlined their support for President Trump's drive for peace and agreed that any solution must fully involve Ukraine, preserve its sovereignty and ensure its future security.

'The leaders agreed to co-ordinate with partners and allies in the coming days, including at the G20, as discussions on how best to achieve a lasting peace continued.'

Sir Keir spoke to Mr Zelensky from South Africa, where it is thought he intends to use his attendance at the G20 summit to shore up support for Kyiv.

On the flight to Johannesburg on Thursday night, the Prime Minister told reporters: 'My position has always been focused on a just and lasting peace. That's why we have done so much work on the Coalition of the Willing.

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'But that is premised on the principle underpinning that, which is central to me, which is that the future of Ukraine must be determined by Ukraine and we must never lose sight of that principle underpinning the just and lasting peace that we all want to see.'

President Donald Trump is demanding an answer from Zelensky on the peace plan by Thursday, but an extension on finalising the deal remains possible.

It comes after Ukrainian officials said feeling 'f***ing mind blown has become our norm,' after Trump threatened to cut key support for Kyiv if it did not agree to the framework of the proposal.

Russia is grinding forward on the battlefield and pounding Ukraine's energy system with missiles and drones as a domestic political crisis unfolds over a massive corruption probe involving senior officials and business elites.

Washington has presented Ukraine with terms that include that Kyiv cede additional territory, curb the size of its military and be barred from joining NATO.

Trump's 28-point peace plan to end the war in Ukraine has sparked astonishment in Kyiv, as officials process how it appears to call for a full capitulation to Vladimir Putin's draconian demands after almost four years of conflict.

U.S. President Donald Trump backs the draft proposal that would also see Kyiv pledge never to join NATO.

Ukraine is facing greater pressure from Washington to agree to the framework of a U.S.-brokered peace deal with Russia than in previous negotiation efforts, including threats to cease provision of intelligence and weapons, according to sources familiar with the matter.

One of the sources said that the U.S. wanted Ukraine to sign a framework of the deal by next Thursday.

Reacting to the proposal in an address to the nation on Friday, Zelensky said he would not 'betray' Ukraine, and would propose 'alternatives' to the plan widely seen as giving in to a host of Moscow's demands.

The leader said his country was facing the critical choice of 'either losing its dignity or the risk of losing a key partner,' and that 'today is one of the most difficult moments in our history'.

But despite the pressure to accept the deal, Ukraine will refuse to accept any proposal that violates its 'red lines', the country's top negotiator said on Friday.

'There can be no decisions outside the framework of our sovereignty, the security of our people, or our red lines - now or ever,' Kyiv's security council chief and negotiator Rustem Umerov said on social media.

Many of the proposals are 'quite concerning,' according to a European government official, who told AP that Ukraine's allies in the EU were not consulted in peace efforts, and that a bad deal for Kyiv would also be a threat to the bloc's broader security.

Washington's draft appeared to heed to the demands of the Kremlin, whose 2022 invasion has turned into Europe's worst conflict since World War II.

Under the plan, Moscow would not only keep territories that it occupies but get more land currently controlled by Ukraine.

The West would lift sanctions on Russia and Moscow would be invited back into the G8.

The plan would also pile pressure on Zelensky, requiring elections to be held in Ukraine within 100 days - another key demand being pushed by Moscow, which has repeatedly and openly called for the Ukrainian leader to be toppled.

Zelensky has said he will discuss the plan with Trump in the 'coming days' - so far not saying if Kyiv would agree to any of it.

He has insisted his country needed a 'dignified peace'.

'With a neighbour like Russia, defending one's own dignity, freedom, and independence is an extremely difficult task,' he said Friday.

The European Union has not officially received the U.S. proposal but it would be discussed on the sidelines of the G20 in South Africa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.