https://archive.is/4k20N
Europe Aims to Forge Peace Plan for Ukraine
Following public clash between Trump and Zelensky, the U.K. and France try to broker compromise solution
The U.K. and France said they would lead a European effort to forge a Ukraine peace plan to present to President Trump, as they sought to patch up differences between Kyiv and Washington following Friday’s White House clash.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted nearly 20 allies in London on Sunday and said that progress had been made in building a “coalition of the willing,” which would commit military assets, including troops on the ground, to secure any eventual peace. He said more countries would need to come on board if Europe is to build a force that would deter Russian aggression in Ukraine.
“Through my discussions over recent days, we’ve agreed that the U.K., France and others will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, then we’ll discuss that plan with the United States,” Starmer said, adding that he had spoken with President Trump about his intentions.
Friday’s White House meeting between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which the U.S. president berated the Ukrainian leader during an extraordinary on-camera exchange, triggered frantic diplomacy among European allies as they both sought to display support for Ukraine while finding a way to ensure the U.S. doesn’t turn its back on Kyiv.