Starmer Vows to Assemble ‘Coalition of the Willing’ to Help 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 and take it forward together. We will go further to develop a ‘coalition of the willing’ to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee the peace. The U.K. is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air, together with others. Europe must do the heavy lifting. But to support peace in our continent and to succeed, this effort must have strong U.S. backing.” Reporter: “Do you think you really do need the U.S., and if you do, do you think the ‘coalition of the willing’ will be enough to bring President Trump back around? Thank you.” “Well, firstly, in relation to last Friday, nobody wanted to see what happened last Friday. But I do not accept that the U.S. is an unreliable ally. The U.S. has been a reliable ally to the U.K. for many, many decades, and continues to be. There are no two countries as closely aligned as our two countries. I spoke to President Trump last night. I’m not going to go through the details of that conversation, but I would not be taking this step down this road if I didn’t think that it was something that would yield a positive outcome in terms of ensuring that we move together — Ukraine, Europe, the U.K., and the U.S., together — towards a lasting peace. We are at a crossroads in history today. That is not a moment for more talk. It’s time to act. Time to step up and lead. And to unite around a new plan for just and enduring peace.”