Starmer says Europe willing to put 'boots on the ground' to secure Ukraine peace

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday that Europe was prepared to take the lead in the defense of Ukraine, including troops and planes, but needs the “strong backing” of the United States and hopes to smooth relations after Friday’s meltdown in the White House.

He made the remarks in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy two days after his high-profile clash with President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance raised questions about U.S. commitments to Kyiv.

After a summit with 18 European leaders, Mr. Starmer said a “coalition of the willing” was being formed to defend a peace deal in Ukraine and said a “number of countries” have signaled that they want to be part of the plan to bring durable peace to the country.

“Not every nation will feel able to contribute, but that can’t mean that we sit back. Instead, those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency,” he said. “The U.K. is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air. Europe must do the heavy lifting.”

“To succeed, this effort must have strong U.S. backing,” he said without specifying what that means. “To be clear, we agree with [Mr. Trump] on the urgent need for a durable peace.”

European Union members also pledged to keep the economic and military aid flowing.

The London summit reflected a renewed sense of urgency around the war in Ukraine after a breakdown in White House discussions. Mr. Zelenskyy challenged the suggestion that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be trusted to abide by a peace deal.

Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance responded by telling Mr. Zelenskyy that he should show more gratitude to the United States for its support and questioning his commitment to peace with Russia.

The discussion grew so heated that the White House scrapped a signing ceremony for an agreement that would have granted the United States access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in exchange for continued support.

Mr. Trump has touted the deal as a key part of a peace deal. After the meeting, Mr. Trump said he determined that Mr. Zelenskyy “is not ready for peace if America is involved because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations.”

The fiery exchange renewed questions about the Trump administration’s commitment to NATO and the future of U.S. aid to Ukraine, but the Europeans tried to smooth out the situation.

“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,” Mr. Starmer said Sunday.

“There are no two countries as closely aligned as ours. Our defense, our security, and our intelligence is intertwined in a way no two other countries are,” he said.

Mr. Starmer announced a $2 billion export financing deal for Ukraine to purchase 5,000 air defense missiles manufactured in Belfast. On Saturday, he signed a $2.7 billion loan guarantee for additional military aid to Ukraine.

“We are at a crossroads in history today, [but] this is not a moment for more talk,” he said. “It’s time to step up and lead and to unite around a new plan for a just and enduring peace.”

Peter Mandelson, the British ambassador to the United States, called for a “reset” between the United States and Ukraine and encouraged Mr. Zelenskyy to sign the minerals deal. He said it would help ensure the United States has “a stake in Ukraine’s future.”

He said the United States must have a role in any peace deal.

“We would also like to see the United States giving us cover for this,” Mr. Mandelson said on ABC’s “This Week.” “We want to know the U.S. is covering our backs in what we are putting into Ukraine on the ground and that there is some sort of ultimate backstop.

“If things get really nasty, the Russians need to know they are going to answer to the United States as well as to the Europeans on the ground,” he said.

The fallout from the Trump-Zelensky blowup dominated the Sunday TV news programs. Republicans rushed to Mr. Trump’s defense, and Democrats rallied behind Mr. Zelenskyy.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration would reengage with Ukrainian officials “when they are ready to make peace.”

“The only way it ends is if Vladimir Putin comes to a negotiating table and right now President Trump is the only person on earth who has any chance whatsoever of bringing him to a table to see what it is he would be willing to end the war on,” Mr. Rubio said.

“Now, maybe their claims or what they want, their demands will be unreasonable. We don’t know,” the secretary of state said.

“If there are no negotiations, what is the alternative? Another four years of war — three years of war in which the U.S. and Europe continue to pour billions of dollars into a war in Ukraine?” he asked.

During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, said Mr. Zelenskyy might need to step down as his country’s leader if he continues to get in the way of a peace agreement.

“Something has to change,” Mr. Johnson said. “Either he needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude, or someone else needs to lead the country to do that.”

Mr. Trump said the Ukrainian president is unpopular in his country.

Sen. James Lankford, Oklahoma Republican, said he is “not interested in calling” for Mr. Zelenskyy to step down and that choosing foreign leaders isn’t the role of a U.S. lawmaker.

“Quite frankly, I think that would spiral Ukraine into chaos right now, trying to find who is the negotiator to bring” peace, Mr. Lankford said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Sen. Bernard Sanders, a democratic socialist from Vermont, said the idea that Mr. Zelenskyy should resign is a “horrific suggestion.”

“Zelenskyy is leading a country, trying to defend democracy against an authoritarian dictator, Putin, who invaded his country,” Mr. Sanders said on “Meet the Press.”

He called Mr. Trump’s conduct and view of the Ukraine war shameful and a national embarrassment.

“Millions of Americans are embarrassed and ashamed that we have a president of the United States who says that Ukraine started the war, that Zelenskyy is a dictator,” he said.

Sen. Christopher Murphy, Connecticut Democrat, said his vote to confirm Mr. Rubio was a mistake.

“It is absolutely shameful what is happening right now,” Mr. Murphy said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “The White House is becoming an arm of the Kremlin.

“Every single day, you hear — from the national security adviser, from the president of the United States, from his entire national security team — Kremlin talking points,” he said.

He echoed Mr. Sanders’ comments and said the president hoped to make himself a dictator.

“It appears as if America is trying to align itself with dictators, that Donald Trump wants us to have our closest relationships with despots all around the world because that makes it easier for him to transition America into a kleptocratic oligarchy, where Elon Musk and Donald Trump rule and steal from the American people,” he said.

• Jeff Mordock contributed to this report.