In Ukraine, many watch and wait for signs of hope from abroad.
Trump Administration Live Updates: U.K. Prime Minister, Seeing ‘Crossroads in History,’ Pledges More European Support for Ukraine
After a summit of European leaders in London, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said a “coalition of the willing” would be assembled to defend Ukraine, but he did not name the countries expected to participate.
Declaring that “we are at a crossroads in history,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain said on Sunday that European countries would ramp up their military spending and assemble a “coalition of the willing” to defend Ukraine against Russia.
Speaking at a news conference after hosting a meeting of 18 European leaders, including President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, Mr. Starmer said that “a number” of other nations had indicated that they could join with Britain and France and deploy troops to Ukraine in the event of a cease-fire between Kyiv and Moscow. He did not name those countries.
Mr. Starmer announced plans to allow Ukraine to use 1.6 billion pounds in British export financing, or $2 billion, to buy more than 5,000 advanced air defense missiles. And he said he had spoken to President Trump on Saturday night and believed there could be “a positive outcome” with the United States.
Other European leaders emerged from the summit, held in London, to say that the European Union would embark on a surge in military spending.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said the European Union would present a plan to do just that on Thursday. Europe, she said, will also fortify Ukraine with economic and military aid, aiming to turn the country into “a steel porcupine that is indigestible for potential invaders.”
NATO’s secretary-general, Mark Rutte of the Netherlands, said several European countries that he did not name had pledged to increase their military spending, calling that a “very positive” signal. Mr. Rutte also insisted that Mr. Trump was committed to NATO, telling reporters after the meeting to “please stop gossiping” about the possibility that the United States would pull out of the alliance.
The gathering took on greater urgency after Mr. Zelensky’s heated meeting with Mr. Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office on Friday raised fears that the United States would try to strong-arm Ukraine’s president into making a peace deal.
At the summit, Mr. Starmer, with Mr. Zelensky beside him, told the assembled leaders: “We’re gathered here today because this is a once-in-a-generation moment for the security of Europe, and we all need to step up. Getting a good outcome for Ukraine is not just a matter of right and wrong; it’s vital for the security of every nation here, and many others, too.”
Mr. Starmer said that the European leaders had agreed at the summit to keep military aid flowing to Ukraine and maintain economic pressure on Russia, to ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security and to forge a “coalition of the willing” to police any cease-fire. “Those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency,” he said.
The angry exchange in Washington on Friday was the latest sign that Mr. Trump was pivoting American foreign policy away from traditional U.S. allies like Ukraine and Europe. It also illustrated the seriousness of his plans to quickly end the war in Ukraine, which could result in a deal that empowered Russia.
European leaders have lined up behind Ukraine and lauded its embattled president since the episode.
In contrast, Secretary of State Rubio criticized Mr. Zelensky’s demeanor at the Oval Office, accusing him on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday of having “found every opportunity to try to ‘Ukraine-splain’ on every issue.” He said that he was “puzzled” by the pushback on the Trump administration and said that the president was being unfairly criticized for trying to help Ukraine by stopping the war. “The sooner people grow up and realize that, I think the more progress we’re going to be able to make,” he said.
Here’s what else to know:
British loan: Britain on Saturday announced a nearly $3 billion loan to Ukraine aimed at bolstering the war-torn country’s military capability. It will be paid back using profits generated on sanctioned Russian sovereign assets, and the first tranche of funding is expected to be disbursed to Ukraine next week, Britain’s Treasury said.
Judge’s order: A federal judge in Washington on Saturday blocked the Trump administration from ousting the top official at a federal watchdog agency, saying that its efforts to do so were unlawful. The judge’s order will allow the official, Hampton Dellinger, to remain the head of the Office of Special Counsel, which protects federal whistle-blowers. Read more ›
More troops on the border: The Pentagon is sending about 3,000 additional troops to the southwestern border, rushing to comply with Mr. Trump’s order to increase the military’s role in curtailing crossings. The reinforcements announced on Saturday would bring the total number of active-duty troops on the border to about 9,000, Defense Department officials said. Read more ›
Park protests: Hundreds of people gathered on Saturday at national parks from California to Maine to protest the Trump administration’s firing of at least 1,000 National Park Service employees last month. Read more ›
Mark Landler and Stephen Castle reported from London and Jeanna Smialek from Brussels. Minho Kim and Yan Zhuang contributed reporting.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the rare minerals deal with Ukraine is in limbo for now. “I think we have to see if President Zelensky wants to proceed,” he says on “Face the Nation” on CBS. “What’s the use in having an economic agreement that’s going to be rendered moot if he wants the fighting to continue?”
Volodymyr Zelensky’s helicopter has landed at Sandringham House, the country estate of the British royal family, where he is to meet with King Charles III. Last week, Charles invited President Trump for a rare second state visit to Britain, a gesture that pleased Trump.
Advertisement
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Prime Minister Keir Starmer ended his news conference after 15 minutes. He gave little concrete detail about the discussions at the European summit earlier today but presented the talks as an important step in seeking to satisfy the United States that Europe was pulling its weight
Protesters wrapped in Ukrainian flags rallied outside Downing Street in London on Sunday, during a European summit on the war between Russia and Ukraine. Some held placards saying “Putin Kaput,” aimed at President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, or calling for a ban on all international trade with Russia.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain said at the news conference that he had spoken to President Trump on Saturday and “would not be taking this step down the road,” if he did not think it would “yield a positive outcome.”
Starmer does not announce any additional countries joining the “coalition of the willing,” beyond Britain and France, which he announced earlier today. But he says he expects other countries to join up to the effort.
Advertisement
SKIP ADVERTISEMENTPrime Minister Starmer, speaking in London, said that “a number” of European countries had indicated at the summit that they would be willing to join a “coalition of the willing” to support Ukraine, but did not name them. He also announced a deal to allow Ukraine to use £1.6 billion in British export finance, or $2 billion, to buy more than 5,000 advanced air defense missiles.
Starmer says, “Europe must do the heavy lifting,” but adds, “To support peace, and to succeed, this effort must have strong U.S. backing.”
Speaking at a media conference after the European summit in London, Keir Starmer said the leaders had agreed to try to create a coalition of willing nations to be deployed in the event of a cease-fire.
“Those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency,” he said, repeating that Britain would be willing to put “boots on the ground and planes in the air.”
Ukraine is no stranger to mass protests — about 20 years ago, the country fomented the Orange Revolution, bringing a Western-leaning leader into power. But this weekend, the streets were largely quiet, with most Ukrainians appearing to be watching and waiting after the disastrous meeting Friday between President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. Would the United States abandon Ukraine? Would Europe somehow stitch together a plan at a summit on Sunday?
Iryna Movchaniuk, 37, a designer of computer games in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine, said she did not expect that Europe could fill the United States’ shoes. But she did hope that the summit, between European leaders in London on Sunday, meant that the Europeans would try to work with the United States toward negotiations with Russia, and that the leaders might be able to convince Washington not to walk away from Ukraine.
“Europe doesn’t need to take on the role of the U.S. — it should act as a mediator instead,” she said. She added: “The U.S. is just more aggressive — they make a decision, and that’s it. Europe, on the other hand, hesitates, analyzes and overcomplicates things.”
Ukrainians know that continuing to fight Russia’s invasion will be much harder if Mr. Trump decides to cut off U.S. military supplies. But they also know that their country has been developing its own defense capabilities. And some said they hoped Ukraine could rely on Europe for help with air defense and Patriot missiles.
“I would love for Europe to fully take on the role the U.S. has played,” said Yevheniia Kolomiitseva, 42, an accountant in the eastern city of Kharkiv. “I really would. But honestly, I don’t have much hope for that — at least not yet.”
Several Ukrainians also expressed confidence that their country would keep fighting for its existence, even if the United States walked away.
“I believe the war will continue,” said Ivanna Khitsinska, 36, a film producer from Kyiv. “It will be difficult, but we will keep fighting. We have no other choice.”
NATO’s secretary general, Mark Rutte of the Netherlands, said several European countries had pledged to increase their military spending during a just-completed summit meeting in London. He did not list names, but said it was a “very positive” signal. He insisted that President Trump was committed to NATO, adding, “please stop gossiping” about the possibility that the United States would pull out of the alliance.
President Zelensky has left the summit of European leaders. He has been invited to see King Charles III and is expected to travel by helicopter to Sandringham, the monarch’s country home in Norfolk and one of the royal residences.
The president of the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen, emerged from a summit of European leaders in London on Sunday to call for a “surge in defense” by their countries. She said that the E.U. would present a plan to do that on Thursday. Europe, she said, will fortify Ukraine with economic and military aid, with a goal of turning the country into “a steel porcupine that is indigestible for potential invaders.”
A top aide to President Trump stopped short of calling for President Volodymyr Zelensky’s resignation but said the Ukrainian leader must be more cooperative. “We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians and end this war,” Mike Waltz, the national security adviser, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “And if it becomes apparent that President Zelensky’s either personal motivations or political motivations are divergent from ending the fighting in this country, then I think we have a real issue on our hands.”
Advertisement
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Senator James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, also spoke with NBC’s Kristen Welker, saying that Vladimir V. Putin was “a murderous K.G.B. thug” and a “dictator” and that he understood why President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine wanted assurances that the Russian president would actually abide by any cease-fire agreement that he signed.
“Zelensky is rightfully concerned that Putin has violated every single agreement he’s ever signed and that he can’t be trusted,” Lankford said on “Meet the Press.” “He’s looking for some kind of security guarantees.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson addressed the possibility of a potential government shutdown on Sunday morning television, telling NBC’s Kristen Welker that Republicans were working “in good faith” to keep the government funded. Notably, he stopped short of guaranteeing that Republicans would keep the government open and attempted to shift some of the onus onto Democrats, even though the G.O.P. controls the House, Senate and the presidency.
“Democrats have to help negotiate this,” Johnson said. “Government funding is always bipartisan. You have to have partners on both sides of the aisle to do it.”
Lancaster House, where the leaders are meeting, was commissioned in 1825 and given to the British government in the 20th century. A grand British government building used for hospitality, it is described by the British foreign office as “one of the last surviving examples of extravagant private palaces which were the focus of social and political life in Victorian and Edwardian London.” In 1979, it hosted the successful international conference that ushered in the newly independent state of Zimbabwe.
Starmer has opened the meeting of European leaders in London with Macron and Zelensky seated beside him. “We’re gathered here today because this is a once in a generation moment for the security of Europe, and we all need to step up,” Starmer told the assembled leaders. “Getting a good outcome for Ukraine is not just a matter of right and wrong, it’s vital for the security of every nation here and many others too.”
Advertisement
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reiterated the Trump administration officials’ discomfort and anger with Zelensky, saying that the Ukrainian president had disrupted efforts toward a peace process with Russia by challenging Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office on Friday. Zelensky “found every opportunity to try to ‘Ukraine-splain’ on every issue,” Rubio said.
Secretary Rubio, speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” leaned heavily on emotive language to justify his administration’s shift in foreign policy over Ukraine. He said that he was “puzzled” by the pushback on the administration after the heated Oval Office exchange with Presdent Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Friday and said that President Trump, who was trying to prevent more destruction, was being unfairly criticized.
“The sooner people grow up and realize that, I think the more progress we’re going to be able to make,” Rubio said. He added that Trump would receive a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts if he were a Democrat.
Senator Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, told “Fox News Sunday” that he regretted voting to confirm his former colleague Marco Rubio to be secretary of state. Van Hollen said the former senator, a Florida Republican, used to acknowledge that Russia was the aggressor in the war against Ukraine and would never have accused Zelensky of being a dictator as Trump has. But since joining the administration, Rubio has adopted Trump’s talking points. “As a member of the Senate, Secretary Rubio was somebody who stood up for American values, American principles,” Van Hollen said. “Now he’s simply taking his directions at the State Department from Elon Musk and essentially parroting the president’s position.”
Van Hollen called Friday’s three-way argument in the Oval Office “a despicable display of bullying” by Trump and Vance against Zelensky. He also characterized the Trump administration’s rare minerals deal as an “extortion” of Ukraine.
Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut and one of the most outspoken critics of the second Trump administration, told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday, that “it is absolutely shameful what is happening right now,” speaking about President Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
“The White House has become an arm of the Kremlin,” Murphy said. “The White House has been pretending as if Ukraine started this war. That’s essentially saying that Poland invaded Germany at the beginning of World War II. There are still facts in this world.”
Murphy said he believed President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine appropriately asked Trump and Vance how they could reassure him that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia would abide by the terms of a cease-fire agreement. “It is a sad day in America when we are getting closer and closer to Russia, a brutal dictatorship, and further and further away from democratic allies,” Murphy said.
Murphy also criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio, his former Senate colleague from Florida, for not opposing Trump’s efforts to align America with Russia. “That’s been a great disappointment to many of his former colleagues in the Senate,” Murphy said of Rubio.
In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested that President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine should step down if he doesn’t sign President Trump’s deal on rare minerals and agree to end the war. “Something has to change. 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,” Johnson said.
Advertisement
SKIP ADVERTISEMENTHouse Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, appeared to defend the conduct of President Trump and Vice President JD Vance during the Oval Office meeting on Friday, saying that President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine “acted so inappropriately” and should have “shown more gratitude.”
“For him to act as he did was rather shocking to everyone,” Johnson said of Zelensky, speaking to CNN’s Dana Bash. “Instead of showing gratitude, he interrupted and berated his hosts at a very perilous time for his country.”
Johnson also, however, described the war in Ukraine as “unjust” and called President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia an “aggressor,” a departure from the friendly language that Trump has used to describe Putin. “I think Vladimir Putin is an old-school communist,” Johnson said. “He’s not to be trusted, and he is dangerous.” He also said that China, Russia, Iran and North Korea amount to “new Axis powers” and they “are not on America’s side.”
Advertisement
SKIP ADVERTISEMENTEuropean leaders raced on Sunday to salvage Ukraine’s ruptured relationship with the United States, with Britain and France assembling a “coalition of the willing” to develop a plan for ending Ukraine’s war with Russia. They hope this effort will win the backing of a skeptical President Trump.
Gathering in London at the invitation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain, the leaders vowed to bolster support for President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine after his bitter clash with Mr. Trump last week. But several also expressed hope that the two could repair their breach, underscoring Europe’s reluctance to cast off a trans-Atlantic alliance that has kept the peace for 80 years.
“We are at a crossroads in history,” Mr. Starmer said after the meeting. “Europe must do the heavy lifting,” he declared, but added, “To support peace, and to succeed, this effort must have strong U.S. backing.”
Mr. Starmer said he believed that despite Mr. Trump’s anger toward Mr. Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday, Mr. Trump was committed to a lasting peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. He said Britain and France, working with other European countries, would develop their own plan with Mr. Zelensky.
Details of the plan were sketchy, but Mr. Starmer suggested that the Europeans could use it as a basis to persuade Mr. Trump to commit to American security guarantees. Britain and France have already pledged to contribute troops to a peacekeeping force and are trying to enlist other countries across Europe.
“I wouldn’t be taking this step down this road if I didn’t think it would yield a positive outcome in terms of ensuring that we move together,” Mr. Starmer said, referring to Mr. Trump.
His comments captured the dilemma confronting Europe two weeks after Mr. Trump’s surprise overture to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. Neither Europe nor Ukraine currently has seats at the table in a potential Trump-brokered peace deal. Nor has Mr. Trump agreed to give any security assurances to prevent Russia from launching another invasion of its neighbor.
Mr. Trump’s acrimonious exchange with Mr. Zelensky deepened the divide. “Nobody wanted to see what happened last Friday,” said Mr. Starmer, who had his own, much smoother meeting with Mr. Trump a day earlier.
The prime minister has tried to mediate between Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Trump. Speaking to both men by phone after their clash, he floated the idea of Mr. Zelensky’s returning to the White House on Friday evening to mend fences with the president, according to a senior British official.
Both leaders demurred, saying it would be better to let tempers cool and the air to clear, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the delicacy of the issue. Still, Mr. Zelensky has also expressed a belief that his rift with Mr. Trump is not irreparable.
On Sunday in London, Europe wrapped Mr. Zelensky in a warm embrace. He won gestures of support from the 18 assembled leaders, including President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada.
Afterward, Mr. Zelensky flew to meet King Charles III at his country estate, Sandringham, northeast of London. That visit, at the request of Mr. Zelensky, had a symbolic resonance, since Mr. Starmer had hand-delivered a rare invitation to Mr. Trump from the king to make a second state visit to Britain.
Yet behind the choreographed show of solidarity, there was a recognition that keeping the United States on board remains critical.
“Starmer has two goals,” said Mujtaba Rahman, an analyst at the political risk consultancy Eurasia Group. “Build an offer with the Ukrainians and Europeans that keeps the U.S. positively engaged in Ukraine’s security, while simultaneously preparing for a worst-case scenario where that may not prove possible.”
That will require European countries to shoulder a much heavier burden in the continent’s defense. Mr. Starmer pushed leaders to follow Britain in bolstering its military spending. Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, said several countries had pledged to do so, though he declined to name them.
On Saturday, after meeting Mr. Zelensky, Mr. Starmer gave Ukraine a loan of 2.26 billion pounds (about $2.8 billion) to buy military hardware. On Sunday, he announced plans to allow Ukraine to use 1.6 billion pounds ($2 billion) in British export financing to buy more than 5,000 advanced air defense missiles.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said the European Union would fortify Ukraine with economic and military aid, aiming to turn it into “a steel porcupine that is indigestible for potential invaders.”
The Ukraine war has thrust Mr. Starmer into an unaccustomed place for a British prime minister: the heart of Europe, during a crisis. More than eight years after the country voted to leave the European Union, the rapidly changing security landscape is driving Britain closer to the continent.
Catherine Ashton, a Briton who served as the bloc’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said Mr. Starmer’s successful meeting with Mr. Trump had reinforced his credentials as a leader for Europe.
“It is unsurprising that allies in Europe are gathering in London this weekend and equally unsurprising that the U.K. is being taken much more seriously in Brussels and capitals,” Ms. Ashton said.
And yet there are limits to Mr. Starmer’s diplomacy. He was unable to extract security guarantees from Mr. Trump, despite an exaggerated show of deference to the president that included the invitation from the king.
For Mr. Starmer, the crisis is an opportunity to draw closer to Europe. He has long wanted to do that on the trade front but has approached it gingerly because of the political sensitivities at home. The Labour Party does not want to lose its core working-class voters, many of whom favored Brexit, to the anti-immigration party, Reform U.K., which is led by Nigel Farage.
But boosting military spending is popular with Reform voters. Standing behind Ukraine and against Russian aggression also puts Mr. Farage, with his history of sympathy for Mr. Putin, in a tricky position.
Whether that will allow Mr. Starmer to reintegrate Britain’s economy and trade with that of the European Union is another question. Some analysts noted that the E.U. was in no rush to overhaul its existing trade agreement with Britain, which it views as beneficial to the continent. Mr. Starmer’s political fortunes still depend on his government’s turning around Britain’s ailing economy.
“The country is in such a dire state that I don’t think Starmer will be rewarded for being an international statesman,” said Mr. Rahman, the analyst. “It’s an arguably dangerous thing for a prime minister to try to build political capital abroad when the domestic agenda isn’t moving in the direction he wants.”
Mr. Starmer’s use of the phrase “coalition of the willing” had a disquieting echo of President George W. Bush in the lead-up to the Iraq war. Britain, under a Labour prime minister, Tony Blair, joined the United States, but France and Germany did not.
The shock of Mr. Trump’s statements about Russia and Ukraine could reduce such divisions this time around, diplomats said.
“People realize they can no longer count on a nice Russia and a generous America, and that they have to get their act together on a number of issues, including defense and security,” said João Vale de Almeida, a former E.U. ambassador to the United States and Britain. The British, he said, are “more European than American in terms of what unites them to Europe and what unites them to America.”
Still, Mr. Starmer, who said he discussed his plans with Mr. Trump on Saturday night, rejected suggestions that the trans-Atlantic alliance was finished. “I do not accept that the U.S. is an unreliable ally,” he said.
Advertisement
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Advertising by Adpathway
