By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday supported the US 28 point Ukraine peace plan and reaffirmed the UK’s boycott of Russian energy, as EU leaders and US officials push new negotiations with Kyiv.
He welcomed the 28-point Ukraine peace plan, stating that while the initial draft had “unacceptable” elements, it also contained key components essential for a just and lasting peace.
Starmer reiterated that he will not give up on the UK’s commitment to boycotting Russian oil and gas.
He said that the issue was a major topic of discussion during the recent G20 Summit in South Africa.
Starmer highlighted that the US-led security guarantees for Ukraine were a “very significant” part of the updated framework discussed in Geneva.
He confirmed that the UK, the US, and Ukraine continue to refine the peace plan, with progress made on an updated framework between Washington and Kyiv.
UK PM reaffirmed the UK’s core principles, he said Ukraine’s sovereignty must be upheld, and the country must be able to defend itself in the future, and decisions about Ukraine must be made by Ukraine.
He added that any provisions involving Europe and NATO require the consent of all member states, noting there is still “a long way to go” in negotiations.
Starmer vowed the UK will not reduce military support for Ukraine and will continue providing “vital defensive capabilities.”
He emphasized the need to maintain economic pressure on Russia, calling the removal of Russian energy from global markets “urgent” to weaken Moscow’s war effort.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that Ukraine’s borders cannot be compromised by force and warned against any peace framework that would weaken Ukraine’s armed forces.
She said no agreement should impose limitations that leave Ukraine exposed to future attacks. Von der Leyen also emphasized that the EU’s role in securing peace must be “fully reflected,”
She noted that Ukraine must retain the right to decide its own future.
“They have chosen a European destiny,” she said, adding that this path begins with reconstruction and deeper integration with Europe’s single market and defence industrial base.
Ukraine has agreed to the proposed deal to end the war with Russia, a senior US official said on Tuesday.
President Volodymyr Zelensky maintained that several issues remain unresolved, media reported.
The initial US-drafted peace plan comprised several ideas previously rejected in past rounds of negotiations.
It urges Ukraine to accept limits on the size of its armed forces, abandon its bid to join NATO, and cede some territory, all long-standing demands made by Russia as President Vladimir Putin seeks to secure maximum concessions.
The proposal also urged Kyiv to surrender key parts of the Donbas region that Russia claims to have annexed but does not fully control.
The region includes a fortified belt of cities and towns central to Ukraine’s defence strategy.
Zelensky has rejected Russia’s demands that Ukraine give up the eastern Donbas in return for control over certain Russian-held areas in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
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