UK to supply 5,000 air defense missiles in £1.6bn deal

Sir Keir Starmer has announced a new deal which allows Ukraine to use £1.6 billion of UK export finance to buy 5,000 more air defence missiles.

The prime minister told a press conference that the weapons ‘will be made in Belfast, creating jobs in our brilliant defence sector’.

He added: ‘This will be vital for protecting critical infrastructure now and strengthen Ukraine in securing the peace when it comes because we have to learn from the mistakes of the past.’

Wrapping up a security summit in London with other European and world leaders, the PM revealed that a number of countries indicated they wanted to be part of Europe’s planned ‘coalition of the willing’ to help Ukraine.

He explained: ‘We have been able to move that forward. I accept, without criticism and with respect, the position of other countries that may not feel that they want to contribute in that way but I strongly feel that unless some move forward, we will stay in the position we are in and not be able to move forward.’

Asked whether there is now more of a real prospect of Britain being at war with Russia, Sir Keir said: ‘The reason I’ve been forward-leaning on this is because I want to avoid conflict, because I do not want conflict in Ukraine, in Europe (…) I want stability in the UK.

‘The way to ensure that stability is to ensure that we are able to defend a deal in Ukraine, because the one thing our history tells us is that if there is conflict in Europe, it will wash up on our shores.’

His promise came as Volodymyr Zelensky landed at Sandringham Estate in Norfolk to meet King Charles.

His Majesty has welcomed the Ukrainian president two days after a rupture of the relationship between him and Donald Trump in the White House.

‘Coalition’ to defendagainst Russia

In an appearance on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg earlier this morning, Sir Keir said he ‘felt uncomfortable’ watching footage from the Oval Office, at a moment of ‘fragility’ for Europe.

The PM announced that Europe will come up with a plan themselves and then put it to the US, after the Ukrainian president left the White House early without signing a planned minerals deal.

His Majesty meeting Zelensky at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk (Picture: PA)

This could involve a ‘coalition of the willing’ to defend against Russia including British and French troops, as opposed to trying to bring ‘every single country’ involved on board.

Sir Keir said: ‘The UK and France are the most advanced in the thinking on this.

‘That’s what president Macron and I are going to be working on this plan, which we’ll then discuss with the US. That is a step in the right direction.

‘This is not an exclusion – the more the better in this, but we need to move to a quicker, more agile way of going forward, and I think that is a coalition of the willing.’

EU and world leaders gather in London

Today’s summit at Lancaster House is being attended by Zelensky, Macron, departing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and several others.

Asked about his reaction to Friday’s clash, Starmer said he ‘rolled up his sleeves’ and phoned both the US and Ukrainian presidents the same day to try and resolve the issues.

He said he did not believe Zelensky had done anything wrong: ‘No, I think this is a man whose country has been at war for three years.’

Charles embraced the Ukrainian leader during his visit to the UK (Picture: PA)

Speaking on the BBC this morning, he said he would not trust Vladimir Putin if peace was agreed in a deal without security guarantees: ‘I wouldn’t trust him not to come again, because he’s proven that he will come again. He’s already done it, and we know what his ambitions are.’

The PM said ‘we need to shut that opportunity out’ which would involve defending any line which was agreed against future incursions.

During his meeting with Zelensky on Friday, Trump stated he would trust Putin to stick to any terms included in a peace deal.

Sir Keir said he would discuss a security guarantee with French president Emmanual Macron, and would then go to the US to consult further.

Trump’s angry words with Zelensky, broadcast in extraordinary scenes on Friday, came just a day after Sir Keir presented the US president with a letter from King Charles inviting him for a second state visit.

European leaders were joined by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa (Picture: Reuters)

Asking why the unprecedented offer was made, Sir Keir said: ‘The central, most important thing, what drives me is – “is what I’m saying and doing more likely to bring about a peace, a lasting peace?”

‘If the answer is yes, I’ll do it. If the answer is no, I won’t do it.

‘I’ve seen people ramping up on rhetoric and taking to Twitter and saying what they would do. Good for them.

‘I’m not that interested in that. I’m interested in, what are the practical steps? What are the bridge building that I can do? What are the relationships that I can mend and take forward to take us to lasting peace in Europe and in the end, that’s my central concern.’

Zelensky ‘ambushed’ in White House

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch spoke next with Kuenssberg, and denied the possibility that Zelensky had been ‘ambushed’ by a president who always intended to humiliate him.

She said that she did not think the meeting should have been televised, as sensitive negotations should take away from cameras.

But she said she was also unhappy watching it: ‘My heart went out to President Zelensky. I couldn’t believe what was happening. He was being humiliated.’

She said he represents the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people and is a ‘hero’, and that the only person who would have been happy watching the footage was Russian president Vladimir Putin.

But she said it was important to make sure that the US did not ‘disengage’, and governments needed to get negotiations back on track: ‘We should be negotiating a peace settlement, not a surrender.’

Trump’s state visit to Britain

Although Sir Keir did not indicate he was considering cancelling Trump’s state visit, Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said it should not take place if the US withdraws its support for Ukraine.

The King’s letter suggested meeting at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire or Dumfries House in East Ayrshire.

But Swinney told the Sunday Mail: ‘If the US withdraws support from Ukraine, abandoning an ally and betraying democracy, the state visit cannot go ahead. That is simply unimaginable.

‘Calm consideration of what is best for European security is what is now needed. That means standing steadfast behind Ukraine and alongside our European allies, and that is exactly where Scotland will be.’

Thomas Brown