(MENAFN) The UK Prime Minister stated on Saturday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy must be included in any discussions aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

"While progress has been made, the next step must be further talks involving President Zelenskyy. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him," Keir Starmer said in a statement, following discussions with Trump, Zelenskyy, and European leaders, who all “stand ready to support this next phase.”

Starmer welcomed the willingness of the US and Europe to provide Kyiv with "robust security guarantees," describing this as a significant step toward deterring further Russian aggression.

He also noted that the UK would continue to pressure Moscow economically, saying, "In the meantime, until he (Putin) stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions, which have already had a punishing impact on the Russian economy and its people." Starmer reaffirmed, "Our unwavering support for Ukraine will continue as long as it takes."

The UK leader praised Trump’s involvement, saying his efforts have brought "us closer than ever before to ending Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine."

Following their more than three-hour closed-door meeting, both Trump and Putin expressed optimism, with the Russian leader noting they had reached an "understanding." Trump added that it is now up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders "to get it done."

MENAFN17082025000045017281ID1109937966