Keir Starmer has accused Vladimir Putin of “playing games” over Donald Trump’s attempts secure a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The Russian president said he welcomed moves to reach a peace deal in the conflict, but set out a number of conditions which he said would have to be met before he would agree to a truce.
They included addressing what he described as the “root causes” of the war – neglecting to mention that it began when he ordered his troops to invade Ukraine in 2022.
Starmer will on Saturday host an online meeting of around 25 countries as he seeks to form a “coalition of the willing” of nations prepared to help provide security guarantees for any peace deal.
Among those expected to attend are France, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as representatives from the EU Commission and Nato.
The prime minister said: “We can’t allow President Putin to play games with President Trump’s deal. The Kremlin’s complete disregard for President Trump’s ceasefire proposal only serves to demonstrate that Putin is not serious about peace.
“If Russia finally comes to the table, then we must be ready to monitor a ceasefire to ensure it is a serious, and enduring peace. If they don’t, then we need to strain every sinew to ramp up economic pressure on Russia to secure an end to this war.
“Putin is trying to delay, saying there must be a painstaking study before a ceasefire can take place. But the world needs to see action, not a study or empty words and pointless conditions.
“My message to the Kremlin could not be clearer: stop the barbaric attacks on Ukraine, once and for all, and agree to a ceasefire now. Until then we will keep working around the clock to deliver peace.”
