Russian President Vladimir Putin must stop “playing games” with the ceasefire deal, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has warned, as he prepares to lead international discussions on peacekeeping efforts in Ukraine.
In a major diplomatic move, Starmer will host a virtual summit on Saturday, bringing together leaders from up to 25 nations, including European countries, the EU Commission, NATO, Canada, Ukraine, Australia, and New Zealand. The meeting aims to develop a collective strategy for enforcing a potential ceasefire and preventing further Russian aggression.
The talks come as Kyiv backs a 30-day ceasefire proposal spearheaded by the United States, with Washington hoping to secure an end to the bloody conflict. However, Moscow has remained non-committal, with Putin insisting that Ukraine must meet several conditions before Russia agrees to stop its offensive.
Zelensky accuses Putin of stalling talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Putin of deliberately dragging out negotiations to continue the war, rather than making a genuine commitment to peace. On Friday, Zelensky called on the international community to increase pressure on Moscow, urging world leaders to reject what he described as the Kremlin’s “delaying tactics.”
His concerns were echoed by the G7 foreign ministers, who, after a meeting in Canada, jointly demanded that Russia accept the peace plan “without conditions.”
Speaking ahead of the peacekeeping discussions, Sir Keir Starmer said:
“We can’t allow President Putin to play games with President Trump’s deal. The Kremlin’s complete disregard for the ceasefire proposal only serves to demonstrate that Putin is not serious about peace.”
He added:
“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’s demands and Western rejection
Although Putin has publicly stated that the ceasefire idea is “correct and we certainly support it,” he has outlined conditions that include Ukraine abandoning its ambitions to join NATO and ceding control of occupied regions. These demands have been firmly rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies.
Starmer criticised Moscow’s approach, stating:
“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, not 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.”
Diplomatic Blitz to secure a truce
The upcoming virtual meeting follows a week of intense diplomatic efforts to push for peace. In a significant development, US officials travelled to Moscow to engage directly with the Kremlin in a bid to persuade Putin to agree to the ceasefire.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held late-night talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow. The following day, the Kremlin announced that Putin had sent President Trump a message regarding the ceasefire proposal, adding that there were grounds for “cautious optimism.”
Meanwhile, Trump described the discussions as “very good and productive” but used his Truth Social platform to warn of a potential “massacre” in the Kursk region of Russia. He claimed that thousands of Ukrainian troops were “completely surrounded by the Russian military and in a very bad and vulnerable position.”
Trump wrote:
“We had very good and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday, and there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end. But at this very moment, thousands of Ukrainian troops are completely surrounded by the Russian military, and in a very bad and vulnerable position. I have strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared. This would be a horrible massacre, one not seen since World War II. God bless them all!!!”
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Putin responded by stating that Russia would guarantee the safety of Ukrainian troops if they surrendered, saying they would be treated with “dignity in line with international law.”
Ukraine denies encirclement claims
Despite Trump’s dramatic warning, Ukraine’s military has denied that its forces are at risk of encirclement in the Kursk region. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces issued a statement countering the claims:
“Since the beginning of the current day, 13 combat clashes have taken place in the Kursk direction. There is no threat of encirclement of our units.”
With tensions high and the fate of the ceasefire uncertain, world leaders will now focus on ensuring that any potential truce is upheld. The coalition of nations meeting on Saturday is expected to lay the groundwork for a robust peacekeeping strategy, ensuring that Russia is held accountable should it continue its aggression.
As the international community watches closely, the coming days will prove crucial in determining whether Moscow is genuinely willing to stop the war—or whether Putin’s “games” will continue.
