Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated his “unwavering support” for President Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call this morning, as the UK prepares to host a critical summit of National Security Advisors from the US, Ukraine, and European partners at Chevening House in Kent today.
The high-level gathering, which will include Foreign Secretary David Lammy and US Vice President JD Vance, comes just hours after President Donald Trump announced he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska next Friday, 15 August, in what could prove to be a pivotal moment for ending the three-and-a-half-year conflict.
A Downing Street spokesman confirmed details of the Prime Minister’s conversation with President Zelensky: “They looked ahead to the meeting of National Security Advisers from Europe, Ukraine and the United States taking place today, hosted by the UK Foreign Secretary and US Vice President. They agreed this would be a vital forum to discuss progress towards securing a just and lasting peace.”
The summit at Chevening, held at the request of the United States, will focus on next steps in Trump’s peace initiative and how Ukraine’s allies can support efforts to achieve what officials describe as a “just and lasting peace. The timing is particularly significant, coming as Trump’s deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire passed yesterday without new sanctions being imposed.
Trump announced the Alaska summit on his Truth Social platform, stating: “The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska. Further details to follow.”
The announcement follows what Trump described as “highly productive” talks between his special envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin in Moscow earlier this week. We’re getting very close to a deal on Ukraine,” Trump told reporters at the White House, though he acknowledged the security arrangements had delayed the meeting.
Controversially, Trump indicated that any peace deal would involve “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both sides. The US President elaborated: “You’re looking at a territory that’s been fought over for three and a half years. A lot of Russians have died. A lot of Ukrainians have died. So we’re looking at that, but we’re actually looking to get some back, and some swapping.”
This suggestion of territorial exchange has met with immediate resistance from Ukraine. President Zelensky responded firmly in a video address: “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier. Any decisions that are against us, any decisions that are without Ukraine, are also decisions against peace. These are dead solutions. They will never work.”
The Kremlin’s Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed the Alaska meeting, describing the location as “quite logical” as the Russian delegation could “simply fly across the Bering Strait”. Ushakov also revealed Russia has already invited Trump for a follow-up meeting in Russia.
At Chevening, the 17th-century Grade I-listed mansion that serves as the Foreign Secretary’s official country residence, Vance and Lammy held bilateral talks before the wider summit. The two men, who have developed an unlikely friendship despite their political differences, discussed both Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Vance confirmed Washington has “no plans” to recognise a Palestinian state, contrasting with Britain’s pledge to do so unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire. “I don’t know what it would mean to really recognise a Palestinian state given the lack of functional government there,” the Vice President stated.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urged Lammy to press for new American sanctions during the meeting, warning: “We’ve been here before: Putin stalling and trying to curry favour with Trump through promises of a ceasefire – before rocking Ukraine with even more bombs. It would be a disaster if Trump lets himself be fooled by Putin again.
The Alaska meeting will mark the first in-person summit between US and Russian leaders since 2021, when President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva. Trump last met Putin in 2019 on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan.
European leaders have consistently stressed that Ukraine must be part of any negotiations to end the war, a position Starmer reinforced in his call with Zelensky. Both leaders welcomed President Trump’s desire to bring this barbaric war to an end and agreed that we must keep up the pressure on Putin to end his illegal war,” Downing Street stated.
The territorial question remains the most contentious issue. Russia currently controls approximately one-fifth of Ukraine’s sovereign territory, including all of Luhansk region and parts of Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine holds only around four square miles of Russian territory in the Kursk region, making any meaningful territorial exchange highly problematic.
Putin has long insisted any deal must recognise Russian control over Crimea, illegally annexed in 2014, and the four eastern Ukrainian regions. Ukraine has constitutional limitations on ceding territory, which Trump acknowledged, saying of Zelensky: “He’s not authorised to do certain things. I said, ‘Well, you’re going to have to get it fast because, you know, we’re getting very close to a deal.'”
The summit at Chevening represents a crucial moment for Western unity on Ukraine policy. With Trump moving ahead with bilateral talks with Putin, European allies face the challenge of ensuring Ukraine’s interests are protected in any peace negotiations.
As diplomatic efforts intensify, the war continues to exact a heavy toll. Trump himself acknowledged the human cost, noting the significant casualties on both sides over the three and a half years of conflict. The coming week could prove decisive in determining whether diplomatic breakthrough is possible or whether the grinding conflict will continue.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
Image Credit (Shortened):
Starmer meets President Zelenskyy in Washington D.C., July 2024 – by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street, licensed under OGL v3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
