Zelensky says minerals deal ready, security guarantees necessary
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More news: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has told reporters a deal for the US to jointly exploit minerals in his country was ready to sign but has stressed that security guarantees are necessary for a peace deal with Russia, The Guardian newspaper has reported.
He said that if there are no hard guarantees, Russia would soon rush to restart hostilities, falsely claiming that the Ukrainians violated the deal.
Zelensky refused to apologise to Donald Trump after Friday’s spat in the White House, but told reporters the row did not bring anything positive to peace for Ukraine and he hoped it would eventually pass. There were no communications at his level with the White House since the meeting, but a deal for the US to jointly exploit minerals in his country was now ready to sign, he said.
The Ukrainian leader also said he believed that an Anglo-French-led peace effort, discussed by European leaders in London on Sunday, would bear fruit in the coming weeks and indicated there were supportive declarations from other countries to get involved.
European leaders rally behind Ukraine at London summit
The news: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged European leaders to step up their defence efforts at a London summit to provide military and financial support for Ukraine, calling it a "once-in-a-generation" challenge to secure peace in Ukraine and stability in Europe.
The context: The meeting came after a dramatic Oval Office clash between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump on Friday (Saturday AEDT), where Trump berated Zelensky over Ukraine’s reliance on US aid and Vice President JD Vance accused him of ingratitude for US support.
Starmer said urgent talks with Trump, Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron had cemented the idea that a "coalition of the willing" in Europe would need to work on a peace plan that can be backed by the United States, Bloomberg reported.
The UK pledged £1.6 billion ($3.2 billion) in export finance for 5,000 air-defence missiles.
Discussions with the US have focused on Washington providing a so-called backstop for a European peacekeeping role, which could include air support, intelligence, surveillance and an unspecified deterrent if Russian President Vladimir Putin attempts further territorial expansion.
However, securing Trump's agreement depends on European nations boosting defence spending and committing to a peacekeeping role—an issue Starmer admitted was challenging to achieve consensus on.
"The UK and France are the most advanced on the thinking of this and that is why President Macron and I are working on this plan, which we will then discuss with the US," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, adding he did not think Zelensky had done anything wrong on Friday.
"I do think we've got to probably get to a coalition of the willing now and move this forward."
What they said: "Getting a good outcome for Ukraine is not just a matter of right and wrong, it is vital for the security of every nation here and many others, too," Starmer said.
"Today's meeting is to unite to discuss how to deliver a just and enduring peace together and to make sure Ukraine can defend and protect against any future Russian attack."
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said European nations are “stepping up” to support Ukraine to make sure that Ukraine “has got what it needs to stay in the fight, as long as it has to continue.”
“There is no ceasefire yet, but we have to prepare for that moment,” Rutte said, adding that the key is to “make sure that Putin will never, ever again try to attack Ukraine.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said any solution should be within the “Atlantic framework” but said she did not support sending European troops to Ukraine, calling it “highly complex.”
The sources: Bloomberg , Reuters , Associated Press , The Guardian
