Keir Starmer accused Vladimir Putin of delaying the agreement to a ceasefire with Ukraine on Saturday, as international pressure increased for the Russian president to engage in talks. The prime minister stated that there is a limit to how long Putin can delay, after convening a virtual summit with 29 other world leaders who agreed to take plans for a peacekeeping force to an operational phase.

Starmer added that military chiefs would meet in London on Thursday to prepare robust plans to support a peace deal and guarantee Ukraine’s security. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, were among those who participated in the virtual summit.

Following the meeting, Starmer announced new commitments made on both peacekeeping and tightening sanctions on Russia. He emphasized that Putin will eventually have to come to the table and participate in meaningful discussions. Starmer also called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, stating that this is the moment for the guns to fall silent and for the barbaric attacks on Ukraine to stop.

The meeting followed a week of intense diplomacy, during which American and Ukrainian officials agreed on a proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, which was presented to Russia. However, the Kremlin has so far resisted the deal, insisting that Ukraine must abandon its aim of joining NATO and relinquish some of its territory to Russia.

In Kyiv, Zelenskyy accused Russia of playing for time to gain a stronger military position before any ceasefire. He said that Ukraine has shown its willingness to agree to US proposals for a temporary ceasefire, where terms for a more lasting deal can be discussed. However, he rejected Russia’s attempts to impose conditions on a ceasefire and argued that any agreement would not require Ukraine to formally cede territory to Russia.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/mar/15/keir-starmer-putin-is-dragging-his-feet-over-30-day-ukraine-ceasefire