Downing Street has not released any advance extracts from the speech that Keir Starmer will deliver this morning at the Ukraine conference. However, yesterday Starmer spoke on the phone to the French president Emmanuel Macron, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The government released summaries of all three calls.

During the calls, Starmer reiterated his call for allies to work together to “put Ukraine in the strongest possible position at this crucial moment for global security” and stressed “the importance of Ukraine being at the center of any negotiations to end the conflict”. He also said it was “important for Europe to step up and ensure European security”.

This morning, Kemi Badenoch has posted her own statement about Ukraine on social media. The Conservative party says it stands in solidarity with Ukraine and is committed to protecting the country. They also want Europe to strengthen its stance on security.

In practice, it is unclear what impact, if any, this will have. The UK government has already imposed numerous sanctions on people linked to the Kremlin. The government is trying to project an image of strength in its commitment to Ukraine.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/feb/24/keir-starmer-labour-latest-politics-live-news-updates