In a stunning reversal, the United States is poised to revoke its suspension on military aid and intelligence support for war-torn Ukraine, following an influential intervention by Sir Keir Starmer.
Recently, US President Donald Trump had halted all aid and intelligence cooperation with Ukraine after an unsatisfactory encounter with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, additionally prohibiting allies including the UK from sharing US intelligence with Ukraine amidst their ongoing conflict with Russia.
But in advance of imminent peace negotiations scheduled in Saudi Arabia aimed at resolving the three-year strife, Sir Keir Starmer engaged in a pivotal twenty-minute dialogue with Donald Trump, emphasising the critical nature of intelligence collaboration and military assistance. UK representatives have concurrently been persuading Ukrainian officials about the importance of complying with American conditions to restore military support.
Following the conversation, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister expressed optimism for a “positive outcome” from the forthcoming talks.
In the near future, Sir Keir is set to host another summit inviting nations eager to partake in the PM’s “coalition of the willing” to support Ukraine post-peace agreement. A spokesperson from Downing Street remarked: “The Prime Minister said he hoped there would be a positive outcome to the talks that would enable US and intelligence to be restarted.”
Sir Keir addressed the Parliamentary Labour Party this evening, emphasising to MPs that the “real world is moving quickly and people look to their government to seize it and shape it for the benefit of the British people”.
He further stated: “That’s why I have been clear the security of Ukraine is the future of Europe and our support for Ukraine is unwavering. Our defence and security must come first. That is what we owe to the British people.”, reports The Mirror.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) meets with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (Image: Getty)
Ahead of the negotiations set to occur in Saudi Arabia later today, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed optimism about the possibility of lifting the aid ban, stating: “I think the notion of the pause in aid, broadly, is something I hope we can resolve. Obviously what happens [today] will be key to that.”
However, he noted that any reinstatement of support would require concessions from Ukraine, including being “prepared to do difficult things, like the Russians will.”
One such example could involve ceding land to Russia as part of a peace agreement.
US officials report that Ukraine plans to propose a ceasefire covering the Black Sea and long-range missile strikes during today’s discussions, along with exploring the potential for prisoner releases. Furthermore, Ukraine is reportedly prepared to sign an agreement granting the US access to its rare minerals, which include Lithium, Titanium, Cobalt, Silver, Uranium and Graphite, among others.
Following the problematic meeting in the Oval Office between President Trump and President Zelensky last month, the UK has taken steps to prevent a similar situation by sending Britain’s national security advisor Jonathan Powell to Kyiv. His mission is to guide Ukrainian delegates on what to say and avoid saying.
Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, left, and Keir Starmer, UK prime minister, centre, and Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, agreed to work together on peace proposals ahead of the talks. (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, President Trump is also hopeful about the upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia, expressing confidence that they will make “a lot of progress” towards resolving the conflict. In a shift from his previous position, the President claimed that the US had “just about” lifted the ban on sharing intelligence with Ukraine, just before the talks.
However, Ukrainian officials maintain that they are still impacted by this decision. The talks on Tuesday follow an agreement between President Zelensky, Sir Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron to collaborate on peace proposals aimed at ending the ongoing conflict with Russia, which has devastated Ukraine for the past three years.
