Starmer Hosts Zelensky, Macron and Merz in Urgent London Summit to Protect Ukraine’s Interests

European Leaders Meet in London to Coordinate Response to US-Led Peace Push

Sir Keir Starmer will convene President Volodymyr Zelensky at Downing Street on Monday for a hastily arranged summit to review developments in the US-led peace negotiations with Russia. France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s CDU leader Friedrich Merz will join the meeting as European leaders seek to ensure Kyiv’s security concerns and territorial integrity are not sidelined in any Washington-mediated deal.

The summit follows a leaked phone call in which Mr Macron and Mr Merz warned Mr Zelensky that the United States might press for a rapid settlement that could leave Ukraine exposed. That warning came as senior Ukrainian officials held talks in Miami with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Competing Peace Plans and Diplomatic Deadlock

Reports say an early US-Russia draft contained 28 points, including provisions that would ask Ukraine to cede territory in parts of the eastern Donbas not yet held by Moscow and to accept limits on its armed forces. Kyiv and its European partners objected and promoted a revised 20-point alternative. According to officials, President Vladimir Putin insisted any settlement must include Russia gaining the remainder of Donetsk province, leaving negotiations at an impasse.

“You need to be extremely careful in the coming days,” Mr Merz reportedly told Mr Zelensky, while Mr Macron warned the US might “betray Ukraine on the question of territory.”

Ukrainian Concerns and US Guarantees

Mr Zelensky said he had a “long and substantive” call with Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner, and that the talks covered “key points that could ensure an end to the bloodshed.” Kyiv has pressed for explicit security guarantees from the US — including a clear commitment to respond militarily if Russia violates any future deal — language it says was not defined in the original 28-point draft.

Trust in envoy Steve Witkoff among Ukrainian officials is limited, amplified by the leak of conversations in which he appeared to advise Russian negotiators on how to appeal to US decision-makers. Still, a joint Miami statement underlined that any lasting peace ultimately depends on Russia’s readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace.

Broader Tensions Between Europe and Washington

The Downing Street meeting comes amid frictions with the White House. The newly released US National Security Strategy criticised some European officials for resisting a deal the US sees as achievable and signalled a desire for European NATO members to assume a greater share of conventional defence responsibilities — from intelligence to missile systems — by 2027. Pentagon officials told European delegations this week that, in their view, progress since 2022 has been uneven, and Washington is pushing for a strategic rebalancing of roles within the alliance.

Violence and Infrastructure Damage

The summit takes place against the backdrop of a major Russian aerial assault on Friday night, which Ukraine described as “massive.” Kyiv reported Moscow launched roughly 653 attack drones and 51 missiles; Ukraine’s air force said it shot down about 585 drones and 30 missiles, but some 29 locations were still hit. The strikes damaged energy infrastructure across eight regions and forced several nuclear plants to curtail output, causing blackouts, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant temporarily lost all off-site power for about 30 minutes before reconnecting to a 330 kV line; a 750 kV line remained disconnected. Poland and several NATO partners scrambled jets and activated air-defence systems after the barrage reached the Lviv region, though no violations of Polish airspace were reported.

Ukraine said it struck the Ryazan oil refinery in Russia and a shell-casing plant in occupied Alchevsk, Luhansk. Moscow claimed its raids responded to Ukrainian strikes on civilian targets. Fighting continues in parts of Donetsk province, where Ukrainian forces deny Russian claims that cities such as Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad have been encircled.

Regional Reactions and Outlook

Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader, threatened a “stern response” after an alleged drone strike near his Grozny residence. Meanwhile, on Armed Forces Day, Mr Zelensky praised Ukraine’s defenders and reiterated the country’s determination to secure a just and lasting peace.

The London summit — the first meeting of Starmer, Zelensky, Macron and Merz together since their appearance in Kyiv in May — is intended to demonstrate European unity, press Mr Putin to accept a 30-day full ceasefire, and coordinate a common stance to protect Kyiv’s security interests in any US-mediated settlement.