Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told British media that a ceasefire without security guarantees for his country would not bring a lasting end to Russia's invasion, following calls from allies for a truce.
At a press conference on Sunday after the talks with European allies in London, Zelenskyy dismissed the idea that a ceasefire alone would be sufficient, calling it \"not enough.\"
Following the crisis summit on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France and Britain were proposing a one-month truce in Ukraine \"in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure,\" although not, initially at least, covering ground fighting.
Zelenskyy told journalists shortly before departing for Britain that \"it will be a failure for everyone if Ukraine is forced into a ceasefire without serious security guarantees.\" He predicted that Russia would break the deal and Ukraine would retaliate.
Describing Sunday's talks as a \"very powerful start,\" however, Zelenskyy said that negotiations in the coming weeks \"will provide a more actionable plan and a better understanding of what Ukraine's security guarantees could look like.\"
However, on Monday, UK Minister for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard did not confirm Emmanuel Macron's reported stance, stating, \"That's not a plan that we currently recognize.\"
\"Certainly there are a number of different options being discussed privately between the UK, France and our allies at the moment. It's probably not right for me at the moment to comment on each individual option as they occur,\" Pollard told the BBC.
Starmer said on Sunday that European leaders had agreed to draw up a Ukraine peace plan to present to the United States, without going into details.
The Fiery White House Meeting
During a tense encounter in Washington on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused Zelenskyy of not being \"thankful\" and refusing to accept their proposed truce terms, while Zelenskyy said he needed security guarantees.
The contentious meeting resulted in Zelenskyy leaving the White House without signing a preliminary pact on sharing Ukrainian mineral rights.
Some senior U.S. Republicans suggested that Zelenskyy should resign.
\"We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians, and end this war,\" National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told CNN.
Zelenskyy said on Sunday it would not be easy to replace him, but repeated his offer to step down in exchange for NATO membership for his war-torn country.
\"If they replace me, given what is going on, given the support, simply replacing me will not be simple,\" Zelenskyy said.
Russia has repeatedly questioned Zelenskyy's legitimacy, arguing that he should have held a 2024 election but could not due to Ukraine's martial law, which legally prohibits elections during wartime.
European Union leaders will convene for an extraordinary summit on March 6 to discuss additional support for Ukraine, European security guarantees, and financing Europe's defense needs.
