Sir Keir Starmer has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of making “hollow promises” on a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The prime minister is co-hosting a summit of allies in Paris to present plans, devised by senior military chiefs, that seek to deter future Russian aggression against Ukraine, including potentially posting troops there.
The so-called “coalition of the willing” meeting comes hours after its other co-host, French President Emmanuel Macron, suggested a European reassurance force could “respond” if attacked by Moscow.
It follows separate talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, which led to a ceasefire in the Black Sea being agreed.
Sir Keir will tell the coalition that “excellent progress” was made during the military chiefs’ meeting in London last week, and that Europe is “mobilising together in pursuit of peace, but now we must keep up the momentum”, according to No 10.
But he will also accuse Putin of “playing games” with the agreement for a naval ceasefire, which would allow the reopening of trade routes in the Black Sea.
Sir Keir is expected to say: “Unlike [Ukraine’s] President [Volodymyr] Zelensky, Putin has shown he’s not a serious player in these peace talks.
“[Putin is] playing games with the agreed naval ceasefire in the Black Sea, despite good faith participation from all sides – all while continuing to inflict devastating attacks on the Ukrainian people. His promises are hollow.”
Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of breaking the terms of a separate, tentative deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure.
Shortly after Washington announced the Black Sea deal, the Kremlin said it would not take effect until sanctions were lifted on Russian banks, producers and exporters involved in the international food and fertiliser trades.
The concessions demanded by Russia include reconnecting the banks connected to the Swift payment system, lifting restrictions on servicing ships under the Russian flag involved in the food trade, and revoking sanctions on the supply of agricultural machinery and other goods involved in food production.
US President Donald Trump said the US government was “looking at” Moscow’s request – but the EU said it would not consider removing sanctions before the “unconditional” withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine’s internationally-recognised territory.
Speaking after a meeting with Macron on Wednesday, Zelensky said he hoped the US – which is not a part of the coalition of the willing – would “stand strong” in the face of Russian demands to lift sanctions.
The French president said that if a European force protecting a ceasefire in Ukraine came under attack, it would “respond to it”.
“If there was again a generalised aggression against Ukrainian soil, these armies would be under attack, and then it’s our usual framework of engagement,” he said.
“Our soldiers, when they are engaged and deployed, are there to react and respond to the decisions of the commander in chief and, if they are in a conflict situation, to respond to it.”
European officials say that under any peace settlement, Ukraine’s first line of defence against any future Russian attack would be its own army.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said a European force in Ukraine would risk a “direct clash between Russia and Nato”, state-owned news agency Tass reports.
“London and Paris continue to nurture the idea of a military intervention into Ukraine. All of that is being cloaked under [the guise of] a certain peacekeeping mission,” Zakharova said.
She added Russia was “categorically against such a scenario”.
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