European Summit HIGHLIGHTS | Zelensky meets Britain's King Charles III at Sandringham Estate in UK
World: The meeting will be held in the presence of leaders from across the Europe including France and Germany, Türkiye, NATO and the European Union.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a crucial defence summit in London on Sunday at 14:00 GMT (7:30 PM IST), aimed at gathering support for securing a just and enduring peace in Ukraine as Russia continues the ongoing invasion.
Starmer will be hosting European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who arrived in the UK on Saturday.
The meeting will be held in the presence of leaders from across Europe including France and Germany, Türkiye, NATO and the European Union.
On Saturday, Starmer and Zelensky signed off a USD 2.8 billion loan deal to bolster Ukraine's defences against Russian attacks. Moreover, the UK PM said that the UK, France and Ukraine will draft a ceasefire plan to present to the US.
To read what UK PM Starmer said after the Summit, click HERE.
Ukrainian President Zelensky is meeting with Britain King Charles III at Sandringham Estate.
The two were seen shaking hands at the estate, in central London.
Outgoing German chancellor, Olaf Scholz said that the meeting was "valuable" and served as an opportunity to re-affirm Europe's support for Ukraine as "the victim of Russian aggression".
Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the EU Summit "historic" adding that it came at a time of "a great challenge for entire Europe, not just the EU and Ukraine".
He said there was “no doubt who is the aggressor and who is the aggressed, and who has got Europe on their side, but confirmed there was talk about “taking on more responsibility” for military and defence funding by European countries.
Talking about next week's summit of EU Council, he said he was looking at it with “cautious optimism” that it would “send a very clear impulse showing Putin and Russia that no one here, in the west, intends to surrender to his blackmail and aggression.”
UK PM Starmer said that "a number of countries" hinted at joining mission in Ukraine and are willing to join the coalition of willing, adding that it is up to them to announce that.
UK PM Starmer said that "a number of countries" hinted at joining mission in Ukraine and are willing to join the coalition of willing, adding that it is up to them to announce that.
Starmer said that the whole point of the security guarantee for Ukraine is to guarantee peace and avoid further conflict.
"I do not want conflict in Ukraine, in Europe, and certainly not in the United Kingdom. I want stability in the United Kingdom," he said.
"The way to ensure that stability is to ensure that we are able to defend a deal in Ukraine, because the one thing our history tells us is that if there is conflict in Europe, it will wash up on our shores," he added.
Starmer rejected a suggestion that US is now an "unreliable ally" and said that it has been a reliable ally for many, many decades and continues to be.
Today's talks were on the basis that Europe will work together with the US, he added.
The UK PM agreed that the leaders will meet again very soon to keep the pace behind these actions and to keep working towards this shared plan.
"This is not a moment for more talk. It’s time to act," he said.
Starmer said that the leaders agreed to keep the military aid flowing and increasing the economic pressure on Russia.
He added that they will insist that Ukraine needs to be at the table for any peace talks.
He confirmed plans to assemble “a coalition of the willing” to enforce any peace deal, with the UK set to take a leading role.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer announced to give £1.6bn in UK export finance allowing Ukraine “to buy more than 5000 air defence missiles. The missiles will be made in Belfast, creating jobs in our brilliant defence sector.”
“This will be vital for protecting critical infrastructure now and strengthen Ukraine in securing the peace when it comes because we have to learn from the mistakes of the past. We cannot accept a weak deal like Minsk, which Russia can breach with ease,” he said.
The European defence summit has ended as leaders leave Lancaster House. Zelensky is expected to meet King Charles III.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to host a news conference following the Ukraine summit.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, "In my conversations in recent days, we agreed a group of us will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, and then discuss that with the US and take it forward together."
"Even while Russia talks about peace, they are continuing their relentless aggression," he added. "That is the agenda and we need to agree what steps come out of this meeting to deliver peace through strength for the benefit of all."
Leaders present at the summit include: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Britain's prime minister Keir Starmer, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Germany's chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Finland's President Alexander Stubb, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, Romania's Interim President Ilie Bolojan, Nato secretary General Mark Rutte, the Netherlands' Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Czech Republic's Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan.
Keir Starmer warned that this is a once in a generation moment for the security of Europe, adding that "getting a good outcome for Ukraine is not just a matter of right or wrong; it’s vital for security of every nation here and many others too.”
It is a full house now at Lancaster House as the talks between world leaders are under way, in presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
As more leaders arrive at Lancaster House to join the summit, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed outgoing German chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, and Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen and European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived at Lancaster House to join the leaders' summit. He was greeted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Starmer apologised to the leaders of Baltic nations for not inviting them. However, no invitation to the Baltics sparked a bit of controversy in the region.
The three countries are in the top four contributors of aid for Ukraine if counted as a percentage of GDP, according to the Kiel Institute’s Ukraine Support Tracker.
French President Emmanuel Macron is the first leader to arrive at the summit. He is followed by Poland’s Tusk. Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte will be third in to arrive at the Downing Street.
The European leaders are arriving at Lancaster House for Ukraine summit.
Today's summit will be taking place in Lancaster House, an official government mansion.
Earlier also, there have been a few diplomatic summits at the Lancaster House.
Meloni, while speaking in Downing Street, told Starmer that she thinks it is very, very important" to avoid running the risk of a split in the West.
"And that's why I think the UK and Italy can play a key role in bridge-building," she adds.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned in London on Sunday (Mar 2) that it is "very, very important" to avoid the "risk that the West divides" over Ukraine as leaders gathered for crisis talks.
"It is very, very important that we avoid the risk that the West divides and I think on this, the UK and Italy can play an important role in bridge-building," Meloni said as she met Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer in his Downing Street home.
Ahead of the summit, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the "foreign police" of Washington and Moscow is broadly aligned now as Donald Trump is in office.
“The new (US) administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations. This largely coincides with our vision,” Peskov said.
This comes after the US president seemed to blame Kyiv for Russia's full-scale invasion, saying that Ukraine could have "made a deal" to avert war.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in Downing Street ahead of the defence summit scheduled to be held today.
She could offer a possible bridge between the Trump administration and Europe for peace in Ukraine.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday (March 2) that he does not "trust" Russian President Vladimir Putin, stressing that he would "come again" if given the chance.
Russia continues to attack Ukrainian cities as European leaders gather in the UK to attend crucial defence summit.
Russian shelling overnight killed one person and injured two more in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk and Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 79 drones, according to officials.
“Kramatorsk was subjected to hostile shelling - residential district,” city mayor Oleksandr Goncharenko said. “A boy born in 2006 was killed, “ he wrote on Telegram, adding that a man and a woman were also injured.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that after holding discussions with Ukrainian President Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron, there has been an agreement made that the UK and France and "possibly one or two others” will work with Kyiv to stop the war.
He added that a peace plan will be presented to the US. "I think we’ve got a step in the right direction”, Starmer said.
