LONDON

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has invited more than a dozen European and EU leaders to a summit on March 2 to “drive forward” action on Ukraine and security, his office said.

Ahead of the main summit, Starmer will chair a morning call with Baltic nations, before welcoming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Downing Street to discuss the war with Russia, it said on Feb. 28.

“The prime minister will use the summit to drive forward European action on Ukraine, signaling our collective unwavering support to securing a just and enduring peace, and a lasting deal, that ensures Ukraine’s future sovereignty and security,” his office said.

Leaders from around continental Europe including France, Germany, Denmark and Italy as well as Türkiye, NATO and the European Union have been invited to the summit in London later on March 2, his office added.

Fresh from his Feb. 27 talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House, Starmer has also invited the leaders of Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Romania to the summit.

NATO chief Mark Rutte, as well as EU chiefs Ursula don der Leyen and Antonio Costa, are also due to attend.

Starmer will host one-on-one talks at Downing Street with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni before the summit starts.

His office said the meeting would build on the Paris talks hosted by French Emmanuel Macron earlier this month and focus on “strengthening Ukraine’s position now – including ongoing military support and increased economic pressure on Russia.”

It would stress again the need for a “strong lasting deal that delivers a permanent peace” and discuss “next steps on planning for strong security guarantees.”

Starmer, while insisting again that Ukraine must be part of any negotiations to end the three-year war with Russia, will also recognize “the need for Europe to play its part on defense and step up for the good of the collective security.”

During Feb. 27’s White House talks, Trump took a softer tone on any truce talks, but refused to give any firm commitments on the U.S. security guarantees Europe desperately wants.

Trump, who has alarmed European capitals with his sudden pivot towards Russia, said there had been “a lot of progress” towards a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine and that negotiations were at a crucial stage.

Starmer asked Trump not to abandon Ukraine.

“You’ve created a moment of tremendous opportunity to reach a historic peace deal, a deal that I think would be celebrated in Ukraine and around the world,” Starmer told Trump. “That is the prize. But we have to get it right.”

Starmer’s visit came after French President Emmanuel Macron was in Washington earlier this week to make a similar case to Trump, and a day before Zelensky was scheduled to visit the White House.

UK,