Europe faces ‘once in a generation’ moment for its security, Starmer says – live | Ukraine

Former European Commission vice-president (2014-2023) and former Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans has offered his take on Europe’s prospects for dealing with US president Donald Trump just now.

Speaking on CNN, he said:

The guard rails are off, that’s the biggest difference.

In his first mandate, Trump was still more or less guided by experienced people on the right, conservatives, but who still wanted to govern within the rules that had been established for 80 years. So when we negotiated a trade deal, it was done in a way that helped both sides come out victoriously.

But now everything has changed. Trump never loved the EU. He actually hated the EU from the outset, but he knew he had to deal with EU. He called the then president of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker a brutal killer, because he was a good negotiator, and he negotiated a good deal.

But that’s all off the table now. It’s Project 2025, and you see it in everything they do and everything they say, and they were just repeating Kremlin lines during the meeting with Zelenskyy.

It was really painful to see.

Jakub Krupa

As the leaders now talk behind the close doors, let me give you an idea on what to expect next:

• We’re expecting the talks to conclude and the first press conferences after the summit to begin not before 4 or 4:30pm GMT (5 or 5:30 CET), and potentially even later than that.

• We will bring you all the key reactions, with statements expected from Starmer, Macron, Tusk, Scholz, and Trudeau, among others.

• Finally, later today we are also expecting to see Ukraine’s Zelenskyy to go visit the British monarch, King Charles III.

We will obviously cover all of this for you here on Europe Live.

Front row from left:

• Finland’s president Alexander Stubb

• France’s president Emmanuel Macron

• Britain’s prime minister Keir Starmer

• Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy

• Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk.

Center row from left:

• Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez

• Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen

• European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen

• European Council president Antonio Costa

• Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau

• Romania’s interim President Ilie Bolojan.

Back row from left:

• Nato secretary general Mark Rutte

• the Netherlands’ prime minister Dick Schoof

• Sweden’s prime minister Ulf Kristersson

• Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz

• Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Store

• Czech Republic’s prime minister Petr Fiala

• Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni

• Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan.

Just as the talks get under way, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy has posted his thoughts after a separate, bilateral meeting with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni earlier today.

He warned that “no one other than Putin is interested in the continuation and quick return of the war,” as he reiterated his call for security guarantees for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said:

I had a productive meeting with the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy @GiorgiaMeloni to develop a joint action plan for ending the war with a just and lasting peace.

No one other than Putin is interested in the continuation and quick return of the war. Therefore, it is important to maintain unity around Ukraine and strengthen our country’s position in cooperation with our allies – the countries of Europe and the United States.

Ukraine needs peace backed by robust security guarantees.

I am grateful to Italy for its continued support and partnership in bringing peace in Ukraine closer.

Opening the summit, UK prime minister Keir Starmer – flanked by France’s Macron and Ukraine’s Zelenskyy – highlights last night’s warm reception for the Ukrainian president as he arrived at 10 Downing Street with a group of supporters cheering him on the street outside.

“We are all with you, with Ukraine, for as long as it takes,” he says.

But he warns that “this is a once in a generation moment for the security of Europe,” as he says 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.”

He adds that he spoke with the Baltic nations earlier, as they are “obviously part of our discussion” too.

Starmer says that he intends to work on a plan for Ukraine to “then discuss that with the US and take it forward together.”

Today’s talks will focus on “how we can deliver just, enduring peace together,” he says, and how to support Ukraine “because even while Russia talks about peace, they are continuing their relentless aggression.”

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez is the last leader to arrive and I think we now have a full house at Lancaster House as the talks between world leaders get under way.

Interestingly, it looked like Ukrainian ambassador to the UK and former commander in chief of Ukrainian armed forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi, tipped to be a potential candidate in future Ukrainian presidential elections, has just got in too, arriving in the same way as other leaders, through the main entrance (unlike other ambassadors).

Is this a part of the usual diplomatic protocol for these events, or could this be a way of responding to US (and Russian) comments on Ukrainian elections to send a signal that whoever is the future Ukrainian leader is aligned with what is being discussed in London today?

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just arrived at the summit, welcomed by Starmer with a big hug, and the two had a brief chat ahead of the meeting.

If you heard a loud cheer for Zelenskyy, it’s because of a pro-Ukrainian demonstration standing just outside the security cordon.

Just a few hundred metres from where the summit is taking place, a group of pro-Ukrainian demonstrators wanted to show their support for the country and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Here are some pictures from The Mall in central London.

Latvian prime minister Evika Siliņa has now offered her take on the Baltic leaders’ call with Keir Starmer too.

Here is what she said (note a pointed reference to the importance of the Baltics being involved, given they didn’t get an invite to the summit):

Had a good conversation with the @Keir_Starmer.

It’s important that the Baltic States are involved, while strengthening transatlantic ties and making Europe more secure. We got reassurances of Allied commitment to NATO Article 5 and defence of the Eastern Flank, and that support to Ukraine will continue. We are also on the same page that Europe must do more on defence.

More leaders have now arrived at Lancaster House, including European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, outgoing German chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, and Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen…

Leaders of Turkey, the Netherlands, Romania, Finland, and Norway are also in.

As leaders continue to arrive for the summit at Lancaster House, Starmer (or more accurately, his comms team, unless he’s posting from the corridors there) has just posted a picture of him talking to the three Baltic leaders, with his readout from the meeting.

Speaking with President @AlarKaris, Prime Minister @EvikaSilinaand President @GitanasNauseda, we agreed that we must come together to find a path towards a lasting peace in Ukraine that ensures their sovereignty and is backed up by strong security guarantees.

This is vital for the UK and Europe’s future security.

No comment on the frustration about the fact they didn’t get an invite, though.

Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson is the latest leader to enter Lancaster House, so let’s take a look at some of the arrivals so far:

I earlier offered you a readout from the call that UK’s Starmer had with leaders of the three Baltic nations. But the fact they were not invited to attend today’s summit in person sparked a bit of a 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.

And chief adviser to Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda, Asta Skaisgirytė, said the leaders made their frustration clear during the call.

She told the Lithuanian LRT Radio that Starmer began their discussion today with an apology, saying that “next time such things will be avoided.”

Skaisgirytė disclosed that the call was also attended by Latvian prime minister Evika Siliņa and Estonian president Alar Karis.

You can follow leaders’ arrivals with us below and at the top of the blog:

Today’s summit takes place in Lancaster House, an official government mansion just a stone’s throw from the Buckingham Palace in central London (in fact, its magnificent hall and staircase doubled for the Palace in Netflix’s The Crown!).

It’s seen a fair few diplomatic summits there (with a number of treaties named after the building), and Theresa May’s first Brexit speech in 2017.

It is also an important place in the context of Nato: it is in Lancaster House where foreign ministers of the 12 founding nations discussed the aims, objectives and structure of the organisation in 1950, as UK foreign ministry noted.

If you fancy feeling like one of the leaders attending today, you can tour the building here.

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has just left Downing Street 10 after bilateral talks with Starmer.

And just seconds later, the UK prime minister and today’s host, Keir Starmer, walked into Lancaster House, the venue of today’s summit, and is hanging around the entrance to welcome the first leaders.

French president Emmanuel Macron is the first to arrive.

Earlier today, UK prime minister Keir Starmer also met with representatives of the three Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda posted a readout from their meeting, saying “the US and Ukraine should return to the negotiation table, together with Europeans,” but also backing Tusk’s comments earlier on prioritising Nato’s eastern flank.

Had an important discussion with UK Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer and other Baltic leaders.

My takeaways:

– We should not spare our effort to maintain a strong transatlantic bond.

– US and Ukraine should return to the negotiation table, together with Europeans.

– Nato eastern flank safety is a priority.

– European peace enforcement – a possible element of security guarantees for Ukraine.