UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is due to speak to European allies as he continues his efforts to reach an agreement on Ukraine. His Defence Secretary John Healey has just returned from Washington DC, where he met with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth to discuss ending Russia’s war on Ukraine. Addressing Hegseth, he said: “You challenged us to step up on Ukraine, on defence spending, on European security – and I say to you that we have, we are and we will further.” Hegseth said UK leadership was “critical” adding that “European leadership of Nato, led by the UK and others, is the future of defence on the continent”.
The US has also paused military aid to Ukraine and stopped sharing intelligence as it reviews “all aspects of this relationship”. In a televised speech, French President Emmanuel Macron said: “I want to believe the US will stay at our side, but we must be ready if that is not the case.” On Thursday, EU leaders agreed a €800bn (£670 bn) boost to defence spending – a move European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said would help put Ukraine “in a position to protect itself and push for lasting peace”. The UK and France have said they are willing to provide peacekeeping troops to Ukraine and are urging other European countries to join what they have called a “coalition of the willing”.
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