Ukraine: Europe gears up for 'massive surge' in defense

Here's what to know about the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's "coalition of the willing" to enforce a peace deal, if and when that's secured in Ukraine.

European leaders pledged to step up support for Ukraine during talks in London on Sunday evening, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirming that the UK, France and Ukraine would work on a peace plan to present to the White House.

Starmer mentioned that such a plan would require strong US backing. It was also not clear whether such a plan would be accepted by Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the end of talks that he was ready to sign a minerals deal with the US, following a heated encounter with US President Donald Trump on live television on Friday.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called the London summit "a shameful sight" in a post on social media X.

Medvedev, who is now deputy head of Russia's Security Council, dismissed the gathering as a "coven... to swear allegiance to the Nazi nobodies in Kyiv." 

Russian parliamentarian Konstantin Kosachev ridiculed the outcome of the Ukraine talks in London as "a desperate attempt to pass off as success the failure of a 10-year policy of inciting Ukraine towards Russia by the same Great Britain and, until recently, the United States."

"Europe has no plan," wrote Kosachev, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Russia's upper house of parliament, on Telegram.

"And if Ukraine should count on something, it can only be on progress (if there is any to come) in Russian-American relations," he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he believed he could salvage his relationship with US President Donald Trump after their public spat in the Oval Office.

Zelenskyy said, "The format of what happened, I don't think it brought something positive or additional to us as partners."

Zelenskyy dismissed the idea that the US would stop supporting Ukraine because as "leaders of the civilized world" they would not want to help Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But the Ukrainian leader said he remained prepared for any challenges that may arise.

"We are ready to sign the minerals deal and I believe the US would be ready as well," he added.

On Friday, Zelenskyy was in Washington to sign a deal that would allow the US access to Kyiv's rare earth minerals. But his visit was cut short after a televised row between Zelenskyy and Trump.

France and the UK are proposing a one-month truce "in the air, on the seas and on energy infrastructure" in Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters on his way to the summit.

Speaking to France's Le Figaro newspaper, Macron also suggested that European countries should boost their defense spending to between 3 and 3.5% of GDP — a much higher target than the existing 2% NATO target — in light of shifting US foreign policy priorities. 

"For three years, the Russians have spent 10 percent of their GDP on defense," said Macron. "So we have to prepare for what's next."

He also said that "there will be no European troops on Ukrainian soil in the coming weeks."

"The question is how we use this time to try to secure an achievable ceasefire, with negotiations that will last several weeks and then a deployment of troops once peace is signed," Macron added.

The French president stressed that "we want peace," but not "at any price, without guarantees."

Germany's presumed next chancellor Friedrich Merz thanked British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron for their "leadership to bring a lasting and just peace to Ukraine."

"Your efforts are key to building bridges across the Atlantic. We have to remain united in our goal to end Russia's war of aggression," he wrote in a post on X. 

Merz, who has long been a transatlanticist, was not present at the Ukraine talks in London. But Chancellor Olaz Scholz, who is remaining in his position in a caretaker role until the next government is finalized, was in attendance at the London summit.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed European unity "at an exceptionally high level" that "has not been seen in a long time" after meeting King Charles III at his Sandringham estate following a summit in central London.

"Together, we are working in Europe to establish a solid foundation for cooperation with the United States in pursuit of true peace and guaranteed security," Zelenskiy wrote on X. 

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reiterated to Italian media after the Ukraine talks that "dividing the West over Ukraine would be disastrous for everyone."

She urged leaders to "think outside the box" on transatlantic solutions that might not require NATO membership.

Speaking at a press briefing at the residence of the Italian ambassador in London, Meloni said "We need to revisit some arguments that we took off the table too quickly."

Meloni also said there was still no single specific plan for troop deployment and stressed that "the presence of Italian troops in Ukraine has never been on the agenda."

The Italian prime minister also cautioned that the European nuclear umbrella — i.e. guarantees by European nuclear powers to protect the whole of Europe, a job that so far has been considered the responsibility of Washington — could risk "disengagement" from the US. "This is a scenario I do not support," Meloni said.

"I will do everything I can to keep the West united," added Meloni, who proposed an "immediate" EU-US summit following the Oval Office row between Trump and Zelenskyy.

"I will discuss an increase in the defense budget with my colleagues in the government in the near future," Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala wrote on social platform X. 

Fiala was one of the European leaders who gathered at Lancaster House in London on Sunday to discuss support and security for Ukraine.

"We are all aware of the seriousness of the situation, now we need to move from words to actions," said Fiala.

On the eve of Sunday's summit, Fiala proposed increasing Czech defense spending to 3% of GDP. 

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for unity between Europe and the United States in Ukraine talks.

"Everything must be done to ensure that Europe and the United States speak with one voice," Tusk said after crisis talks in central London on Sunday.

Tusk told reporters that the summit should show Russian President Vladimir Putin "that the West has no intention of capitulating before his blackmail and aggression."

"The best way to discourage Putin and other aggressors is to build our own strength and the best way to convince President Trump to want to strengthen cooperation with Europe, and not weaken it, is our European strength. Everyone will want to work with a strong partner," he added.

Canada's outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday voiced his strong backing for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the unusually heated exchange in the Oval Office between Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump.

"On Friday in the Oval Office, President Zelenskyy pointed out, in so many words, that Vladimir Putin is a liar and a criminal and cannot be trusted to keep his words in any way, shape or form because he has demonstrated time and time again that he will break any agreement," Trudeau told reporters.

"I stand with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and I stand with the people of Ukraine."

The British monarch King Charles III held an official audience at his Sandringham estate with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The king "received the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky" at his Sandringham House Estate in east England, said a statement from Buckingham Palace.

Zelenskyy flew by helicopter from London after having a closed-door meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other European leaders and officials. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Kyiv's allies need to ensure that Ukraine has a strong army when the war is over so that it can defend itself against any future aggression from Russia.

"The basis of everything will be a strong army," Scholz told journalists after the meeting of European leaders in London.

The chancellor said there was no wavering from Europe on who was responsible for the conflict.

Ukraine "is the attacked country, the victim of Russian aggression,"  Scholz said. "That is the truth, which is still very clear to everyone."

He said it was also clear "that we must support Ukraine financially and with military means."

A number of countries have expressed their interest in joining Europe's planned "coalition of the willing" to help Ukraine, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday.

"On the coalition of the willing, yes, a number of countries indicated today that they want to be part of the plan that we are developing," Starmer told reporters.

"I'll leave them to make their own statements about exactly how they want to make that contribution, but we've been able to move that forward," he said.

The coalition, so far backed by the UK and France, would consist of sending troops to Ukraine after a peace deal has been reached as a form of security guarantee against any possible future aggression from Russia.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday announced a new deal worth 1.6 billion pounds (€1.94 billion or $2 billion) to fund air defense missiles for Ukraine with UK export finance after European leaders gathered in London.

This deal will help Ukraine "buy more than 5,000 air defense missiles which will be made in Belfast," Starmer said.

This comes on top of the £2.26 billion loan agreement that the UK and Ukraine signed on Saturday.