Fractures In Europe Over UK-France Ukraine Peace Plan Amid US Rift

Last Updated:March 03, 2025, 13:14 IST

The UK and France's independent Ukraine peace plan has exposed fractures in Europe, with some leaders supporting continued military aid while others oppose prolonging the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo: Reuters)

Days after US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the war in Ukraine, Europe seems divided over its plans for peace.

While Britain and France are trying to develop a peace plan to end the fighting in Zelenskyy’s country, an initiative announced by Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, has raised questions about whether peace is possible, and on what terms, in the face of the present relations between Russia and the US.

This comes in the aftermath of Zelenskyy’s disastrous White House summit with Donald Trump, wherein the latter accused him of not showing gratitude after he challenged Vance on the question of diplomacy with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The argument between the two leaders, at the Oval Office, was broadcast globally.

It led to the rest of Zelenskyy’s White House visit being cancelled, also bringing Europe into the picture, over how it will support Ukraine in its defence against Russia’s 2022 invasion.

WHAT IS STARMER’s INITIATIVE?

Amid the deadlock, Keir Starmer has said Britain and France will work on their own peace plan for Ukraine.

In an exclusive with BBC, the Prime Minister, on Sunday said he and French President Emmanuel Macron had agreed to begin negotiations separate from those between the US and Russia, after a series of hurried phone calls on Saturday evening.

Starmer told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, “We’ve now agreed that the United Kingdom, along with France and possibly one or two others, will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, and then we’ll discuss that plan with the United States."

“This is about peace in Europe and the best outcome for Ukraine. That’s what I’m focused on," he said.

Starmer hosted Zelenskyy in Downing Street before calling both Macron and Trump as he sought to show solidarity for Ukraine while also repairing frayed ties between Washington and Kyiv.

Zelenskyy also met King Charles at Sandringham on Sunday, while Starmer hosted European leaders, as well as those from Canada and Turkey, for a defence summit in central London.

‘EUROPE AT CROSSROADS’ AS EUROPEAN LEADERS MEET IN LONDON

Amid concerns the US may be willing to end support for Ukraine, European leaders, on Sunday, raced to salvage Ukraine’s ruptured relationship with the United States, with Britain and France assembling a “coalition of the willing" to develop a plan for ending Ukraine’s war with Russia.

The leaders hoped this effort would win the backing of a sceptical President Trump.

Gathering in London at the invitation of Starmer, the leaders vowed to bolster support for Zelenskyy after his bitter clash with Trump last week.

The UK and France committed to developing a peace plan with Ukraine to end the Russian invasion, with Keir saying he would not “be going down this road" if he did not feel he had American support.

However, several also expressed hope that Zelenskyy and Trump could repair their breach, underscoring Europe’s reluctance to cast off a trans-Atlantic alliance that has kept the peace for 80 years.

In an X post, Prime Minister of Hungary, Orban Victor, wrote, “European leaders decided in London today that they want to go on with the war instead of opting for peace. They decided that Ukraine must continue the war. This is bad, dangerous and mistaken. Hungary remains on the side of peace."

Meanwhile, Starmer used sweeping terms to describe the challenge ahead, saying Europe was at a crossroads in its history and that it was the “time to act."

In an interview with the BBC, following the leader’s meeting, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said the NATO alliance between Europe and the US was still “alive and kicking", but added the relationship with the United States was becoming more “transactional".

He said the scenes in the Oval Office on Friday were akin to conversations he had witnessed behind closed doors, but conceded the public spectacle was damaging to the West and benefited Russia.

CAN EUROPE GUARANTEE PEACE IN UKRAINE?

It should be noted that Britain had been pushing for the US to provide a backstop to any stabilisation force in Ukraine, most likely in the form of air power.

However, Starmer did not extract a firm commitment from Trump as he met the US President at the White House on February 27.

A day later, the clash between Trump and Zelenskyy made the prospect even less likely, with the US President accusing his counterpart of “gambling with World War Three".

Following the meeting of the European leaders, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she would present a plan to “rearm Europe" to bolster the bloc’s security after a long period of underinvestment. As for the future of war-torn Ukraine, von der Leyen said it needs security guarantees.

Talking to reporters, Leyen thanked Starmer for hosting the meeting and said there were two messages, “First, we need a lasting peace in Ukraine", and the second, “It can only be achieved through strength."

Last week, Starmer pledged to boost military spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product by 2027. Other European nations may follow suit.

He pledged to supply more arms to defend Ukraine, announcing that the UK will use 1.6 billion pounds ($2 billion) in export financing to supply 5,000 air defence missiles.

A RIFT IN WESTERN ALLIANCE?

Zelenskyy’s vilification in Washington and his embrace in London have laid bare an estrangement between the US and its European allies.

This has been precipitated not just by Ukraine, but by the Trump administration’s warning that the continent must now take primary responsibility for its conventional defence.

Trump is yet to agree to Starmer’s and Macron’s calls for a US backstop to any British- and French-led peace force.

“I do not accept that the US is an unreliable ally," Starmer has already said, as he attempted to dismiss suggestions of tension with the Trump team.

Meanwhile, Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of Intelligence, argued that European countries that supported Zelenskyy after he was ejected from the White House are “not committed to the cause and values of freedom" and don’t believe in peace.

Her remarks on Fox News are likely to cause alarm in Europe, since they recall Moscow’s talking points and because of her role as the top US spy.

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