London and Paris want to present ceasefire plan

Shortly before the Ukraine conference in London, British Prime Minister Starmer announced a “coalition of the willing” that would guarantee security for Ukraine.

Mar 3, 2025 - 05:33

London and Paris want to present ceasefire plan

Great Britain and France want to work out a plan for a ceasefire in Ukraine. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said this in a BBC interview shortly before the start of the Ukraine conference of European and Western leaders in London. "We have now agreed that the United Kingdom, together with France and possibly one or two other countries, will work with Ukraine on a plan to end the fighting," said Starmer. The plan will then be discussed with the United States. This is the result of talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump on Saturday.

Starmer stressed that he wanted to form a "coalition of the willing" to get concrete European security guarantees for Ukraine underway. "It's probably a coalition of the willing for now," Starmer said. He didn't want to criticize anyone, but that was better than waiting for every single country in Europe. Regarding the scandal in the White House between Selenskyj and Trump, Starmer said: "Nobody wants to see that." That's why he picked up the phone and spoke to those involved. "My motivation was to bridge this gap in a way and bring us back to the central focus," Starmer said. (dpa)

Institute warns of danger of victory for Putin in Ukraine

According to the Institute for War Studies (ISW) in Washington, a possible withdrawal of US military aid to Ukraine would bring Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin closer to victory in his war of aggression. An end to arms deliveries could lead to an increase in Russian aggression, the capture of new territories and the destruction of stability in the region, the ISW said in an analysis.

The experts referred to reports that US President Donald Trump could stop military aid to Ukraine. "Cessation of US military aid and financial support to strengthen the Ukrainian arms industry could help tip the balance of the war and give Russia greater advantages on the battlefield in Ukraine, which would increase the likelihood of a Russian victory in Ukraine," the ISW analysis said. The experts emphasized that the aid provided so far has helped prevent Russian successes.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he is convinced that US President Donald Trump is striving for lasting peace in Ukraine, despite his dispute with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky. He found it uncomfortable to watch the meeting between Trump and Selensky in the White House, which resulted in a war of words in front of the cameras, Starmer said in a BBC TV interview. He had spoken to Trump several times and met him twice . He is convinced that Trump wants lasting peace. "He wants the fighting in Ukraine to end," Starmer said. (rtr)

Dead and injured by Russian shelling

According to regional authorities, one person was killed in Russian shelling of the eastern Ukrainian frontline town of Kramatorsk. Two other people were injured, said Mayor Oleksandr Goncharenko. A residential area was hit. A young man born in 2006 was killed, and another man and a woman were injured. Russian drone attacks were reported from other parts of the country. According to authorities, a civilian was injured in the southwestern town of Zaporizhia. A residential building was hit. A fire broke out, destroying the roof and partially collapsing the house. The shock wave from the explosion also damaged neighboring houses. According to the military, Russia attacked with a total of 79 drones during the night. 63 drones were shot down by air defense. (rtr)