Starmer to join call with Trump ahead of Putin meeting

SIR Keir Starmer will join EU leaders for talks with Donald Trump today as he attempts to influence the US president’s discussions with Vladimir Putin about the fate of Ukraine.

- By Jonathan Walker Whitehall Editor

The PM has warned that peace “must be built with Ukraine, not imposed upon it”, amid fears the US and the Russian president will force Kyiv to hand over territory.

Mr Trump and despot Putin will meet in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday for negotiations on ending the three-year war. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not be involved, nor will America’s European allies.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz invited Ukraine, Britain, Finland, France, Italy and Poland to today’s video conference starting at noon. It will include European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and NATO secretary general Mark Rutte, with Mr Trump and Vice-President JD Vance joining later.

There is concern after Mr Trump suggested Ukraine may have to give up territory after he said: “There'll be some land swapping going on”.