'A bridge to Trump' After Zelenskyy's White House calamity, can Keir Starmer plot a route to peace in Ukraine?

As Keir Starmer and his aides discussed their response to last Friday's White House meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which the Ukrainian president was berated live on camera by the US president and his deputy, JD Vance, Starmer's team pondered whether to issue a statement on social media.

- Kiran Stacey

Already messages of support were flooding in for the Ukrainian president from other European leaders, including Emmanuel Macron of France and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.

But the UK prime minister decided to stay silent, and instead display his backing with action rather than words.

After several phone calls last Friday night, Starmer brought forward a planned visit by Zelenskyy to London, giving him the opportunity for a symbolic meeting at No 10, followed by an audience with the king.

"I picked up the phone to President Trump, and I picked up the phone to President Zelenskyy," Starmer told the BBC on Sunday. "I took to the phones. That was my response."

Starmer's diplomatic activity has resulted in a new Franco-British peace effort that puts the prime minister at the centre of Europe's attempt to shape a deal between Moscow and Kyiv.

After a crucial defence summit in London, Starmer said Europe was "at a crossroads in history" and must act to support Ukraine to secure a lasting peace, confirming that the UK and France would lead a "coalition of the willing" to help end the fighting.