Stop playing games over peace talks, PM tells Putin

Sir Keir Starmer has warned Vladimir Putin to get serious about peace in Ukraine as he urged Western leaders to ramp up economic pressure to force him to the negotiating table.

- KATE DEVLIN

The prime minister accused the Russian leader of playing games” over peace talks as he prepared to host a virtual summit of around 25 countries today.

The countries in the “coalition of the willing”, which include Britain, France, Australia and Canada, will discuss how to help Kyiv deter future Russian aggression in the event of any peace deal.

The meeting comes as Putin continues to resist a ceasefire in the bloody three-year war, which began when his troops invaded Ukraine. But senior figures in the US sounded a note of hope, with secretary of state Marco Rubio saying he was “cautiously optimistic” that a cessation in the fighting could be agreed.

During his meeting, Sir Keir will also call on Western leaders to make “concrete commitments”, including to ramp up economic pressure as well as military support to Ukraine to defend itself against increasing Russian attacks.