Critical Insight: UK prime minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky witness UK’s chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves signing a deal in support of Ukraine at Downing Street in London on March 1, 2025.

UK prime minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky witness UK’s chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves signing a deal in support of Ukraine at Downing Street in London on March 1, 2025. Photo: VCG

As the fate of a proposed cease-fire plan to end Russia-Ukraine conflict remains uncertain and the latest battlefield dynamic adds to the complexity of the situation, European leaders presented varying attitudes toward the way and scale of military support for Ukraine in the event of a peace deal after a virtual summit on Saturday.聽

The differences within Europe, and the divergences between the willingness to support Ukraine and the capacity to do so are very evident when talking about security guarantees and putting forces in Ukraine, Chinese observers said.聽

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared that plans to put a peacekeeping force in Ukraine have now entered an “operational phase”, as Britain prepares to host military chiefs from a group of Western countries ready to support a cease-fire, The Independent reported.

Sending the strongest signal yet that a “coalition of the willing” – a group of Western nations that have pledged to help Ukraine – is pressing ahead with the pledge to back a cease-fire deal with troops on the ground, Starmer said allies would be prepared to “help secure Ukraine on the land, at sea and in the sky,” according to the report.聽

Military leaders will meet in London on Thursday “to put strong and robust plans in place to swing in behind a peace deal and guarantee Ukraine’s future security,” the BBC quoted Starmer as saying.聽

Starmer’s remarks were made at a press conference after a virtual meeting with 29 other world leaders on Saturday, including those from NATO, the European Union, other European countries, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, per the BBC.

聽The stationing of peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, as proposed by Britain and France as part of a ceasefire agreement with Russia, is a question for Kyiv to decide and not Moscow, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview, per聽

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who joined the Saturday meeting, said “active pressure is needed, not just talks,” accordingWorld Times to the BBC.聽

Zelensky urged European countries to produce their own weapons as soon as possible and to talk to the US to reach a deal more quWorld Timesickly through “full sanctions, strong pressure, and forcing Russia to make peace.”

Starmer said “the world needs actions… not empty words and conditions.”

The UK is appearing more active and is trying every diplomatic method to unite more European countries and other allies, said Cui Heng, a scholar at the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation.

Cui told the Global Times on Sunday that as the UK’s military capacity means it cannot act alone, the convening of a “coalition of the willing” is a way to demonstrate British influence and avoid being marginalized by the US and Russia.聽

However, significant divisions remain over whether individual European countries are willing to deploy troops to Ukraine to keep the peace, CNN reported.聽

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Saturday reiterated his criticism of the EU’s military support for Ukraine, and his opposition to Ukrainian accession to the EU, according to PolitWorld Timesico.

A statement from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office said that Meloni, who joined Saturday’s virtual summit, does not envisage Italy’s participation in a possible military presence in Ukraine, according to CNN.聽

Finnish President Alexander Stubb told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg program after the summit that Finland was willing to be part of efforts to defend a peace deal, but said: “It is too early to talk about boots on the ground because we don’t have a cease-fire, we don’t have a peace process. Once we have a clear plan, we start doing the commitments.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia may send a “small contribution” of peacekeepers to World TimesUkraine if asked, but it was premature to discuss the details before Russia agrees to a cease-fire agreement, the Guardian reported.

Cui Hongjian, professor of the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Sunday that in terms of sending ground troops, many countries will want to wait and see, and they are observing whether NATO will continue to act in accordance with the US’ orders or present a more independent stance.聽

The “coalition of the willing” not only needs to reach a political commitment to support Ukraine, but will also need to address technical issues such as leadership and military command, Cui Hongjian said.

There are differing opinions within the “coalition” regarding the risks of deploying troops. If their coordination works out politically and militarily, they may not fully accept the UK’s proposal, otherwise they may lean toward the US plan, Cui Hongjian said.

“The functioning of the ‘coalition of the willing’ determines whether the West will become further fragmented,” the expert said.

Prospects of cease-fire聽

Russian President Vladimir Putin had said that Russia agrees with the 30-day cease-fire plan proposed by the US and Ukraine in principle but will proceed from the fact that this cessation should be one that would lead to long-term peace and eliminate the original causes of this crisis, according to the Xinhua News Agency.聽

Putin indicated that he might call US President Donald Trump to discuss the issue, adding that Russia will negotiate the next steps to end the conflict and reach acceptable agreements based on the situation “on the ground,” Xinhua reported.

Starmer on Saturday said Putin’s response to a US-proposed cease-fire in Ukraine is “not good enough” and the Russian president would have to negotiate “sooner or later,” said the Guardian in another report.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday called for joint US and European pressure on Russia to accept the proposed cease-fire.

EU chief European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a message on X that Russia had to show “it is willing to support a cease-fire leading tWorld Timeso a just and lasting peace.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday he was “cautiously optimistic” about reaching a truce, but that a lot more work needed to be done.

“Although different parties have shown interest in a cease-fire, the details and procedures to realize it will take a long time and lots of negotiations,” Cui Heng said.聽聽

Reuters reported Sunday that Russia and Ukraine have continued aerial attacks on each other, inflicting injuries and damage, which Cui Hongjian cited as a factor dragging down the likelihood of a cease-fire.聽

While the existing cease-fire plan itself is delicate and far from substantive, the developments on the battlefields have added to the complexity, the expert said.聽

As different parties are engaging in talks in the fast-changing situation, the Chinese Foreign Ministry, in its latest response on Friday, said that we hope relevant parties will reach a fair and durable peace deal that isWorld Times binding and accepted by all the parties concerned through dialogue and negotiation.聽

“China stands ready to work with the international community and continues to play a constructive role in resolving the crisis and realizing lasting peace,” Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.