UK to host talks with 'allies' about Ukraine at weekend

LONDON

The British prime minister said Tuesday that he would host "a number of countries" for talks about Ukraine this weekend after returning from the US.

"I am hosting a number of countries at the weekend for us to continue to discuss how we go forward together as allies in light of the situation that we face," he told reporters," Keir Starmer told reporters in London.

Starmer also said that he spoke to French President Emanuel Macron earlier Tuesday following his return from Washington, where he had talks with US President Donald Trump.

It comes after the prime minister announced that the UK's defense spending will increase to 2.5% by 2027.

Speaking ahead of his planned US visit for his first face-to-face meeting with Trump on Thursday, Starmer said that these "tough decisions" will result in the largest, sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War.

"As the nature of that conflict changes, as it has done in recent weeks, it also brings our response into sharper focus, and I believe we must now change our approach to national security, so we are ready to meet the challenges of our volatile world," he noted.

"Unless Ukraine is properly protected from Putin, then Europe will only become more unstable, and that will hurt us even more," Starmer added.

Reiterating his defense spending decision, he underlined that European countries must do more for their own defense which is "incontrovertible, a completely reasonable point."

"This is a significant moment … it is a moment where we have to fight for peace through the action that we take."

Referring to his last month's visit to Ukraine, Starmer said that they are seeing first-hand "what conflict looks like in Europe in 2025."

"We have to respond to that, for the safety and security of our country."