Sir Keir Starmer is set to meet leaders from across Europe on Sunday for talks about peace in Ukraine.
This includes Volodymyr Zelenskyy and France’s Emmanuel Macron.
Starmer has spoken about his willingness to deploy troops to Ukraine in a peacekeeping capacity – although only with a security “backstop” from the US.
No such guarantee was forthcoming during the PM’s trip to Washington.
A Downing Street spokesman said on Friday: “The UK has made it clear that we’ll play our full part in ensuring a just and lasting peace deal on Ukraine’s terms, backed up by strong security guarantees.
“Just this week we demonstrated our commitment to that confirming we’ll increase defence spending to 2.5% by 2027. But that peace deal has to come first and as you know the prime minister will meet President Zelensky before convening European leaders in London on Sunday to continue those discussions.
“The deal has to come first, but our teams are going to be talking about how we make sure that deal sticks and is lasting and enforced.”
Rayner ‘really sorry’ to hear of Dodds resignation
UK Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was speaking at a conference today, and spoke to broadcasters afterwards to give her reaction to the resignation of Anneliese Dodds.
She said she was “really sorry” to hear of the departure.
Rayner added that cutting the aid budget to increase defence funding was a “difficult decision”, but “absolutely right”.
She said it was important the PM had the backing of the whole cabinet for the decision.
The Labour number two went on to say the plan was to increase aid spending again when economic growth increased.
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