Volodymyr Zelensky has hit back at Donald Trump’s suggestion that the US could take control of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants as part of a ceasefire deal. The war leader insisted the infrastructure “belong to the people of Ukraine” in a rebuke of Mr Trump’s comments.
The US President had suggested that taking over Ukraine’s nuclear plants, particularly Russian-held Zaporizhzhia, could protect it from attacks by Vladimir Putin. Mr Zelensky, who had a very public bust-up with Mr Trump in the Oval Office last month, said: “We will not discuss it. We have 15 nuclear power units in operation today. This all belongs to our state.” But he suggested he was open to talks about the US investing in Zaporizhzhia if it was taken back from Russia.
Ukraine’s leader spoke to EU chiefs on Thursday Russia must stop making “unnecessary demands” that drag out the war.
His comments came as Sir Keir Starmer met with defence chiefs to turn the idea of a peacekeeping force for Ukraine from a political concept to “military plans”.
The Prime Minister said the “timetable now is coming into focus”, after talks between the US and Russia this week, and that if a deal comes to fruition then the so-called coalition of the willing needs to be ready to react right away.
Military chiefs from the UK and its allies met to discuss how peacekeepers could operate in Ukraine to deter further Russian attacks if a deal to end the war is reached.
That could mean British forces currently guarding Nato’s eastern flank being redeployed to Ukraine, with other allies filling the gap.
But calls this week between Mr Trump, Putin and Mr Zelensky have failed to produce the 30-day ceasefire envisaged by the White House.
US negotiators are set to meet Ukrainian and Russian officials separately in Saudi Arabia on Monday for the next round of talks on a potential peace deal.
Meanwhile Sir Keir hailed Barrow as a “blueprint” for the way increasing defence spending can boost prosperity across the UK during a visit on Thursday.
In February, he said the Government will increase defence spending to 2.5% of the UK’s economic output by 2027, something which ministers think will help drive economic growth and create jobs across the UK.
Just days ago, Sir Keir secretly joined a crew of submariners as they returned home to their families for the first time in months, making him the first prime minister to join a so-called “day zero” since 2013.
He told the audience: “This is where the story begins. The submarine I was on was built right here.
“Those sailors depend on the best, the best engineering, the best design, the best assembling. That means you.
“Our story depends on you, everyone here working in the shipyard. Nothing works unless we all work together.
The Prime Minister attended a keel-laying ceremony in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, for the first of the Dreadnought class of submarines, a fleet of four vessels which will begin to enter service for the Royal Navy in the early 2030s.
He added: “Today does not just mark the birth of this vessel. It marks nothing less than the renewal of a historic national endeavour. A commitment to our defence for decades to come.”