Donald Trump has changed the global conversation around Ukraine “for the better”, Downing Street has said, as the UK imposed further sanctions on Russia in an effort to force Vladimir Putin to make concessions.
As world leaders marked the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said the US president had opened the door to talks that could bring lasting peace.
However, continuing the UK’s careful response before Starmer’s visit to the White House this week, he did not comment on Trump’s false claims that Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a dictator, which have helped shatter the transatlantic consensus on the conflict.
On a day of frenetic diplomatic activity, Starmer, speaking via video link to world leaders gathered in Kyiv, said Trump had “changed the global conversation over the last few weeks” around Ukraine. “It has created an opportunity. Now we must get the fundamentals right,” he added.
Pressed by reporters over whether Starmer had meant Trump’s explosive interventions had changed things for the better or worse, his spokesperson said: “Absolutely for the better. He’s brought about these talks that could bring lasting peace in Ukraine, which is what we all want to see.”
On Monday, Britain announced the largest package of sanctions against Russia since the early weeks of the full-scale invasion. Starmer said he hoped to force Putin “not just to talk, but to make concessions”.
The prime minister told the Ukrainian president and European leaders that Kyiv “holds all the cards in this war”, a direct contradiction of Trump’s remarks last week that Moscow was in the position of strength.
He repeated calls for Ukraine to have a seat at the table for any peace talks, and for a US “backstop” to any agreement.
In a G7 call on Monday that included Trump, Starmer underlined Britain’s support of Zelenskyy’s government. Downing Street said afterwards the prime minister had urged allied countries to increase their military support for Ukraine and their economic sanctions on Russia.
But he was also careful to praise Trump. Starmer’s spokesperson said he had “welcomed the lead president Trump is taking on delivering peace, and [is] committed to working with him and other G7 leaders to deliver a just and lasting peace”.
The UK left the door open to Russia eventually rejoining the G7, after Dan Jarvis, the security minister, appeared to signal it could while speaking to broadcasters. However, Downing Street made clear this would not happen while Russia was still occupying Ukrainian territory.
“Our position on the G7 just hasn’t changed. We can’t countenance Russia joining the G7 whilst it has got illegal forces in Ukraine. That has been our longstanding position,” Starmer’s spokesperson said.
Jarvis had told Times Radio that Russia rejoining the G7 would be “a matter to be discussed with international allies”. The security minister added that it would “no doubt” be considered once the Ukraine war was over.
David Lammy, announcing the new sanctions package, said history had shown that Moscow would respond only to strength, rather than “paper promises”.
Listing multiple security agreements that Russia had “betrayed” over the years, the foreign secretary added: “This is foreign policy by lies.”
The Foreign Office said 107 new entities would face sanctions, including 40 “shadow fleet” ships and 14 “new kleptocrats”, including the Russian billionaire Roman Trotsenko, as part of the largest package since 2022.
Among those sanctioned was No Kwang-chol, the North Korean defence minister, who was targeted as a result of his country’s decision to send troops to help the Russian war effort. The US and EU sanctioned No at the end of last year.
The UK is also placing sanctions on the Kyrgyzstan-based Keremet Bank, the first non-Russian bank to be targeted, while companies in China, India and Turkey that supply tools and goods to Russia’s military were also listed.
Separately, the Home Office announced a move to widen travel sanctions for Kremlin-linked figures, while the UK will put another £20m into medical and rehabilitation support for Ukrainians on the frontline.
