Keir Starmer is on a collision course with Donald Trump after the United States refused to join Western allies in blaming Russia for the Ukraine war.
In the clearest confirmation yet of the deepening schism between Washington and Europe, the US voted against a UN resolution, drafted by Kyiv and its European allies including the UK, condemning Moscow’s aggression on the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The US abstained on a separate resolution backing Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and borders.
The showdown at the UN general assembly increases the pressure on Starmer as he prepares to fly to Washington to meet Trump later this week, in what will be the most crucial meeting between UK and US leaders for decades.
Starmer has claimed he can act as a “bridge” between Europe and the US over a possible peace deal in Ukraine, but the clash at the UN in New York is likely to put his efforts under severe strain.
While the Prime Minister is not expected to directly challenge Trump over his support for Russia, the difference in their positions, underlined by the UN votes, risks heightening tensions between the two men.
Amid the growing trans-Atlantic rift, Trump said on Monday, following talks with French president Emmanuel Macron, that he did not see a problem with European troops being sent to Ukraine to serve as peacemakers.
Trump also said he believed Vladimir Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of a deal to end the war, despite Russian officials repeatedly voicing opposition to such a plan previously.
In an interview with Fox News, following the meeting, Macron said a truce between Ukraine and Russia could be agreed to in the coming weeks.
He also said he has spoken with European leaders and many of them are ready to provide security guarantees.
“This peace must not be a surrender of Ukraine, it must not mean a ceasefire without guarantees,” he said at a joint news conference after their meeting.
It came after Starmer, marking the third year anniversary of the invasion, repeated the UK’s offer of peacekeeping troops in Ukraine if an agreement was struck.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who is joining Starmer on his trip to Washington, told MPs that it would “not be an easy decision” to send UK troops to Ukraine but that it would help bolster security in Europe.
He told the Commons: “As the Prime Minister has made clear, we know our Kremlin history which is why we’re ready to contribute to future security guarantees for Ukraine in the context of a US backstop, including by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary.
“That would not be an easy decision. Anyone in this House who has taken responsibility for the lives of British servicemen and women can attest to that, yet I know the whole House recognises that Ukraine’s security is our security.”
The first UN resolution, drafted by Ukraine and its European allies, condemned Russia for violating Ukraine’s territorial integrity and called for Russia to “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised border”.
This was passed by 93 votes in favour, 18 against – including the US, Russia, Belarus and North Korea – and 65 abstentions.
The second UN resolution, which was initially drafted by the US and urged a “swift end to the conflict” for a “lasting peace”, was passed with crucial European amendments which added a commitment to the “sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, extending to its territorial waters”.
This amended resolution was passed by 89 votes in favour, eight against, and 70 abstentions including the US.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that he wanted to see peace in his country “this year” rather than in three years.
Trump claimed that he was planning to meet Zelensky either this week or next to sign an agreement with Ukraine on the country’s rare earth minerals, although this was not verified by Kyiv.
The US president also claimed that talks with Putin on ending the war were “proceeding very well”.
Downing Street declined to comment on whether the Prime Minister would challenge Trump over whether Russia was to blame for the Ukraine war.
Starmer’s official spokesperson earlier confirmed that the UK was “working with European partners to propose amendments to the resolution proposed by the US”, adding: “We believe that any resolution must be clear that Russia is responsible for the war in Ukraine and for there to be a lasting peace, we need a just, lasting peace for Ukraine that respects the UN Charter and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity and a peace that rewards aggression is not real peace.”
Meanwhile, any separate statement from a call on Monday between G7 leaders call is not expected until Tuesday, if at all, amid reports that the countries are in dispute over whether to refer to Russian “aggression”.
Starmer used the call to urge partners to “dial up the economic pressure” on Russia.
The Prime Minister paid tribute to Ukraine’s “resilience, courage and leadership” since Russia invaded three years ago.
“He welcomed the lead President Trump is taking on delivering peace, and committed to working with him and other G7 leaders to deliver a just and lasting peace.
“He said that the UK would play its full part. He went on to talk about the fact that we must increase military support for Ukraine, with the UK and Europe taking on more of the burden.
“He said we must also dial up the economic pressure and ultimately use our collective strength to bring about peace and strong security guarantees.
“He reiterated that this is a once-in-a-generation moment for our collective national security and leaders should work together to face up to that challenge.”
Downing Street also declined to distance the UK from comments made by the winner of the German elections, Friedrich Merz, who said that European Nato allies should “achieve independence from the USA”.
Starmer’s spokesperson said: “Germany remains a close and vital European partner. Our focus will be to continue to work with our German partners on a broad range of issues, from continuing to strengthen Ukraine and the wider enhanced security co-operation we want to see across Europe.”
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