Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is delivering a statement on Ukraine to the House of Commons.
He says the initial US 28-point peace plan draft included points that were “not acceptable”, but also had some very important elements “that will be essential for a just and lasting peace.”
He repeats a line he used yesterday, saying those two words were important – and any deal to end the war must be both “just” and “lasting”.
The discussions in Geneva over the weekend took “important steps forward” with progress between the US and Ukraine on an updated peace framework, Starmer says.
“I can reassure the House that work is ongoing to refine this plan,” the prime minister adds.
A just and lasting peace can only happen if certain conditions are met, Starmer says. These are:
- “Ukraine’s sovereignty must be maintained”
- “Ukraine should be able to defend herself in future”
- “Matters about Ukraine and its future must be determined by Ukraine”
- “Elements relating to Europe and NATO will need the consent of Europe and NATO members”
Starmer also insists that there is “still a long way to go and tough road ahead”.
But he says the government is “more committed than ever to this cause”.
Speaking about Russia, the prime minister told MPs that there’s “only one nation that wants this war, only one nation that launched this illegal invasion”.
Starmer also said of Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Russian casualties in the war: “In total, more than one million Russians have been killed or injured – all because of the depraved ambitions of one man.”
