Ukraine, Russia and War Latest: Star Warning Putin warns that Ukraine could reinfringe Ukraine unless we provide security guarantees

A week of intense international diplomacy continues today as Sir Kiel visits Washington and Russian and US officials visit separate consultations in Turkey, normalizing the operation of their respective embassies. Ukraine will not be on the agenda for Istanbul.

The British Prime Minister’s visit urges the unwilling US president to ease his position in Ukraine just days after France’s Emmanuel Macron also met with Washington’s Donald Trump.

And tomorrow, Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Washington to sign a deal Trump requested to make the US accessible to Ukrainian rare earth minerals. It is unclear how much Kyiv security guarantees are included in the transaction, but Trump has strongly indicated that the task will fall to Europe rather than Washington.

On landing in Washington on Thursday morning, Ir Keel headed straight to the residence of his ambassador, Lord Peter Mandelson, where they and Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with members of Trump’s administration at a drink reception.

In his remarks at the reception, Ir Kiel called for a friendly tone, calling for a “new partnership” with the United States, and likened it to Trump’s ally Elon Musk by insisting that his government “stripping deficits and bureaucracy.”

Ir Kiel is expected to meet Trump later Thursday to urge Trump to provide a US “backstop” but will commit British troops to Ukrainian peacekeepers as part of a peace deal with Russia.

After a visit to Washington, Ir Kiel will host leaders from Italy, Germany, Poland and other allies (including perhaps Zelensky) on Sunday to discuss the reaction to Trump’s request for a contract with Russia.

A Russian delegation arrived on Thursday at the US Consul General’s residence in Istanbul for Russian US consultations aimed at resolving disputes over the work of their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow.

The scope of consultation is narrow and does not include Ukraine, but it tests the severity of both sides in working to repair their relationship and end the war.

The meeting follows a call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on February 12th and a high-level diplomatic conference held in Saudi Arabia on February 18th.

For just five weeks, Trump overturned the policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden. He segregated and tried to punish Russia for his war with Ukraine.

Ukraine and its European allies are worried that the driving force behind Trump’s quick end to the conflict could lead to dealings with Moscow.

The US State Department said Thursday’s talks led by work-level officials would not include discussions on Ukraine or political or security issues, but would be considered a test of Moscow’s intentions.

• British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer visits the White House today to convince President Donald Trump that Ukraine’s enduring peace will only endure if he is at the table when negotiations with Moscow move forward.

•Diplomaticians from Russia and the US will meet in Istanbul today to discuss the operation of their respective embassies in Moscow and Washington.

The meeting last week marked an extraordinary change in US foreign policy under President Donald Trump and a clear departure from US-led efforts to isolate Russia in the war in Ukraine, following Russia-US talks in Saudi Arabia.

In consultations, Moscow and Washington agreed to begin working towards ending the war and improving diplomatic and economic ties. This includes restoring staffing at the embassy. This has been hit hard in recent years by the mutual expulsion of numerous diplomats and other restrictions.

An embassy official said Ukraine would not be on the agenda.

British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer, host leader of Italy, Germany, Poland and other allies on Sunday, including perhaps Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelensky – to discuss Ukraine’s response to a push to peace.

The US president was forced to blind leaders by forcing a radical rethink of European security and by bringing up defence spending and telling them they must take responsibility for their own safety.

Sunday’s meeting will be held shortly after Starmer returned from today’s crunch talks with Trump in Washington. British leaders hope that the pledge to increase the defense budget will help maintain close ties between the two allies.

“We accept that our European allies, including the UK, have to do more to mean capacity, adjustments and spending,” Hoshi told reporters on his way to Washington.

“The adjustment bit should not be overlooked. I was very impressed by the lessons that Ukraine must learn from Ukraine about how it needs to be better adjusted.”

The UK can no longer rely on US or European defense, former Tory leader Michael Howard warned as he welcomed the promised hike in British military spending.

The conservative peer highlighted the “severe truth” after the US voted against a European-backed resolution that joined Russia, North Korea and Iran at the United Nations in New York State, condemning Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and demanding the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from the country.

Lympany’s Lord Howard said the “comfortable world” just a few weeks ago was gone, and that he must face a “severe reality.”

Meanwhile, conservative Prime Minister Theresa May urged Ir Kiel Starmer in a meeting with Washington’s Donald Trump to emphasize that Russia is a Ukrainian invader and that “European defense will benefit American defense.”

Comments from Tory Pier suggested that after Trump branded Ukrainian President Voldy Zelensky as a “dictator,” Kiev launched the war and ended the three-year diplomatic isolation of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Ahead of the face-to-face meeting with US leaders, the Prime Minister announced that defence spending will rise to 2.5% from the current 2.3% share of the economy in 2027.

Kielstarmer urges the reluctant Donald Trump to offer a US “backstop” to prevent the launch of a new attack on Ukraine after the peace deal.

The US president has said he will not provide security assurances “over so many,” claiming that Europeans can protect Ukraine.

Ir Kiel is ready to commit the British troops to a peacekeeping mission, but believes the US has promised it is essential to “prevent Putin from coming again.”

Prior to Thursday’s White House meeting, Ir Kiel said Trump was trusted and that he understands Russian President Putin has begun a war in Ukraine.

Volodymee Zelensky said he would visit the White House on Friday to sign a mineral deal, but the international agreement on a possible peace talks are less clear.

The agreement in which Kiev will pass some revenue from Ukrainian rare earth deposits to a fund jointly managed by Washington is central to President Zelensky’s attempt to win strong support to quickly end the Russian war.

Trump praised the “very big deal” at the start of the first cabinet meeting of the second term, attended by unelected billionaire Elon Musk.

More information about this report from Alastair Jamieson: