UK, Ukraine pledge peace ahead of Alaska talks

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have said there is 'strong resolve' for peace in Ukraine and a viable chance of a ceasefire, ahead of highly anticipated talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
The two leaders expressed cautious optimism about the prospect of a truce 'as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious' about ending the war, as they met on Wednesday, a statement issued by Starmer's office said.
In a separate statement, Zelensky said there had been discussions about the security guarantees required to make any deal 'truly durable if the United States succeeds in pressing Russia to stop the killing'.
Starmer hosted the Ukrainian president for a private breakfast in No 10 Downing Street, his official residence, on Thursday as Europe braces for the face-to-face meeting between the US president and his Russian counterpart in Alaska on Friday.
European leaders are hopeful about the potential for a peace deal after a joint call with Trump on Wednesday, during which he reportedly told them his goal for the summit was to secure a ceasefire.
But concerns linger over the prospect of Kiev being excluded from negotiations over its own future, and pressured to cede territory, after the US leader suggested any agreement may need to involve'swapping of land'.
Ukraine has already rejected any proposal that would compromise its borders.
In a readout of the morning meeting between Starmer and Zelensky, a Downing Street spokesman said: 'They had a private breakfast, where they discussed yesterday's meetings.
'They agreed there had been a powerful sense of unity and a strong resolve to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.'
On Wednesday, Starmer co-chaired a virtual meeting of the 'coalition of the willing' - a European-led effort to send a peacekeeping force to Ukraine to monitor any deal - where he said there was a 'viable' chance of a truce.
Downing Street repeated that language on Thursday, with the caveat that it would require the Russian president to take 'action to prove he is serious about peace'.
'(Starmer and Zelensky) agreed to stay in close touch in the coming days,' the readout said.
The Ukrainian president said the meeting had been 'good' and 'productive'. - dpa