British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for Europe to put boots on the ground in Ukraine—only to be swiftly rejected by Germany. Starmer rushed to Paris for emergency talks about the future of Ukraine on Monday after the US announced it would be holding talks with Russia about ending the war.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz acknowledged the need for Europe to increase defence spending and to reconsider budget constraints to achieve that goal. However, he dismissed the idea of turning the situation into a transatlantic rift, making it clear that while Europe must take on greater responsibility, it is not prepared to back Starmer’s proposal for military deployments.
Now, Emmanuel Macron is under pressure to forge a unified European response fully aware that European leaders remain far from reaching a consensus on how to achieve this without relying on the United States. Hours before the emergency meeting, Macron talked to Trump on the phone for about 30 minutes, the conversation the White House described as “friendly.”
The continent has been one of Ukraine’s strongest backers, providing arms, funding, and political support since the war began. Yet, as European leaders seek to shape the terms of peace, they risk being sidelined—watching as Washington and Moscow determine the future of the conflict.
On Tuesday, delegations from the United States and Russia are set to meet in Saudi Arabia for high-stakes talks on the war in Ukraine—without any Ukrainian representatives at the table.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be present alongside Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, and Russia has made it clear that Europe has no role in shaping any potential peace deal. The exclusion of Kyiv has sparked immediate backlash, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisting that Ukraine must be involved in any negotiation determining its future.
In an article for The Telegraph, Starmer made a forceful case for deploying troops to Ukraine, a move he said Britain was ready to lead. British servicemen and women, he insisted, must be prepared to put themselves “in harm’s way” as part of a broader security commitment to deter Vladimir Putin’s aggression.
But Germany dismissed the proposal on Monday night.
Trump has signaled that he would seek a rapid negotiated end to the war, an approach critics fear could reward Russian territorial gains. Among them is Sir John Major, the former British prime minister, who in an interview for BBC radio has accused Trump of “cuddling” up to Putin and warned that a weak Western response would embolden “tin-pot” dictators across the globe.
At the heart of Starmer’s message is a blunt warning to Donald Trump: Do not abandon Ukraine. Starmer argues that only a U.S.-led security “backstop” could ensure Ukraine’s survival. He plans to take this message directly to Washington next week when he visits the White House.
A Strain on the ‘Special Relationship’
Come what may, Keir Starmer is still entertaining the idea of building a bridge to Trump. Starmer’s diplomatic test is not just about Ukraine—it is about Britain’s place in the world.
In Washington, however, skepticism of Starmer’s global vision extends beyond Trump’s allies. His decision to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands—a strategically vital British territory in the Indian Ocean—to Mauritius has drawn sharp criticism in the United States, raising concerns about Britain’s strategic priorities at a time of intensifying global competition.
H.R. McMaster, Trump’s former national security adviser and a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, condemned the move as a “travesty” in a speech at the Policy Exchange think tank in London, warning that it would place the U.S. and its allies at a significant strategic disadvantage at a time of rising great-power competition.
The friction over the Chagos Islands adds to a growing sense that the U.S.-U.K. “special relationship” is shifting. Starmer’s political vision is unlikely to find an enthusiastic audience in Trump’s circle.
As Starmer prepares for a face-to-face with Trump, one immutable reality of global affairs remains: Europe does not move unless America moves first. The US spending on Ukraine compared to all other countries is around 43% of the total, $120 billion. The UK spends about 2.3 % of GDP at the moment.
And if Trump dictates the terms, Starmer may find himself in a supporting role—a stark contrast to the leading position the UK has held since the war in Ukraine began, when Biden steered the free world.
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