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The UK and France are taking steps to broker a peace deal in Ukraine, with both nations planning to present their proposal to the United States. British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer announced these intentions ahead of a crucial Downing Street summit scheduled for Sunday.

Drawing parallels to former US President George W. Bush’s diplomatic approach, Starmer expressed his intention to establish a “coalition of the willing” to enforce peace in the region. While both the UK and France have already pledged peacekeeping forces, several key European nations including Germany, Italy, and Poland have rejected similar commitments.

“We’ve got to find those countries in Europe that are prepared to be a bit more forward-leaning,” Prime Minister Starmer said per The Telegraph.

“I’m not criticising anyone here, but rather than move at the pace of every single member, every single country in Europe, which would in the end be quite a slow pace, I do think we’ve got to probably get to a coalition of the willing now.”

French President Emmanuel Macron issued a stern warning regarding potential peace negotiations, emphasizing European involvement. “If the United States settled a ceasefire solely with Russia, it would breach international law. For a permanent member of the UN Security Council, that would be a profound break,” he said per The Times.

“If they settled an accord with Russia without the Europeans at the table … that would be a rupture at the heart of the Atlantic alliance… We are in favour of peace but not of a capitulation that takes place against the backdrop of a rout or abandonment of the Ukrainians,” he added.

Military experts, however, question the feasibility of European-led security guarantees. Former NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, General Sir John McColl, expressed significant doubts about European capabilities without American support.

“There is absolutely no way that the European nations without American support can provide any form of security guarantee for Ukraine,” McColl stated.

“It can either be a peace support operation, which means you simply report if there is an incursion, or it can be a peace enforcement operation, which means you fight if there is an incursion. If it’s the latter, then Europe simply does not have the capabilities to be able to do that on its own.”

Following recent tensions between Ukraine and the United States, European leaders are encouraging Ukrainian President Zelensky to rebuild diplomatic relations with President Trump. This comes after Zelensky’s controversial exit from the White House on Friday, where he allegedly displayed disrespectful behavior towards both Trump and the American public.

Macron has specifically called for Zelensky to “re-engage” with Washington, particularly regarding the unsigned mineral rights agreement. Polish President Andrzej Duda echoed these sentiments, emphasizing American influence in conflict resolution.

“You have to go back to the talk table, sit down to negotiate… If anyone is able to achieve an end to the war, then the United States has that potential, no one else,” Duda stressed.