Sir Keir Starmer said plans for a military deployment to Ukraine were being stepped up to secure any peace deal.

Sir Keir Starmer called for Russia to be given a “deadline” to begin negotiating peace with Ukraine, at a summit of fellow European leaders in Paris. The Prime Minister condemned President Putin as “not a serious player” in the current peace talks, warning that the Russian dictator’s promises are “hollow”.

Western sanctions on Russia need to be increased, not weakened, in order to bring it to the negotiating table, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The prime minister accused Vladimir Putin of "playing games and playing for time" after the Russian president demanded sanctions were lifted before a US-brokered maritime ceasefire is enacted.