Published On 24/10/2025
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Last update: 19:58 (Mecca time)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday called on the leaders of European countries participating in what is known as the “coalition of the willing” to agree to use frozen Russian assets to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses.
A meeting began in the British capital, London, that included leaders of about 20 European countries, including the leaders of Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, and France, and the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), within the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” countries supporting Ukraine.
The British government said that the talks will focus on how to increase pressure on Russia, strengthen Ukraine’s position, and cripple Russia’s ability to continue the war.
Starmer stressed the importance of preparing a clear agenda to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin into the negotiations, and the need to take decisions to limit funding for the Russian war machine.
He pointed out the importance of the agreement to freeze Russian assets and the flow of these funds to Ukraine, in addition to continuing efforts to remove Russian oil and gas from global markets.
He said that the coalition is determined to remain by Ukraine’s side so that it can enter negotiations in good conditions and from a position of strength.
Zelensky is ready for negotiations
For his part, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky urged strengthening Ukraine’s long-range weapons capabilities to pressure Russia to negotiate a war.
Zelensky added, at the London meeting, that “as soon as the Russian President felt the pressure and the possibility of Tomahawk missiles appearing in Ukraine, he immediately announced his readiness to resume the talks.”
He said that the coalition is capable of protecting Ukraine’s energy sector by providing us with gas and the necessary equipment.
He pointed out that there are a number of Patriot systems ready in Europe and we can use them immediately to protect lives in Ukraine.
He stressed the need to ban all Russian energy companies and prevent them from entering the market to put more pressure on Putin to negotiate seriously, stressing that he is “ready for any negotiations.”
In the same context, French President Emmanuel Macron said that we must find a strategy to ensure the future security of Ukraine, and that we must work to maintain stability in Ukraine and military support for Kiev to ensure its security.
On the other hand, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin pledged an overwhelming response to attempts to strike deep into Russian territory with long-range weapons.
Peskov explained that the Russian President’s speech came in the context of responding to attempts to target Russia, and not about supplying Tomahawk missiles to Kiev.