Keir Starmer has insisted Vladimir Putin is “the aggressor” in the war in Ukraine - a day after Donald Trump thanked the Russian president for his efforts to end the conflict. The prime minister said “the war could be ended tomorrow” if Putin withdrew his troops from Ukraine.

Sir Keir Starmer is to announce a new package of support for Ukraine, despite Donald Trump piling pressure on Kyiv to back down and accept a peace deal with Russia.

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday that there can be no talks about the future of Ukraine without the participation of Ukraine, setting his stall out before a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump this week.

Sir Keir suggested Trump had "created an opportunity" to end the war, in a speech to an international summit on supporting Ukraine in Kyiv. The prime minister also appeared to contradict President Trump by saying "Russia does not hold all the cards in this war".

Sir Keir Starmer has promised sweeping sanctions to heap pressure on Russia and get President Vladimir Putin "not just to talk, but to make concessions". The Prime Minister said US President Donald Trump has "changed the global conversation" on Ukraine but that this provided an "opportunity" as world leaders marked the third anniversary of Russia's invasion.