Donald Trump says “something good just may be happening” on talks to end the war in Ukraine – after his peace plan was “updated” following Ukraine-US talks in Geneva. Keir Starmer will host a coalition of the willing call on Tuesday – with two priorities in mind. Follow live below.
Monday 24 November 2025 13:48, UK
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The British government must step forward to support Ukraine during ongoing peace talks, a committee of UK MPs has warned.
Parliament’s defence committee says that support includes rejecting calls for Ukraine to sacrifice land.
In a statement today, it says:
“The Defence Committee reaffirms that the United Kingdom must stand unequivocally with the people of Ukraine at this critical moment. Their struggle is not only for their own homeland, but also in defence of the security, stability and values of other parts of Europe.
“We believe that any peace must be just, lasting, and above all acceptable to Ukraine itself.
“The international community cannot and must not endorse any settlement that merely reflects the demands of President Putin, or that rewards aggression, annexation, or the violation of the most basic norms of international law.”
The committee also repeated a warning from a report it released last week, saying: “We must reject entirely the Russian concept of peace which includes Ukrainian sacrifice of territory and so-called neutrality.”
It added:
“At this crucial time, the United Kingdom, together with its European allies, must show clear and determined leadership.
“Our government and others across Europe must be prepared to step forward actively to support credible negotiations and security guarantees, to strengthen Ukraine’s position, and to ensure that the foundations of peace reflect justice, sovereignty, and the right of nations to choose their own paths.
“Ukraine has shown extraordinary resilience. It deserves nothing less than our full moral, diplomatic, and practical support, including continued military aid, as it seeks a peace that secures its freedom and its future.”
As we’ve been reporting, Downing Street has welcomed progress on the peace plan during talks in Geneva, while acknowledging that there are still issues to resolve and insisting its stance on supporting Ukraine has not changed (see 12.29 post).
For context: The cross-party defence committee is appointed by MPs to examine military spending and policy in the UK.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stressed the importance of any peace deal in Ukraine being “just” and “lasting”.
Asked whether he was hopeful of progress on Ukraine after talks in Geneva, the Starmer told broadcasters on a visit to a primary school in Peterborough:
“Talks in Geneva are ongoing, and we are making progress, and that is a good thing.
“Everybody is absolutely focused on what we need to get out of this, and that is a just and lasting peace.
“Both of those words matter. It’s got to be just, and obviously matters for Ukraine have to be determined by Ukraine, but it’s also got to be lasting, and it’s got to endure.
“So that’s the focus. There’s more work to do.
“As you know, along with President Macron, I’ve been leading the coalition of the willing, which is a group of countries that have put in place support for Ukraine, particularly capability, and I’m now planning that we will meet virtually tomorrow.
“So we will host a coalition of willing call to further discuss the progress that is being made, and I hope, can be made, towards the thing that matters above all else, which is a just and lasting peace, which matters for Ukraine, but it also matters for all of us, because the conflict in Ukraine has had a direct impact here in the United Kingdom.
“So progress, yes, more work to do, but we’ve all got our sleeves rolled up, ready to put in those hard yards, hopefully to get to the right outcome.”
A coalition of the willing meeting is taking place tomorrow, as we’ve been reporting.
An EU spokesperson confirmed it earlier and it’s understood Keir Starmer will attend the virutal meeting.
But Sky News now understands a time has been set for the call – it will happen at 1500 UK time on Tuesday.
Vladimir Putin has said the US peace plan for ending the war in Ukraine could “in principle” be used as the “basis for a final peaceful settlement”, during a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Kremlin has issued a summary of what the Russian president said on the call, while seemingly drawing a distinction between the original 28-point US plan for peace, and any updated version worked on in Geneva with European input.
“Vladimir Putin noted that these proposals, in the version in which we have reviewed them, are in line with the discussions at the Russian-American summit in Alaska and, in principle, can be used as the basis for a final peaceful settlement,” the Kremlin said, referring to an August meeting between Putin and Donald Trump.
Erdogan, for his part, told Putin during the call that Turkey is ready to help establish direct contact between Russia and Ukraine in order to reach a “just and lasting peace”, his office said.
The Turkish leader once again offered Istanbul as a venue for talks.
A short update on the negotiations in Geneva now, with Ukraine’s team from those talks apparently on the way back to Kyiv, Sky News understands.
Ukraine’s team will meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy to update him this evening.
We also understand the UK’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, is returning to London before coalition of the willing talks tomorrow.
Keir Starmer has welcomed the “significant progress” made in Geneva yesterday on peace talks, according to a Downing Street spokesperson.
Number 10 acknowledges that there are “outstanding issues” to resolve, however.
Asked if the UK would send troops to enforce any peace deal, the Downing Street spokesperson added they would not “get ahead” of ongoing discussions.
And, despite Donald Trump’s desire for a peace agreement by Thursday this week, Number 10 suggested US secretary of state Marco Rubio’s comments about deadlines slipping beyond this week could be more accurate.
The main thing is that progress is happening and talks are ongoing, the prime minister’s spokesperson added.
“Russia consistently pretends to be serious about peace but its actions never live up to its words,” they said, when asked if the Kremlin’s attitude to peace is changing.
Number 10 also confirmed that Jonathan Powell, the UK’s national security adviser, has been in Geneva for the talks on updating the original US 28-point peace plan.
It’s understood tomorrow’s coalition of the willing call is also expected to be a virtual one, with leaders – including Starmer – dialling into a video conference.
Any agreement to end the war in Ukraine cannot be allowed to undermine security for Poland and Europe, according to the Polish prime minister.
Donald Tusk is the latest leader to speak out as talks on a US peace plan continue.
He said that ending the war should strengthen security, not weaken it.
Tusk has been speaking to journalists on the sidelines of an EU-African Union summit in Luanda, Angola’s capital.
Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, has been speaking to reporters after an informal meeting of European leaders this morning.
“There is a new momentum in peace negotiations,” he says.
The talks in Geneva “marked significant progress”, Costa says, and the direction of the peace talks is positive.
“What matters now is that we move forward as partners, united by our shared goal,” he adds.
“Peace cannot be a temporary truce. It must be a lasting solution.”
Joining Costa, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen says a strong European presence at the Geneva talks has meant “good progress in the negotiations for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine”.
“While work remains to be done, there’s now a solid basis for moving forward,” von der Leyen says.
“As we do, we must remain united and keep Ukraine’s best interests at the centre of our efforts.”
“This is about the security of our entire continent, now and in future,” she added.
Von der Leyen also raised the “plight of the abducted Ukrainian children” – saying “each and every one of them must come home”.
Our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett says that Russia will be closely following the peace talks in Geneva, with the 28-point plan it “cooked up with the Americans in secret” starting to change.
While talks continue in the Swiss city today, there could be bigger fireworks at a meeting in the US over the next few days.
“The US had tried to pressure Ukraine into agreeing to something by Thursday. It’s unclear how firm that deadline remains, but there is still impetus and pressure for them to agree something,” he says.
“The talks in Geneva are continuing, but I think the crunch meeting will be in Washington later this week.
“There are reports that European leaders may be heading there to meet with Donald Trump and also reports that President Zelenskyy will be heading there too, in which case the stage is set for another Oval Office showdown between him and President Trump.”
Watch Bennett’s analysis here…
A meeting of the so-called coalition of the willing will be held tomorrow, a European Commission spokesperson has said.
There has been “constructive progress” in the Ukraine peace talks but a lot of work remains to be done, the spokesperson added.
They said the bloc continues to work on a reparations loan for Ukraine and that this is “becoming more urgent.”
The meeting of Ukraine’s allies comes amid reports a contingent of European leaders will head to Washington in the coming days.
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