Britain and France plan to work on a peace deal with Ukraine and present it to US President Donald Trump, following Friday’s explosive meeting in the White House.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has hosted a summit of Western leaders in London to try to revive a deal.

Bruised Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky was welcomed by leaders with big hugs and pledges of support.

Earlier, Starmer said urgent talks with Trump, Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron at the weekend had cemented the idea that a “coalition of the willing” in Europe would need to move quickly to come up with a peace plan to be presented to the US.

Starmer repeated his assertion that a peace deal would work in Ukraine only if a possible European peacekeeping force had a security guarantee from the US.

“In other words, we’ve got to find those countries in Europe that are prepared to be a bit more forward leaning,” he told the BBC.

“The UK and France are the most advanced on the thinking of this and that is why President Macron and I are working on this plan, which we will then discuss with the US.”

After the meeting, Starmer said some nations had indicated they wanted to be part of the “coalition of the willing”, without naming them.

“I’ll leave them to make their own statements about exactly how they want to make that contribution but we’ve been able to move that forward,” he said.

“I accept, without criticism and with respect, the position of other countries that may not feel that they want to contribute in that way but I strongly feel that unless some move forward, we will stay in the position we’re in and not be able to move forward.”

Starmer said the leaders had agreed to “meet again very soon” to keep up work on the plans.

“We are at a crossroads in history today,” he said.

“This is not a moment for more talk. It’s time to act. Time to step up and lead, and to unite, around a new plan for a just and enduring peace.”

Starmer also announced a £1.6 billion ($3.2 billion) deal that would allow Ukraine to buy 5000 air-defence missiles using export finance, following the gathering at Lancaster House in central London.

Europe has ‘woken’

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who was also at the summit, said “Europe has woken up”.

After the meeting, he wrote on X in Polish that the European Union, Britain, Norway and Turkey “all speak with one voice about aiding Ukraine, the need for close transatlantic co-operation, and strengthening the eastern border”.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she would soon present a plan to “rearm Europe” to bolster the European Union’s security.

She said she will unveil the plan to heads of state and government at an EU summit in Brussels.

“We all have understood that after a long time of under-investment it is now of utmost importance to step up the defence investment for a prolonged period of time. It’s for the security of the European Union,” she said.

Von der Leyen said the plan could, for instance, help develop advanced air shields.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said some European leaders had privately set out plans on military spending during the London meeting but declined to give details.

“Today at the table I heard new announcements, and I’m not going to announce them to you, because they should do this. But this was very good news that more European countries will ramp up defence spending,” Rutte said outside the meeting on Sunday.

Egypt ‘s plan as Israel blocks aid

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said to reconstruct the Gaza Strip – while ensuring Palestinians remain in their land – is ready and will be presented to an emergency Arab summit.

Arab countries who were swift to reject Trump’s plan for the US to take control of the Gaza Strip and resettle Palestinians are scrambling to agree on a diplomatic offensive to counter the idea.

Trump’s plan, announced on February 4 during a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, has infuriated Palestinians and Arab countries and upended decades of US diplomacy focused on a two-state solution.

The Egyptian counter reconstruction plan, according to Abdelatty, will not be purely Egyptian or Arab but will gain international support and funding to ensure its successful implementation.

“We will hold intensive talks with major donor countries once the plan is adopted at the upcoming Arab Summit,” Abdelatty said in a presser with the European Union Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica.

The summit will be in Egypt on Tuesday.

Abdelatty said the role of European countries, especially in the economic aspect of rebuilding the war-torn enclave, was critical.

Meanwhile, as phase one of the ceasefire deal ends, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to cease the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Netanyahu’s office did not elaborate on the decision, but warned of “additional consequences” if Hamas did not accept a US proposal to extend the ceasefire.

It was not immediately clear if aid supplies had been completely halted.

The two sides have yet to negotiate the second phase, in which Hamas was to release dozens of remaining hostages in return for an Israeli withdrawal and a lasting ceasefire.

Earlier, Israel said it would adopt a US proposal for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan and Passover.

Hamas said Israel’s decision on Sunday affected ceasefire negotiations, adding that the Palestinian Islamist group did not respond to pressure.

“This decision complicates matters and affects the negotiation process, and Hamas doesn’t respond to pressures,” senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.

Netanyahu’s office said Israel would immediately conduct negotiations on Witkoff’s plan if Hamas agreed to it.

“According to the agreement, Israel can return to fighting after the 42nd day if it feels that the negotiations are ineffective,” Netanyahu’s office also said, accusing Hamas of violating the deal.

Both sides have traded accusations of violating the deal.

-AAP