Sir Keir Starmer yesterday led calls to force Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table after Europe's unprecedented White House diplomacy put the ball back in the Russian dictator's court.
The Prime Minister suggested possible sanctions for Putin after co-chairing a virtual Coalition of the Willing meeting, debriefing their day trip to Washington DC and planning for the future.
US President Donald Trump also warned of a 'rough situation' if Moscow does not make peace as he pushed for Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky to meet Putin in Switzerland in the next two weeks.
A Downing Street spokesman said last night: 'The leaders discussed how further pressure – including through sanctions – could be placed on Putin until he showed he was ready to take serious action to end his illegal invasion.'
German chancellor Friedrich Merz laid down the gauntlet to the Kremlin over any potential talks, saying: 'We don't know whether the Russian president will have the courage to attend such a summit.'
