Digest opened free editor

Rola Khaleda, FT editor, chooses her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Sir Kerr will try again to support “IronClad” for Britain, Kiev and the repeated demands of Ukraine to be at the heart of any peace talks, as the UK Prime Minister is preparing to meet Donald Trump next week.

On the third anniversary of the conflict on Monday, the British government will reveal the largest set of sanctions against Russia since the early days of the war, which is expected to be closely consistent with a large package of the European Union.

UK Foreign Minister David Lami said this step aims to continue “the heart of the bolts on Russia Vladimir Putin” for its military erosion and reduce revenue “feeding the destruction fires in Ukraine.”

New labels, which are expected To target Russian aluminum and oil exports, it comes with the growth of fears in European capitals that the US president can reduce sanctions on Moscow as part of a medium peace deal with Putin without European participation.

Starmer spoke with Volodimir Zelinski on Saturday, repeating “iron support in the United Kingdom to Ukraine” and commitment to “securing a just and lasting peace to end Russia’s illegal war,” said Downg Street.

The phone call took place a week before diplomacy about the future of Ukraine, where a discussion is taking place with Trump at the White House on Thursday.

The Anglo -American talks come after Polish President Andzig Doda met the US President on Saturday, and French President Emmanuel Macron flies to Washington for discussions on Monday.

European leaders are continuing a snowstorm of diplomacy amid tensions between Trump and Zellinski. The US President described his Ukrainian counterpart as “a dictator”, after Zelinski said that Trump was living in the bubble of misleading in response to his claim that Kiev “started” the war with Moscow.

In their latest invitations, Starmer and Zelenskyy discussed the need to work with the allies “to achieve peace through power”, noting a slogan closely related to former Republican President Ronald Reagan, who suggests that military power can respond to the conflict.

UK Prime Minister reiterated his position that Ukraine should be at the heart of any negotiations to end the war, after American and Russian negotiators began talks in Riyadh this week without any representative from Ukraine.

Starmer also spoke with European Commission President Ursula von der Lynn on Saturday and “agreed that Europe must ascend for the European Collective Security Authority,” according to the number 10.

The Prime Minister is under pressure to determine a schedule to fulfill the commitment to the statement Enhance The British defense spends 2.5 percent of GDP, up from its current level of 2.3 percent – a step that will cost 6 billion pounds annually.

On Sunday, the Minister of Ministers, Bridge Philipson, refused to confirm speculation that Starmer would set a final date when Trump meets in the coming days.

James Cartidge, Minister of Defense of the Conservative Party, suggested that the government should consider re -allocating money from Whiteol to enhance defensive spending.

“Should we maintain a large civil service or convert this money into stronger armed forces?”

Britain and France began to draw it Proposals For the “power of reassurance” that depends on the Western Air Force, backed by the United States, to impose any ceasefire deal in Ukraine and deter the potential Russian aggression.

Starmer was clear that “American Backstop” would be very important to such a plan. He will seek to persuade Trump during the faces of face that protecting the sovereignty of Ukraine is necessary to deter Russian aggression in the future.

UK Defense Minister John Healy explains in more detail on Sunday the risks of any medium peace deal in the United States marginalizing Kiev.

He wrote in the Sunday Times: “The insecure peace risks more war,” adding: “We know that the Ukrainians do not fear Russian aggression. The only thing that Ukraine fears is Western fatigue.”

Healy said that the decisions taken in the coming weeks “will not only determine the results of this conflict, but also the global security of a generation.”