Sir Keir Starmer was praised by world leaders during one of his final diplomatic engagements on the global stage, as the Coalition of the Willing convened in Paris on Monday. The Prime Minister described the meeting as "very productive" and took the opportunity to bid farewell to international partners.
Macron and Merz Express Gratitude
At a press conference following the talks, French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the positive collaboration with Sir Keir, stating, "How grateful the coalition is as whole to him" and "we owe you a lot, Prime Minister." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed him as "Dear Keir," thanking him for "excellent" cooperation over the past 14 months. Merz remarked, "I will, of course, be pleased to work with your successor but we are sorry to see you leave because, as I have said, we have worked so well together." He added that he hoped to maintain a close relationship and might "phone you occasionally to get your opinion on this or that."
Starmer's Farewell and Commitment to Ukraine
Sir Keir said he used the summit to personally thank partners, stating, "I took the opportunity today to say thank you to all our partners, with whom I proudly stood shoulder-to-shoulder in support of Ukraine." He expressed confidence that under his successor, the UK's commitment to Ukraine would remain unwavering: "We will not waiver. Ukraine is the defining cause of our time." He predicted that history would record that "we rose to this moment" and "ultimately, we will help secure the peace that Volodymyr and his people so justly deserve."
UK Joins EU Loan for Ukraine
Earlier, Sir Keir announced that Britain will join the European Union's 90 billion euro (£78 billion) loan for Ukraine. The loan is intended to cover Kyiv's most urgent defence and budgetary needs in 2026 and 2027, with two-thirds allocated to military spending. The EU has stated that the loan will be repaid "by reparations due by Russia to Ukraine." Sir Keir emphasized the need to ramp up pressure on Russia, including further sanctions, and to support Ukraine's efforts for a just and lasting peace. He warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin, now "on the back foot, will try to intimidate us once again, with more talk of escalation and hybrid attacks."
