Reuters reported on April 28 (local time) that the United Kingdom has included language supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity in a draft statement it plans to announce at a summit with the European Union (EU) next month.
According to Reuters, the UK has prepared a draft of a "geopolitical preamble" for a new strategic partnership with the EU and shared it with EU member states.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer aims to meet with EU leaders?including Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Antonio Costa, President of the European Council?in London on May 19. The goal is to agree on a reset of relations between the two sides following Brexit (the UK's withdrawal from the EU).
The UK's draft, while not directly referencing the Donald Trump administration in the United States, contains several elements that stand in stark contrast to current US government policy. The draft includes a statement reaffirming "our continued support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders."
It also states, "We confirmed our shared principles for maintaining global economic stability and our mutual commitment to free and open trade," and notes that both sides will "continue efforts to find ways to mitigate shocks to the global economic order." Additionally, it emphasizes, "We remain committed to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, including limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels."
Such positions?supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity, free trade, climate action, and multilateralism?stand in opposition to the policy direction of the Trump administration. The Trump administration proposed a ceasefire plan that would recognize Russia's control over Crimea and areas occupied after the war in Ukraine, but major European countries have consistently opposed this approach.
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