Donald Trump sparks horror fears for Ukraine as Putin demands land grab to end war

Sir Keir Starmer is set to meet with European allies on Sunday, amidst whispers that Donald Trump is in favour of a Russian land grab in Ukraine to bring an end to the war.

The Prime Minister, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are preparing to host a coalition of willing partners on Sunday afternoon.

This video conference, involving allies committed to maintaining peace in Ukraine, is scheduled ahead of Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting with Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.

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Trump has suggested that this one-on-one in the Oval Office could potentially set the stage for a three-way meeting with Russian leader Mr Putin. On Friday, the Russian and American leaders convened at a military base in Anchorage, Alaska, aiming to negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

Several media outlets have quoted sources claiming that during these negotiations, Mr Putin demanded full control of Donetsk and Luhansk – two occupied Ukrainian regions – as a prerequisite for ending the war. In return, he would relinquish other Ukrainian territories currently under Russian control.

Other reports suggest that Mr Trump is leaning towards supporting this plan, and plans to discuss it with Mr Zelensky during their Monday meeting in the Oval Office.

Following a Saturday morning phone call with the US President, Mr Zelensky and Nato allies, Sir Keir praised Mr Trump's "pursuit of an end to the killing". However, he was adamant that Ukraine's leader must not be sidelined from future discussions aimed at brokering peace in Ukraine.

The Prime Minister and European leaders seemed increasingly optimistic that Mr Trump will provide a "security guarantee" of aerial backing to support allied ground forces in Ukraine, should they be sent to maintain peace.

However, Mr Trump also seemed to shift his position on his objectives for the discussions, suggesting he seeks a lasting peace deal rather than a temporary ceasefire, mirroring Mr Putin's stance.

The Alaska meeting was "timely" and "useful", Mr Putin declared following his departure. Analysts have cautioned that the face-to-face summit risks giving credibility to the Russian leader, who has been ostracised by the global community for his invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine's President Mr Zelensky cautioned that Russia might intensify its attacks on his nation in the forthcoming days "in order to create more favourable political circumstances for talks with global actors".