In a flurry of diplomatic activity surrounding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, several significant developments have unfolded. These include new military aid commitments, strained negotiations between Ukrainian and U.S. leaders, European efforts to broker peace, and reactions from Russian officials.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a substantial £1.6 billion ($2 billion) deal to supply Ukraine with 5,000 air-defence missiles. The missiles, manufactured by Thales, are lightweight, multirole systems with a range exceeding six kilometers, capable of being launched from various platforms. Starmer emphasized the importance of this aid for protecting critical infrastructure and strengthening Ukraine's security. This announcement came shortly after Ukraine reported a massive overnight drone attack by Russia, the largest since the war began three years ago.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington, D.C., to finalize a minerals deal with the United States ended abruptly after a heated exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump. The deal aimed to provide Washington with financial benefits in exchange for supporting Ukraine's post-war recovery. However, Trump reportedly berated Zelensky for not being sufficiently “thankful” for U.S. support and warned that the U.S. might withdraw its assistance, leaving Ukraine to fight the war on its own. Zelensky then departed without signing the agreement, leading to uncertainty about the deal's future.

In response to the failed U.S.-Ukraine meeting, European leaders rallied around Zelensky at a summit in London. Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted the summit, where many European leaders pledged to increase security spending and assemble a coalition to defend any truce. French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned a proposal for a partial one-month truce with Russia, covering air and sea attacks. Starmer announced that the UK, Ukraine, France, and other nations would form a “coalition of the willing” to draft a peace proposal for Trump. European leaders also suggested easing debt restrictions to facilitate increased defense spending, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stating that Europe must transform Ukraine into a “steel porcupine.”

Adding to the diplomatic engagements, King Charles III met with President Zelensky at his Sandringham retreat following the summit in London. The meeting, lasting just under an hour, underscored the UK's continued support for Ukraine. This followed a prior meeting between the two leaders in February 2023 and a summit in July 2024.

Russian officials have dismissed the efforts of European leaders to forge a peace plan. Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Russia’s upper house of parliament, stated that Europe has no plan and that Ukraine can only rely on potential improvements in Russian-American relations. Leonid Slutsky, Chairman of the lower house’s Committee on International Affairs, derided the London summit as a failed attempt to restore Zelensky’s political reputation. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev described the summit as a “coven” swearing allegiance to “Nazi nobodies” in Kiev.

Amidst these developments, Zelensky has affirmed Ukraine's commitment to not cede any territory to Russia in a peace agreement and expressed continued interest in signing the minerals deal with the U.S. He downplayed tensions with Trump, suggesting that future talks should occur behind closed doors. Top Washington officials have suggested that Zelensky might need to step down if a peace deal is to be reached, highlighting a potential shift in the U.S. approach to the war.