PM pledges support for Ukraine in peace talks and pushes for European access

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The Prime Minister was attending the European Political Community summit in Dublin.

Andy Burnham has promised Volodymyr Zelensky his “complete support” in the latest efforts to end the Ukraine war and said he would push for European representation in the US-brokered talks.

The Prime Minister co-chaired a group meeting on Ukraine with the country’s president at the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Ireland on Thursday.

Mr Burnham was using the Dublin gathering to urge leaders from some 50 nations to ramp up pressure on Vladimir Putin to take peace talks seriously.

And he announced a fresh package of sanctions on Moscow, covering all 10 of Russia’s major oil producers.

At the Ukraine meeting, Mr Burnham said allies of Ukraine welcomed the resumption of peace talks but said Europe should play a part.

It comes after representatives from the US, Russia and Ukraine participated in the two days of negotiations in Abu Dhabi on ending the war triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion, with Mr Zelensky stressing he wanted to see Europe involved, something Russia opposes.

The Prime Minister said at the start of the EPC Ukraine meeting while media were present: “I’m sure I speak for everybody in saying you have our complete support, both in terms of resisting the aggression that you continue to face, but also in the negotiation process that has started.”

He added that allies will try to support Ukraine “in every way possible through that process”, and “we will obviously continue to press for European representation in that process”.

Mr Burnham and Mr Zelensky sat side by side at the head of the table at the meeting attended by more than a dozen leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, Ireland’s Micheál Martin and Canada’s Mark Carney, as well as the presidents of the EU Commission and Council and the chief of Nato.

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