Prime Minister Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer has contradicted Donald Trump over his Ukraine peace plan by insisting Kyiv must lead the talks.

The prime minister insisted the “courageous” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not to blame for the delays to any ceasefire deal, and that Russia needs to negotiate.

While he did not mention Trump directly, Starmer’s words come after the US president has repeatedly accused Zelenskyy of blocking a potential truce.

The PM also refused to support America’s proposal for Ukraine to formally cede its occupied territory of Crimea to Russia in exchange for peace.

“We are at an intense stage in the negotiations,” Starmer told The Telegraph.

“In the end, I’m always mindful of the fact that it is Ukraine that must decide on those issues – it’s not for other people to decide........

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