UK, France to present Ukraine deal to Trump: Starmer

Britain and France will work on a peace deal with Ukraine and present it to Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says, describing it as a step in the right direction following Friday's explosive meeting in the White House.

Starmer, due to host Western leaders in London on Sunday in a bid to revive a peace deal, said he hoped a European "coalition of the willing" would come together to support Kyiv, but that any ceasefire had to be underpinned by the United States to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine again.

"In other words, we've got to find those countries in Europe that are prepared to be a bit more forward leaning," he told BBC television.

"The UK and France are the most advanced on the thinking of this and that is why President Macron and I are working on this plan, which we will then discuss with the US."

Starmer spoke to Macron and Trump on Saturday after he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Downing Street, a day after Trump and Zelenskiy clashed in an extraordinary meeting at the White House.

Starmer repeated his assertion that a peace deal would only work in Ukraine if a possible European peacekeeping force had a security guarantee from the United States.

"I've always been clear that that is going to need a US backstop, because I don't think it would be a guarantee without it," he said.

Starmer's comments come the Ukrainian leader's heated row with Trump, who threatened to stop support for Ukraine after accusing Zelenskiy of being ungrateful for US aid.

On Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised Trump's pragmatic aim to end the war in Ukraine but scolded Europe forseeking to continue the conflict, Russian news agenciesreported.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov added that the "foreign policy" alignment of the US administration largely mirrors that of Moscow.

"The new (US) administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations. This largely coincides with our vision," Peskov said, according to a post by state TV reporter Pavel Zarubin on Sunday on the Telegram channel.

Lacking the weaponry and depth of ammunition stocks of the US, European leaders have so far offered expressions of support after the Zelenskiy row, with Germany calling for the release of three billion euros ($A5 billion) for Ukraine.

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Ukraine's Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko signed an agreement to provide a STG 2.26 billion ($A4.58 billion) loan to Ukraine, according to a statement from the Treasury on Saturday.

Sunday's meeting has taken on added significance, Starmer will start by holding talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after welcoming Zelenskiy on Saturday with a clear message of support for the shaken leader.

They will then be joined by French President Emmanuel Macron, the EU's Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and leaders from Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Canada, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Romania. Turkey's foreign minister will also attend.

Zelenskiy's row with Trump on Friday ended a week when Europe had appeared to be in a better position in its drive to encourage Trump to continue to offer support to Ukraine after cordial visits to Washington by Macron and Starmer.

Starmer will update other leaders on his meeting with Trump, when the US president praised his efforts to increase defence spending and offer to deploy peacekeeping troops.

For now, Starmer wants to lower the temperature after the row in Trump's Oval Office.

Some leaders will also urge Zelenskiy to try to rebuild bridges with Trump. NATO's Rutte and Polish President Andrzej Duda have urged the Ukrainian leader to find a way to restore the relationship.

Agencies