Starmer 'commends' Trump peace efforts as European leaders say next step must be 'trilateral summit' with Zelenskyy

European leaders including the Prime Minister released a joint statement on Saturday in the wake of Mr Trump's highly-anticipated meeting with the Russian leader overnight.

The leaders said they "welcomed President Trump's efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia's war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace".

However, the next step would have to be further talks including Ukrainian president Zelenskyy, the statement insisted.

The countries who have pledged support, the "coalition of the willing", will hold a remote meeting on Sunday afternoon before the Ukrainian leader attends peace talks.

The meeting will be led by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

It comes as Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed he is set to travel to Washington for a meeting with Donald Trump on Monday.

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The statement penned by leaders including Starmer, President Macron of France, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, insisted they are "ready to work with President Trump and President Zelenskyy towards a trilateral summit" involving Putin.

The comments come as Russia's Defence Ministry announced its forces have taken control of two Ukrainian villages in the past few hours.

Vladimir Putin said his visit was "useful and timely".

The Russian leader added the conversation he had with Mr Trump was "sincere and substantive", Russia's TASS news agency reports.

President Zelenskyy said that "real peace" must now be achieved rather than "just another pause" following the summit.

On Saturday, Sir Keir Starmer insisted that "progress has been made" following the bi-lateral talks and that the UK will "keep tightening the screws" on Putin in the coming weeks.

"President Trump’s efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended.

"While progress has been made, the next step must be further talks involving President Zelenskyy. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him.

"This morning, I spoke to President Zelenskyy, President Trump and other European partners, and we all stand ready to support this next phase.

"I welcome the openness of the United States, alongside Europe, to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any deal. This is important progress and will be crucial in deterring Putin from coming back for more.

"In the meantime, until he stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions, which have already had a punishing impact on the Russian economy and its people.

Adding: "Our unwavering support for Ukraine will continue as long as it takes."

Putin's ministry declared Kolodyazi village, located in Ukraine's Donetsk region, was captured by troops overnight, with Vorone village, in the neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk region, now under Russian control.

It comes as Ukraine claimed Russia had launched 85 attack drones and a ballistic missile at its territory overnight.

Russia has so far failed to comment on the claims.

Posting to his platform Truth Social following the summit, Mr Trump insisted his meeting with Putin "went very well, as did a late night phone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and various European leaders".

He added: "It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.

"If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin," he continued.

"Potentially, millions of people's lives will be saved. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

It comes as Mr Trump confirmed that Zelenskyy would meet him at the White House on Monday, in what many hope will not be a re-run of the pair's last Oval Office visit.

In a statement posted to X following the summit, Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, spoke of a "glimmer" of hope where peace talks are concerned.

She said: "A glimmer of hope finally opens for discussing peace in Ukraine. Italy is doing its part alongside its Western allies."

Following the summit in Alaska, Mr Zelenskyy said that he and the US president had spoken over the phone following the summit - discussions that lasted more than an hour-and-a-half.

The meeting comes hours after Mr Trump and Mr Putin met in Alaska to discuss a possible ceasefire deal in Ukraine, with the US President branding the made-for-tv discussions "very productive".

Days of anticipation leading up to the summit, which saw Trump fail to secure his desired ceasefire deal, ultimately produced an anti-climactic end to proceedings, with both parties walking away empty handed.

For many, word of Mr Zelenskyy's forthcoming meeting with Mr Trump on US soil will conjure images of the pair's last White House showdown, described by many at the time as an "ambush".