British premier welcomes peace talks in Saudi Arabia, urges Russia to stop fighting

​​​​​​​By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed support Tuesday for a peace agreement reached in Saudi Arabia and hailed the breakthrough as a crucial step toward ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Delegations from the US and Ukraine began talks earlier Tuesday in the Saudi city of Jeddah to discuss prospects for a possible peace deal with Russia. A joint statement declared Kyiv's readiness to accept a US proposal to enact an "immediate, interim" 30-day ceasefire.

Starmer congratulated US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for their roles in securing the deal. He called it a “remarkable breakthrough.”

“This is an important moment for peace in Ukraine, and we now all need to redouble our efforts to get to a lasting and secure peace as soon as possible,” said Starmer.

“The ball is now in the Russian court,” he said. “Russia must now agree to a ceasefire and an end to the fighting too.”

To push for further progress, he announced plans to convene a meeting of world leaders on Saturday to discuss the next steps in securing peace.

“We are ready to help bring an end to this war in a just and permanent way that allows Ukraine to enjoy its freedom,” he added.​​​​​​​