UK government rejects Trump's claim that Europeans "don't produce" anything to achieve peace in Ukraine

The UK government has rejected a claim by US President Donald Trump that European countries spend too much time discussing the war in Ukraine instead of helping to resolve it.

Earlier, in an interview with Politico, Trump said European leaders "talk too much" about Russia's war against Ukraine "but they don't produce", referring to his view that they have failed to help end the war.

A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has challenged Trump's claims.

"You've seen the number of countries involved in the Coalition of the Willing discussions. You would also see the work that the UK has done in terms of leading the response on sanctions, including against the shadow fleet [carrying embargoed Russian goods]," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that British support for the US "peace plan" for Ukraine remains strong and welcomed "the significant US efforts to bring about peace to Ukraine, which no one wants more than President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy".

According to US digital news outlet Axios, Trump's team is attempting to isolate Zelenskyy from European leaders in order to exert greater pressure in their efforts to negotiate an end to Russia's war against Ukraine.

On 9 December, Zelenskyy reported that work at the level of national security advisers on Ukrainian and European proposals for the "peace plan" has been completed.