UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on 9 August, offering what Downing Street described as “unwavering support” for Kyiv as it fights Russia’s invasion. According to Zelensky, both leaders agreed that a recently floated US-Russia peace framework—reported to include territorial concessions by Ukraine—“does not work” and risks reducing negotiations to discussing “the impossible.” Starmer and Zelensky said any settlement must deliver a “just and lasting peace,” reiterating their opposition to Russia’s demand for Ukrainian land and underscoring the need to maintain pressure through sanctions. The conversation comes ahead of a meeting in Alaska on Friday at which US President Donald Trump is set to discuss the war with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and before security advisers from Europe, the United States and Ukraine gather at Chevening to coordinate positions.