Britain said its backing for Ukraine’s eventual accession to NATO “has not changed”, insisting that Kyiv remains on an irreversible path to membership and that Russia holds no veto over the process. The statement came after US President Donald Trump warned publicly against Ukrainian entry into the alliance. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is in Washington today to join Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders at a White House summit focused on ending the 3-year war and agreeing long-term security guarantees for Kyiv. Paris, Berlin, Rome and Helsinki are represented, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is also expected to attend. Starmer told reporters the United Kingdom must help secure a “just and lasting peace” for Ukraine, language echoed earlier by France’s Emmanuel Macron, who praised Zelensky’s commitment to such an outcome. British officials say they want the meeting to produce ‘iron-clad’ assurances comparable to NATO’s Article 5 if a peace deal is struck. The talks follow Trump’s Alaska meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and come as fresh Russian drone and missile strikes on Kharkiv killed at least five civilians, according to Ukrainian authorities. Kyiv argues the attacks highlight the urgency of firm security commitments and rejects pressure to cede territory as the price for peace.