Ukraine allies discuss future security guarantees
Newshour
BBC
4.4 • 984 Ratings
🗓️ 15 March 2025
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The British prime minister Keir Starmer says an online summit with twenty-five fellow leaders has built momentum towards setting up a peacekeeping force in Ukraine in the event of a peace deal. We speak to an Italian MP on why his country is not ready to send troops.
Also in the programme: Tens of thousands march against alleged government corruption in Serbia’s capital Belgrade; and Sri Lanka conducts first-ever census of wildlife harmful to agriculture.
(Image: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking to the media in Downing Street, London. Credit: Leon Neal/PA Wire)
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to NewsHour from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:07.2 | We're coming to you live from our studio here in London. |
| 0:11.1 | I'm Lee Doucette. |
| 0:12.0 | Thank you for joining us. |
| 0:13.2 | And we do start in Britain this morning because the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmour, |
| 0:17.3 | has just ended an online meeting of allies, about 25 world leaders. |
| 0:24.4 | They've been discussing concrete commitments to support Ukraine in the event of a peace deal or even just a ceasefire, |
| 0:32.3 | including a possible force to guarantee that peace if and when it's reached. |
| 0:39.7 | Speaking in the last 30 minutes, just after the virtual meeting ended, the Prime Minister stressed the need for peace and accuse Russia |
| 0:46.3 | of delaying an agreement. President Zelensky has shown once again and beyond any doubt |
| 0:52.7 | that Ukraine is the party of peace. Vladimir has committed to a 30-day |
| 0:58.8 | unconditional ceasefire, but Putin is trying to delay, saying there must be a painstaking study |
| 1:06.4 | before a ceasefire can take place. Well, the world needs action, not a study, not empty words and |
| 1:15.0 | conditions. So my message is very clear. Sooner or later, Putin will have to come to the table. |
| 1:22.7 | And if he comes to the table, Kirstammer says world leaders have to be prepared to defend that deal. |
| 1:29.5 | We agreed we will keep increasing the pressure on Russia, keep the military aid flowing to Ukraine, |
| 1:35.9 | and keep tightening the restrictions on Russia's economy to weaken Putin's war machine and bring him to the table. |
| 1:47.0 | And we agreed to accelerate our practical work to support a potential deal. So we will now move into an operational phase. Our militaries |
| 1:54.8 | will meet on Thursday this week here in the United Kingdom to put strong and robust plans in place, to swing in behind a peace deal and guarantee Ukraine's future security. |
| 2:08.3 | Secure Stormer, Britain's Prime Minister, and just to remind our listeners that all of this accelerating diplomacy by Ukraine and its allies comes in the midst of President Trump's |
| 2:19.5 | very forceful push to try to achieve at least a 30-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia |
| 2:26.8 | to bring an end to this war. And as we heard from Sir Kier-Stomer, Ukraine has accepted it. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.