Sir Keir Starmer has told European allies they must now “step up” and help Ukraine amid fears US military aid could be cut off.

The Prime Minister told the European Political Community meeting in Budapest, Hungary, that the UK’s support was “ironclad”.

Donald Trump’s victory in the United States Presidential election Tuesday raised fears that Washington would stop sending weapons to Ukraine.

A foreign minister, speaking at the EPC meeting, said the US vote had “changed the status quo” on Ukraine.

Sir Keir said Volodymyr Zelensky the United Kingdom is “unfailingly” committed to helping the country defend itself against Russiainvasion during bilateral negotiations at a European Political Community summit in Hungary.

Thursday’s gathering of European leaders was largely overshadowed by Mr Trump’s historic victory in the US election, which puts him on course for a second term in the White House.

But figures including Sir Keir used the summit to insist that international partners are “going all the way” and strengthening their resolve to offer continued support to Ukraine.

Some Western capitals will worry that the outcome of the US election could put the country in jeopardy following the Republican politician’s refusal to explicitly support a kyiv victory.

He said he wanted to end the war “within a day” but did not specify how to achieve this, with some interpreting this to mean a peace deal on terms favorable to Moscow.

Meeting Mr Zelensky one-on-one on the sidelines of the event in Budapest, Sir Keir said: “As you know, our support for Ukraine is unshakeable.

“And I firmly believe that not only does that have to be unwavering, but we have to step up, and I was very happy to be able to say that (today).

“It’s very important that we follow through. It’s very important that we stand by you.”

The Ukrainian leader responded: “We are very grateful. We are very proud to have such bilateral relations between our nations.

“Thank you for standing by us throughout this difficult time.”

Speaking after the meeting, Sir Keir said the broader point raised in Budapest was not just about the sovereignty of Ukrainebut of “our freedom, our democracy and our values”.

“And that’s why it was very important for me today to have this new conversation with President Zelensky and to reiterate how strong the UK’s support for Ukraine it is,” he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron added: “For me, it’s simple. The world is made up of herbivores and carnivores. If we decide to remain herbivorous, then the carnivores will win and we will be a market for them.

“I think we should at least choose to become omnivores. I don’t want to be aggressive, just that we know how to defend ourselves on all these subjects.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Mr Trump’s first term had prompted Europe to spend more on defense but “we need to do more”.

He stressed that the threat of Russia and its alliance with North Korea, China and Iran have posed problems for the United States as well as Europe.

“If Russia would succeed in Ukraineyou would be emboldened Russia on our border, having gained a land mass, having acquired the enormous defense force of Ukrainebut also the ingenuity of the Ukrainian people,” he said in Budapest.

“This will therefore pose a threat not only to the European part of NATO, but also to the United States.

“And that is why, collectively, we must work not only on the threat of Russiabut also the fact that these four countries are working together and very soon we will see that the United States itself is also threatened by these new technological developments thanks to Russia giving its latest knowledge and technology to the North Koreans.

About 50 European countries were reassessing their transatlantic relations at the summit, hoping that Mr. Trump’s second U.S. presidency will avoid the conflicts of his first administration.

European NATO allies have congratulated the Republican politician on his election victory and hope to convince him that if he helps broker a peace, it must be done from a position of strength, for both Ukraine and the United States.

Mr Rutte, who served as Dutch prime minister during Mr Trump’s first presidency from 2017 to 2021, said: “I worked very well with him for four years.

“He is extremely clear about what he wants. He understands that we have to face each other to achieve common positions. And I think we can achieve that.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, host of the summit and a staunch Trump supporter, said he had already had a phone call with the new president overnight and that “we have big plans for the future.”

Just like Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who praised the “deep and historic strategic partnership that has always linked Rome and Washington”.

Speaking to a small group of journalists in Budapest, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said the US election result had “changed the status quo” on Ukraine.

“Europe needs to think. If you ask me the theoretical question of whether Europe could replace the United States in this area, I would obviously answer no,” he said. “The result of the American presidential elections creates a completely new reality, not only in Europe but in the world. »