UK PM speaks with NATO chief on Ukraine peace talks
Downing Street says Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Sunday 30 November 2025. The call focused on Ukraine, and both leaders stressed that any agreement must deliver a just, lasting peace for Ukrainians rather than a short pause in fighting, according to the official No 10 readout.
Officials said recent talks have “gained momentum”. That phrase sits alongside wider reporting this weekend of Ukrainian negotiators travelling to the United States for further discussions, which helps explain why the UK and NATO leadership were “taking stock” together. Reuters and the Guardian both noted the US meetings set for this weekend, underscoring that diplomacy is active on several tracks.
When leaders talk about a “just and lasting peace”, they are setting two tests you can teach in class: fairness and durability. Fairness points to Ukraine’s sovereignty and justice for harms done; durability means a settlement that will hold. Mark Rutte has warned publicly that peace will not last if forced on Ukraine and has urged European governments to invest more in defence so a future attack is deterred. That framing helps you read today’s call as part of a longer effort to make any ceasefire stick.
The readout also mentions a “Coalition of the Willing” preparing for a possible cessation of hostilities, and welcomes its coordination with NATO. In simple terms, this is a group of countries volunteering to provide long‑term security help-such as training and deterrence-alongside, and in step with, NATO structures. Euronews has described this developing coalition as a way to provide security guarantees after a ceasefire so Russia cannot simply restart the war.
It helps to separate roles. NATO is the treaty alliance that organises collective defence; any voluntary coalition would be a separate grouping that works with, not inside, NATO. Rutte has told MEPs that Europe must spend more than the 2% benchmark and keep support flowing to Ukraine to prevent future aggression-another signal that today’s coordination is about the day after the guns fall silent.
Media‑literacy tip for your students: government “readouts” are deliberately brief. Verbs like “took stock”, “welcomed coordination” and “looked forward to speaking again” describe stages in a process rather than the details of an offer. They tell you talks are moving, but they rarely include red lines or timelines. Pair the readout with independent reporting to see the fuller picture.
Quick glossary for the classroom: a ceasefire is an agreement to stop shooting, usually monitored and time‑bound; a “cessation of hostilities” is similar language used to pause fighting while talks continue; “security guarantees” are promises-military, legal or economic-meant to deter a renewed attack; a “coalition of the willing” is any group of states that choose to act together outside a formal treaty, often coordinating with NATO. Recent NATO‑Ukraine briefings and reporting on the emerging coalition give these terms real‑world examples.
What to watch next: No 10 says the Prime Minister and the NATO chief will stay in close touch as planning continues for the day a pause becomes possible. Separately, newsrooms including Reuters and the Guardian report fresh rounds of talks in the United States and ongoing European diplomacy-context for why London and Brussels are aligning on next steps even before any ceasefire is signed.