UK defence minister to meet US counterpart Hegseth on Ukraine peace plan

LONDON (Reuters) - British defence minister John Healey will meet U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington on Thursday to discuss a peace plan for Ukraine, Britain's ministry of defence said.

Healey's visit comes as European leaders race to draw up a peace plan to present to Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump paused military aid to Ukraine on Monday following a fallout with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

After meetings with world leaders at the weekend, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would continue to speak with friends and allies to secure a path to a lasting peace.

"We will advance that work in Washington over the coming days," Healey said in a statement on Wednesday.

Starmer met Trump last week in Washington to discuss how to deliver what both leaders described as "a secure and lasting peace in Ukraine". Upon his return he hosted leaders including Zelenskiy and French President Emmanuel Macron, who agreed to draw up a peace plan.

While most leaders did not provide details, Macron said that the plan would involve a one-month ceasefire that would apply to air and sea attacks but not to ground combat.

On Monday, however, British armed forces minister Luke Pollard declined to confirm the ideas aired by Macron, saying: "That's not a plan that we currently recognise."

In an bid to repair relations with Trump, Zelenskiy on Tuesday said he was grateful for the U.S. support in the war against Russia and he was ready to work under the U.S. president's leadership to bring lasting peace.

Starmer spoke by phone with Zelenskiy on Tuesday and hailed the Ukrainian president's steadfast commitment to securing a peace deal, telling him "it was vital that all parties work towards a lasting and secure peace for Ukraine as soon as possible."

(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Conor Humphries)