Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Must Include Kyiv, Downing Street Says
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A peace deal between Ukraine and Russia must include Kyiv, Downing Street has emphasised.
On Friday President Trump and Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine, which has been raging in Europe since February 2022. The meeting on US soil will not involve Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
It will be the first time a US President has met Putin since 2021.
President Trump has suggested he is close to securing a deal to end the war, which could include “some swapping of territories.” Yet Zelensky has said any agreement without Kyiv will be meaningless.
A joint statement by the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and the EU Commission stated that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s security interests.
On Monday the Prime Minister’s spokesperson said the UK will never waver in its support for Ukraine and any peace deal built with Ukraine must not be “imposed” on the country.
“The PM spoke to President Zelensky over the weekend; he was very clear that the path in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.
“We’ve always been very clear that when it comes to the negotiations around the future, Ukraine’s borders are for Ukraine to determine.
“We’re completely committed to its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and [...] any peace must be built with Ukraine, not imposed upon it, and we will not reward aggression."
He added: “The Prime Minister has always been clear that a ceasefire cannot be an opportunity for President Putin to go away and rearm; it has to be a lasting ceasefire.”
Asked if they believed talks between Trump and Putin to end the war were realistic, the Number 10 spokesperson added: “It is Russia’s war of aggression that started this whole crisis that has resulted in millions of people losing their lives.
“Russia could pull back its tanks today and bring this war to an end, which is why we’ve always been clear we will never waver in our support for Ukraine.”
