UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated that he sees no indication that Russia seeks peace with Ukraine. His assessment follows Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s speech at the G20 meeting in South Africa, Reuters reports.
On 12 February, Trump announced the start of negotiations with Moscow to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, following calls with Russian ruler Vladimir Putin. His statement triggered a wave of criticism, as experts warned that it could be a ceasefire on Putin’s terms with a lack of security guarantees for Ukraine, especially after US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called Ukraine’s NATO membership aspirations “unrealistic.” This conversation also stirred concerns in Europe, as its representatives were not involved in the negotiations. Amid uncertainty about whether the US will lead to a weakening of NATO due to its increasingly isolationist stance, many media outlets and analysts have labeled this strategy as a victory for Russia.
Speaking on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting—where discussions were dominated by disputes over the war in Ukraine—Lammy emphasized that the possibility of negotiations remains distant.
“We have not got anywhere near a negotiated settlement. And I have to say, when I listen to what the Russians and what Lavrov has just said in the chamber this afternoon, I don’t see an appetite to really get to that peace,” he said when asked whether the UK would support the deployment of peacekeepers in Ukraine without US security guarantees.
European leaders at the meeting discussed, but failed to reach a consensus, on deploying peacekeepers in Ukraine. However, they pledged to bolster Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
“This is a critical moment, it’s essential for Europe to increase…defense spending to step up our commitment to our own defenses across Europe,” Lammy said, reiterating the UK’s target of allocating 2.5% of its GDP to defense and reaffirming its support for Ukraine.
He also highlighted the UK’s commitment to providing Ukraine with $3 billion annually.
“We look forward to speaking to President Trump more about this (Ukraine talks). We’re very, very clear there must be a role for Ukraine, it must be at the heart of these negotiations,” Lammy added.
Earlier, reports said the UK was considering sending Typhoon fighter jets to Ukraine as part of an air mission to patrol its airspace. British ministers are currently discussing such a scenario as an alternative to deploying a significant number of peacekeeping troops in Ukraine.
The mission would be similar to the one currently conducted in the Baltic states, involving escorting Russian aircraft and providing round-the-clock air threat response.
Related:
- NATO chief: Europe ready to step up to lead Ukraine security guarantees
- Ceasefire without security guarantees will fail like Minsk agreements, Macron warns
- Trump open to allow Europe to buy US-made weapons for Ukraine
- Ukraine rejects US proposal demanding half of its mineral resources
- Trump’s neo-Morgenthau plan for Ukraine is a threat to free Europe
