Russia has no interest in negotiating peace with Ukraine, UK Foreign Secretary
Photo: UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
The British Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, does not believe Russia is striving for peace with Ukraine. He reached this conclusion after hearing Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's speech at a closed meeting of G20 diplomats in South Africa, informs Reuters.
Lammy noted that the meeting of foreign ministers from the world's largest economies was overshadowed by a dispute among G20 members regarding the war in Ukraine.
"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 (February 20 - ed.) this afternoon, I don't see an appetite to really get to that peace," he said, responding to a question about whether London would support the introduction of peacekeepers into Ukraine under any circumstances, in the absence of security guarantees from the US.
Peacekeepers for Ukraine and defense spending
The media also reminded that on February 17, at a meeting of European leaders in Paris, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the US commitment to security is the only way to ensure lasting peace in Ukraine. He stated that it is currently too early to discuss how many British peacekeepers he could send.
At this meeting, European leaders discussed but did not reach an agreement on deploying peacekeepers. Instead, they promised to strengthen their defense capabilities as the Trump administration seems to increasingly adopt the Kremlin's stance on Ukraine.
"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.
He also confirmed the UK’s goal of spending 2.5% of its GDP on defense and pledged support for Ukraine.
"We're committed to giving Ukraine 3 billion a year for as long as it lasts," he said.
The agency also reminded that last week, Trump shocked European allies by calling Russian leader Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war without prior consultations with Ukraine or them.
"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 said.
British plan for peacekeepers in Ukraine
Next week, Keir Starmer will visit the US. On Thursday, February 27, he is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump.
During the visit, the British leader will offer Trump a plan to send 30,000 European peacekeepers to Ukraine. They are planned to be stationed away from the front lines in Ukrainian cities, ports, and other critical infrastructure sites.
Starmer will also try to convince Trump to keep US fighter jets and missiles ready in Eastern European countries in case the Kremlin violates the ceasefire.
During recent talks in Saudi Arabia, Russian officials requested the US to withdraw NATO forces from Eastern Europe.
After this meeting, Trump sharply criticized Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for allegedly unwillingness to end the war.
