Zelenskyy has veto power over any Trump-Putin deals, says UK defense chief
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (president.gov.ua)
Ukraine will determine the conditions and timing of any possible peace, while any agreements made without Kyiv’s consent will have no force, reports The Telegraph, citing British Defense Secretary John Healey.
When asked whether the Ukrainian president has veto power over any decisions, Healey replied that Ukrainians are fighting Russia with immense courage.
“The Ukrainians are the ones who are fighting with huge courage, military and civilians alike. It is for president Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians to determine the end to the fighting and the terms on which that takes place,” he said.
He also declined to answer questions about how British forces would respond to a Russian attack if they were deployed in Ukraine to enforce a ceasefire as part of a broader Coalition of the Willing.
When asked whether British troops would stay and fight or leave, the minister said these were hypothetical questions.
“Those are hypotheticals I am really not going to discuss and can’t discuss at this point. But there are a couple of important principles. First of all, that any British forces have the right to defend themselves, if attacked,” he explained.
Trump-Putin summit in Alaska
Today, August 15, a meeting is scheduled between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The main topic of the talks will be a ceasefire on the front lines and the potential end of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
According to Reuters, the US and Russian leaders may agree on the initial terms of a ceasefire without Ukraine’s participation. Any decisions made without Kyiv raise questions about their legitimacy and whether they align with the interests of the Ukrainian people.
The Kremlin stated that it does not expect any joint document to be signed during the Trump-Putin meeting. The talks are likely to be limited to discussing possible settlement options and outlining next steps.
RBC-Ukraine has already described three possible scenarios for Ukraine following these negotiations.
