Before talks over Ukraine's future, the West should not be “deceived” by Vladimir Putin's attempts to dress up imperialism as pragmatism, David Lamy warned.
Before Kiel Starmer visited Washington next week to discuss Ukraine, the Foreign Secretary said the UK was “ready to listen” to Russia, but ready to meet the conditions of durable peace I hadn't heard that it was.
“What I've heard is that the logic of imperialism dressed to the real thing, and I say to you all, we should not be surprised, but we should not be fooled.” He told the South African G20 after a speech by a Russian foreigner. Minister Sergei Lavrov.
He added: “If Putin is serious about lasting peace, it means finding progress in offering Ukrainian sovereignty and reliable security guarantees and respecting the UN Charter that rejects imperialism, and Britain will have a ear Ready to tilt. But we hope to hear more than the tired production of Russian gentlemen.”
Lamie's warning is to try and step on a great diplomatic line between Britain's support for Ukraine and not angering US President Donald Trump, who is seeking a deal to end the Three Years' War. It happens when you do.
Trump recently attacked alone by launching negotiations with Russia without including Ukraine or other European allies. In an escalation of tensions between Washington and Kiev, Trump argued that President Vlodymyr Zelenskyy was a dictator who had a low rating for his opinion that he avoided holding the election. The meeting between Empoy Empoy Keith Kellogg and Zelenskyy on Kyiv ended with a press conference cancelled on Thursday.
Starmer is scheduled to meet Trump on Thursday during the week of diplomatic activities that President Macron will visit the White House on Monday. The Prime Minister's approach is to “remove the heat” from the row between Trump and Zelensky. He described the US president as living in a “bubbly of disinformation.”
The Prime Minister has not spoken publicly about the war of words between Trump and Zelensky ahead of his meeting with the US president next week, but the explanation of Ukrainian leaders as dictators is a broad political story in the UK. I came across criticism.
A Downing Street spokesman on Wednesday said the star had expressed his support for Zelensky over the phone, describing him as “Ukraine's democratically elected leader,” and, as Winston Churchill did, he was elected during the war. It was said that it is acceptable to suspend the World War II.
Among the publicly contradictory people were reform leader Nigel Farage. He said he said, “Zelensky is not a dictator.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandi told the BBC on Thursday that Zelensky was elected. “I know from the recent history here in the UK that the last Labour Party in Northern Ireland was in power.
She added: “We are clear and the Prime Minister has made it clear that the heat must be removed from this situation.”
At Starmer's meeting in Washington, the Prime Minister pushes the US to help Ukraine provide security assurances in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, and could also be on the agenda for increasing European defense spending There is a debate that it is expensive.
Trump has called for higher European defence spending, stating that the US is fully supporting Ukraine military. Speaking to the Guardian, Prime Minister Rachel Reeves warned that “difficult decisions” to add to defence spending requires “difficult decisions” to balance the book, and in a spending review has increased the outlook for further tax increases or spending cuts.
“The world is changing rapidly and we can't get the importance of keeping us safe,” she said. “The government's first duty is to protect its citizens. It requires a totally difficult choice, but it cannot have a strong economy. Being properly defended as a nation, national security You cannot have strong public services unless you protect them.”
The Prime Minister has proposed that plans are being prepared to increase spending on defense to 2.5% of GDP, saying, “I will set the path to that in the right way. But no one has my commitment And there is no doubt about this government's commitment to spending more money on defense.”
Government sources show that the announcement will be made in parallel with a strategic defense review led by former Labour Defense Secretary and NATO chief George Robertson, who are scheduled to complete this spring.
Tax rises, more borrowings, or spending cuts could all be on the table as options, but former finance minister and former Shadow Prime Minister Edballs told the political currency podcast that he would use to break fiscal rules. Details to fund exceptional needs for higher defence spending, which he said has been broken.
“I think it's much more reliable than a massive tax rise, and I think it's much more reliable than reducing the market's incredible consolidated public spending,” he said. I did.
The priority was suggesting over the weekend that the UK was ready to contribute to Ukrainian peacekeeping forces.
Meanwhile, Moscow reiterated Thursday a warning that Russia cannot accept Britain's plans to send troops to Ukraine as part of a potential peacekeeping mission. Germany suggests that Ukrainian European military talk is “premature.”
Defence Secretary John Healy later told a press conference in Norway that the idea of a peacekeeping force “is hoping ahead of us.”
Healy said: A detailed discussion of what is needed is not going to give you any details that will make Putin wise. ”
In Zelensky, Healy said that the Ukrainian leader “was the elected leader of Ukraine and suspended elections during the war, doing what Winston Churchill did in England in World War II. And we said we saw it. And our job is to stand with the Ukrainians, support the Ukrainians, and support them in their fight. And if they choose to speak, negotiate. But please support them.”
