Downing Street has backed Donald Trump's Ukraine interventions but delivered a stark warning that Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted "as far as you can throw him" as the US President prepares to meet his Russian counterpart. Kyiv has expressed concerns about the prospect of being excluded from peace talks as the two leaders prepare to hold talks in Alaska this week to discuss the future of the Kremlin's invasion.
Trump and Putin are scheduled to meet in Alaska on Friday, with the US President signalling he thinks Ukraine might need to cede territory to end the conflict. Reports suggest this could involve Ukraine giving up its Donetsk region, representing what Trump has described as "some swapping of territories".
The Prime Minister's spokesman delivered an uncompromising assessment when asked whether Sir Keir Starmer believes the Russian President could be trusted in negotiations. "Never trust President Putin as far as you could throw him, but we obviously will support Ukraine," he said on Monday, adding that the UK supports both Kyiv and Trump's push for peace.
European diplomatic offensive
European leaders launched an urgent diplomatic response ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting, as The Guardian reports. EU foreign ministers convened an emergency meeting on Monday, called by High Representative Kaja Kallas, to coordinate the bloc's position before the Alaska talks.
Weekend diplomacy led by the UK saw coordinated calls between European leaders and Trump to influence the upcoming negotiations, according to The Guardian. German opposition leader Friedrich Merz spoke with Trump on Sunday night specifically about imposing further sanctions on Moscow, demonstrating the intensity of European engagement.
Peace talks demands
European leaders from Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and the European Commission issued a joint statement demanding consultation in peace talks. They declared that "the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine" and emphasised that international borders must not be changed by force.
Planning for the European-led "coalition of the willing" peacekeeping force began in March 2024 and continues at military level. The force would monitor any future ceasefire in Ukraine, with operational planning nearly finalised despite no immediate talks between leaders scheduled this week.
Ukraine's territorial integrity
President Volodymyr Zelensky has already rejected any proposal compromising Ukraine's territorial integrity, something forbidden by Ukraine's constitution. He accused Putin of wanting to "exchange a pause in the war, in the killing, for the legalisation of the occupation of our land" and vowed not to allow a "second attempt to partition Ukraine".
Zelensky warned that "knowing Russia, where there is a second, there will be a third". He said Putin wanted to "get territorial spoils for the second time" through negotiations that would legitimise occupation of Ukrainian land.
Sources used: "PA Media", "The Guardian"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
