Ukraine ‘must be at the heart' of any peace negotiations, says Healey
Ukraine's 'voice must be at the heart' of any negotiations for a peace deal to end the war with Russia, the Defence Secretary has said.
John Healey said that 'Russia remains a threat well beyond Ukraine' after Donald Trump claimed that he and Vladimir Putin had agreed to start talks on ending the conflict.
Mr Trump said he had agreed with Russia's leader to 'work together, very closely' on bringing the three-year conflict to an end in a phone conversation on Wednesday.
Speaking as Nato allies gathered in Brussels on Thursday, Mr Healey said: 'We've seen the calls from President Trump overnight and we all want to see a durable peace and no return to conflict and aggression – and let's not forget, Russia remains a threat well beyond Ukraine.
'So, my message in these discussions will be that there can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine and Ukraine's voice must be at the heart of any talks.
I think President Putin wants peace and President Zelensky wants peace and I want peace. I just want to see people stop being killed
Donald Trump, US President
'Ukrainians are fighting bravely… it's our job as defence ministers here at Nato, to put them in the best position to secure a lasting peace through strength.'
The US has suggested that as part of a peace deal Ukraine must accept it will have to give up some territory to Russia and Nato membership is not a realistic prospect.
But Nato's official position – endorsed by Sir Keir Starmer's Government in the UK-Ukraine 100-year partnership – is that Kyiv is on an 'irreversible' path to joining the alliance.
The Associated Press reported that Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, who was chairing Thursday's meeting, said that whatever agreement is struck between Russia and Ukraine, it is crucial that the 'peace deal is enduring, that Putin knows that this is the end, that he can never again try to capture a piece of Ukraine'.
A minister appeared to reject the US defence secretary Pete Hegseth's suggestion that Kyiv should abandon the hopes of driving Russia out of all Ukrainian territory.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook was asked whether the UK agreed that a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 border was unrealistic, and whether the British Government's assessment was that it was 'unrealistic to expect Ukraine to drive Russia out of its country'.
Speaking to Times Radio, Mr Pennycook said: 'No, I don't think so, and that's precisely why we've stepped up and stood behind Ukraine in its fight for freedom and as a means of bolstering European security.
'But … I think the important point to your listeners is Ukrainians are still fighting and dying as we speak.
'Ultimately, it is for them to decide when they start talking and on what terms.
'As I said, our focus is ensuring they're in the strongest possible position if they do decide to engage in those talks.'
On Wednesday, Mr Healey had sought to play down the idea of splits between the UK and Washington on the issue.
Mr Trump's call with the Russian president came just hours after Mr Zelensky warned 'Putin is not preparing for peace' and called for unity from Ukraine's allies.
The Associated Press reported that Mr Trump said he spent more than an hour on the phone with Mr Putin and 'I think we're on the way to getting peace'.
The US President later spoke to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky but he was non-committal about whether Ukraine would be an equal participant in US negotiations with Russia.
'I think President Putin wants peace and President Zelensky wants peace and I want peace,' Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. 'I just want to see people stop being killed.'
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