UK sends Vladimir Putin warning ahead of Donald Trump summit in Alaska TODAY
Russia's Vladimir Putin has been given a warning by the UK ahead of a crucial face-to-face summit today with US President Donald Trump.
The duo are set to meet at a remote military base in Alaska as European allies and the White House push for a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict. Speaking just hours before the talks, the UK Defence Secretary John Healey said Britain is prepared "to step up diplomatic and economic pressure" if Putin fails to act.
The Cabinet minister told Times Radio: "The pressure now is on Putin to prove he wants peace. Today is a test of that. And we have worked hard in the run-up to this meeting in Alaska - intensifying diplomacy, stepping up military aid and being ready to step up economic pressure on Putin if he's not willing to act as he says he will." It comes after Putin warns of nuclear war after unleashing another night of hell on Ukraine.
Mr Healey added: "Our first priority is to continue to stand with Ukraine, to step up diplomatic pressure and economic pressure on Putin but also to keep a focus on the front line, while all eyes are on Alaska, because we can't jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the war."
The Cabinet minister said today's face-to-face talks between Mr Trump and Putin was a "first step towards serious negotiation" in bringing the conflict to an end, adding that "talking" was the only way to solve a war, not "fighting". He shot down a question asking whether Britain's role was to "watch and wait", as he said the Government was leading the charge in military planning for a possible ceasefire and supplying military aid to the war-torn country.
The US President and Russian despot are set to meet this evening (UK time) with the White House calling for a "peaceful resolution" to the three-year conflict. But with Ukraine excluded from the high-stake talks there are concerns among European leaders that Kyiv could be sidelined in negotiations over a ceasefire.
Pressed on whether the Ukrainian wartime leader Zelensky had a veto over anything decided between Mr Trump and Mr Putin, Mr Healey said: "The Ukrainians are the ones who are fighting with huge courage, military and civilians alike. It's for President Zelensky and the Ukrainians to determine an end to the fighting and the terms on which that takes place."
Asked about lessons can be learnt from the summit, he told BBC Breakfast: "I think the first lesson is that military and fighting solves nothing in the end, and that the end to war must come through talking must come through diplomacy.
"And so today in Alaska is what I hope, we all hope to see, a first step towards serious negotiations. President Trump is doing what only President Trump can do by bringing Putin to the talks.
"Now the pressure is on Putin. He's declared four times in the last six months that he wants peace, but he's been escalating the attacks on Ukrainian cities and killing Ukrainian civilians, as well as attacking the military with 1000s of drones each month launched into Ukraine. And so today is a day when really eyes are on Putin. Is he serious about what he says?"
Asked whether Britain's role was to "watch and wait", he said: "No, the UK's role is to stand with Ukraine on the battlefield and in the negotiations, and prepare as we have been, leading 30 other nations with military planning for a ceasefire and a secure peace through what we call the Coalition of the Willing.
"Our role is to lead the charge as we have been on more intensive diplomacy, to lead the charge on military aid to Ukraine so that we don't jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the current war, and being ready also to step up economic pressure on Putin if he's not willing to take the talks seriously."
Yesterday Keir Starmer hosted Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Downing Street in a public show of support. The Prime Minister greeted the wartime leader with a warm hug and smile before a private breakfast in No10 discussing Wednesday's call with EU leaders and Mr Trump. A Downing Street spokesman said: "They agreed there had been a powerful sense of unity and a strong resolve to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine."
Russia's state-owned news agency TASS said yesterday Mr Trump and Putin will first hold talks - around 7.30pm UK time - attended only by interpreters. Putin is expected to attend the summit with close allies including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, aide Yury Ushakov and Defence Minister Andrey Belousov.
Mr Trump and the Russian President are then expected to give a press conference at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base. TASS also reported yesterday that Mr Putin welcomed the US President's "energetic and sincere efforts" to stop the conflict.
But the US President has already warned there will be "very severe consequences" for Mr Putin if he refuses to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine. He told reporters earlier this week: 'If I do not get the necessary answers during the meeting with Putin, there will be no next meeting.'
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