Putin's ‘appetite for conflict' will grow without Ukraine peace deal

Independent

13-03-2025

A peace deal in Ukraine is needed to ensure Vladimir Putin does not retain a 'choke hold' on European economies, Sir Keir Starmer said.
The Prime Minister said without a lasting peace agreement, the Russian president would continue to cause economic and political instability.
Talks between the US and Russia are expected in Moscow after Ukraine agreed to the idea of a 30-day ceasefire as the first step to ending the war.
But Yuri Ushakov, Mr Putin's foreign policy adviser, suggested a ceasefire would grant a 'temporary break for the Ukrainian military', helping Kyiv's forces at a time when Russia claimed to be on the front foot and pushing them out of the occupied territory in Kursk.
He said the ceasefire would 'give us nothing' but would give the Ukrainians 'a chance to regroup, consolidate their forces and keep doing the same in the future'.
The Prime Minister told the News Agents podcast it 'doesn't entirely surprise me' that Russia had taken that position.
Earlier, at an event in Hull, the Prime Minister said: 'I profoundly believe that if we don't secure a just peace and a lasting peace, then that insecurity, which we've already felt, will continue.
'And that means, here, higher prices, higher bills, the cost-of-living crisis going on for even longer – if you like, a choke hold on our future, which will be much, much harder for us to tackle.
'We know some basics: Putin's appetite for conflict and for chaos is already there, and it will only grow.
'And Russia is already menacing our skies, our waters, our streets and our national security.'
He said any peace deal would have to allow Ukraine to be 'sovereign and secure'.
Sir Keir defended his decision to offer British troops to a peacekeeping force to secure an agreement.
He said: 'There have been settlements in Ukraine before which had not been backed up. Nobody's defended the deal, and Putin has just crossed the line again when he wants to.
'That is not good for Ukraine. It's not good for Europe and it's not good for us.'
Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky said the world has 'yet to hear a meaningful response from Russia' to the ceasefire proposal.
He said: 'This once again demonstrates that Russia seeks to prolong the war and postpone peace for as long as possible. We hope that US pressure will be sufficient to compel Russia to end the war.'
American envoy Steve Witkoff has travelled to Moscow for talks with Russian officials, possibly including Mr Putin.
Asked about Mr Ushakov's remarks, the Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters in Westminster it was 'up to Russia to respond and agree to a ceasefire if it is serious about ending the fighting and bringing peace about'.
He added: 'I don't want to get ahead of the talks that the United States are going to have on these issues, so we will await the result of that.
'But we have always been very clear that in order to have a secure and lasting peace, security guarantees will be needed.'