Yesterday at 20:02
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, after listening to the speech of his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at a closed meeting of G20 foreign ministers in South Africa, stated that he saw no appetite from Russia for peace with Ukraine.
As reported by Ukrinform, the head of the UK’s Foreign Office said this to Reuters on the sidelines of the meeting.
It is noted that the meeting of foreign ministers of the world’s largest economies was overshadowed by disagreements among participants regarding the war in Ukraine.
“We have not got anywhere near a negotiated settlement,” Lammy said, responding to a question about whether Britain would under any circumstances support deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine in the absence of security guarantees from the United States.
“And I have to say, when I listen to what the Russians and what Lavrov has just said in the chamber this afternoon, I don’t see an appetite to really get to that peace,” he added.
The article also states that during a meeting of European leaders in Paris on Monday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that U.S. security commitment was the only way to ensure lasting peace in Ukraine, and it was too early to discuss how many British peacekeeping forces might be deployed.
European leaders discussed but did not reach an agreement on the deployment of peacekeepers at the meeting. However, they pledged to strengthen their defense capabilities, according to Reuters.
According to Lammy, this is a “critical moment”, and it is crucial for Europe to increase defense spending to step up their commitment to security across the continent. He reaffirmed the UK’s goal of spending 2.5% of its GDP on defense while promising continued support for Ukraine.
“We are committed to giving Ukraine £3 billion a year for as long as it (the war – ed.) lasts,” he assured.
As previously reported by Ukrinform, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to present U.S. President Donald Trump with a plan to deploy around 30,000 European troops in Ukraine in an effort to gain U.S. support.
