Allies Pledge Support for Ukraine Before and After Peace Deal, Says UK
The UK and its allies stand ready to support Ukraine before negotiations to end the war as well as to secure an eventual peace deal, the UK defence secretary says.
Ahead of a top-level meeting in Paris on Thursday, John Healey told the BBC in Kyiv that Ukraine’s allies would “help make the skies safe, to make the seas safe, and to secure the land”, once a peace deal had been struck.
About 30 leaders will take part in the Paris summit, in person or online, and French diplomats say “technical work” on providing security guarantees is now complete in the event of a ceasefire.”
The sincerity of Russia” is the question at hand, according to French President Emmanuel Macron. On the day of the summit, Chinese President Vladimir Putin sent a stern message, promising that his full-scale invasion might go on.
The UK military secretary insisted that Russia was under pressure and implied that Putin’s remarks were blustery. An American “safety net” is one of the main demands that diplomats have in mind.
According to NATO commander Mark Rutte, the goal is to have “clarity” on what the coalition can offer so that they can talk about what the Americans can do.
According to an insider at Élysée Palace, they were just awaiting US approval that it would serve as a last resort.
According to reports, US President Donald Trump will speak with leaders via phone once US special envoy Steve Witkoff arrives in Paris ahead of the negotiations.
If an agreement is achieved, one of the main concerns is whether any nations will pledge to send soldiers to the ground.
The United States has ruled it out, while Germany has stated that such a commitment is premature.
Despite widespread criticism of the warm reception that US President Donald Trump offered the Russian leader in Alaska last month, John Healey commended Trump, saying that he had “brought Putin into talks” and “not closed off any options.”
Trump stated his commitment to a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine to CBS News on Wednesday, saying, “I think we’re going to get it all straightened out.”
Trump has already stated that he is “disappointed” in Putin, as he did this week. Additionally, Putin has vowed to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for peace talks or to punish the Russian leader for his alleged failure to halt the war.
Putin responded on Wednesday that “there is a certain light at the end of the tunnel” when asked if the conflict in Ukraine could end soon.”
It seems to me that if common sense prevails, it will be possible to agree on an acceptable solution to end this conflict,” he stated prior to threatening: “If not, then we will have to resolve all our tasks militarily.”
As usual, Putin continued by listing Russia’s maximalist demands, one of which was for Kyiv’s authorities to stop discriminating against ethnic Russians.
Putin cited this as a reason for his full-scale invasion of the neighbour in February 2022. Putin appeared to make fun of the mere notion of meeting Zelensky, something Trump had claimed he was prepared for.
“I’ve never said that such a meeting is impossible. But what’s the point? In Beijing, Putin stated, “Let’s see.”
He added Zelensky could always visit him in Moscow, which Ukraine’s foreign minister quickly pointed out was a “knowingly unacceptable” proposition.
President Macron implied last week that Putin was “playing” Trump. The US president “has not ruled out any further action, including economic measures, to put more pressure on Putin,” John Healey emphasised.
As members of the Coalition of the Willing, countries such as the United Kingdom are prepared to exert additional economic pressure on Putin. We are prepared to provide Ukraine with additional assistance so that they can continue to fight.
This explains why we passed £1 billion ($1.24 billion) in confiscated Russian assets today, which were then recycled into military supplies and equipment for Ukraine.
Putin’s shady funds were returned, if you will, with interest.The proposed agreement calls for Ukraine’s own army to continue receiving supplies and training.
In order to prevent any further Russian aggression, it also calls for the deployment of European troops to Ukraine, albeit in an undisclosed quantity.
This would serve as a warning that Ukraine can rely on its partners’ “full solidarity and… commitment,” according to the Élysée source.
It “falls to the Americans who are negotiating with the Russians” to ensure a ceasefire, which is necessary for such a deployment. When pressed, John Healey declined to provide specifics “because that will only make Putin wiser.”
Italy and other alliance countries have so far refused to send troops to Ukraine to oversee any future peace efforts.
According to a German government spokesperson who spoke to the BBC, the current top priority is persuading Russia to accept a ceasefire, something Putin has repeatedly refused.
During their summit in Alaska last month, President Trump pressured Putin for that. He then came out and cited Putin’s claim that reaching a final agreement would be a better approach to end the conflict.
Meanwhile, the frequency and scope of Russia’s aircraft attacks have increased. Ukraine reported that it had destroyed 84 drones overnight into Thursday, but that 17 sites had been struck nationwide.
One of the bloodiest attacks since Russia’s full-scale invasion occurred last week when a Russian missile struck a block of apartments in Kyiv, killing 22 people, including four children. Photographs and a pile of plush toys can now be found in the ruins.
Residents emerge from broken stairways carrying bundles of dust-covered clothing and potted plants that miraculously survived the attack.Others stand a few paces away, gazing at the wreckage.
A teenage female claimed that when the first missile struck, the bomb shelter filled with smoke, so she had fled that morning. Her sister was murdered when a second struck the other side of the street.
The only reason Ihor Maharynsky survived was because he wasn’t in town that evening. Natalia, his wife, was unable to reach the refuge because she was in their fifth-floor apartment. In the mortuary, he had to identify her body.
Glancing around at a nearby technical college and parking lot, he demanded, “What kind of strategic target is there here?” “There’s nothing.” Ihor sees absolutely no chance of peace with Russia at this time.
Additionally, like many Ukrainians, he is incensed at Donald Trump for giving Alaska preferential treatment last month in support of Vladimir Putin.
SOURCE: BBC News
