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British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said that Russia is not demonstrating genuine intentions to hold peace talks with Ukraine. He said this during his visit to Kyiv on 5 February.
“Right now, we don’t see Russia being serious about negotiations and serious about peace. And the conditions put forward by Putin last year were not any basis on which a sovereign country could be seriously expected to start negotiations,” Lemmy said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga.
He noted that the United Kingdom was at the forefront of providing Ukraine with the necessary military capabilities. “We did what was required. And that is why we are the first country to sign a 100-year partnership with Ukraine. And it is a partnership in which we intend to work with Ukraine to continue to build its innovative defence capabilities,” the minister added.
The British Foreign Secretary also outlined the conditions for a future peace that would make further Russian aggression impossible. “I have no doubt that when we do achieve peace, and we will one day achieve that peace, you will expect to see the United Kingdom, of course, playing its full part to make sure that Putin does not come back. It has to be a lasting peace. And the United Kingdom is very clear about that,” the diplomat assured.
