Downing Street has expressed support for U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to negotiate peace in Ukraine but issued a stark warning about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trustworthiness ahead of the planned Alaska summit between the two leaders.
As Trump prepares to meet Putin on Friday to discuss the future of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK government reaffirmed its backing for Ukraine and European nations while cautioning against placing blind trust in Moscow, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“Never trust President Putin as far as you could throw him, but we obviously will support Ukraine,” said the Prime Minister’s official spokesman on Monday. “We will support President Trump and European nations as we enter these negotiations.”
The UK emphasized that peace talks must not simply allow Putin to pause, regroup, and restart hostilities. Instead, the focus is on securing a ceasefire backed by robust enforcement.
Downing Street highlighted ongoing planning for a so-called “coalition of the willing,” a European-led peacekeeping force aimed at monitoring any future ceasefire in Ukraine. Operational military planning is reportedly advancing, with little left to finalize.
This comes amid Kyiv’s concerns about potentially being sidelined in peace talks. European leaders, including UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, have stressed that Ukraine must be central to any negotiations.
In a joint statement, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland, and the European Commission affirmed:
“Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force.”
President Trump has indicated that any peace deal may involve territorial “swaps,” with reports suggesting Ukraine could be pressured to cede the Donetsk region. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly rejected such proposals, underscoring that Ukraine’s constitution forbids compromising its territorial integrity.
Zelensky warned that Putin seeks to “exchange a pause in the war for the legalization of the occupation of our land,” calling it “a second attempt to partition Ukraine” and warning of further aggression if concessions are made.
