British officials are said to be furious at Donald Trump’s attempt to negotiate peace in Ukraine with Vladimir Putin over fears Kyiv could be sidelined.
Defence secretary John Healey robustly pushed back against the possibility of doing a peace deal without the inclusion of Kyiv, warning that “Ukraine’s voice must be at the heart of any talks”.
Meanwhile, insiders at the Ministry of Defence are said to be furious, with a source at the department telling the BBC: “They are going above Zelensky’s head – the bastards are going to do this.”
It came after Mr Trump announced he and Russian president Putin had agreed to start negotiations on ending the war following a “lengthy and highly productive phone call” between the two leaders.
Issuing the first official UK response to the proposal as Nato allies gathered in Brussels, Mr Healey said: “We’ve seen the calls from President Trump overnight and we all want to see a durable peace and no return to conflict and aggression – and let’s not forget, Russia remains a threat well beyond Ukraine.
“So my message in these discussions will be that there can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine and Ukraine’s voice must be at the heart of any talks.
“Ukrainians are fighting bravely. It’s our jobs. It’s our job as defence ministers here at Nato, to put them in the best position to secure a lasting peace through strength.”
The US has suggested that as part of a peace deal Ukraine must accept it will have to give up some territory to Russia and Nato membership is not a realistic prospect.
But Nato’s official position – endorsed by Sir Keir Starmer’s government in the UK-Ukraine 100-year partnership – is that Kyiv is on an irreversible path to joining the alliance.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook pushed back against any suggestion that Ukraine should abandon hopes of driving Russia out of all of its territory, insisting it is for Kyiv to decide when to enter peace talks with Moscow “and on what terms”.
Asked if he agrees with US defence chief Pete Hegseth’s suggestion that Ukraine retrieving its pre-2014 border is unrealistic, Mr Pennycook told Times Radio: “No, I don’t think so, and that’s precisely why we’ve stepped up and stood behind Ukraine in its fight for freedom and as a means of bolstering European security.
“But I think, I think the important point to your listeners is Ukrainians are still fighting and dying as we speak.
“Ultimately, it is for them to decide when they start talking and on what terms.
“As I said, our focus is ensuring they’re in the strongest possible position if they do decide to engage in those talks.”
But Mr Hegseth denied that Mr Trump’s peace talks with Russia are a betrayal of Kyiv.
“There is no betrayal there. There is a recognition that the whole world and the United States is invested and interested in peace, a negotiated peace, as president Trump has said, stopping the killing. And so that will require both sides recognising things they don’t want to”, he told journalists ahead of Thursday’s NATO meeting.
The MoD has been contacted for comment.
