JOHANNESBURG:
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated on Thursday that Russia shows no real interest in pursuing peace with Ukraine, following remarks by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a closed-door G20 meeting in South Africa.
Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the gathering of top diplomats from the world’s largest economies, Lammy emphasized that divisions over the Ukraine conflict continue to overshadow discussions.
“We are nowhere close to a negotiated settlement,” he said when asked whether the UK would consider supporting the deployment of peacekeepers to Ukraine without security assurances from the United States.
“After hearing Lavrov’s statements today, I see no real willingness from Russia to engage in meaningful peace efforts,” he added.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had earlier affirmed during a European leaders’ summit in Paris that U.S. security guarantees remain essential for lasting peace in Ukraine. He also noted that it was premature to determine the number of British peacekeeping troops that could be sent.
While European leaders discussed the possibility of deploying peacekeepers at the summit, no agreement was reached. However, they committed to strengthening their defense capabilities amid growing concerns over the Trump administration’s stance on Ukraine, which increasingly aligns with Moscow’s position.
