UK’s Shapps says UK stands firm on Ukraine support, dismisses peace deal speculation
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps assured that Britain would never pressure Ukraine to surrender its territory, emphasizing that such a decision lies solely with the Ukrainian government, despite the reports that a UK Cabinet member discussed a potential peace deal with former US President Donald Trump.
UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps vowed that Britain will not force Ukraine to accept a peace deal with Russia, following a Sunday Times report that the British Foreign Secretary David Cameron voiced the idea of a potential deal between Russia and Ukraine to the former US President Donald Trump, according to Politico.
Cameron allegedly told Trump, “What are the best conditions in which you as president can make a deal in January? It’s both sides holding their lines and paying a price for that,” according to a “senior source” cited by the Sunday Times.
Shapps insisted that his government would never pressure Ukraine into relinquishing territory, Politico reports.
“That’s a decision entirely for Ukraine,” Shapps told Times Radio Tuesday as per Politico.
Shapps emphasized that it is highly unlikely for Russian President Vladimir Putin to emerge victorious in the ongoing war, stressing the significance of preventing such an outcome, according to Politico.
Cameron’s meeting with Trump earlier this year aimed to persuade the Republican ex-president to support further military assistance for Ukraine amid opposition within his own party.
“It’s right that we provide both the military assistance and the moral clarity that it is always unacceptable for an autocrat to walk into a neighboring democratic country,” Shapps told the BBC.
On 12 January 2024, Ukraine and the UK signed a bilateral security agreement involving mutual defense commitments and specifying military aid from the UK to Ukraine, totaling $3.1 billion for 2024.
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