UK aided Ukraine and US in securing ceasefire deal – sources

According to UK government sources, the UK was "intimately involved" in assisting Ukraine and the United States in reaching an agreement on a planned truce with Russia.

Ukrainian President Zelensky has stated that he is willing to accept an immediate 30-day truce but that it is up to the US to persuade Russia to agree following negotiations in Saudi Arabia.

 

According to the BBC, there has been a concerted European effort over the past week, coordinated by Sir Keir Starmer, to restore good relations between the United States and Ukraine.

 

Sir Keir commended the "remarkable breakthrough" and described it as an "important moment for peace in Ukraine."

According to UK sources, this week, the prime minister's National Security Adviser, Jonathan Powell, collaborated with his US counterpart, Mike Waltz, as well as German and French officials, to develop a strategy for a ceasefire and the actions that could follow.

 

Powell traveled to Kyiv over the weekend to meet with Zelensky and help craft a formal proposal that included a brief break in hostilities, followed by confidence-building measures such as an exchange of prisoners of war, the return of Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia, and the release of civilians.

 

That idea was accepted by both the Ukrainians and the Americans, laying the groundwork for what occurred in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

The Saudi conversations were the first since the dramatic confrontation in the Oval Office.

In a joint statement released on Tuesday, the Trump administration declared that it would resume military aid to Ukraine and information cooperation with Kyiv, which had been suddenly halted following their disagreement.

 

Following the negotiations between White House and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, Sir Keir commended the two men on their agreement, saying that "we now all need to redouble our efforts" to reach a peace accord for Ukraine.

He said, "As both the American and Ukrainian delegations have stated, the ball is now in Russia's court.  Russia must immediately agree to a cease-fire and put an end to the conflict."

Trump told reporters that US officials would discuss the arrangement with Moscow late on Tuesday or Wednesday in order to "get this show on the road."

 

On Saturday, Sir Keir will convene a phone call with leaders he has called the "coalition of the willing" to discuss peacekeeping operations aimed at discouraging Russian President Vladimir Putin from undertaking future incursions in Ukraine.

 

Those who have joined the appeal are "prepared to help bring an end to this war in a just and permanent way that allows Ukraine to enjoy its freedom," he stated.

 

One goal of the European forces working behind the scenes has been to ensure that Russia is now the focus: does it want peace?

According to a UK insider, "the ball is firmly in Russia's court."  Will they reciprocate and halt the war to allow for meaningful talks on a long-term peace, or will they continue to massacre innocent civilians?

 

Since Russia invaded Ukraine just over three years ago, it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people, primarily troops, have been dead or injured on both sides, and millions of Ukrainian citizens have fled as refugees.