Britain is concerned that the United States, France and Germany will push Ukraine to “settle” and make significant concessions in peace talks with Russia, The Times has been told.
A senior government source said there were concerns that allies were “over-eager” to secure an early peace deal, adding that a settlement should be reached only when Ukraine is in the strongest possible position.
In a phone call at the weekend, Boris Johnson warned President Zelensky that President Putin was a “liar and a bully” who would use talks to “wear you down and force you to make concessions”. Zelensky is also understood to have raised concerns about the progress of the talks and whether Moscow was exploiting them to reposition and strengthen its forces.
“Some of our allies may be too eager for him [Zelensky] to settle,” a government source said, referring to France, Germany and the US. “We think Ukraine needs to be in the strongest possible position militarily before those talks can take place.”
The source said that this could lead to significant concessions on territory, sanctions and the pursuit of Putin as a potential war criminal.
• The latest pictures, maps and video from the war
Advertisement
Ministers believe that there must not be an “easy off-ramp” for Putin, while Johnson has said that he wants allies to intensify sanctions until all Russian forces have left Ukraine, including Crimea.
Zelensky has previously accused Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, of “mistakes” in his dealings with the Kremlin and said that President Macron of France is afraid of Russia. Putin has demanded recognition for Crimea, which was illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. He also wants a new status for Russian-backed separatist regimes in the breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine.
In other developments:
• Putin backed down on his threat to cut off gas supplies to Europe unless they were paid for in Russian roubles.
• The city of Mariupol is likely to fall to Russian forces in a matter of days, American analysts believe.
• Russian troops are pulling out of Chernobyl after soldiers suffered radiation sickness digging trenches in contaminated soil.
Advertisement
• The head of French military intelligence has been dismissed amid claims that his agency failed to predict the invasion of Ukraine.
• Britain has sanctioned a further 14 Russians, including a general known as the “Butcher of Mariupol”.
Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are due to resume today but there is little optimism that an agreement will be reached. Mario Draghi, the Italian prime minister, said Putin had told him during a phone call that the time “was not yet ripe” for a meeting with Zelensky, adding that the conditions “did not exist” for halting military action. Putin is said to have claimed that “small steps had been taken in the talks”, but Draghi expressed caution. “Zelensky’s willingness to initiate peace has always been total; the problem is whether Russia also wants peace. So far the facts suggest there is no such desire,” he said.
Zelensky maintains that peace can be achieved only by direct talks between himself and Putin. He told the Belgian parliament yesterday that achieving a deal was more important than the trade in Russian diamonds.
“There are those for whom Russian diamonds that are sometimes sold in Antwerp are more important,” Zelensky said in a video address. “Peace is more valuable than diamonds, than Russian ships in the ports, than oil and gas — so help us.” Last year Belgium imported €1.8 billion of rough diamonds from Russia.
Nato said Russia’s claims that it would reduce its assault on Kyiv and northern Ukraine were lies and that Moscow was preparing for a new offensive. Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general, cautioned that western allies “can only judge Russia on its actions, not its words”. He said: “According to our intelligence, Russian units are not withdrawing but repositioning. Russia is trying to regroup, resupply and reinforce its offensive in the Donbas region. At the same time, Russia maintains pressure on Kyiv and other cities. So we can expect additional offensive actions bringing even more suffering.”
Advertisement
Britain will send Ukraine so-called loitering munitions similar to the “kamikaze” Switchblade drones given to its military by the United States, sources told The Times.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the head of Britain’s armed forces, said that Putin had already “lost” the war through a series of “catastrophic misjudgments”. He said that Russian officers had taken soldiers into combat without their knowledge, describing the tactic as “insane” and “morally bankrupt”.
President Biden said that Putin may have placed some of his advisers under house arrest. He said: “He seems to be self-isolated and there’s some indication that he has fired or put under house arrest some of his advisers.”
