Trump can persuade Putin to enter Ukraine peace talks, UK defence chief says

UK Defence Secretary John Healey insists that US President Donald Trump is capable of convincing Russian leader Vladimir Putin to begin peace negotiations on Ukraine, even though no progress has been achieved so far.

When asked by POLITICO whether securing a ceasefire in Ukraine would be more difficult than in Gaza, Healey replied that the two wars cannot be compared, with one exception.

“President Trump is the figure that can bring Putin to the table, that can potentially deliver an end to the fighting,” he said.

Healey also underlined that the work of the coalition of volunteer allies committed to ensuring Ukraine’s security in the event of a ceasefire was being “regularly refreshed so that we can genuinely feel we’re ready at the point of peace, whenever that comes, to step in and help secure that.”

The coalition’s headquarters is now operational in Paris and includes senior British military personnel.

Healey issued his remarks after a Joint Expeditionary Force meeting in Bodø, where members signed a new partnership agreement with Ukraine.

Putin has remained unmoved since a planned meeting with Trump in Hungary was cancelled, and the US president imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies. Tensions between Washington and Moscow have since escalated, with both sides threatening to resume nuclear weapons testing.

During his recent talks with Xi Jinping, Trump said China and the United States are working together to end the war in Ukraine, but added that “sometimes, you have to let them fight.”

By Jeyhun Aghazada