Lammy to meet western allies in Munich as Trump touts Ukraine peace talks
David Lammy is set to meet G7 allies on Friday as the West reels from Donald Trump’s telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin.
The Foreign Secretary will travel to the Munich Security Conference, where he is expected to attend a G7 meeting and a dinner with his counterparts from the US, France, Italy and Germany – the so-called “Quint”.
But while he may have expected to discuss the Middle East and migration as well as European security, it will be Ukraine that features at the top of the conference agenda as Europe responds to Mr Trump’s discussion of a peace deal with the Russian president.
The US president reversed American policy on Wednesday, announcing he had spoken to Mr Putin and agreed to “work together, very closely” to end the conflict in Ukraine that began with the Russian invasion three years ago.
Although he had initially appeared non-committal about involving Ukraine in talks about its future, Mr Trump said on Thursday that it would have a seat at the table.
But in comments to journalists in the Oval Office, he insisted that he could “trust” Mr Putin and said he would like to see Russia readmitted to the G7.
Crimea
The country was kicked out of the then-G8 in 2014 over its invasion of Crimea.
Western leaders, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, had insisted throughout Thursday that Ukraine must be fully involved in any peace negotiation, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying he could not accept “any agreements (made) without us”.
The US has suggested that as part of a peace deal, Ukraine must accept it will have to give up some territory to Russia, and that Nato membership is not a realistic prospect.
But Nato’s official position – endorsed by Sir Keir’s Government in the UK/Ukraine 100-year partnership – is that Kyiv is on an “irreversible” path to joining the alliance.
Questions remain about what concessions Russia would have to make in any deal, with former MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger saying Ukraine had been asked to make “some very, very hefty concessions… without much being asked for in return”.
Nato meeting
As well as his meetings with the G7 and the Quint, Mr Lammy is expected to take part in an event on Ukraine and meet representatives from European, Middle Eastern and North American nations.
Mr Lammy will be joined by the Defence Secretary, John Healey, who has already attended a Nato meeting and chaired a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group this week.
That meeting saw US defence secretary Pete Hegseth announce America was no longer “primarily focused” on guaranteeing European security, leading to calls from some European capitals for greater spending on defence.
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I hope the NGOs are counting the deaths around the world due to Plague Trwmp, which will likely kill as many as Covid did in a similar time-frame…@Lemmy not Lammy…
Trump and the complicit GOP have thrown the UK and Europe under the Russian bus. Time to knuckle down for four years and stop buying US products from red states. Heck. Hesgeth has never taken part in International talks and we knew his mo, his background, claims against him from young women, you should not be surprised.
Comes to something that Trump is attacking its traditional allies and sucking up to dictator’s. I hope that trump is never invited to the UK. Not welcome, apart from the simpering Tory party and farage who seem to like abusers.
Trwmp cometh…Last time he came, on the day he arrived, I entered Barclodiad y Gawres passage grave on Ynys Mon to be greeted by several young Americans and the cry we have the magic key Welcome…I excused myself and left that instant? I think the ‘old gods’ were trying to tell me something…
Trump does not have a veto on whether Ukraine becomes a member of Nato. There is no country by country voting on that matter. Designed that way because the political governance of each and every country changes over time, the nature of the beast. Membership depends on stuff like democracy, and adhering to the rules of membership. As for territorial agreements with other powers, in this instance, it relies wholy within the remit of the government of Ukraine. War cannot be done by proxy, nor can any peace. Lubricant is useful but does not fuel the engine.
I hope Europe and the UK remembers this the next time the US suffers another devastating attack. Don’t bother triggering Article 5 because your on your own. Europe, UK and Canada need to forms their own security bracket. Sadly though the UK will continue to back the US like a lapdog.
Putin reportedly hit Chernobyl today. Testing the limits. Whats next.
It doesn’t surprise me that Trump suggests that Ukraine must cede some territory to Russia in any peace deal. The interests of Ukraine will hardy feature in his deliberations with Putin, for Trump’s enormous ego means he is likely to agree to Russian proposals so that he is credited for ending the war. As Russia is by far the biggest country in the world (6.6 m sq mls) just how much more territory does Putin want? Amazingly, Trump trusts Putin. How can anyone trust someone who has any serious opposition either incarcerated or assassinated or both and has presidential elections… Read more »
…yet Trump deluded himself as having ” common sense”!! Perhaps he should move to Russia as he has such admiration for Putin and what he has done to Ukraine? If he thinks Putin will stop there then he is more devoid of common sense that he gives himself credit for!!