British Foreign Minister David Lammy, after listening to the speech of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a closed meeting of G20 foreign ministers in South Africa, stated that he does not see Russia's desire for peace with Ukraine, according to Reuters.
“I must say that when I listen to what the Russians and what Lavrov (Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov - IF-U) just said in the chamber today, I do not see any desire to actually achieve peace,” he said.
When asked whether the UK would support the deployment of peacekeepers in Ukraine under any circumstances without security guarantees from the US, Lammy replied, “We have not moved closer to a negotiated settlement.”
It is noted that the meeting of foreign ministers from the world's largest economies was overshadowed by disputes among its participants regarding the war in Ukraine.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated on Monday at a meeting of European leaders in Paris that US security commitments are the only way to ensure lasting peace in Ukraine, and it is too early to discuss how many British peacekeeping forces he might send.
European leaders discussed but did not reach an agreement on the deployment of peacekeepers at this meeting, but promised to enhance their defense capabilities, writes Reuters.
According to Lammy, this is a “critical moment,” and it is very important for Europe to increase defense spending to strengthen its commitment to defense across Europe. He confirmed the UK’s goal to spend 2.5% of GDP on defense, promising support for Ukraine.
“We are committed to providing Ukraine with £3 billion a year for as long as the war continues,” he assured.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/uks-lammy-sees-no-russian-appetite-peace-with-ukraine-g20-2025-02-20/