Putin can’t be trusted, UK warns ahead of Alaska talks

Sir Keir Starmer has warned that Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted “as far as you could throw him” and that any peace deal must not be imposed on Ukraine.

- KATE DEVLIN

As Donald Trump prepares to meet the Russian president in Alaska on Friday, Downing Street said Britain would stand with Kyiv until there was a “just” peace. It came after Britain and its European allies rallied in support of Ukraine at the weekend when a defiant Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Mr Trump's suggestion that a deal to end the war may involve giving up large amounts of territory to Moscow.

Mr Zelensky insisted Ukraine “will not give Russia any awards for what it has done” and that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier”. Downing Street did not rule out that land could be ceded, but said any decision on that was one for Ukraine.

Last night, Mr Trump said that Kyiv and Moscow will both have to cede land to end the war and talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin this week will instantly show whether the Kremlin leader is willing to make a deal.

European leaders and the Ukrainian president plan to speak with Mr Trump ahead of his summit with Putin in Alaska on Friday, amid fears Washington may dictate unfavourable peace terms to Ukraine.

Mr Trump told a White House press conference of his talks with Putin, “This is really a feel-out meeting.” He said he would know “probably in the first two minutes” whether progress was possible.

“I’m going to be telling him, 'You've got to end this war,'” he said.