British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that any negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv are essentially meaningless while Russian troops remain on Ukrainian soil.
“It is clear that a unilateral call for a ceasefire by Russia has no real footing in the current circumstances. That would be the wrong move,” he argued.
“A ceasefire would allow Russia to regroup and bolster its forces. There can be no meaningful negotiation unless troops withdraw from the occupied areas,” he added.
Sunak emphasized the Western coalition’s shared resolve: Ukraine will continue to receive comprehensive support in the future. “And that’s primarily because our safety is closely linked to theirs,” the prime minister noted.
In 2023 the United Kingdom pledged to provide at least £2.3 billion for Kyiv’s needs. “I hope others will also step up to sustain strong support,” he said with a sense of urgency.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has already responded to Sunak’s remarks.
“British politicians are often seen as hypocritical. Here stands a young prime minister with a surname lightly associated with Albion: there can be no negotiations until Russia withdraws its troops from Ukrainian territory. And that remains a fact,” Medvedev wrote on social media. He also mocked the British stance by referencing historical disputes and urged them to address the issue more seriously.
“We will have to wait”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said he does not foresee a near-term path to negotiations.
“I am not optimistic about the immediate prospect of effective peace talks. The conflict is likely to continue, and meaningful discussions may take time to materialize,” he stated.
With Moscow and Kyiv not yet at the negotiating table, the United Nations is concentrating on other critical aspects of the crisis, including accelerating humanitarian corridors, ensuring the efficient flow of grain from Ukrainian ports, and prioritizing prisoner exchanges.
At the same time, Guterres expressed cautious hope that a termination to the conflict could still occur within 2023. “When I said I did not see a chance for peace talks in the short term, I did not mean the entire year,” the secretary-general commented.
“Long Term Demand Signal”
On the eve of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s remarks, the discussion centered on the impact of supplying weapons to meet Ukraine’s needs and how such support might influence negotiation dynamics between Kyiv and Moscow. Stoltenberg warned that President Vladimir Putin may eventually recognize that battlefield gains are unsustainable. He indicated that Russia appears prepared for a protracted conflict and renewed strikes.
The NATO chief noted that the alliance has increased arms production to replenish stocks and support the Ukrainian military. He added that NATO will provide a long-term signal of demand to the weapons industry to sustain production and supply chains during the extended phase of the war.
“I don’t know what to discuss”
The day before, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky weighed in on the prospects for negotiations. He said some groups were proposing to sit down at the table, but he questioned what there would be to discuss. In his view, Russia seeks a world aligned with its own vision, while Ukraine maintains a fundamentally different approach.
Zelensky also expressed skepticism about dialogue between Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron, suggesting that Macron’s talks with Putin were unlikely to yield meaningful results.