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| Photo/PA media. |
US Vice-President JD Vance and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy are convening a meeting of high-ranking security officials near London to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Earlier on Saturday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, emphasizing the importance of the meeting as a vital forum for discussing peace efforts.
Zelensky has firmly said that he will not concede any territory to Russia ahead of an upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the future of the war will be a key topic.
Trump has previously indicated that Ukraine might need to relinquish land to achieve peace, a notion that has sparked concern given the war's toll since Russia's invasion in February 2022. The meeting is reportedly taking place at Chevening, Lammy's official residence in Kent, at the request of the US, and will include senior security officials from the US, Ukraine, and Europe.
As Trump and Putin prepare to meet in Alaska on August 15, discussions about territorial compromises continue, with Trump indicating that some land exchanges could benefit both sides. However, Zelensky remains resolute, asserting on social media that Ukrainians will not surrender their land to occupiers and insisting that Ukraine must play a central role in any peace negotiations.
"We stand prepared, alongside President Trump and all our partners, to strive for a genuine and, most crucially, enduring peace—one that won't falter due to Moscow's desires."
This has always been a concern for Ukraine and numerous European allies—Trump and Putin potentially negotiating a deal in the absence of Ukraine.
In a post on X this past Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that Ukraine's future cannot be determined without the involvement of Ukrainians and cautioned that "Europeans will also inevitably be part of the solution, as their own security is at risk."
While Trump's rhetoric regarding Russia may have become more resolute in recent months, Ukraine has yet to see these words translate into concrete actions.
On Friday, the deadline set by the US president for Russia to agree to a ceasefire or face additional sanctions elapsed without any visible repercussions.