During an urgent questions in the House of Commons, James Wild MP called on the government to ensure that any future negotiations on Ukraine’s security are meaningful and put its sovereignty at the heart of decision making. He warned against repeating past mistakes, which failed to achieve long term peace.
His question comes as talks between Russia and the United States gain attention, with President Donald Trump claiming he and Vladimir Putin had agreed to “work together, very closely” to end the conflict. This has subsequently raised concerns about Ukraine potentially being sidelined from the decision-making process, undermining its sovereign capability to steer its own security agenda.
James’ question was also particularly timely, as it has followed the UK’s recent leadership in convening the 26th Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels on 12th February. The meeting, held at NATO Headquarters, brought together representatives from over 50 allies and partners to discuss long-term security solutions and reinforce international support for Ukraine.
Emphasising the importance of long-term peace and Ukraine’s sovereignty, James Wild MP said:
Given Putin’s illegal invasion and declared intent, does the government agree that any negotiations must result in a sovereign Ukraine and the UK will play its part in providing security guarantees that are meaningful, unlike those in the past as that is crucial to security a last peace?
In response, the Minister of State said:
He’s right that security guarantees are likely to be an important part of any peace agreement given the past history. We have a 100 year partnership with Ukraine, we’re committed to ensuring that they can defend their sovereign capability to continue to exist and so whilst it’s too early to talk about any details of what those security guarantees might be, we are very committed to making sure that Ukraine continues as an independent state.
