Britain has rejected French overtures for a month-long ceasefire in Ukraine as a minister warned a temporary halt in fighting could give Russia an opportunity to regroup and attack again.
UK Armed Forces Secretary Luke Pollard said various options were being considered but stressed no plan had been finalised after French President Emmanuel Macron said his country and Britain supported the idea of a limited ceasefire.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called an emergency summit of European leaders at the weekend as allies seek a solution to the recent Oval Office row between Donald Trump, JD Vance and Volodymyr Zelensky.
The British prime minister is expected to update MPs on his meeting with the US president in Washington last week and his discussions with European counterparts over the weekend.
Speaking to reporters on Monday morning, Mr Pollard distanced himself from reports that the summit had discussed a Franco-British proposal for a month-long truce, including air and sea space and attacks on critical infrastructure.
“There was no agreement on what the ceasefire would look like, so I can't confirm the part you mentioned,” he told Times Radio.
However, he appeared to suggest that military deployments to Ukraine from European countries could be possible even without the US support sought by the British prime minister and his allies.
Asked about the possibility of sending troops to Kyiv with or without an American guarantee, he replied: “Military deployments are possible. But it is important that we strive for a strong and lasting peace.
“And here it’s really important to recognize the difference between a short-term pause that might be possible to achieve but that would not provide a sustainable peace, because President Zelensky and the Ukrainians are genuinely concerned that such a pause would simply allow Russian forces to recuperate, rearm, regroup, and attack again.”
His words appear to contradict the views of Eleonore Carua, a member of the French National Assembly from the Renaissance party and vice-president of the British Foreign Affairs Committee.
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the plans for a ceasefire in Ukraine sent a “very strong signal” and showed that “if we want it, we can do something”.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
