UK Foreign Office: Russia is not ready for serious talks, we are waiting for a year
3 August 07:14
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is not ready for serious negotiations on peace in Ukraine because he still has maximalist ambitions.
This was stated by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing his interview with The Guardian.
In particular, he was asked “where the war will be in a year’s time,” to which he replied:
“In my sober assessment, Putin is not ready for serious negotiations. He still has maximalist and imperialist ambitions. The battle that Ukraine is fighting, with the support of the UK, Europe and America, is enormous,” the British Foreign Secretary said.
He added that, in his opinion, negotiations will resume in a year. The only question is “how seriously Russia takes these talks.”
Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia
In May 2025, direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia resumed in Istanbul to end the war.
Although the issue of ending hostilities does not seem so close, the parties have reached humanitarian agreements, including the return of prisoners.
It should be noted that three rounds of talks have already taken place between the parties, and at the third meeting, the Ukrainian delegation proposed to the Russian side to hold a meeting of the leaders by the end of August.
A few months ago, Kremlin head Vladimir Putin said he was ready to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but only at the final stage. He added that he would not sign any documents with Zelenskyy.
On August 1, he said that Russia was supposedly ready to negotiate an end to the war, while Putin emphasized that he wanted to end the war on the terms announced in 2024. These include Ukraine’s neutral status, the withdrawal of the Armed Forces from Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions, and more.
