Britain and allies ready to support Ukraine before and after the peace deal

The United Kingdom and its allies are ready to support Ukraine before negotiations to end the war, as well as to ensure a possible peaceful deal, says the UK Defense Minister.

On the eve of the highest level meeting in Paris, John Heli told the BBC in Kiev that the allies of Ukraine would “help make the sky safe, to make the seas safe and to secure the earth” after reaching a peaceful deal.

But before, Russian President Vladimir Putin had conveyed a challenging message from China, promising that his full invasion could continue.

Heli suggested that there was a blush, according to Putin, insisting that Russia was under pressure. He also praised US President Donald Trump, who said he “put Putin in conversations” and “did not close any opportunities”, despite the widespread criticism of the warm welcome that Trump gave to the Russian leader last month in Alaska.

On Tuesday, Trump said he was “disappointed” in Putin, but he said it before. He also threatened to punish the Russian leader for the obvious refusal to end the war – or even meet with the President of Ukraine Volodimir Zelenski for peace talks.

Asked Wednesday whether the war in Ukraine could end soon, Putin said “there is a certain light at the end of the tunnel.”

“It seems to me that if a common sense prevails, it will be possible to agree on an acceptable decision to end this conflict,” he said, before threatening, “If not, then we will have to solve all our tasks military.”

He continued to list Russia’s maximalist demands as usual – including for the Kiev authorities to end what he called discrimination against ethnic Russians – one of the allegations mentioned as the pretext of the full -scale invasion of a neighbor, which he started in February 2022.

As for the meeting with Zelenski, Putin seems to make fun of the idea – which Trump said he was ready.

“I have never ruled out the possibility of such a meeting. But is there any sense? Let’s see,” Putin said in Beijing.

Zelenski could always go to Moscow to see it, he said – a “consciously unacceptable” idea, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine quickly pointed out.

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that Putin was playing “Trump.

But John Heli stressed that the US President “had no further action, including economic measures, to put more on Putin.”

“We, in the coalition of those wishing nations like the United Kingdom, are ready to provide additional economic pressure on Putin. We are ready to give additional help to Ukraine so that they can be preserved in the battle.

“That is why today we have gone £ 1 billion ($ 1.24 billion) seized Russian assets recycled in military care and a kit to Ukraine. If you wish, Putin’s dirty money returned with interest.”

On Thursday, Macron will host a meeting of that so -called coalition of desire – grouping allies of Ukraine, committed to applying any peace transaction.

A source at élysée, Macron’s office, said the group was already ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, only in anticipation of US confirmation that it would act as the best back.

The proposed transaction involves the continuation of the training and supply of Ukraine’s own army.

It also envisages the European troops to be located in Ukraine – in unspecified numbers – to deter every future of Russian aggression – a signal that Ukraine can rely on its allies “complete solidarity and … commitment,” said Elise’s source.

Such deployment will need to end the fire, the responsibility for which “falls to the Americans who negotiate with the Russians.”

John Heli declined to give details, although he was pressed, “because it will make Putin the wiser.”

The German government also plays expectations for every big message at the Thursday meeting.

So far, like Italy and other members of the coalition, Berlin has ruled out the sending of soldiers to Ukraine to the police to every future peace on the spot.

A spokesman for the German government told the BBC that the priority for now is to make Russia agree to cease fire – which Putin constantly rejects.

President Trump pressed Putin for this during their Alaska meeting last month, after which he appeared to quote Putin’s argument that finding a final deal would be a better outcome from the conflict.

Meanwhile, Russia’s air attacks have increased both in frequency and scale. On Wednesday night, more than Russian 500 drones and 24 cruise missiles were fired in Ukraine.

Throughout the country, as the civilians sheltered in basements or in the subway, the air defense weapons went to work.

As usual, the government did not say if any military goals were affected, but the impact on civilians was often detrimental.

Last week, a Russian rocket struck a block of apartments in Kiev, killing 22 people, including four children, in one of the deadliest blows after the full invasion of Russia.

Now there are a pile of stuffed toys in the ruins and photos.

From destroyed staircases, residents come out with pot plants and bags of dust -covered clothing that have somehow survived. A few steps, others stand and stare at the remains.

A teenager said she left the bomb shelter that morning because she was filled with smoke after the first rocket stroke. Then a second landed through the road and her sister was killed.

Ihor Maharinski only survived because he was out of town that evening. His wife, Natalia, was in their apartment on the fifth floor and did not reach the shelter. He had to identify her body in the morgue.

“What strategic goal is here?” he asked, looking at a parking lot and a technical college nearby. “There is nothing.”

At the moment, Ihor does not see the perspective of peace with Russia at all.

And like many Ukrainians, he is furious in Donald Trump for the deployment of the red carpet in Alaska last month for Vladimir Putin.

“Peaceful conversations with Putin? With this ****?” Ihor wanted to know, with a series of specimens. “Peaceful people die.”