US Vice-President JD Vance and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy have hosted a meeting of security officials near London to discuss the war in Ukraine.
The talks are said to have been called at the request of the US.
The pair were joined by Ukrainian officials and European national security advisers, with Lammy saying the “UK’s support for Ukraine remains ironclad as we continue working towards a just and lasting peace”.
It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed he will make no territorial concessions to Russia, ahead of a summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week.
Saturday’s meeting was held at Chevening, Lammy’s official country residence in Kent, where Vance and his family are staying.
Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, and Andriy Yermak, the head of Zelensky’s office, attended the talks along with officials representing the UK, US, EU, France, Germany, Italy, Finland and Nato.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before the meeting, and said they agreed it would be a “vital forum” to discuss progress towards peace.
Trump and Putin are set to meet on 15 August to discuss the future of the war.
Trump signalled Ukraine may have to cede territory to end the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Speaking on a potential peace deal, Trump said on Friday that there “will be some swapping of territories, to the betterment of both”.
“You’re looking at territory that’s been fought over for three and a half years, a lot of Russians have died. A lot of Ukrainians have died,” he said.
Late on Saturday night, several European leaders issued a joint statement reaffirming their support of Ukraine and insisting that it must be involved in any peace talks.
“The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine,” said the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny.”
They added that “international borders must not be changed by force” and that their nations would continue to support Ukraine diplomatically, militarily and financially.
Russia has consistently insisted on Ukraine recognising Russian sovereignty over several Ukrainian regions, agreeing to demilitarisation and abandoning its Nato aspirations.
Trump’s position has also consistently involved Ukraine sacrificing land for peace.
While Zelensky has been careful not to criticise Trump, his post on social media makes clear that he will not accept it.
Early on Saturday, he said in a Telegram post “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier”, and reiterated that Ukraine must be involved in any solution for peace.
“We are ready, together with President Trump, together with all partners, to work for a real, and most importantly, lasting peace – a peace that will not collapse because of Moscow’s wishes.”
In his evening address on Saturday, Zelensky said the meeting in the UK had been constructive.
“The path to peace for Ukraine should be determined together and only together with Ukraine, this is key principle,” he said.
This is what Ukraine, and many European allies, were always worried about – Trump and Putin trying to do a deal without Ukraine present.
In a post on X on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron said Ukraine’s future could not “be decided without the Ukrainians” and warned that “Europeans will also necessarily be part of the solution, as their own security is at stake”.
Trump’s words on Russia may have hardened in recent months, but for Ukraine they have yet to be followed by tangible actions.
On Friday, a deadline set by the US president for Russia to agree to a ceasefire or face more sanctions passed without any apparent consequences.
The BBC’s US partner CBS News, citing a senior White House official, reported that it remains possible Zelensky could end up being involved in the meeting between Putin and Trump in some way, as planning for the Friday meeting is still fluid.
On the ground there is a resignation that any initial peace talks may not include Ukraine.
Soldiers and civilians the BBC spoke to expressed a strong desire for peace. There is exhaustion from the constant fighting and Russian drone and missile attacks.
But there is little evidence that Ukraine is willing to accept a peace at any price – much less one that will be forced on it without its voice being heard.
