A POTENTIAL peace deal between Russia and Ukraine could take place in just weeks after Trump gets back to power, David Lammy has revealed.
Trump, who is set to take over the White House on January 20, previously said he would stop the bloody war within a day of swearing in as the 47th US president.
AlamyBritain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy dropped a bombshell detail about Trump’s peace plan[/caption]
ReutersA Ukrainian howitzer is fired at Russian positions in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine[/caption]
EPAA fire burning near a car dealership after a missile strike in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in January 2024[/caption]
Lammy today said that it’s “unlikely” that a deal will be achieved on January 21.
However, the UK foreign secretary dropped a bombshell detail about Trump’s peace plan which he thinks could come into action in just a few weeks.
He said the plans for Trump’s peace deal have been pushed for around Easter.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4, the foreign secretary said: ” Donald Trump is not yet in power. I think the indications are, from what I’ve seen over the last few days, a slight pushback on this sense that somehow a deal will be achieved on January 21.
“I think that’s now unlikely. And we’re hearing the timetable’s moved down somewhat towards Easter.”
Lammy told the radio station that he sees “no evidence” that Putin is willing to come to the negotiation table to end the war yet.
“[I see] no evidence that Putin wants to come to the table to negotiate,” he added.
In a later speech, Lammy said that the post-Cold War era of peace is “over” and Europe’s future security is “on a knife edge”.
Lammy added that Trump is “simply right” to say that Europe needs to do more on defence.
He said: “We have to accept that there is no going back, we must stop the 1990s clouding our vision.
“The post-Cold War peace is well and truly over. Europe’s future security is on a knife edge.”
“Donald Trump and JD Vance are simply right when they say that Europe needs to do more to defend its own continent. It’s myopia to pretend otherwise with Russia on the march.
“We will lead to convince all of our Nato allies that rising defence spending is a strategic necessity.”
The Sun has approached the UK foreign office for comment.
Plans for a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine have been floating around for weeks now, with both sides claiming they are ready for peace talks but “on their own conditions”.
Lammy said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has “set out his own plans” and has been “clear about security guarantees” pointing to Nato membership.
Zelensky revealed his five-step “victory plan” back in October for ending Russia’s war.
The hopeful proposal was based on putting Ukraine in a position of strength and linking its security with the West to deter Russia from invading it again.
ReutersPutin and Trump at a meeting in 2019[/caption]
APUkraine has been defending its country against the oncoming Russian army in the nearly three-year conflict[/caption]
Zelensky said: “If we start moving according to this victory plan now, it may be possible to end the war no later than next year.”
Specifics include getting Nato to invite Ukraine to join the alliance and getting the allies to help further strengthen its own defence.
Ukraine also wants to host non-nuclear weapons on its soil to deter Russia, but it did not explain what exactly those were.
But the Kremlin dismissed the plan with a spokesman saying Kyiv needed to “sober up”.
Meanwhile, Russian despot Vladimir Putin admitted he’s open to peace talks with Ukraine again – but only “if it comes to that”.
He vowed to end the war if the time was right for him and Russia as he sat down to have a chat with Slovakian PM Robert Fico before Christmas.
Back in September, he floated the idea of sitting down and coming to terms over a potential ceasefire deal.
He claimed Russia has never refused negotiations talks but has firmly insisted his unlawful demands are met.
Russia would only accept a deal if they were allowed to take or keep occupied Ukrainian territory.
The despot has also made it clear that Ukraine can never join Nato while he is in power.
Earlier this month, talks of a deal were once again opened up by Putin himself as he held his bizarre annual call-in session.
In it, he claimed he wanted a “lasting peace” with Ukraine and even named incoming president Donald Trump as the potential mediator for the talks.
President-elect Trump has been vocal about his confidence to strike a deal between the two nations “within days” to end the fighting.
He has had chats with Zelensky in recent weeks to see where Ukraine currently sits and to try and push them towards the negotiating table.
AlamyZelensky revealed his five-step ‘victory plan’[/caption]
AFPLammy said he sees ‘no evidence’ that Putin is willing to come to the negotiation table[/caption]
During the four-hour conference in Moscow this month, Putin said is now also ready to meet Trump after he takes office in January.
He said the pair “have things to discuss” but haven’t had any contact yet.
Putin added: “Politics is the art of compromise. We have always said that we are ready for both talks and compromise.”
Trump’s team have previously made it clear that they have a clear plan to bring peace to Europe.
Plans detailed last month suggest the US will look to keep both sides happy with a deal that freezes the conflict exactly where it currently sits.
This would give Russia the land they have stolen but in turn, secure Ukraine’s border to prevent any further attacks in the years to come.
Inside Trump’s plan for peace
DONALD Trump’s top team has hatched a carrot and stick plan to force the warring leaders to the discussion table and bring peace to the region when he enters office in January.
The clever scheme uses America’s military support for Ukraine as a double-edged sword to encourage Zelensky and threaten panicky Putin.
If the Russian war-mongering kept snatching land and refused to join peace talks, Trump would make him suffer by pouring more cash into Ukraine’s military.
Zelensky would be rewarded for following Trump’s lead with support for Ukraine to protect itself under the new terms of any deal.
Under Trump’s plan, Zelensky would have to give up the land Russia has already taken in the eastern regions of Ukraine and drop his dream of immediately joining Nato.
The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly ruled out land sacrifices for most of the war but recently indicated he might consider the option to halt the bloodshed.
If Zelensky did not cooperate, Trump would slash the US support that the Ukrainian military relies on.
There are signs both Zelensky and Putin may fall in line with Trump’s plan which could prove to be a silver bullet.
Insiders close to Trump told The Sun that Putin is “scared to death” of the president-elect and will be ready to talk when he takes power.
But bullish Vlad is already teeing up hard-line terms for any deal brokered by Trump, sources say.
Zelensky indicated he may be open to negotiations, but still has Ukraine joining Nato as part of his “victory plan”.
There is consensus among Trump’s advisors that any peace deal would rule out Ukraine joining Nato in the near future, so this could be a sticking point.
But this is where the US could use the threat of withdrawing military support to leverage Zelensky.
