Vladimir Putin ‘not serious’ about peace talks in Ukraine, Liz Truss suggests

Vladimir Putin is “not serious” about peace talks as the Russian president continues to “wantonly” bomb Ukrainian citizens, Liz Truss has told MPs.

With the Kremlin’s brutal invasion now in its 33rd day, the foreign secretary also suggested sanctions imposed by the UK and western allies were “pushing back” the Russian economy by years.

Her remarks come as Ukraine’s president insisted he was looking for peace “without delay”, with negotiators from Kyiv expected to meet with the Russian delegation on Tuesday in Turkey.

But updating MPs on Monday, Ms Truss said: “We know that Putin is not serious about talks, he is still wantonly bombing innocent citizens across Ukraine and that is why we need to do more to ensure that he loses and we force him to think again.

“We need to ensure that any future talks don’t end up selling Ukraine out or repeating the mistakes of the past.”

She added: “We remember the uneasy settlement of 2014 which failed to give Ukraine lasting security, Putin just came back for more.

“That is why we cannot allow him to win from this appalling aggression and why this government is determined Putin’s regime should be held accountable at the International Criminal Court.”

Ms Truss also acknowledged that the “value of sanctions degrades over time” and said she would be pressing allies to do more ahead of a meeting of Nato foreign ministers next week.

“Sanctions were put on by G7 in unison and they shouldn’t be removed as long as Putin continues with his war and he still has troops in Ukraine.

“That is not all: we need to ensure that Putin can never act in this aggressive way again. Any long-term settlement needs to include a sanctions snap-back that can be triggered automatically by any Russian aggression.”

Earlier, Boris Johnson also held a call with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, where the pair discussed the “appalling humanitarian situation in Mariupol, where heavy fighting continues,” a No 10 spokesperson said.

They added: “The prime minister offered his full support to Ukraine in the face of Russia’s continued aggression, including with humanitarian support and more defensive equipment.

“President Zelensky provided an update on negotiations and the two leaders agreed to coordinate closely in the days ahead. The prime minister reiterated the UK would maintain and strengthen economic pressure on Putin’s regime”.

On social media, the Ukrainian president added: “Talked about critical humanitarian situation in the blocked cities, shared information about the peace talks.

“Discussed strengthening sanctions against Russia and defence cooperation between Ukraine and Great Britain.”

Speaking in the Commons, Labour’s shadow foreign secretary David Lammy also insisted Russia must pay a “long-term cost” for its invasion of Ukraine.

“Putin’s invasion may have stalled but the threat he poses remains,” he told MPs. “Reports suggest he may be seeking a way out. We want to see an end to the bloodshed and the restoration of Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty.

“I am sure the foreign secretary will agree with me that any ceasefire agreement must enjoy the full support of the democratically-elected government of Ukraine.”