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Vladimir Putin could use peace talks to restock his army, warns James Cleverly [1]

['Ben Riley-Smith', 'Tony Diver', 'Will Hazell', 'Charles Hymas', 'Political Editor']

Date: 2022-12-02  

Peace talks with Russian soldiers in Ukraine could just be used by Vladimir Putin to restock his armies before launching another attack, the Foreign Secretary has warned.

In an interview with The Telegraph, James Cleverly revealed concerns that the Russian president could pretend to engage in negotiations while actually training more troops and sending more ammunition.

The Foreign Secretary said those supporting Ukraine had to be “very, very careful” when approaching the topic of peace talks, warning that Putin was not acting in “good faith”.

The firm note of caution contrasts with more upbeat rhetoric from Emmanuel Macron, the French president, who this week chastised those who said Putin’s departure should be a precondition of talks.

Joe Biden, the US president who has been hosting Mr Macron in Washington DC, also said he would talk to Putin if the Russian president agreed to withdraw all troops, as opposed to waiting until such an exit was complete.

In a separate development, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, risked a diplomatic spat by likening Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to Britain’s past rule in Ireland.

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[1] Url: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/12/02/vladimir-putin-could-use-peace-talks-restock-army-warns-james/

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