The UK must be prepared to go to war with Russia if Vladimir Putin decides to escalate his war in eastern Europe, a senior MP has said.
European leaders are scrambling to respond to Donald Trump’s announcement yesterday that he discussed a plan to end the war in Ukraine with the Russian president.
In the House of Commons on Thursday, MPs sharply criticised the move, comparing it to Neville Chamberlain’s ill-fated appeasement campaign that failed to stop the Second World War.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also drawn a stark line between the US president’s position and his own, saying: ‘There’s no negotiation about Ukraine which doesn’t include Ukraine.’
Directing questions at defence minister Maria Eagle in the chamber this afternoon, MPs made clear their concerns over the potential repercussions of Trump’s move.
Sir Julian Lewis, the Conservative former head of the defence select committee, asked: ‘Will the Government impress on President Trump at every possible opportunity that the reason why appeasement led to World War Two was that it left a vacuum in Europe? ‘
He continued: ‘Whereas the reason why the occupation of Eastern Europe at the end of that war did not lead to World War Three was the United States filled any possible vacuum and contained further aggression.
‘So if he is going for a settlement against the wishes of the Ukrainian people, the least he can do is to guarantee directly the security of that part of Ukraine which remains unoccupied.’
Johanna Baxter, the Labour MP for Paisley and South Renfrewshire, echoed his sentiment, saying ‘if reports of the call between President Trump and Moscow are to be believed, then this is less the Art of the Deal and more a charter for appeasement’.
Eagle responded: ‘I’ve already said quite clearly that the fate of Ukraine in these negotiations can’t be determined without Ukraine being fully involved, and that is our priority.
‘At the moment to put them in the strongest position, war fighting is still happening, to put them in the strongest possible position to negotiate from strength.’
Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin told the minister ‘some of the defence chiefs have been expressing this, that we must be ready to fight a war with Russia if necessary, in order to be able to deter Russia’.
He added that this would be necessary ‘if we are to be in any position to guarantee the security of an independent and sovereign Ukraine, after whatever is agreed between President Trump and President Putin’.
Speaking to ITV’s Robert Peston, Sir Keir said his ‘position is the NATO position’.
The PM said: ‘Ukrainians want this conflict to end. It could end tomorrow if Russia stopped the aggression and withdrew its troops, and we must never lose sight of that.
‘But Ukraine needs to be in the strongest possible position. Ukrainians want peace. Those that have had to flee their country want to go back to their country.
‘But this has to be led by Ukraine.’
On Friday, Sir Keir Starmer said Britain is committed to Ukraine being on an ‘irreversible path’ to joining Nato after the US stated Nato membership for Kyiv is not a realistic prospect.
Britain has so far sought to strike a delicate balance between supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion and keeping Donald Trump, who says he has agreed with Vladimir Putin to start ‘negotiations’ to end the conflict, on side.
But David Lammy, the UK Foreign Secretary, has told broadcasters: ‘We are still some way from a negotiated peace.’
In a readout of the Prime Minister’s conversation with Mr Zelensky, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: ‘The Prime Minister began by reiterating the UK’s concrete support for Ukraine, for as long as it’s needed.
‘He was unequivocal that there could be no talks about Ukraine, without Ukraine.
‘Ukraine needed strong security guarantees, further lethal aid and a sovereign future, and it could count on the UK to step up, he added.
‘The Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s commitment to Ukraine being on an irreversible path to Nato as agreed by allies at the Washington Summit last year.’
Source : https://metro.co.uk/2025/02/13/britain-warned-must-ready-go-war-russia-22554454/