UK facing 'new era of threat', as US and Russia negotiate Ukraine deal in crunch talks

The UK is facing a “new era of threat”, the defence secretary has warned, as US and Russia began negotiating a Ukraine peace deal.

John Healey claimed decisions made “over the coming weeks will not only define the outcome of the conflict in Ukraine, but the security of our world for a generation to come”.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, second left, meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban, U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, at Diriyah Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Picture: Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP | AP

His intervention came as official talks on Tuesday between Russia and the US led to an agreement to restore embassy staffing and create a high-level team to negotiate peace in Ukraine and promote economic co-operation.

Speaking at the Institute for Government, Mr Healey said: “We need a security guarantee for Ukraine … that is capable of delivering what President [Donald] Trump has pledged and says he wants, which is a durable peace.

“That requires an end to the Russian attack and no repeat of that in the future. The European countries have to play a leading part in that guarantee, but require a backstop from the US. Because, in the end, it is only the US that could provide the deterrence to [Russian president Vladimir] Putin that will prevent him attacking again, and the detail of that is being developed.

“Keir Starmer will discuss that with President Trump when they meet shortly. But the one thing I’m not going to do is discuss details of the work that we’re doing, the discussions we’re having with allies and with the US, because the one thing I don’t want to do is make Putin any wiser.

“We’re in a new era of threat, and that demands a new era for defence and in the middle of everything else, last week, the new defence secretary, Pete Hegseth from the US and I, made time to discuss the aims we share on defence reform.”

Mr Healy said European nations knew they “need to step up” on spending and have been “doing just that”.

“What Pete Hegseth accelerated was that recognition that we’re stepping up,” he said. “But we must go further and what was so strong in the middle of the reaction to the strength of his messages – the content of his messages was not new.”

Sir Keir has also indicated he would be willing to commit UK troops to a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine as European leaders gathered for an emergency summit on the future security of the continent.

However, others at the meeting, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, resisted discussion of using a European force to monitor any ceasefire.

Mr Healey’s speech came just hours before US and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia for talks on ending the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials were not invited to the meeting in Riyadh between delegations led by US secretary of state Marco Rubio and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said his country will not accept any deal negotiated without them.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Rubio revealed Russia and the US had agreed to restore embassy staffing and create a high-level team to negotiate peace in Ukraine and promote economic co-operation.

He said: “We’re going to need to have vibrant diplomatic missions that are able to function normally in order to be able to continue these conduits.

“Should this conflict come to an acceptable end, the incredible opportunities that exist to partner with the Russians geopolitically on issues of common interest and frankly, economically, on issues that hopefully will be good for the world and also improve our relations in the long term.”

Donald Trump, seen meeting Vladimir Putin in Vietnam in 2017 | SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images

He also argued that ending Russia’s war in Ukraine would require concessions from all sides. When asked about sanctions against Russia, Mr Rubio said the measures were imposed as a result of Russia’s invasion and that it was not just the US that had imposed them.

“The European Union is going to have to be at the table at some point because they have sanctions as well that have been imposed,” he said.

Mr Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, who attended the talks in Riyadh alongside Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, told Russia’s Channel One that no date has been set yet for a meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Trump.

He said the meeting was “unlikely” to take place next week.

“The delegations of the two countries need to work closely together,” he said. “We are ready for this, but it is still difficult to talk about a specific date for the meeting of the two leaders.”

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Lavrov said that, in his view, “the conversation was very useful”.

He mentioned the same three goals as Mr Rubio and said Washington and Moscow agreed to appoint representatives to carry out “regular consultations” on Ukraine.

“We not only listened, but also heard each other,” Mr Lavrov said.

“And I have reason to believe that the American side has started to better understand our position, which we have once again outlined in detail, using specific examples, based on President Putin’s repeated speeches.”

Following the meeting, Mr Zelensky postponed his own trip to Saudi Arabia, scheduled for this week, citing the fact that officials from his country were not invited to the talks.

He suggested he wanted to avoid his visit being linked to them and rescheduled the trip until March 10.

European allies have also expressed concerns they are being sidelined.

US state department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce has insisted that even though Ukraine was not at the table on Tuesday, any actual peace negotiations will include the country.

In the wake of Moscow’s 2022 invasion, the US, along with European nations, imposed a raft of sanctions on Russia and the allies have repeatedly expanded the measures to damage its economy.

The recent US diplomatic blitz on the war has sent Ukraine and key allies scrambling to ensure a seat at the table amid concerns that Washington and Moscow could press ahead with a deal that won’t be favourable to them.