Former UK Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace has called for Britain’s inclusion in upcoming peace talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine, warning that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy risks being pressured by what he described as two bullying leaders.
Trump will reportedly meet with Putin as soon as next week, followed by trilateral discussions with Zelenskyy. European nations are not scheduled to participate in these initial discussions.
“Both Trump and Putin are known to be bullies, they bully people all the time, and I don’t think two bullies versus Zelenskyy, who is a brave man, but I don’t think would necessarily produce the right outcomes,” Wallace told Times Radio, according to Bloomberg.
The former defense secretary emphasized that European powers should have representation during negotiations.
“There are two other nuclear powers in NATO, France and Britain, and I think it is important that in the room should be a European power,” he said.
Wallace expressed concerns about Ukraine potentially being coerced into accepting unfavorable terms. When asked if Ukraine could be “strong-armed” by Trump, he responded: “Yes, there is a concern.”
The announcement follows three hours of meetings between Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, and Putin in Moscow. Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, confirmed that a summit could take place next week at a venue decided “in principle,” though he dismissed the possibility of Zelenskyy joining the initial summit.
After phone discussions with the US president, Zelenskyy said he believed Russia was “now more inclined to a ceasefire.”
Trump has simultaneously increased pressure on Moscow through new sanctions, designating Russia as an “extraordinary threat” to the United States. The administration imposed a 25 percent trade tariff on India over its Russian oil purchases, targeting a key revenue source for the Kremlin.
Western officials have repeatedly accused Putin of using peace negotiations to buy time for Russian forces to capture additional Ukrainian territory. Putin has previously demanded settlement terms that Ukraine characterized as equivalent to surrender.