Britain and Canada: No Peace in Ukraine Without Kyiv's Approval

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney affirmed a united stance on the Ukrainian crisis, emphasizing that peace should not be imposed on Ukraine, but should be built in cooperation with it.

This was stated in an official statement issued by Starmer's office, where the spokesperson clarified that the leaders welcomed international diplomatic efforts, especially those led by U.S. President Donald Trump, to end the ongoing conflict for more than three years.

The statement confirmed that any peace agreement must respect Ukraine's freedom, sovereignty, and right to self-determination, warning against imposed settlement pressures or concessions unacceptable to Kyiv.

This position comes ahead of an anticipated summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled for next Friday in Alaska, amid widespread international anticipation.

Washington had set a deadline on August 8 for the Kremlin to take concrete steps towards halting the conflict, which is considered the largest in Europe since World War II.

In a controversial statement, Trump hinted that a potential peace agreement could involve "land exchanges" between Ukraine and Russia as part of the settlement, which was met with firm rejection from the Ukrainian side.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the proposals via a statement on social media, saying:

"Russia refuses to stop the killings, and therefore should not receive any rewards or privileges."

He added: "This is not just a moral stance, but a logical one. A killer is not convinced by concessions."

These statements come amid accelerating international efforts to end the war that erupted in early 2022, causing worsening humanitarian and economic crises, as well as unprecedented tensions in international relations.