Russia accused by Britain and France of delaying ceasefire talks, say Putin ‘owes’ the US an answer
Apr 3, 2025, 11:59 PM | Updated: Apr 4, 2025, 12:14 pm
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, left, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot address the media during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
BRUSSELS (AP) 鈥� Britain and France on Friday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in ceasefire talks to bring a halt to fighting in Ukraine and ramped up pressure on Moscow by insisting that he owes the United States an immediate answer.
Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for a full and immediate 30-day halt in the fighting after a Kremlin official said on Monday that Moscow views efforts to end its three-year war with Ukraine as 鈥渁 drawn-out process.鈥�
鈥淥ur judgment is that Putin continues to obfuscate, continues to drag his feet,鈥� British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told reporters at NATO headquarters, standing alongside his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in a symbolic show of unity.
Britain and France are helping to lead a multinational effort known as the 鈥渃oalition of the willing鈥� to set up a force to police any future peace in Ukraine.
Lammy said that while Putin should be accepting a ceasefire, 鈥渉e continues to bombard Ukraine. It鈥檚 civilian population. It鈥檚 energy supplies. We see you, Vladimir Putin. We know what you are doing.鈥�
Barrot said that Ukraine had accepted ceasefire terms three weeks ago, and that Russia now “owes an answer to the United States.鈥� U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he promised last year to bring the war to a swift conclusion.
鈥淩ussia has been flip-flopping, continuing its strikes on energy infrastructure, continuing its war crimes,鈥� Barrot said. 鈥淚t has to be 鈥榶es.鈥� It has to be 鈥榥o.鈥� It has to be a quick answer.鈥�
He said that Russia shows no intention of halting its military campaign, noting that Putin on Monday ordered a call-up intended to draft 160,000 conscripts for a one-year tour of compulsory military service.
The two foreign ministers pledged to continue helping to build up Ukraine鈥檚 armed forces 鈥� the country鈥檚 best security guarantee since the U.S. took any prospect of NATO membership off the table.
Coalition army chiefs were due to meet in Kyiv on Friday. Defense ministers from the group will meet at NATO headquarters next Thursday.
