Ukraine: UK-USA Discussions

Lord Collins of Highbury Excerpts

Wednesday 26th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[The Senior Deputy Speaker (Lord Gardiner of Kimble)]

My Lords, the first Oral Question is from the noble Lord, Lord Campbell-Savours, who is participating virtually.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Lord Collins of Highbury) (Lab)]

My Lords, we share President Trump’s desire to bring this barbaric war to an end and remain in close touch with the US at every level. The Prime Minister spoke to President Trump most recently on 17 March and the Foreign Secretary spoke to his US counterpart on 19 March. A just and lasting peace in Ukraine is vital to UK national interests. We are playing a leading role in driving progress towards this goal together with the US, Ukraine and our international partners.

[Lord Campbell-Savours (Lab) [V]]

My Lords, while I recognise the constructive role of the Prime Minister in seeking to influence the Trump Administration, with Trump’s initiatives on energy security, safe navigation, payment systems access and relaxed sanctions now proceeding, is there not a danger, post ceasefire, in remnants of the Azov brigades challenging these successes by engaging in sporadic potential ceasefire violations with military attacks on Russian forces in Russian-occupied zones? Why not propose in the interim a narrow security corridor separating the parties, policed not by coalition combat forces but by blue-helmet peacekeepers, with the later potential for full demilitarisation? We need to prevent rogue Ukraine operators undermining any agreements.

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

My Lords, I only wish we were in a post-ceasefire situation. We have been absolutely clear that this process must lead to a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes to ensure that Russia can never launch an illegal invasion again. Under President Zelensky’s leadership, Ukraine has shown that it is the party of peace, sincere in its efforts to pursue a just and lasting end to this appalling war. For any peace deal to last, Ukraine will need robust security arrangements to ensure that Russia is never able to invade again. Europe must shoulder more of the burden of ensuring the security of our continent and the UK will play its full part but, as the PM said, US involvement in future security arrangements is the only way to effectively deter Russia.

[Lord Bellingham (Con)]

My Lords, does the Minister agree that it is vital that there is no weakening of the sanctions regime, particularly the sanctions on Rosselkhozbank and the restrictions on Russia’s use of the SWIFT regime, until there is a full ceasefire?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

I agree with the noble Lord absolutely. We need to maintain pressure on Russia to ensure that the ceasefire leads to a secure and lasting peace.

[Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD)]

My Lords, the Minister is aware that these Benches are part of the consensus in Parliament in support of the Government’s aims in this, but with Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Ukraine envoy, calling our Prime Minister posturing and posing in his work, with Mike Waltz, President Trump’s National Security Advisor, calling the previous efforts of the RAF in Yemen “feckless”, and with the chat on Signal that we saw over the last couple of days, which in effect is extorting European allies for their practice, there comes a time when good friends and allies have to say that language such as that is not acceptable. I invite the Minister to do so now.

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

I am not going to accept the noble Lord’s invitation. The simple fact is that the UK shares President Trump’s desire to bring this barbaric war to an end. Russia could do this tomorrow by withdrawing its forces and ending its illegal invasion. We are absolutely committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and we will work with all our allies to secure that.

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

My Lords, I very much welcome what the Minister has said, and we are also fully supportive of the Government’s actions here. We note the news that Russia and Ukraine have reached a tentative agreement to cease fire in the Black Sea, something that I am sure we are all looking at with a degree of scepticism. Ensuring the long-term security and sovereignty of Ukraine, as the Minister said, is not only a strategic priority but a fundamental duty that we owe to our close ally, and I am delighted that the Prime Minister is due to continue discussions with President Macron and others on this tomorrow. Can the Minister update the House on the progress of talks with the so-called coalition of the willing, the militaries of the UK and its allies, and share some more information about the organisation that is taking shape?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

I cannot report on a meeting that is going to take place tomorrow, but I understand what the noble Lord is saying. I think the Prime Minister has been absolutely consistent in building that alliance of the willing, which I think is essential. Also, on his visit to Kyiv on 16 January he signed an historic 100-year partnership agreement with President Zelensky, which will deepen defence-industrial base collaboration and lead to joint military training and exercises. We are absolutely working with all our European allies to deliver the same sort of thing, and I assure the noble Lord that we are going to continue that work.

[Lord Hannay of Chiswick (CB)]

My Lords, will the Minister give careful study to the report by the International Agreements Committee, which is issuing today, about the agreement between the UK and Ukraine and the prospects that have been discussed by earlier questioners? Does he recognise that our experience in Bosnia in the 1990s showed how absolutely futile a blue-helmeted force was when the people we were up against were prepared to cheat, lie and use aggression? If he does, I think he would also agree that what the Prime Minister is suggesting is something rather different and much more robust.

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

I clearly have not had the opportunity to read the report yet, but I will: I do read those reports consistently. The noble Lord is absolutely right. In my response to the noble Lord, Lord Campbell-Savours, I made it clear that the way to security is for Russia to honour the commitments it made to President Trump and actually adhere to a ceasefire, or start a ceasefire, but then focus on building a secure and lasting peace. That secure and lasting peace can be delivered only if Europe stays fully behind Ukraine and we work with the United States to ensure that there is longer-lasting security in that continent.

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

My Lords, at a recent meeting of the OSCE, there was widespread support, including from US Democrats and Republicans, for continued support for Ukraine. Does my noble friend the Minister agree that it is crucial for the UK Government to play a leadership role in the OSCE to ensure collective security for our country and the wider world and to back up the type of talks that he has mentioned previously?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

My noble friend is absolutely right. The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have worked in all multilateral institutions to ensure that the position of the United Kingdom and its allies in support of Ukraine is heard loud and clear. I certainly welcome my noble friend’s report on the OSCE meeting.

[Baroness Smith of Newnham (LD)]

My Lords—

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[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

As I have said, the United States is a vital component of European security. It has been since 1945. The United States is also one of the United Kingdom’s longest allies. The close friendship between our two countries is important to secure our security, so we will maintain very strong relationships. We welcome President Trump’s initiative in trying to ensure that we have a ceasefire. The only people who have not so far committed to that ceasefire are the Russians.