Former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has cautioned that holding Ukraine ceasefire negotiations without European representation could pressure Kyiv into a damaging deal. He argued that US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin — whom he described as “known bullies” — may try to force Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into making territorial concessions that Kyiv strongly opposes. Wallace stressed that a European power, such as France or the United Kingdom, should be at the table to safeguard Ukraine’s interests and the wider European security order, as reported by The Telegraph.
Risk of legitimising territorial seizures
Talks between Trump and Putin are expected next week, potentially followed by a trilateral meeting with Zelensky — but without European participation. According to The Wall Street Journal, Putin may demand Kyiv recognise Russian control over occupied Ukrainian territories in exchange for withdrawing forces from other regions. The report said Trump could accept such terms, though Ukraine and EU states are likely to reject them. US officials have already confirmed that the status of disputed territories will be central to the negotiations.
Ukraine’s constitution forbids the president or parliament from unilaterally altering the country’s territorial integrity or legitimising any border changes, a move that would require a national referendum. Ukrainian officials maintain they are open to a ceasefire along the current front line but oppose any international recognition of Russian occupation.
Strategic stakes for the West
Analysts warn that if the US ends military aid to Ukraine over Kyiv’s refusal to recognise Russian gains, it would signal that the strongest powers can dictate terms — undermining global confidence in democratic alliances. Such a precedent could embolden other authoritarian regimes to use force to achieve political aims. For Europe, the stakes are direct: a settlement legitimising aggression would threaten the security of the Baltics, Poland and Central Europe.
Wallace and other advocates argue that the inclusion of France or the UK in the negotiations could balance US–Russia dynamics, draw on deep diplomatic experience, and ensure that any agreement pressures Moscow, not Kyiv, to compromise. Without such guarantees, they warn, a ceasefire would freeze the conflict rather than resolve it, eroding trust in international security frameworks and weakening Western influence globally.
