Taking questions from the media, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth says it’s “very encouraging” to see the UK and France “take the lead” on securing an enduring peace in Ukraine.
For America’s part, Hegseth says it remains keen to get “both sides to the table” and get a “commitment to peace” from Russia and Ukraine.
He reiterates that Donald Trump’s decision to stop military aid to Kyiv is just a “pause, pending a true commitment to a path to peace”.
Hegseth says we’re “very encouraged by the signs we’re seeing”, after Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated he was ready to sign a minerals deal with Washington following his disastrous meeting with Trump last week.
‘It’s on all of us’ to secure peace deal
UK Defence Secretary John Healey says Ukraine is ready to sign the deal and “ready for a ceasefire”, but wants security guarantees to ensure Russia does not attack again.
It’s a “responsibility on all of us” to make sure a peace deal is sustainable, Healey says.