The British government said on May 13 that its stance toward supporting Ukraine has not changed after media reports of U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron allegedly pitching a peace plan to U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, Politico reported.
Cameron met Trump at the latter's Florida residence in early April, seeking to convince the likely Republican nominee for the November 2024 presidential vote of the need to continue supporting Kyiv.
The Sunday Times reported on May 12 that, according to an undisclosed senior source, Cameron said that further aid would help Ukraine hold the front lines and give Trump the "best possible conditions" to mediate a peace deal.
According to the outlet's source, Cameron passed this message to Trump: "What are the best conditions in which you as president can make a deal in January? It's both sides holding their lines and paying a price for that."
Though the media reported at the time that Cameron's lobbying mission in the U.S. was unsuccessful, Trump eventually backed a $61 billion funding bill for Ukraine, which passed with bipartisan support later in April.
Cameron's proposal, as described in The Times's article, differs from London's public position on possible peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow. Cameron himself has said that "peace comes through strength, not through appeasement and weakness."
When asked about the claims, a British government spokesperson told reporters on May 13: "I don't recognize those reports... our position has not changed. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin must fail."
"We will support Ukraine for as long as necessary to repel Russian aggression," the spokesperson added.
The U.K. has been a staunch ally of Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale war. Cameron visited Ukraine earlier in May, and London recently announced its largest defense aid package for Ukraine worth 500 million pounds ($628 million).
Olena Goncharova
(Updated: )
