Path to Ukraine peace not 'straight line', says Starmer

LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has cautioned that the path to peace in Ukraine was 'not an entirely straight line' after 'productive' talks in Berlin.
Starmer and other European leaders set out conditions for any peace deal with Russia after a Monday meeting in the German capital, with security guarantees backed by the US.
The British government said setting out the UK's contribution to a Europe-led multinational force in Ukraine - a proposal forming part of the new package of security guarantees - was 'a few steps away yet'.
Starmer, updating his Cabinet on the Berlin discussions on Tuesday, said progress had been made.
'The Prime Minister said we were making progress, including on security guarantees,' according to a readout issued by his office.
'He said it was clear the path to peace was not an entirely straight line but that the meeting in Berlin last night had been productive.'
Defence Secretary John Healey meanwhile said the Ukraine war was at a 'major moment' with progress in the US-led peace push 'further advanced than at any time' during the conflict, but urged allies to keep up the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He told a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG), which he chaired alongside German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, that they had a 'clear-cut' mission to help Ukraine in its fight today while securing peace tomorrow. - dpa