Former Defence Secretary Michael Portillo has branded the Prime Minister’s Ukraine peace plan a “complete fantasy” that risks being “quite dishonest”.
Speaking on GB News’ Camilla Tominey Show, Portillo took aim at Keir Starmer’s proposed “coalition of the willing”.
“Keir Starmer has had a marvellous press recently, people say he’s doing brilliantly in foreign affairs,” Portillo said.
“I think this coalition of the willing is a complete fantasy, and it’s getting to the stage where it’s really risking being quite dishonest.”
Michael Portillo has warned that Starmer’s efforts to secure peace in Ukraine is ‘fantasy’
GB News / PA
Portillo explained that European nations simply lack the military capacity to make a meaningful difference in Ukraine.
“We don’t have the capacity to send forces in who could make a serious difference,” he stated.
He described the proposed European contribution as inadequate and potentially insulting.
“There are a million Ukrainians under arms, and we’re on the side talking about possibly sending 10,000 troops between 29 nations, [it] is kind of insulting.”
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Ukraine has agreed with the US that Europe will definitely play a part in the peace processPAThe former Defence Secretary dismissed the initiative as merely “a way of getting a good press for European leaders”, “but it’s not serious,” he concluded.
Portillo was equally skeptical about American support for Ukraine: “It is a fantasy to believe that the Americans are going to provide a back-up, air support and so on,” he said.
He reserved particular criticism for Donald Trump’s approach to negotiations with Russia, calling him “the worst dealmaker in the world”.
According to Portillo, Trump has weakened Ukraine’s position rather than pressuring Russia.
Portillo told GB News that Britain ‘doesn’t have the capacity to send forces’ to Ukraine
GB News
“He cut off the communications to the Ukrainians. He stopped the flow of arms. He said that the Ukrainians were more difficult to deal with than the Russians,” Portillo explained.
He added: “As the Ukrainians began to lose on the battlefield… the Russians became more self-confident.”
Portillo concluded with a bleak assessment of Ukraine’s future despite peace initiatives.
“Trump is just not laying down the law with Putin at all, so I think it’s been a wretched negotiation,” he said.