(13 Feb 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brussels, Belgium – 13 February 2025
1. Wide of UK Defence Secretary John Healey arriving
2. SOUNDBITE (English) John Healey, UK Defence Secretary:
"We’ve seen the calls from President Trump overnight and we all want to see a durable peace and no return to a conflict and aggression. And let’s not forget, Russia remains a threat well beyond Ukraine. So my message in these discussions will be that there can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine. And Ukraine’s voice must be at the heart of any talks. As I say, the Ukrainians are fighting bravely. It’s our jobs, it’s our job as defence ministers here at NATO to put them in the best position to secure a lasting peace through strength."
3. Healey leaving
STORYLINE:
Several NATO allies stressed on Thursday that Ukraine and Europe must not be cut out of any peace negotiations as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth denied that the United States is betraying the war-ravaged country.
European governments are reeling after the Trump administration launched talks with Russia on ending the Ukraine war without involving them, insisted that the country should not join NATO, and said that it’s up to Europe to protect itself and Ukraine from whatever Russia might do next.
President Donald Trump has signalled that he would hold talks soon with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“There can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine. And Ukraine’s voice must be at the heart of any talks,” U.K. Defence Secretary John Healey told reporters at NATO headquarters, as the organisation’s 32 defence ministers met for talks on Ukraine.
Hegseth denied that the U.S. had betrayed Ukraine by launching negotiations about its future without Kyiv’s full involvement.
After talks with Putin and then Zelenskyy, Trump said on Wednesday he would “probably” meet in person with the Russian leader near term, and possibly in Saudi Arabia.
Hegseth warned that the war in Ukraine must “be a wakeup call” that finally makes NATO’s European allies spend more on their defense budgets.
Twenty-three of the 32 member countries were forecast to have met the organization’s guideline of spending 2% of gross domestic product on their national defense budgets last year, but a third still do not.
AP Video shot by Mark Carlson
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