We must not appease Russian aggression, Truss to tell Balkan allies

Foreign Secretary to talk tough in Sarajevo as EU members waver over new sanctions on Russia

‘We must be relentless in ensuring Ukraine prevails through military aid; we cannot take our foot off the accelerator now’

‘A recent opinion piece in The New York Times caused controversy by arguing that Kyiv should cede land to Moscow’

LIZ TRUSS will today warn against appeasing Vladimir Putin and tell Western allies there can be no backsliding in ensuring Russia is defeated in its war against Ukraine.

The Foreign Secretary will demand more weapons for Kyiv and more sanctions against Moscow in a speech to the armed forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo’s Army Hall.

“Russia’s aggression cannot be appeased. It must be met with strength,” Ms Truss will say. “We must not allow a prolonged and increasingly painful conflict to develop in Ukraine.” She will say the West must “learn the lessons of history”, pointing to concessions offered to Russia’s president before his invasions of Georgia, the Crimea and Donbas.

“We must be relentless in ensuring Ukraine prevails through military aid and sanctions,” she will say. “We can’t take our foot off the accelerator now.”

The rallying call comes amid crumbling unity among EU members over an oil embargo against Moscow and whether to call for peace talks and a ceasefire.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, yesterday attacked the West for its lack of unity, singling out Hungary for blocking the EU oil embargo, and asking for more heavy weapons.

“Unity is about weapons. My question is, is there this unity in practice? I can’t see it. Our huge advantage over Russia would be when we are truly united,” Mr Zelensky said.

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, accuses Nato of “doing literally nothing” to counter Russia.

Henry Kissinger, the former US secretary of state, said on Tuesday that Ukraine should give up territory to Putin to secure a peace deal.

A recent opinion piece in The New York Times also caused controversy by arguing that Kyiv should cede land to Moscow.

Ukraine said it would never concede territory to Moscow after Mr Zelensky said Emmanuel Macron, the French president, had asked him to make concessions to help Putin save face.

Ms Truss will declare Bosnia and Herzegovina’s future lies in “closer partnership” with Britain and Nato rather than with Russia.

She will say the UK is committed to countering malign Russian influence in the western Balkans and announce $100million (£80million) of Uk-backed investment in the region by 2025.

On Friday she will visit the Czech Republic and praise Prague for its tough stance on Russia and for supplying tanks to Ukraine.

Moscow yesterday told the West to lift its sanctions to stave off a global food crisis caused by a war between two countries that together produce nearly a third of the world’s wheat.

At the same time Estonia’s prime minister warned against showing Putin any weakness. “We must avoid a bad peace,” Kaja Kallas said.

“It is much more dangerous giving in to Putin, than provoking him. All these seemingly small concessions to the aggressor lead to big wars.”

The EU has so far failed to agree to new sanctions on Russia, which requires the unanimous support of all 27 members, before next week’s European Council summit.

Italy, Cyprus and Hungary urged the EU to call explicitly for a ceasefire and peace talks at the summit, which puts them at odds with countries such as Poland and the Baltic states.

At a meeting of EU envoys on Friday, Italy’s ambassador proposed changes to the draft summit conclusions to call for an immediate ceasefire.

Mr Macron, who says Kyiv would negotiate on its own terms in any peace talks, and Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, have both previously called for a ceasefire.

The conclusions currently state that the EU is “unwavering in its commitment to help Ukraine exercise its inherent right of self-defence against the Russian aggression” and makes no reference to peace talks.