Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has said the UK must act as peacemaker between the US and Ukraine following a fresh dispute over Washington's agreement to buy Russian diesel. The rift widened after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the US government's deal to secure millions of tonnes of diesel from Russia would prolong the conflict.
US President Donald Trump hit back, saying it was "time for Ukraine to get a new president". Elections have been suspended in Ukraine since Moscow's incursion in 2022, with the country under martial law.
UK's role in easing tensions
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Streeting said tensions between Kyiv and Washington were not new and that the UK's responsibility was "to try and bring our friends back together". He was asked about the rift on Sunday.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham reaffirmed his "complete solidarity" with the Ukrainian leader during a phone call on Saturday, with plans to meet him in person, potentially as soon as this week.
Pressure over fuel prices
Diesel prices have soared recently because of disruption to global supplies caused by the US-Israel war against Iran and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. With US midterm elections next month, Mr Trump faces pressure to lower fuel prices as he seeks to keep Republican control of Congress.
Mr Streeting acknowledged this pressure, saying: "Let's be candid about this: midterms are coming up, cost of living is an issue. No doubt President Trump is feeling the same pressure that lots of leaders are facing in terms of wanting to ease cost-of-living pressures, energy prices."
US support for Ukraine
The defence secretary sought to play down the move's effect on US support for Ukraine, saying critics should not "overstate the impact". He told the BBC that the US leads a big diplomatic effort and that the UK procures missile defences with and through the US to support Ukraine.
Mr Streeting said: "What we want to see, though, is maximum unity across Ukraine's allies and it's in that context that we're trying to increase economic pressure on Russia, not to give President Putin any sense of a weakening of Western resolve, which remains absolute."
The diesel deal comes a month after Mr Trump signed a sweeping Russia sanctions law aimed at clamping down on oil and gas revenues that fuel Moscow's war. The Prime Minister told Mr Zelensky he recognised it had been a "difficult" 24 hours for Ukraine, and pledged further UK action to "constrain the Russian war machine".
Mr Zelensky had criticised the deal, saying it "plays into Russia's hands" and would prolong the war. Speaking at the White House on Saturday, Mr Trump said: "I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal", adding that "for some reason (Zelensky) never does". He added: "I think it's time for Ukraine to get a new president."
