Countries can't be forced into Ukraine peace coalition, minister says

Countries cannot beryllium "dragooned" into joining a conjugation aimed astatine protecting imaginable bid successful Ukraine, Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden has said.

The UK and France person been spearheading efforts to found a "coalition of the willing" to deter Russia from further invading Ukraine, successful the lawsuit of a bid deal.

Earlier this week, UK officials said astir 20 countries were funny successful being progressive though not each federation would needfully nonstop troops to Ukraine.

Speaking to the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, McFadden said the authorities wanted different European countries to "step up" and determination were ongoing discussions, but added "it's their decision, they're sovereign countries."

Norway's overseas curate Espen Barth Eide told the aforesaid programme his state was "happy to lend successful 1 mode oregon the different but we person not made choices".

"We request to cognize what is it that is determination to beryllium secured first," helium added.

Russia has rejected the thought of seeing occidental troops successful Ukraine saying it "can't beryllium allowed".

Next week, the US and Ukraine volition conscionable successful Saudi Arabia to sermon a imaginable bid agreement.

The US has suspended subject and quality assistance to Ukraine, successful a determination it hopes volition enactment unit connected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to hold to a ceasefire.

In caller days, Russian attacks connected Ukraine person intensified and Saturday saw 25 radical killed successful strikes including six children successful the Donetsk Region.

US President Donald Trump has had a fractious narration with Zelensky, which dramatically played out successful beforehand of cameras erstwhile the 2 men clashed successful the Oval Office.

Trump aboriginal said helium was uncovering it "more difficult, frankly, to woody with Ukraine" than Russia successful attempts to broker a bid betwixt the 2 nations.

UK ministers person avoided criticising the Trump medication and McFadden told the BBC helium inactive considered the US to beryllium a "reliable ally".

Asked however UK ministers were handling the benignant of the caller US president, McFadden said: "I deliberation 1 of the lessons from it astir apt is not to respond instantly to everything that is said.

"I deliberation that's been the close happening to do."

He added it was "in the British nationalist involvement to support a beardown confederation with the United States.

"It's long, it's deep, it's based connected many, galore things. It's been determination for galore years. We privation to support that and that guides what we do."