UK foreign minister: Talks can't be used as cover for Russian rearmament

"Any negotiations need to be real, they need to be meaningful, they can't just be a fig leaf for Russian rearmament and further recruitment of soldiers," the UK Foreign Secretary said, Reuters reports.

Cleverly said that, while Britain wanted to see peace talks "sooner rather than later", he reiterated that Ukraine should set the parameters for any negotiations that were held.

"I'm not really seeing anything coming from the Russian side that gives me confidence that Vladimir Putin is entering these talks in good faith. The wider rhetoric is still very confrontational,” he said.

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