Peter Mandelson has landed himself in hot water after suggesting Ukraine should be the first to declare a ceasefire. However, a government minister wasted no time shutting that idea down.
Mandelson backs Trump’s peace push
Speaking on American TV, the UK’s ambassador to Washington said Europe and Kyiv should give “unequivocal backing” to Donald Trump’s efforts to broker peace. He even suggested Ukraine should lead the way by committing to a ceasefire and challenging Russia to do the same.
That didn’t sit well with the government.
Minister: “That’s not UK policy”
Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard was asked about Mandelson’s remarks on Sky News. Host Wilfred Frost read out the ambassador’s comments and asked if this was now official UK policy.
Pollard’s response? A firm no.
“It’s certainly right that the Ukrainians want peace. But the war could stop tomorrow if Putin stopped his illegal and unprovoked aggression.
We need a formula that creates lasting and durable peace.”
Frost pushed further, asking if Mandelson had “misspoken”. Pollard simply replied:
“That’s not government policy.”
Short and to the point.
Politicians hit back at Mandelson
Mandelson’s remarks weren’t just rejected by the government. Other politicians lined up to call him out.
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey asked:
“What is Mandelson up to? Our man in DC should be securing US protection for Ukraine, not telling Zelenskyy what to do.”
Former Tory foreign secretary James Cleverly also waded in:
“The UK ambassador to Washington isn’t meant to share his own opinions. He’s meant to represent government policy. Starmer and Lammy need to get a grip on this.”
Meanwhile, political commentator Dan Hodges didn’t mince words either, saying:
“Mandelson needs to get back in his lane.”
Safe to say, this one isn’t going away anytime soon.
You may also like: Tube advert savagely roasts Elon Musk as Tesla shares plummet
