Mr Cleverly stated Western powers wanted to be “very, very cautious” if the Russian chief sought to provoke negotiations purporting to hunt an finish to the battle.
In an interview with The Day by day Telegraph, he stated there was a threat “a ceasefire is definitely simply utilized by Putin to coach up extra troops and to supply extra ammunition and to refit his broken armed forces and to rearm his armed forces”.
His warning got here after US President Joe Biden stated he can be ready to speak to Mr Putin if he was genuinely trying to finish the struggle – one thing that has not occurred to date.
What we now have obtained to be careful for is a pause being utilised by Russia as only a method of creating certain that its subsequent section of aggression is simpler
French President Emmanuel Macron has additionally stated he would stick with it chatting with the Russian chief to attempt to stop any additional escalation and to attain “very concrete outcomes” comparable to making certain the protection of nuclear vegetation.
Nonetheless, Mr Cleverly, who this week attended a gathering of Nato international ministers in Bucharest, questioned whether or not Mr Putin would actually have interaction “in good religion”.
“The purpose is that we’ve obtained to be very, very cautious if ‘peace’ talks – and I take advantage of the phrase ‘peace’ in inverted commas there – (are) initiated by Vladimir Putin,” he stated.
He stated that if the Russians used any pause within the preventing merely as cowl to rearm, there may very well be even additional hassle down the road.
“Then all that may occur is we’ll see precisely these scenes once more, however perhaps, what, I don’t know, six, 12, 18 months’ time,” he stated.
He added: “The decision to this must be sustainable, it must be significant, it must be actual.
“What we now have obtained to be careful for is a pause being utilised by Russia as only a method of creating certain that its subsequent section of aggression is simpler than this present section.
“And look, Vladimir Putin has obtained kind on this. Georgia, that was going to be a one-off, wasn’t it? Crimea, that was going to be a one-off, wasn’t it? Japanese Ukraine, that was going to be a one-off.
“And truly what we noticed is that they have been all increase in direction of this most newest wave of aggression.”
