The price of peace has never been higher. In a dramatic shift on the battlefront of diplomacy, President Volodymyr Zelensky has dared Vladimir Putin to sit across the table from him. The Ukrainian leader’s bold challenge comes as Britain reaffirms its support for Ukraine’s sovereign right to negotiate its own future. But for those of us watching from the kitchen tables of the North, the question remains: who pays for war and who profits from peace?
On Monday, Zelensky addressed the nation with a direct proposition to the Kremlin. “I am ready to meet. Face to face. Without preconditions. Putin, look me in the eye and tell me why you want to destroy my country.” The offer was met with silence from Moscow. But the significance of the moment was not lost on Downing Street. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said Britain “unconditionally supports Ukraine’s right to determine its own path, including any negotiations to end the conflict.”
For the past 18 months, families in Donbas have faced the reality of war not as a headline but as a daily struggle for bread and safety. The cost of living crisis in Britain, with energy bills that refuse to fall and wages that refuse to rise, is a distant echo of the hardship Ukrainians endure. But the link between the two is undeniable. Every missile fired in the east jacks up the price of gas in Manchester. Every grain shipment blocked from Odesa pushes up the cost of a loaf in Leeds.
Zelensky’s gambit is a high-risk one. A direct meeting could be seen as a concession, an acknowledgement of Russia’s demands for neutrality and territorial recognition. But the alternative is a frozen conflict that bleeds Ukraine dry. The International Monetary Fund has warned that Ukraine’s economy could contract by 5% this year even with international aid. Meanwhile, Russia’s economy is forecast to grow by 2.5%, buoyed by energy revenues that flow from European pipelines.
Trade unions in Britain have long argued that the government’s focus on military spending over social investment is a betrayal of working people. “The same government that sent millions in tax cuts to oil giants is telling us we can’t afford a pay rise for nurses,” said a spokesperson for the TUC. “If Zelensky can sit down with Putin, why can’t Starmer sit down with the unions?”
The situation on the ground remains grim. Ukraine’s counteroffensive has stalled in the south, with Russian defences holding firm. Casualties are mounting on both sides. The United Nations reports that the war has displaced over 8 million people and caused more than 9,000 civilian deaths. For the ordinary Ukrainian worker, the choice is between a war without end or a peace on unfavourable terms.
Britain’s role in this standoff is crucial. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a major provider of military aid, London holds sway. But the government has so far resisted calls to use its influence to push for negotiations. The Foreign Office insists that “any talks must be on Ukraine’s terms.” Yet those terms remain undefined. For the thousands of Ukrainian refugees who have settled in British towns, from Rochdale to Rotherham, the hope is that a meeting of leaders might lead to a reality of peace.
The coming days will test the resolve of both sides. Zelensky has set the stage. Putin has yet to respond. And in the real economy, the clock is ticking for families who need an end to this war as much as they need a living wage. The cost of conflict is not counted in headlines alone. It is counted in the empty shelves and the rising bills of everyday life. Britain must remember that sovereignty without survival is a hollow promise.
