Drawing on his experience, including helping resolve the Bosnia-Herzegovina conflict, Lord Owen speaks to Rod Liddle on 1 March 2025 to suggest a framework for Ukraine war negotiations. Listen here: https://www.thetimes.com/radio/show/20250301-29366/2025-03-01

“Just calling for a ceasefire in Ukraine which is ignored is insufficient. A ceasefire is best arrived at in a negotiation rather than by an initial declaration….following the start of negotiations it would help if all recrimination or point scoring by any of the parties ceased. The minimum number of negotiators around the table at any one time should be one American, one Russian and one Ukrainian fluent English language speaker joined by a European chosen by the UK and France who should speak at least Russian.”

The following elaborates on key points made in David Owen’s interview:

It is now very clear that many of the world’s governments have completely missed a very important new stance in the foreign policy of President Trump’s new Administration, namely it has obviously made, as part of their MAGA agenda, an overriding decision to prioritise improving relations with Russia as an important strategic choice.

They are entitled to do this and my proposal tries to take this fully into account given it is now part of the realpolitik of achieving peace in Ukraine.

I have no doubt President Trump genuinely wants peace in Ukraine. The European  countries that meet on Sunday have to grapple with proposing a method of resolving the crisis: hopefully they will advocate a forum for an international negotiated solution. In my judgement just calling for a ceasefire which is ignored is insufficient. A ceasefire is best arrived at in a negotiation rather than by an initial declaration. That needs understanding first and foremost.

Also, following the start of negotiations it would help, at the very least, if all recrimination or point scoring by any of the parties ceased.

The separation of forces around agreed maps hopefully will be a fairly early achievement but will be easier to hold through disciplined negotiations. Such negotiations will take time, weeks not days and maybe months. The detail cannot be done ad hoc. It needs a framework.

The minimum number of negotiators around the table at any one time should be one American, one Russian and one Ukrainian fluent English language speaker joined by a European chosen by the UK and France who should speak at least Russian. Also, an impartial voice as chairman chosen by the UN Secretary General, having conferred with the three principal negotiators. The American, Russian, Ukrainian, and European
principal negotiators would be supported by a maximum of five extra people in each of four teams capable of speaking at least three of the official languages Russian, English and Ukrainian.

To succeed the negotiators must only meet in private with authorised technical outsiders, which can include military figures, coming in with the permission of the Chairman. No outside briefing to TV, radio and the wider media. The Swiss government should be asked to provide a venue that would be secure and private with no unauthorised access.