Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has urged European partners to back Volodymyr Zelenskyy and support Ukraine through an energy ceasefire. He made the appeal ahead of the Warsaw Security Forum, scheduled for 13 October 2026. His visit also includes Polish–British talks on defence and threats from Russia.
In a statement published that day, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said Miliband would use the forum to call for an end to attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. This is a proposal to halt strikes on the sector, not an announcement that an agreement has been reached. The statement sets out neither an agreed start date nor a mechanism for monitoring compliance.
The FCDO pointed to the scale of Russian strikes in explaining the appeal. According to figures it cited, Russia carried out 200 attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the week before the statement was published. During the same period, it reportedly used 1,450 bombs and 1,600 drones against Ukraine. Those latter figures refer to attacks on Ukraine overall, rather than energy targets alone.
Talks with Sikorski on Poland’s security
According to the FCDO, Miliband met Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski in Poland and stressed Britain’s solidarity with Poland in the face of Russian threats. The ministers discussed deepening cooperation on defence, security and economic resilience under the Polish–British Northolt Treaty, signed earlier in 2026.
Cooperation between Warsaw and London is the visit’s other main focus, alongside support for Ukraine. Speaking ahead of the forum, Miliband highlighted the need for European unity against cyberattacks, sabotage and actions targeting infrastructure. These threats are also expected to feature in a planned panel involving the foreign ministers of Poland, Germany and Norway.
The FCDO statement presents Miliband’s speech and panel appearance as forthcoming, while confirming his appeal ahead of the forum and his meeting with Sikorski. At this stage, Britain’s declaration is a call for joint action to protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, rather than news that a ceasefire has taken effect.
