DELEGATES at the Scottish TUC in Dundee rejected a motion today calling for urgent peace talks in Ukraine.

Prospects of a negotiated peace have been talked up internationally since French President Emmanuel Macron visited China last week, with reports on Tuesday in the Telegraph and Independent that Mr Macron is working on a “secret peace plan” with Beijing.

The STUC backed a general council statement that “agreed... that talks to resolve the conflict in Ukraine should be actively pursued, but [we] do not believe that effective peace negotiations can take place if support for Ukraine is withdrawn,” specifying that support should continue to include “military equipment.”