The West will not be bullied by Putin says Lammy

The West will not be bullied by Vladimir Putin’s threat of all-out war with Nato if Ukraine is given permission to use Western weapons to strike inside Russia, David Lammy said.

The Foreign Secretary said talks were continuing with the US and allies about giving Kyiv permission to use UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to hit Russian airbases and military sites which are being used to launch attacks on Ukraine.

Foreign Secretary Mr Lammy has been part of intensive UK-US diplomatic talks in Kyiv and Washington in the past week which have so far failed to produce a decision.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly pressed Western leaders for permission to use the weapons they have supplied to hit sites within Russia.

Russian president Mr Putin has warned that allowing long-range strikes “would mean that Nato countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia”.

But Mr Lammy told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: “Putin said ‘don’t send tanks’. We sent them.

“Putin said ‘don’t send any missiles’. We sent them.

“Putin threatens every few months to use nuclear weapons.

“What he should now do is cease his aggression and leave Ukraine.”

Mr Lammy said there was “a lot of bluster” from Mr Putin but “we cannot be blown off course by an imperialist fascist” who “wants to move into countries willy-nilly”.

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Talks

On the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, he said talks would continue with Sir Keir Starmer, US President Joe Biden and Mr Zelensky at the United Nations in New York later this month.

“It’s important that as allies supporting Ukraine, we have a shared strategy to win going forward.

“Now we’ve been discussing this with the United States and with other key allies, but of course, we head to the UN General Assembly, where we will all meet with Zelensky in just under 12 days’ time.”

Mr Lammy said “no war is won with any one weapon”, but added: “It’s important that we support the Ukrainians to continue to repel Russia in the Black Sea, it’s important that they can deal with the huge challenges in the air that are being mounted by Russia and of course that we support them – and we have – with training of their own men and women on the front line.

“We want to put Ukraine in the strongest position going forward.

“I can’t tell you operationally, on air, what we will or won’t do, and I particularly won’t do that at a time when Russia is buying ballistic missiles from Iran and escalating further.

“But please understand this is under careful discussion with the Ukrainians as we assess what they need as they head into that winter.”

Mr Zelensky posted a fresh plea for aid on social media site X on Sunday: “This week, the Russians have launched around 30 missiles of various types, more than 800 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 300 strike drones against Ukraine.

“Ukraine needs strong support from our partners to defend lives against Russian terror-air defense, long-range capabilities, support for our warriors. Everything that will help force Russia to end this war.

“I thank everyone around the world who understands this and our partners who help and support us.”