Healey to call for ’50-day drive’ to arm Ukraine and force Putin to negotiate
The Defence Secretary will call for a “50-day drive” to arm Ukraine when he chairs a meeting of Kyiv’s allies on Monday.
John Healey is expected to argue that the West should again boost its military support for Ukraine in an effort to bring Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.
Donald Trump has already threatened to impose “very severe” tariffs on Russia if it does not agree a ceasefire by September 2, 50 days on from the US president’s announcement that he would sell “top-of-the-line” weapons to Nato that could then be given to Ukraine.
‘Play our full part’
On Monday, Mr Healey will use a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) to back Mr Trump’s proposal and pledge that the UK will “play our full part in its success to bolster Ukraine’s immediate fight”.
Calling for more support from Western allies, he is expected to say: “Alongside this, the US has started the clock on a 50-day deadline for Putin to agree to peace or face crippling economic sanctions.
“As members of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, we need to step up in turn with a ‘50-day drive’ to arm Ukraine on the battlefield and force Putin to the negotiating table.”
Monday will be the fourth time Mr Healey has chaired the UDCG, and the third occasion he has done so alongside German defence minister Boris Pistorius.
The group, which brings together defence ministers and officials from Ukraine’s allies, was chaired by the US until Mr Trump came to power and began rowing back on American support for Kyiv and European security.
Mr Healey’s comments come as the Ministry of Defence confirmed the UK had sent £150 million worth of air defence missiles and artillery rounds to Ukraine in the past two months.
The deliveries are part of a commitment to spend £700 million on air defence and artillery ammunition for Ukraine this year, alongside other funding to provide more of the drones that have become key weapons in the war with Russia.
Coalition of nations
The UK has delivered 50,000 drones to Ukraine in the last six months, with another 20,000 coming from a coalition of nations led by Britain and Latvia.
Monday’s UDCG is expected to see further commitments, with Germany and the UK agreeing to procure more air defence missiles using 170 million euros of funding from Berlin.
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said it was “right” that the Government “continues to provide all possible support to Ukraine”.
He added: “It is also important that we stand firm alongside the United States in reinforcing their 50-day deadline to ensure Putin is under maximum pressure to pursue peace.
“That means all of our allies playing their part, and following the PM’s recent summit with Chancellor Merz, we hope that this 50-day drive will include German confirmation that it intends to provide Taurus missiles to Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, Russia continues to bombard Ukraine with drones and missiles.
Confirming a string of attacks on civilian targets in Odesa and critical infrastructure in the Sumy region on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also thanked international leaders “who understand how important it is to promptly implement our agreements” aimed at boosting Ukraine’s defence capabilities.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
The UK should offer full support to Ukraine with the assistance of our European allies.
it is pointless to put any reliance on the United States. Trump has shown himself to be erratic and unstable, and he lacks sensible advice from his “cabinet”, which is made up of inexperienced nonentities.
Starmer needs to show some backbone and stop fawning to someone so unreliable.
We have money for war but no money for looking after our most vulnerable.
Does Ukraine really deserve ALL this extra money their government is corrupt. They ban opposition parties and attack the largest Christian church. Notwithstanding its treatment of other ethnic minorities and enforcing Ukrainian on other ethnic minorities..
That does not justify for its invasion by an even more corrupt and fascist state. Nor does it doesn’t justify for its citizens to be occupied and have their children kidnapped and forced to be adopted in a foreign country. Ukraine sees joining the EU as a long term strategy, for it to do so it would have to match its human rights and democratic principles as laid out in the Copenhagen Criteria.