UK will stand by Ukraine despite Putin’s ‘irresponsible rhetoric’, vows minister
The UK will not be put off supporting Ukraine by the “irresponsible rhetoric” of Vladimir Putin, a defence minister has said.
Maria Eagle’s comments came after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK is “not at war” in relation to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Russian president Mr Putin has said he is entitled to target the military facilities of countries which have supplied weapons to Ukraine, allowing Kyiv’s forces to strike deep inside Russia.
On Thursday, Russia used a new ballistic missile in Ukraine, which Mr Putin said was in response to the UK and US allowing missiles they have supplied to Ukraine to be used to strike targets in Russia.
In a televised address, Mr Putin said: “We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities.”
Defence procurement minister Ms Eagle spoke to journalists as she opened an office for Rolls-Royce Submarines in Glasgow.
She said: “We’ve heard this kind of irresponsible rhetoric from him (Putin) before.
‘Serious cost’
“He’s trying to stop nations supporting Ukraine, whilst he doesn’t seem to mind that much about the support he’s getting from North Korea and other nations.
“We can’t allow ourselves to be put off from supporting Ukraine, and we won’t be.”
Failing to stand up to Russian aggression would come at a “serious cost” for Europe, she said.
The Labour minister was also asked about the incoming Donald Trump administration in the US and what preparations are being made for continuing to support Ukraine after this point.
Ms Eagle said: “We have to wait and see what the Trump administration decides it’s going to do. It’s not in office yet.
“We’re determined to continue to support Ukraine.”
Invasion
Sir Keir was asked “are we at war” as he appeared on BBC Radio Bristol on Friday.
He said: “No, we’re not at war, but Ukraine certainly is, because Ukraine has been invaded by Russia, and that war has now been going on for just over 1,000 days.
“That’s 1,000 days of aggression from Russia and 1,000 days of sacrifice for Ukraine, and that is why we’ve said consistently that we stand by Ukraine. We cannot allow Putin to win this war.”
Earlier on Friday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told Sky News the “aggressive” rhetoric from Moscow would continue.
She said there has been an “aggressive, blustering tone” from Mr Putin throughout the conflict, which she called “completely unacceptable”.
Asked about the Russian leader’s threat to use target nations that allow their own weapons to be used against Russia, Ms Cooper told Sky News: “Russia invaded a sovereign state.
“We have seen the aggressive, blustering tone and response from Putin all the way through this, it’s completely unacceptable, and we will continue to see that sort of aggressive language.
“We are clear that that sort of behaviour cannot be tolerated, and that’s why we have provided the support to Ukraine as they defend themselves against Putin’s aggression.”
Weapons
As with other Government ministers, Ms Cooper also declined to confirm officially whether British weapons had been used by Ukraine in Russia, saying: “I’m not going to comment on the detail of any individual defence operations.”
The UK is believed to have allowed its Storm Shadow missiles to be used by Ukrainian forces within the Kursk region of Russia, while the US has given permission for its ATACMS weapons to be fired at targets in Mr Putin’s country.
Meanwhile, Mr Putin confirmed Russia has tested the new intermediate-range weapon in an attack on Dnipro in response.
The US said the weapon is an experimental, intermediate-range missile based on Russia’s existing RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile.
The missile’s range far outstrips that of newly authorised US and British-supplied weapons, which can hit targets around 250-300km away.
The distance from Moscow to London is around 2,500km, suggesting the range of the new missile could threaten the UK.
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Whatever ministers of the current UK government may be saying right now, I somehow doubt that after the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president next January they’ll be prepared to defy a president in his prime who looks only too likely to seek with all the vigour that he can summon up to lean on those who decline to accede to his policies. And as the Starmer government appears to be no less obsessed than all of its predecessors with preserving that imagined ‘special relationship’ with Washington, my hunch is that they’ll fairly quickly buckle down and toe Trump’s… Read more »
Maria Eagle might just know Jim Eldon the Bridlington Fiddler and his tune ‘One Door Closes Another Traps Your Fingers’…
Check his version of ‘Dancing in the Dark’…
Listening to BBC Radio Cymru at just gone 5pm this evening I was astonished to hear military expert and retired army ‘Uwchgapten’ or Major Alan Davies say he thought Russia could choose to attack Cardiff rather than London. He emphasised that the UK has not invested in an Iron Dome missile defence system like Israel and is therefore vulnerable. Where is this escalation heading?
Armageddon, a great rapture or just more stardust, that Clark of Kent ‘hamlet’ moment…
Can we, the working classes, still insist on a four minute, top of the bus orgy before vapourisation…Adrian Henri RIP
John Healey MP, what does he know about war beyond how to p**s off somebody else’s enemy…who the hell is he to take the country to war…
Where are the peacemakers? Labour under Starmer appear to be as warmongering a government as Blair. NATO and the EU, to include the UK, have created this mess and owe it to the people of Europe, including the Russian’s, to bring about a negotiated peace. The Crimea was gifted to Ukraine by Russia, it could be returned in the interests of peace. Ukraine cannot win this war.
The warmonger here is Putin. Self-defense is not warmongering. If a foreign power invaded Wales or the UK then you would defend your country.
well they ain`t done a bad job so far 3 years down the line and still there get some Ukraine
Quote: The Crimea was gifted to Ukraine by Russia
By that logic does Putin have the right to reclaim Alaska?