Sir Keir Starmer has told the Ukrainian president that British missiles can be used for defensive strikes against targets inside Russia.
The ad arrived like new The British Prime Minister met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in it NATO summit in Washington DC on Wednesday.
The decision on the Storm Shadow Missileswhich has been welcomed by UkraineIt represents a hardline change from the stance taken by the previous Conservative government.
Signaling the move but refusing to make “operational arrangements”, John Healey, the new defense secretary, told Sky News that Britain “will do everything we can to help Ukraine in its fight to repel Putin’s invasion.” .
Speaking in Washington, Mr Healey said: “We provide weapons teams where we can for them to defend themselves, and as we do with ourselves and with every other nation in conflict, we demand, because it is international law, that war be carried out within of those rules.” of the Geneva Convention.”
In a post on
“Today we had the opportunity to discuss the practical implementation of this decision. I thank the United Kingdom for its unwavering support for Ukraine and our people.”
However, reacting to the newsRussian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said: “If this is so, then of course this is another absolutely irresponsible step towards an escalation of tensions and a serious escalation of the situation.”
Dimitry Peskov told Reuters: “We will be watching this very carefully and will respond accordingly.”
A NATO summit with different approaches
The important announcement was part of a NATO summit with many different approaches.
The meeting of the leaders of the 32 member states concludes on Thursday and marks the 75th anniversary of the defense alliance.
In a lengthy statement, alliance members announced that Ukraine was on an “irreversible” path to NATO membership, with wording important to the Ukrainian government but likely to agitate Moscow.
NATO Summit: priorities and problems
“We fully support Ukraine’s right to choose its own security arrangements and decide its own future, free from external interference. Ukraine’s future lies in NATO,” the statement said.
He continued: “As Ukraine continues this vital work, we will continue to support it on its irreversible path towards full Euro-Atlantic integration, including membership in NATO. We reaffirm that we will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when the allies agree and the conditions are met.”
Defense Secretary Mr Healey said the UK should be “the leading European nation in NATO” and added that it must take the leadership role in Ukraine.
In a rare sign of political continuity over arms supplies to Ukraine, he said: “Sunak’s commitment comes with Starmer’s guarantee of delivery.”
Defense Secretary John Healey reiterated that the UK demands that the war be conducted within the rules of the Geneva Convention. Photo: Reuters
Asked about the possibility of a second Donald Trump presidency, Healey said more “heavy lifting” might be necessary, in carefully calibrated comments.
“Whoever is elected to the White House, we have to recognize that American priorities are likely to shift increasingly toward the Indo-Pacific and other parts of the world,” he said.
“The consequences of this are that European nations in NATO must do more of the heavy lifting and some of the leadership that we have traditionally been able to expect from Americans.”
US State Department on Trump and Ukraine
Privately, Washington-based European diplomats are more candid, saying NATO’s current but gradual rebalancing of power could morph into a brutal shift away from American dominance of the alliance in a second Trump term.
Summit overshadowed by concern for US leader
The summit has been overshadowed by the storm over President Biden’s agility and perceived cognitive decline. The call for him to withdraw as a candidate by his friend and mega-donor George Clooney added significant pressure.
Today, Senate Democrats will have lunch with top Biden advisers Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti, as well as Biden-Harris campaign chairwoman Jen O’Malley Dillon.
Biden’s health overshadows the summit
It comes hours before the president is scheduled to give a rare news conference to conclude the NATO summit. He will represent the last great test to demonstrate his ability.
The president seemed tired but made no mistakes in his meeting in the Oval Office with Prime Minister Starmer. It came midway through Sir Keir’s visit to Washington, which UK diplomatic sources have described as a real success.
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It was a coincidence that the three top ministers of the new British administration were able to meet so many of their respective counterparts in one place during the first week of their new government.
Sir Keir, along with Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defense Secretary John Healey, frequently appeared as a trio and visited Capitol Hill, where they met leaders from both sides of the political divide.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
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