Squirming Labour minister denies claims Ukraine is unhappy with UK support | Politics | News

Defence Secretary John Healey has denied the UK’s relationship with Ukraine has deteriorated since Labour came into office.

Kyiv has become increasingly frustrated with Sir Keir Starmer’s Government over military aid, the Guardian reported.

Principally, they are furious over the refusal to allow Ukrainian troops to fire British-made Storm Shadow missiles at targets deep inside Russia.

But Mr Healey denied this, declaring “we’ve stepped up with more military support. We’ve speeded up deliveries.”

Mr Healey told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme of the reports over the weekend: “That is simply not correct.

“We’ve stepped up with more military support. We’ve speeded up deliveries. We’re now spending more on military aid for Ukraine than ever before as a UK Government, and I spoke at length to the defence minister in Ukraine yesterday.

“He certainly doesn’t see the UK support weakening, and he said the Ukrainians are confident in Britain’s continuing and steadfast support for their country.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are plotting to dramatically increase military support for Ukraine before Donald Trump arrives in the White House.

The Prime Minister and French President will meet in Paris today and discuss whether the outgoing US President, Joe Biden, can finally be persuaded to give Ukraine the green light to fire Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russia.

Hopes are rising within Whitehall that Mr Biden will allow Ukrainian forces to use Storm Shadow missiles

A senior source said: “We are very keen to make sure we can make the most of the time between now and Jan 20 [when Mr Trump becomes US president] and not just put everything on hold until the next administration.”

Another source said Mr Biden was expected to “turn on the taps” by handing over more financial aid owed to Kyiv in the weeks before he leaves the White House.

Mr Healey says the world will have to “wait and see” what Donald Trump “really proposes” over Ukraine.

Many European leaders fear a Donald Trump White House will lead to a reduction in US military support for Ukraine.

The Defence Secretary told BBC Breakfast: “Our task as a nation supporting Ukraine, one of its leading supporters, alongside allies like France, is to step up our support to reinforce the position that Ukraine has at this period where it’s under great pressure from Russia.”

A massive drone strike rattled Moscow and its suburbs overnight into Sunday, injuring several people and temporarily halting traffic at some of Russia‘s busiest airports, officials reported.

Meanwhile, a huge overnight wave of Russian drones targeted Ukraine.

John Healey said it is “Ukraine that gets to call when the talking starts” after a Trump ally appeared to suggest that the war could end if Kyiv was open to ceding land to Russia.

The Defence Secretary told BBC Breakfast: “Because of the strength of bipartisan support in the US and a recognition that it’s in no one’s interest to let an aggressor like (Vladimir) Putin redraw international boundaries by force, I expect the US to remain steadfast alongside countries like the UK.

“We can do more to support Ukraine. We’re doing that at the moment, and that will be part of the discussion that Prime Minister Starmer has with President (Emmanuel) Macron this morning in Paris.”

Asked what the UK’s reaction to the suggestion that the war could come to a conclusion if there was support within Ukraine to give away land to Russia, he said: “It’s Ukraine that gets to call when the talking starts. Our job is to support Ukraine, stand by them when they fight, stand by them if they decide to talk.

“This could be ended today if Putin withdrew following his illegal invasion… that’s the way this conflict could be ended, and the importance for us for Europe and for the United States is that Putin in the long run does not prevail, because if he does prevail, he will not stop at Ukraine, and the cost to us all will be much greater in the future.”

But Mr Healey denied that the US turning away from Nato would leave the UK in a “weak position”.

Asked whether the loss of US backing would put us in “a very weak and exposed position”, the Defence Secretary told Sky News: “No, we wouldn’t be in a weak position.

“I don’t expect the US to turn away from Nato. They recognise the importance of the alliance. They recognise the importance of avoiding further conflict in Europe.”

He said the US support for Nato “goes back decades, and that has remained, including through the previous President Trump administration”.

“He pushed, rightly, he pushed European nations to do more, to front Nato better,” Mr Healey added.