UK PM Starmer Vows Strong Ukraine Support on Global Debut

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made a strong commitment to supporting Ukraine during his international debut. Emphasizing the importance of standing with Ukraine in the face of ongoing challenges, Starmer's declaration underscores the UK's dedication to providing robust assistance. This move signals a continued partnership and solidarity between the UK and Ukraine, reflecting the PM's foreign policy priorities on the global stage.

Starmer's unwavering message of support for Ukraine emerges amid rising concerns about the United States, Kyiv's most crucial ally. In the U.S., presidential candidate Donald Trump has suggested the possibility of swiftly negotiating a deal with Russia.

Boston Brand Media discovered the trending news -  New Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed on Wednesday to maintain Britain's unwavering support for Ukraine and approved the use of British missiles for strikes inside Russia during his debut at a NATO summit in Washington.

Starmer's steadfast message of continuity on Ukraine arises as concerns grow about Kyiv's key ally, the United States, where presidential candidate Donald Trump has suggested making a swift deal with Russia.

Just days after his Labour Party won the elections, ousting the Conservatives after 14 years, Starmer described a "very good" meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of NATO's 75th anniversary summit.

"I made it absolutely clear that the UK's change of government will not alter our support for Ukraine," Starmer told reporters.

"We were united on this issue while in opposition, and it was important to reaffirm that commitment face-to-face," said Starmer, who had already spoken to Zelensky by phone after taking office.

On his flight to Washington, Starmer stated that the decision on using British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles rests with the Ukrainian armed forces.

UK military aid is "for defensive purposes, but it is up to Ukraine to decide how to use it defensively," he said.

Under three Conservative prime ministers, Britain has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine in the war, leading in advocating for advanced military systems and easing restrictions on Kyiv.

US President Joe Biden, who has strongly supported Ukraine but avoided direct conflict with Russia, recently allowed Ukraine to strike Russian positions just across the border with US weapons.

Zelensky praised the decision on Storm Shadow missiles, thanking the UK for its continued support on Telegram.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that Russia would take "appropriate measures" in response to Starmer's decision.

"If it is true, it is another irresponsible step towards escalating tensions," Peskov told reporters.

'Clear-eyed' on Russia -

Starmer will meet with Biden at the White House and has spoken with other Western leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

Starmer has steered Labour on a more centrist path than his leftist predecessor and, along with his foreign and defense secretaries, noted that Britain helped found NATO in 1949 under Labour Prime Minister Clement Attlee.

Starmer expressed hope that the NATO summit would signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the alliance is "larger and more united than ever, and clear-eyed about the threat of Russian aggression."

Boston Brand Media also found that,  2014 NATO summit in Britain set a goal for each ally to contribute at least two percent of GDP to defense, a longstanding US demand.

Initially, only the United States, Britain, and Greece met the target, but since Ukraine's invasion, 23 of the 32 NATO members have reached this goal.

Britain's new defense secretary, John Healey, called for NATO to consider increasing the target to 2.5 percent.

The growing global threats suggest that "all NATO nations will need to exceed the two percent goal," Healey told reporters.

He noted that, regardless of the US election outcome, Washington's priorities are likely to shift towards the Indo-Pacific.

"European NATO members must shoulder more of the defense burden," Healey said.

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Source: NDTV‍