(Bloomberg) -- UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged allies to show “fortitude” in their support of Ukraine, as he sought to play down the threat of escalation over an upcoming decision to allow the country to use western weapons inside Russia.
The UK and US have not yet reached a decision to allow the use of British Storm Shadow missiles against Russia, Lammy suggested at the Labour Party’s annual conference in Liverpool on Sunday. “There is a very real time discussion across allies about how we can support Ukraine as we head into winter,” said Lammy, who is due to travel later this week with Prime Minister Keir Starmer to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
Whatever the allies decide has the potential to affect the course of a conflict that’s ground on since Russia invaded Ukraine more than two years ago. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wants to use western missiles to strike military targets deeper inside Russia. But Russian President Vladimir Putin warned earlier this month that it would mean NATO countries “are at war with Russia,” and that “the very essence of this conflict will be changed.”
While Britain and the US have both signaled they’re open to Ukraine’s request, they have yet to make a final call, and Zelenskiy has stepped up his lobbying, saying he’ll discuss the matter further with US President Joe Biden at UNGA. Lammy hinted on Sunday that the UK would be comfortable with such a decision.
US and UK Press Ukraine Before Allowing Russia Strikes
“This is a critical time for nerve and for guts and for patience and for fortitude on behalf of allies who stand with Ukraine,” he said. “It’s hugely important that we recognize Putin’s bullying bluster and rhetoric for what it is: a sort of deliberate psychological warfare is usually indicative of his own fears about losing this ridiculous and horrendous bloody escapade of his. He tends to throw dust up into the eyes.”
Lammy said that the impact of Putin’s war on Russia’s economy will “get deeper and harsher” toward the end of 2025, but added that the Group of Seven nations need to do more to unlock $50 billion in aid to Ukraine, backed by the profits from seized Russian assets.
As well as Ukraine aid, world leaders gathering this week in New York will discuss growing concerns of escalation in the Middle East after a series of Israeli strikes on Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.
A small protest gathered outside the Labour conference on Sunday to call for a full arms embargo on Israel, after Lammy moved to suspend a limit number of export licenses to the country over concerns their use in Gaza risked breaching international law.
Lammy said a ban on all export licenses would be a “mistake” because Israel needs to be able to continue to defend itself against Houthi rebels in the Red Sea and other groups backed by Iran. Still, he said the UK and other G-7 countries are considering introducing further sanctions on Israeli settlers over growing violence in the West Bank. “I’m not announcing further sanctions today, but that is kept under close review,” he said.
--With assistance from Alex Wickham.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
