The UK and France vowed to “relentlessly” fight Russia’s aggression after Vladimir Putin hit Ukraine with a new ballistic missile in a dramatic escalation, warning that failing to do so threatens peace beyond just Europe.
Writing exclusively for i, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and his French counterpart said Russia’s actions threaten “not only” European security “but the world at large” due to Moscow’s campaign of “Putinisation”.
While their article is not aimed at Donald Trump, the ministers’ comments came as some of the president-elect’s allies and supporters argue that the Ukraine war is Europe’s problem and that America should withdraw military aid.
Lammy and French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot argued that Putin’s ultimate aim is to “annihilate” the international order that has been the “cornerstone” of Western security, and that Russia’s “brutality” risks “threatening peace everywhere”, including by strengthening North Korea and Iran.
The pair vowed to “relentlessly fight this campaign of ‘Putinsation’” and “do everything that is necessary to put Ukraine in the best position to achieve a just and lasting peace”, amid fears that Trump could stop providing arms.
The two ministers will meet on Friday for talks just opposite 4 Carlton Gardens, General Charles de Gaulle’s headquarters during the German occupation of Paris in the Second World War, a day after Putin threatened to strike the UK and use a new ballistic missile to target Ukraine.
Downing Street condemned Russia for further escalating the conflict by using a ballistic missile with a range of “several thousand kilometres” against the city of Dnipro.
Putin said the missile was a “response” to the UK and US green-lighting Ukraine to use long-range missiles in Russian territory this week, and claimed that the weapon was a “non-nuclear hypersonic warhead” named Oreshnik that Moscow felt “entitled to use” after the Western allies’ decision.
Despite Kyiv claiming the missile used by Russia on Thursday was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which has a range of more than 5,500km, US officials said it was more likely to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), which has a shorter range of between 3,000km and 5,500km.
The use of an IRBM would still be significant in the Ukraine conflict as its use by Russia would be in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which prohibits ground-launched missiles with ranges between 500km and 5,500km, the RUSI think-tank said.
Its deployment also carries political significance as it will be seen as Moscow trying to warn the West of its potential military, including nuclear, capabilities.
Defence Secretary John Healey could not confirm the type of missile used, but said that Russia has been preparing to launch a new type of ballistic missile “for months”.
Healey refused to confirm that Ukraine had deployed British-made Storm Shadow long-range missiles inside Russia on Wednesday, which the country’s bloggers said had been used to hit a command bunker, killing 18 people.
Sir Keir Starmer also declined to officially confirm the use of Storm Shadows but told MPs that Putin had “indulged yet again in dangerous, irresponsible rhetoric” by threatening a nuclear response to US and UK support for Ukraine.
Healey and defence chiefs told MPs on the defence select committee that the UK was “ready” to fight Russia in a war in eastern Europe if required.
The Defence Secretary warned that if Putin wins in Ukraine “he’s not going to stop there”.
Healey also said after weeks of Russian forces pushing back Kyiv troops the front line in Ukraine was now “less stable” than at any time since the start of the invasion in 2022.
Giving evidence to MPs, Healey said that the world was facing a “serious moment”.
He added: “The front line is now less stable than at any time since the early days of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 22 and we’ve seen in recent weeks a very clear escalation From Putin and his forces.
“They’ve stepped up attacks on the system in Ukraine ahead of winter, they’ve stepped up attacks on sectors killing children. They’ve deployed at least 10,000 North Korean troops to the battle. And there are unconfirmed but media reports today of Russia firing a new ballistic missile into Ukraine, which they, we know, have been preparing for months.”
The Defence Secretary said that despite the underfunding of the armed forces over the past decade and a half and £500m of cuts announced on Wednesday, Britain is “ready” to fight a war if one broke out.
He added: “We are there now, of course, in Estonia, we are ready.”
Lt Gen Sir Rob Macgowan, deputy chief of the defence staff, told the committee: “If the British Army was asked to fight tonight, it would fight tonight.
“And I don’t think anybody in this room should be under any illusion that if the Russians invaded Eastern Europe tonight, then we would meet them in that fight.”
Healey added: “I think that it’s important that we help people see clearly that if Putin prevails in Ukraine, he’s not going to stop there.
“And so for us in the UK, the first line of defence of the UK starts in Ukraine… it’s a good example where, in this day and age, the strength of our allies matter.”
Starmer, updating the Commons on this week’s G20 summit in Rio, said: “I am clear that we must double down in our support. We will not be deterred or distracted by reckless threats.
“We have consistently said we will do what it takes to support Ukraine and put it in the best possible position going into the winter.”
Read David Lammy’s full piece here.
