'As long as it takes': UK's new Labour govt reassures Ukraine of support, announces new weapons supplies

Sir Keir Starmer’s new Labour Party’s government has assured Ukraine that the British support in the war with Russia will continue for as long as it takes.

Within days of the formation of the Labour government, British Defence Minister John Healey visited Ukraine to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and gave him a guarantee that all additional military aid promised in April will be delivered within the next 100 days.

Healey told The Sun newspaper that while Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, is counting on the patience of Western countries to run out regarding the support to Ukraine, the British support to the country will continue until victory is achieved.

“Putin is looking for Western nations to lose patience to lose resolve, he must know that Britain under Labour will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes to win. “We will confront Russian aggression and we will pursue him for his war crimes,” said Healey.

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Starmer’s new government has hit the ground running on the security and diplomatic agenda. Right after the first Cabinet meeting, as Healey visited Ukraine, Foreign Minister David Lammy embarked on a three-nation tour of Germany, Poland, and Sweden. Like Healey, he also reaffirmed the British support to Ukraine and said it remained “ironclad”.

"Our commitment to stand with the Ukrainian people is absolute.”

Traveling to Odesa, Defence Secretary @JohnHealey_MP met with President @ZelenskyyUa to confirm Britain's steadfast commitment to Ukraine will be reinvigorated by the new UK Government.

👉 https://t.co/8WrIagKcy3 pic.twitter.com/XjxMQJqOoh

— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) July 7, 2024

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Even as the United Kingdom has had political upheavals in recent years, the support for Ukraine has been consistent and both the previous Conservatives and incumbent Labour are in agreement on the issue. Boris Johnson, the former British PM, was the first major Western leader to visit Ukraine in the initial days of the war when Kyiv was still under frequent assaults. Rishi Sunak continued the support and approved more aid and announced hikes in British military spending and revamping of the military industry. Starmer has said that the position will continue.

With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe faces its worst security crises since the World War II. For countries in Eastern Europe, it is an existential crisis as they see that if Russia captures Ukraine, then they are likely to be next to face Russian interference and belligerence. In the interview with The Sun, Healey stressed on the bipartisan consensus on the issue.

“At every stage since Putin launched his full-scale invasion, we have backed all the military aid… the extra funding had our full backing in opposition, we will now deliver it in government,” said Healey.

‘UK will be Ukraine’s firmest friend’

Healey has said that the UK under Starmer’s new government will be the “firmest friend” of Ukraine.

Healey said that hist first question after taking over the defence ministry was to ask how they could speed up deliveries to Ukraine.

Since the beginning of the war, one complaint of Ukraine has been that deliveries have been very slow, so the Labour government has decided that the aid committed to Ukraine by the previous Sunak government in April will be provided within 100 days, said Healey.

Hitting out on the gap between promises and deliveries, Healey said that he would not make promises that he would not be able to keep.

Healey further outlined the three-step process that the defence ministry will now implement: “First of all we speed up delivery of what we have already announced. Secondly we will step up further and see what kit we can offer the Ukrainians. So I have the MoD begin scouring stockpiles, especially for the kit that the Ukrainians are using every day in this fight.”

From missiles to boats, UK announces more aid to Ukraine

During his first visit to Ukraine, Healey also announced that the British government has approved a new tranche of military supplies that includes missiles, boats, and ammunition, among other weaponry.

In the interview with The Sun, Healey said the British government had cleared the following in the latest tranche:

• 90 Brimstone missiles used to attack tanks and armoured vehicles

• 50 boats for marine operations in the Black Sea

• 40 new minefield clearing rollers

• 10 AS90 heavy artillery guns

Healey also said that the UK will partner with allies to provide Ukraine with weaponries. In terms of artillery guns, he said that the UK will provide barrels and the United States will provide shells. He further said that this will mark the beginning of barrels’ production in the UK after many years.

Healey told the newspaper, “Part of the special leadership that the UK has demonstrated since Putin invaded has been the ability to bring other allies together, to do more and give more. And you will see next week at the NATO summit, you will see the 32 nations to also step up support for Ukraine and importantly make the same sort of long term commitment to maintain support for Ukraine.”