Lammy: West must show “courage and nerve” to help Ukraine

Allies must show “courage” and “nerve” in their support for Ukraine, said David Lammy, after the Ukrainian ambassador to Britain warned that permission to deploy Western missiles in Russia was “crucial” to Kyiv’s success.

The foreign minister said international partners were discussing possible assistance “in real time” and hinted that crucial talks on the conflict would take place at a UN summit next week.

Speaking at a Labour Party event alongside Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, he warned that it was a “critical moment” for allies to show “firmness” and “patience” in strengthening Ukraine’s defences.

“This is a critical moment when the allies standing by Ukraine need nerve, mummy, patience and steadfastness,” Lammy said.

“As Foreign Minister, I will of course not comment on operational details, because that can only help Putin.

“But there is a very current discussion among the allies about how we can support Ukraine in view of the coming winter.”

Despite repeated requests from the Russian government, Britain and the United States have not yet given Kiev explicit permission to fire Western long-range missiles – such as the British Storm Shadow – at targets in Russia.

One of the concerns in the West is that there will be an escalation. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that such a move would mean that NATO countries would be at war with Moscow, following speculation that an imminent change of position was imminent.

But on Sunday Mr Lammy said: “I think we need to recognise Putin’s aggressive bluster and rhetoric for what it is: a form of deliberate psychological warfare, usually reflecting his own fears of losing his ridiculous and horrific bloody adventure. He has a tendency to pull the wool over people’s eyes.”

He added: “Look, that’s a challenge. The challenge is that in a democracy with a free press, which of course is the foundation of our democracy and is important to our democracy, there is some kind of public debate and discussion. And sometimes that discussion gets very detailed about tactics and the way you fight a war without the tactics of Russia, Iran and North Korea becoming public.

“It depends on our intelligence capabilities and particularly our Five Eyes partners, who sometimes disclose what we know about what’s going on. So there’s this imbalance between democracies, where there’s obviously a healthy debate, and autocracies… and we just have to get that balance right.”

“I prefer not to go into too much detail about how we are helping Ukraine and how we will continue to help it.”

At the beginning of the event, Zaluzhnyi stressed that lifting arms restrictions was crucial for Kyiv’s defense.

He said: “Modern weapons with long-range capabilities in the air and on the ground are critical.

“Lifting restrictions on the use of weapons against military targets in Russia is crucial. This would help protect civilians from Russian missiles and … bombs.”

“This winter will be the hardest in Ukraine. As we know, I believe in the resilience of the Ukrainian people, but without additional help the price will be very, very high.”

Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Washington earlier this month to discuss the issue with US President Joe Biden, but no decision was reached as both leaders continued to resist giving the green light to deploy the missiles.

This issue is likely to be raised again when Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Biden and Mr Zelensky attend the UN General Assembly in New York next week.

The Ukrainian president has stepped up his appeals for permission in recent weeks. He stressed that determination is the “most effective protection against terror” and called on politicians to overcome their “fear” of making a decision.