Keir Starmer raises fears of Putin Iran ‘windfall’ as Zelensky set to go to UK
UK Defence Secretary John Healey announced Ukraine’s wartime leader Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Britain on Tuesday and urged allies not to lose focus on Russia’s invasion
Keir Starmer with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky outside No10 in December(Image: PA)
Keir Starmer has warned the war in the Middle East must not turn into a “windfall” for Russian despot Vladimir Putin.
The Prime Minister raised the fears as the UK’s Defence Secretary announced Ukraine’s wartime leader Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Britain on Tuesday.
Mr Healey told MPs: “I can confirm today that, over the last month, we have delivered to Ukraine 3,500 drones, 18,000 artillery rounds and three million rounds of small ammunition. We face two conflicts on two continents, supported by an axis of aggression with similar tactics and similar technologies.
“I say this to the Ukrainian people on behalf of the UK: we will not forget the war in Europe and our total determination to stand with Ukraine remains steadfast, and we will welcome President Zelensky to this country tomorrow.
It comes after Mr Starmer urged allies not to lose focus on Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine as the the US-Israeli war with Iran rages on. The PM said it is “vital that we continue to focus on supporting Ukraine”, adding: “We cannot allow the war in the Gulf to turn into a windfall for Putin.”
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The rise in energy prices sparked by the Middle East conflict has benefited the Russian despot Vladimir Putin despite worldwide sanctions. Last week the US temporarily announced it had eased sanctions preventing other countries buying Russian oil which was already loaded on vessels at sea.
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It follows intense pressure on global supplies triggered by Iran’s retaliation against the Gulf states and chaos on the Strait of Hormuz – one of the world’s most vital shipping routes of oil. Speaking during a Downing Street press conference on Monday, Mr Starmer said the UK is working with other countries, including in Europe, to develop a “viable, collective plan” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
It came after the US President Donald Trump warned the future of Nato could be at stake unless allies agreed to his demand to provide ships. The PM, who said he discussed the issue with Trump during a call on Sunday evening, said: “It is a discussion, we are not at a point of decisions yet, I want to really stress that.”
He said: “We’re working with all of our allies, including our European partners, to bring together a viable collective plan that can restore freedom of navigation in the region as quickly as possible and ease the economic impacts. It’ll have to be something which is agreed by as many partners as possible, is my strong view. We’re not at that stage yet, but we are working hard.”
He also insisted the UK will not be “drawn into the wider war” in the Middle East and work towards a “swift resolution” to the conflict.
