Keir Starmer will address the Commons after issuing a worrying ‘Europe will be next’ warning amid fears Donald Trump is siding with Vladimir Putin
Keir Starmer will make a rare Commons statement on defence and security this afternoon amid growing unease about the Ukraine crisis.
The PM will address MPs at around 12.30pm, 24 hours after issuing a chilling warning that Europe will be in danger if Vladimir Putin prevails. Following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, he described a conversation with a Ukrainian burns victim.
The PM stated: “He said to me ‘if Ukraine fails, Europe will be next’. And that is what is at stake here. That is why we will always stand with Ukraine and our allies against this aggression and for a just and lasting peace”.
The PM has claimed sanctions – announced on Monday by Foreign Secretary David Lammy – will force Vladimir Putin not only to talk “but to make concessions”. He branded them the “largest package of sanctions since the early days of the war” – with some targeting Russia’s shadow fleet and firms in China sending military components.
It comes amid growing unease about Donald Trump’s administration holding talks with Russia about a peace deal. Mr Zelensky has complained about being locked out of negotations, prompting Trump to dismiss him as a “dictator”.
There are growing signs that the US President will crumble in the face of the Russian strongman, sparking fears the Kremlin could strike again even if a deal is reached.
The PM stated: “This is a time for unity. In this crucial moment, as talks begin, we must work together to shape the outcome. Russia does not hold all the cards in this war, because the Ukrainians have the courage to defend their country, because Russia’s economy is in trouble, and because they have now lost the best of their land forces and their Black Sea Fleet in this pointless invasion.”
