“The next Labour government will have ironclad commitment
to supporting Ukraine against Putin's imperial invasion”, as
Healey and Lammy set out Labour's next steps for Ukraine during
visit to Kyiv
As Russia launches a new offensive in Kharkiv, Shadow Foreign
Secretary and Shadow Defence Secretary
made a visit to meet with Head
of The President's Office Andriy Yermak and Defence Minister
Umerov in Kyiv today (MONDAY 13 MAY) to stress the Labour Party's
“ironclad commitment” to supporting Ukraine and discuss a new UK
Plan for Ukraine to help ensure a Ukrainian victory and deter
future Russian aggression.
Lammy and Healey confirmed that the UK is united for Ukraine and
that Labour “fully backs” the UK's increased military support for
Ukraine for this year and the years ahead and said next Labour
government's commitment to European security will be their "first
foreign and defence priority."
In meetings, Lammy and Healey emphasised that the UK will stand
with Ukraine for as long as it takes to win. The pair also set
out a wide-ranging plan to back Ukraine, focusing not only on
military support but other key areas such as action to isolate
Russia and long-term support for Ukraine's reconstruction.
The plan for Ukraine sets out Labour's next steps for Ukraine to
guarantee UK leadership throughout 2024 and beyond. It outlines
five priorities: fast-tracking military support, deepening
diplomatic efforts, targeting Russian aggression, boosting
industrial production and supporting recovery and reconstruction.
Labour has strongly backed all military aid for Ukraine and has
been proud of the UK's “bipartisan leadership” on Ukraine since
Putin's brutal full-scale invasion started in 2022. Lammy and
Healey urged a renewed focus on cooperation between NATO nations
leading up to the NATO75 Summit and said that a Labour government
will ensure the UK's internationally leading role in support of
the country, including helping to create “a clear path for
Ukraine's NATO membership.”
Ukraine is Lammy and Healey's seventh joint international visit
together as Shadow Foreign and Shadow Defence Secretaries. Lammy
and Healey made a previous joint visit to Ukraine in January
2022, weeks before Putin's tanks rolled towards Kyiv.
MP, Labour's Shadow Foreign
Secretary and MP, Labour's Shadow Defence
Secretary, said in a joint statement:
“As Putin seeks to divide the West, we visited Kyiv together to
send a clear message that a change in government in the UK would
mean no change in our military, diplomatic, financial and
political support to Ukraine.”
“Moscow's deepened cooperation with Beijing, Tehran and Pyongyang
requires us to deepen our cooperation with Britain's allies to
demonstrate that our commitment to Ukraine will outlast Vladmir
Putin's imperial invasion.
“The next Labour government's commitment to Ukraine will be
ironclad and European security will be our first foreign and
defence priority. Labour's action plan lays out a wide-ranging
approach to stand with Ukraine, confront Russian aggression and
pursue Putin for his war crimes. We will stand with Ukraine until
it wins.”
Ends
Notes
Labour's UK Plan for Ukraine
- Ramp up military support throughout 2024 and beyond by
increasing and sustaining aid, implementing the UK Ukraine
Security Cooperation agreement, extending UK training and
creating a clear path for Ukraine's NATO membership.
- Reboot the diplomatic drive to maintain western unity and
hold Putin to account, by working through the G7, the UN, NATO,
the International Criminal Court and pushing for the creation of
a special tribunal for the crime of aggression.
- Take immediate action against wider Russian aggression by
enforcing sanctions, closing loopholes in the supply chain,
tackling kleptocracy in London and reinforcing NATO allies on the
Russian border.
- Boost UK industrial production by fast-tracking in full £2
billion to restock UK armed forces and Ukraine.
- Get ready for Ukraine's recovery with more de-mining help,
and working with G7 partners on a plan to enable the seizure and
repurposing of frozen Russian state assets in the UK to support
Ukraine's reconstruction.
