Russia can end war now, says Starmer as Putin warns West
Russia initiated the conflict in Ukraine and can end it “immediately,” Sir Keir Starmer has said. This follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warning that Moscow would view Western missiles fired into Russia as a serious escalation of the war.
In an interview with Russian state television, Putin stated that such actions would “mean nothing other than the direct participation of NATO countries—the US and European countries—in the war in Ukraine.”
Sir Keir is currently in Washington for talks with US President Joe Biden, as allies of Kyiv consider giving Ukraine permission to target Russian territory with their missiles. “It is their direct participation,” Putin said, adding that this would “substantially change the nature of the conflict.”
He also warned that Russia would respond accordingly to any threats posed by such decisions.
On his flight to Washington, the Prime Minister was asked to comment on these remarks. He firmly reiterated that Russia had started the war. “Russia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia can end this conflict right away,” he stated.
He later emphasized: “To reiterate, it was Russia that started this. They caused the conflict and are acting unlawfully.”
The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary David Lammy are engaging in a round of international diplomacy as Ukraine’s allies discuss how to respond to Iran’s increased support for Russia. Lammy told the BBC that Iran’s involvement “clearly changes the debate” as he visited Kyiv alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
After returning from Washington, the Prime Minister will fly to Rome to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Italy currently holds the rotating presidency of the G7 group of industrialized countries.
World leaders will also convene in New York a week later for the annual UN General Assembly.
There has long been hesitation about allowing Ukraine to fire Western missiles into Russia, due to concerns that it could be seen as provocative, potentially drawing the US, European countries, and others directly into the conflict. However, with winter approaching and Russia receiving increased support from Iran, opinions appear to be shifting.
When asked about the use of the Anglo-French Storm Shadow cruise missile, senior figures have remained cautious in their public remarks. “There are important developments likely in the next few weeks and months, both in Ukraine and the Middle East, so a number of tactical decisions need to be made,” the Prime Minister told reporters, without confirming whether the issue was on the agenda.
He noted that both Blinken and Lammy had recently visited Ukraine, saying, “They’re obviously with us to report on a very important joint trip.”
Earlier in the day, Putin remarked: “This isn’t about allowing or prohibiting the Kyiv regime from striking Russian territory—it already does so with drones and other means. But when it comes to high-precision, long-range Western weapons, that is a completely different matter. The Ukrainian army cannot strike with modern, high-precision, long-range systems on its own. It can only do so with intelligence data from satellites—data provided by the European Union, the USA, and NATO.”
He added: “The key point is that only NATO servicemen can input flight missions into these missile systems. Ukrainian servicemen cannot. So, this is not about allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with these weapons. It’s about whether NATO countries decide to directly participate in the military conflict.”
This marks the Prime Minister’s second visit to Washington in just over two months, following his trip in July for the NATO Summit and a visit to the White House shortly after winning the general election.
Sir Keir clarified that he would not be meeting US Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris during this visit, explaining that she would be in other parts of the US, particularly swing states. “That’s fine,” he said.
Credit: BBC
