RUSSIA’S Vladimir Putin will unleash a decade of aggression against the West, the new Defence Secretary has warned.
John Healey said stopping the war in Ukraine must be at the top of the Government’s agenda to thwart the hostility.
2
2
His intervention at the Nato summit came as Sir Keir Starmer last night suggested our Nato allies must spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence — despite not setting out a clear timeline to reach the target himself.
The Prime Minister said: “I say with candour to all our allies we must understand that this is now essential.”
Mr Healey said: “We’re facing a decade or more of growing Russian aggression.
“Supporting Ukraine and its ability to win is our first priority.
“That’s why, on my second day in the job, I flew to Odesa and spent the afternoon with President Volodymyr Zelensky and his team.”
The UK has this week signed up to a coalition with 11 other countries to send a million drones to Ukraine.
Sir Keir said military aid for Kyiv will be £3billion a year until 2031.
The PM will next week launch a strategic defence review, which will assess our military capabilities in the wake of the Ukraine invasion and the threats from China and Iran.
Sir Keir added Nato must be “united and resilient” in its approach to China.
He will host a European Political Community summit next week at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, giving a chance to press for closer security ties with Europe.
Mr Healey insisted tight links with Brussels will not see us slide into a European defence force.
But he said our military could sign up to more EU programmes on shared defence co-operation, such as moving equipment across the Continent.
Talks on a formal UK-EU security pact are unlikely to start before the end of the year.
