The British Prime Minister has rebuffed Vladimir Putin’s sabre-rattling following his threats that London and NATO will be at “war” with Russia if long-range missiles are used inside Russia.
During a flight to Washington Sir Keir Starmer said that Russia started this war and it is Putin that is “acting unlawfully,” not the West.
Starmer told journalists who were on the flight with him, “Russia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia can end this conflict straight away.
“To reiterate, it was Russia who started this in the first place. They caused the conflict; they’re the ones who are acting unlawfully.”
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Starmer is meeting with the US President Joe Biden to discuss the war in Ukraine and Volodymyr Zelensky’s request to be allowed to use Western missiles to target military sites inside Russia without caveats.
Vladimir Putin sent a direct warning to the UK and NATO that Russia will declare war if Ukrainian forces launched Western supplied long-range cruise missiles inside the Russian Federation.
Putin told Russian state television, “So this is not a question of allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons or not.
It is a question of deciding whether or not NATO countries are directly involved in a military conflict.
If this decision is taken, it will mean nothing less than the direct involvement of NATO countries, the US and European countries in the war in Ukraine.”
The Prime Minister said Russia, “They’re the ones who are acting unlawfully.
“And Ukraine obviously has the right to self-defence. That is why we have been providing training and capability.
“And, you know, there are obviously further discussions to be had about the nature of that capability.
“What I want to do is make sure that those discussions, tactical discussions, are set in the proper strategic context of the situation in Ukraine.
“And there are, equally, tactical issues in relation to the Middle East which need to be set in a context which is strategic not just tactical.”
The Guardian newspaper reported that Downing Street will not make the announcement public and anonymous sources have said “it would be considered unnecessarily provocative.”
The Guardian said that Sir Keir Starmer or the Defence Secretary are unlikely to speak publicly over the decision following a meeting in Washington on 13 September with the US President Joe Biden.
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