The UK's Foreign Secretary, Lammy, minimalizes Putin's warnings
Amidst the controversy surrounding the potential relaxation of restrictions on Ukraine's access to Western weapons for attacks on Russian targets, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has dismissed Putin's warnings. "There's a lot of bluster. That's his style. He rattles sabers, he threatens with tanks, he threatens with nukes," Lammy stated during an interview with BBC on Sunday.
Lammy emphasized that we shouldn't let Putin's tactics discourage us from our course. He labeled the Russian president as an "imperialistic bully." When asked whether Putin is lying about the threat of nuclear war, Lammy replied, "Putin's just creating confusion. It's all about showmanship."
Recently, Ukrainian leaders have pressured Western allies to authorize the use of a wider array of Western weapons against Russian targets, including British Storm Shadow missiles and American-made ATACMS missiles.
US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had a discussion about this matter at the White House on Friday, but they delayed making a decision. Previously, Putin had warned that such authorization would mean NATO was at war with Russia.
Lammy shared with BBC that talks between Starmer, Biden, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on this issue would continue during the general debate of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Lammy acknowledged that other Western nations might also consider provisioning Ukraine with more advanced weapons, stating, "There's a growing consensus among our allies that we need to provide Ukraine with the necessary tools to defend itself." Regarding Putin's threats, Lammy stressed, "His tactics are designed to create division and instability, but we must remain united in our support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
