Liz Truss urges ‘doubling down’ on support for Kyiv

After the Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of a “lightning-fast” retaliation if countries intervened in Ukraine, Britain pressed for Moscow to be so weakened militarily by its war that the Russian president can never pose a threat to European security, the Guardian newspaper reported.

The Russian president told lawmakers in St Petersburg on Wednesday the west wanted to cut Russia into pieces and accused it of pushing Ukraine into conflict with Moscow. “If someone intends to intervene in the ongoing events from the outside, and create strategic threats for Russia that are unacceptable to us, they should know that our retaliatory strikes will be lightning-fast,” said Putin.

“We have all the tools for this, things no one else can boast of having now. And we will not boast, we will use them if necessary. And I want everyone to know that.”

His comments came as British foreign secretary Liz Truss called for a “doubling down” on support for Ukraine in a speech on Wednesday night, including further supplies of heavy weapons, and for allies to push for Russian forces to entirely leave Ukraine’s territory, with the country reverting to its pre-2014 borders.

Truss warned Putin that the west would come to the defence of Moldova in the same way as it is defending Ukraine if Russia mounted an attack there, as seems possible. She said the UK was digging deep into its inventories, including heavy weapons, tanks and aeroplanes, to defend Ukraine and other countries threatened by Russia.

KI/PR

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