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'We stand together': Ukraine & UK strong in face of Russia's nuclear threats, minister tells LBC
19 November 2024, 16:15 | Updated: 19 November 2024, 16:25
Ukraine and Britain are strong in the face of nuclear threats from Russia, the armed forces minister has told LBC.
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But he vowed that "we are showing strong resolve in return" and would not be threatened by the Kremlin boss.
He spoke to LBC in the East of England on a visit to see British troops training Ukrainians ready for the front line, and warned that Putin will "continue threatening the United Kingdom" if he was allowed to succeed there.
LBC was shown exercises as soldiers learned to deal with trench conditions and respond to the Russian onslaught they will face in combat.
When grilled on whether the minister was concerned about the impact of nuclear war, he told LBC: "Since the start of the war, Putin has been making threats. Putin's threats are designed to put us off from our support for Ukraine. They're designed to weaken our resolve, and we are showing strong resolve in return.
"What we've seen today is amazing. Ukrainian troops being trained. When they return back to Ukraine, they will be on the front line.
"They will be facing not just training bullets, as they have been here today, and not just water balloons being dropped by drones, but hand grenades being dropped by drones, real live rounds coming at them. That is the resolve that I've seen here today that helps steel me as a minister to make sure that our resolve as a government is as strong as it can be."
The visit - which marked 1,000 days of the war in Ukraine - came just days after the US gave Ukraine permission to fire long-range missiles deep inside Russia.
Mr Pollard admitted the situation was "fast changing" and insisted the West are "standing together" despite Germany's reluctance to allow their long-range missiles to be used inside Russia, and fears over what President Trump's return to the White House will do for the war in Ukraine.
He added: "There's only one person who is escalating the war, and that is Putin. He could stop the war today if he wanted to."
The Ukrainian ambassador General Valerii Zaluzhnyi was given a heroes welcome and was mobbed for selfies by delighted troops in a much-needed morale-boost.
Moscow said on Tuesday that they'd been attacked with the first set of such missiles.
President Putin responded by lowering the bar for which he could use a nuclear arsenal - raising fears of a nuclear standoff.
But the UK has remained tight-lipped about whether it will give the green light for British-made Storm Shadow missiles to be used in Russia too.
They require US-kit to operate, and it's reported Joe Biden has not signed off on their use.
Sir Keir Starmer has said he wants the UK to "double down" on support for Ukraine - and told President Zelensky of Ukraine he would stand by him no matter what it takes, when the pair spoke earlier today.
Mr Pollard refused to comment on "operational matters around the use of long range fires" but added: "We will continue to support Ukraine, provide them with the military equipment, hardware needed to defend themselves, and we'll continue to train the troops.
"The Prime Minister has been clear he wants us to double down on our support for Ukraine."
It comes as tens of thousands North Korean troops are amassing on the border with Ukraine, amid fears more could be dragged into the war ahead of the winter.
Mr Pollard told LBC that was a "clear escalation" and showed "just how weak the Russians are with turning to the least popular country on the plane for support".
The UK will contribute £7.5 million towards new attack and surveillance drones, the Ministry of Defence confirmed on Tuesday.
The UK’s £7.5 million investment will be channelled through the drone coalition, alongside £16 million in contributions from other allies, including £10 million from Germany, and £3 million each from Canada and Luxembourg.
This brings the total coalition fund to £67 million, with the UK providing £15 million overall, according to the Ministry of Defence.
Defence Secretary John Healey said: "The UK has stood side by side with our Ukrainian allies since day one of Putin's illegal, full-scale invasion - leading international support, training 50,000 recruits and supplying weapons, drones and other crucial military kit.
"1,000 days after Putin initiated his full-scale invasion, our commitment to Ukraine remains ironclad. President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people will have our fullest support for as long as it takes.
"As we look towards a winter of continued Russian attacks on military and civilian targets, it is critical that international partners and allies come together to back Ukraine and ensure that Putin does not succeed."
