David Lammy's unyielding message to Putin as Ukraine crisis intensifies

19 February 2022, 10:04

David Lammy issues warning to Putin on threats of invasion of Ukraine

The Shadow Foreign Secretary assures Vladimir Putin that 'there'll be a lot of body bags going back to Moscow' if Russia invades Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden has declared it likely that Vladimir Putin will invade Ukraine in the coming days, as reports of explosions in the rebel-held city of Donetsk raise concerns of a "false flag" attack.

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Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy told Andrew Castle that the troop build up along Ukraine's borders is "the biggest build up since the Second World War" and "does not look like de-escalation by any account" despite Vladimir Putin's claims earlier in the week.

"It does look like Russia is set to invade or incur Ukraine" Mr Lammy insisted.

He went on to share intelligence that pro-Russian troops in Belarus and the Moldovan province of Transnistria are "in a forward posture" and are seemingly ready to "take Kiev".

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Andrew questioned Mr Lammy's statement, referencing earlier conversations with journalists and experts who stated an invasion is unlikely. He wondered whether Putin would really want to embark on a violent assault on the Ukrainian capital.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary assured LBC listeners that Ukrainians would not take a Russian incursion lying down and would fight to the end.

He went on to say that Ukrainians are "very, very resilient" people and argued that a massive Russian death toll would "shake public opinion in Russia".

"This would be a very, very bloody war and there'll be a lot of body bags going back to Moscow" Mr Lammy warned.