New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday (10) that UK military aid to Ukraine, including Storm Shadow missiles, was for defensive purposes, but that Kiev could decide how to implement it.
Starmer, who took office last Friday after winning the July 4 British general election, stressed that the missiles “obviously must be used in accordance with international humanitarian law, as is to be expected”.
“But it is up to Ukraine to decide how to use them for these defensive purposes,” the Labour politician told reporters accompanying him to the NATO summit that begins today in Washington.
Storm Shadows are precision-guided cruise missiles with a range of more than 250 kilometres. This is the first time Starmer has confirmed the new UK government’s commitment to such military aid.
Starmer had declared on Tuesday (9) that his Executive is committed to allocating 2.5% of GDP to defense, shortly before embarking on his trip to Washington.
The Labor Party reiterated, as in the election campaign, that it will allocate this percentage “within our fiscal rules”.
“The most important thing at this NATO summit is to reaffirm our solidarity with Ukraine and discuss practical plans for further actions we can take together against Russian aggression,” he said.
#frees #Kiev #decide #military #aid