Lammy brands Putin ‘the ringleader of a new fascism’ as Labour commits to Ukraine
David Lammy will brand Vladimir Putin the “ringleader of a new fascism” as he vows to stand firm with Ukraine against Russian aggression.
The shadow Foreign Secretary will set out Labour’s foreign policy vision for 2024 on Saturday, when he will frame the war in Ukraine as a “generational security challenge and a long-term material security threat to Europe”.
The comments come as Labour faces the very real prospect of forming the next government at the same time as Donald Trump comes close to assuming power in the US, bringing with him significant uncertainty for Kyiv.
Speaking at a Fabian Society conference in central London, Mr Lammy will warn that Europe risks “taking our eye off the ball” when it comes to Ukraine and will commit to visiting Kyiv within his first 100 days if he becomes the next foreign secretary.
In a move that will further escalate tensions with Moscow, Mr Lammy will commit Labour to supporting a pathway to Ukraine’s Nato membership and seeking a new UK-EU security pact, to complement Nato ties.
Germany warned on Friday that Russia could attack Nato countries within a decade as concerns grow over the increased aggression from the Kremlin.
German defence minister Boris Pistorius warned: “Our experts expect a period of five to eight years in which this could be possible,” he told German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel.
“We hear threats from the Kremlin almost every day, so we have to take into account that Vladimir Putin might even attack a Nato country one day.”
It comes after Lord Barwell, former chief of staff to Theresa May, said the UK and other European nations will be forced to shift their economies onto a war footing if Donald Trump carries through his threat to pull military support from Ukraine.
Mr Lammy will also criticise 14 years of “chaotic and untrustworthy governments”, claiming that Britain has lacked the “leadership it needs to succeed in the face of a world characterised by conflict, the climate emergency and the erosion of the rules based order”.
He will also outline plans to start urgent diplomatic talks on the creation of a new “International Contact Group” to take over from the defunct Quartet to co-ordinate with Western and Arab partners over Middle East peace.
“The quest for Palestinian statehood is a just cause,” Mr Lammy said. “It is, as Keir Starmer has said, the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and the clear logic of any call for a two-state solution. That is why a Labour government will work with international partners to recognise the state of Palestine.”
