Russia has started a war in Ukraine and may end it right now, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, commenting on Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's statement that Moscow would consider Western weapons strikes on Russia as a serious escalation. This is reported by the BBC, UNN reports.
Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that if the decision to lift restrictions on western weapons strikes on russia is approved, it will mean direct participation of nato countries in the war.
When asked to comment on this statement, the British Prime Minister replied:
“Russia started this conflict. Russia has illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia can stop this conflict immediately. Ukraine has the right to self-defense, and obviously we fully support Ukraine's right to self-defense by providing training opportunities. But we are not seeking a conflict with Russia, it is not our intention in the slightest.”
According to the BBC's Russian service, Starmer was cautious about commenting on the prospect of lifting restrictions on long-range strikes deep into Russian territory, but did not deny that this issue was on the agenda.
“We are key allies of the United States and we are very, very closely connected, especially on issues like Ukraine and the Middle East. In the next few weeks and months, there are likely to be some really important developments in both Ukraine and the Middle East, and so a number of tactical decisions need to be made. I really want these tactical decisions to be made in a strategic context,” he added.
Recall
U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet on September 13 in Washington, DC.