Defence minister Luke Pollard tries to distance the government from the US ambassador’s comments to the media
Gavin Robinson, the DUP leader, has welcomed Keir Starmer’s announcement yesterday that Ukraine will be able to use export finance worth £1.6bn to buy 5,000 missiles from a factory in Belfast.
Speaking on BBC’s Good Morning Ulster, Robinson said that plan, which will create 200 jobs, was “hugely significant” for the city. He went on:
Significant because of the turbulence in international relations in the last week.
Significant because of the contribution that Thales have been making to Ukraine since the start, in fact before the start of Russia’s brutal invasion, and significant because of the recognition that is given through this order to the skill and the ingenuity of the team at Thales.
Keir Starmer convened an emergency defence summit of European leaders at the weekend, telling European powers they must realise it is “time to act”, and warned they stand at a “crossroads in history” as he committed £1.6bn in support for Ukraine.
The Times praises the PM’s call for a “coalition of the willing” from Ukraine’s European allies, but warns the power of any peacekeeping force would be limited without US firepower.
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