Nato allies announce £37bn for new missile project
At the summit, Sir Keir is expected to underline the threat Russia poses to the UK and NATO.
The government said NATO had used warplanes more than 700 times to intercept Russian aircraft approaching allied airspace and that Russian military activity around British waters had increased by 30%.
Sir Keir is expected to emphasize that while NATO does not want to confront Russia, it must be ready to defend any ally.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “With deep precision strike capability, the UK and our allies will be able to strike high-value military targets and the logistics engines that direct armies, deterring any aggressor and strengthening our mutual security.
“As Ankara, we are sending a clear message” [Russian] Minister [Vladimir] Putin’s; “NATO is stronger, more European and ready to defend our citizens against the long-term threat it and the Russian state pose.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking at the summit on Tuesday, called on Ukraine to provide its allies with the air defense systems it urgently needs to protect them from increasing Russian attacks.
Ukraine is increasing long-range drone and missile attacks against Russia, hitting oil refineries and military targets there and causing severe fuel shortages and power outages.
“The Ukrainian Armed Forces have proven that the effective use of long-range systems can create game-changing effects on the battlefield, giving the Armed Forces the ability to weaken enemy forces far behind the front line,” Number 10 said.
“Ukraine’s long-range strikes against key logistics hubs have significantly impacted Russia’s ability to sustain its attacks.”
Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022, will closely follow the summit in Ankara, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
He said that no new weapons that Kiev could get from NATO would prevent Russia from continuing its military operation in Ukraine until its goals were achieved.
“As part of the preparations for this summit, we heard many statements about our country,” Peskov told reporters. he said.
“Unfortunately, these were not statements about constructive participation and dialogue, but rather statements of a confrontational nature.”
“It would be preferable for Russia to resolve this dispute through political and diplomatic means,” Peskov added.
