Ukraine is fighting for the same values as allies did in second world war, says Keir Starmer – UK politics live | Politics
Ukraine cause akin to second world war allies, Starmer says before Trump-Putin Alaska talks
Ukraine is fighting for the same values as the allies did in the second world war, Keir Starmer has said before a summit in Alaska between US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Addressing a reception in Downing Street, including veterans, to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, which marked the allies’ defeat of Japan, the prime minister said:
I sat on this terrace this very morning with President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, who is fighting for the same values as we were fighting for. And so when we say never forget, we must pass on the stories of those who have gone before us.
It came as Trump suggested European leaders could be invited to a second meeting if the summit is successful. Trump will meet Putin on Friday at the summit which could see the drawing up of peace terms for Ukraine.
Trump and Starmer have spoken optimistically about a potential ceasefire, including at a virtual meeting of Ukrainian allies on Wednesday.
Leaders of the European-led ‘coalition of the willing’ could then join talks between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy to end the war. The PA news agency understands that Starmer will attend a meeting if he is invited.
Also today, defence secretary John Healey is on morning media round for the government, while shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge is doing the same for the Conservatives. I’ll bring you any interesting lines from them in a moment.
But first, in other developments:
Key events
Theologian in Jenrick xenophobia row says pair ‘could work together’
Diane Taylor
The theologian who accused Robert Jenrick of xenophobia on the BBC has invited the shadow justice minister to work with him to ease tensions over migration rather than “ramping up anti-immigrant sentiment”.
Dr Krish Kandiah’s comments on Radio 4’s Thought for the Day, raising concerns about Jenrick’s remarks about the safety of his daughters because of small boat arrivals, caused a row after a complaint from the shadow justice secretary, with the item being retrospectively edited by the BBC.
Kandiah expressed concern about the current atmosphere relating to migration and said he was extending an olive branch to Jenrick in the hope the two men could work together on the issue.
The initial remarks by Kandiah, who heads the Sanctuary Foundation refugee charity, prompted an angry response from Jenrick. The BBC said it had removed “some of the language used” by Kandiah from a version of Thought for the Day posted online, saying it was not appropriate for the faith-based radio segment.
In his statement, Kandiah said:
Mr Jenrick, I want your daughters and mine to be able to walk down the road safely and without fear. I worked with you when you were housing minister and the UK welcomed over 200,000 people from Hong Kong.
I was grateful for your support and compassion during that time. I would love to find a way we could work together to de-escalate the fear and anger many are feeling in our country. I believe we need to focus on the real challenges that are making people worried – housing, jobs and the cost of living – rather than ramping up anti-immigrant sentiment.
Farage urges Starmer to appoint Reform peers to House of Lords
Matthew Weaver
Nigel Farage has called for the right to nominate Reform UK supporters to the House of Lords, claiming this would address a “democratic disparity”.
The demand was dismissed by the defence secretary, John Healey, who said parliament would not benefit from “more Putin apologists”.
In a letter to Keir Starmer, the Reform leader said it was unfair that other smaller parties, including the Greens, had peers in the upper chamber but his party did not, despite attracting more votes in the general election last year.
In what Farage described as a “modest request”, he said it was time that Reform was represented in the House of Lords. He wrote:
Reform UK wishes to appoint life peers to the upper house at the earliest possible opportunity.
Political appointments to the Lords are made at the discretion of the prime minister, who is under no constitutional obligation to elevate opposition figures to the Lords. But under political convention, No 10 invites opposition leaders to nominate candidates for peerages.
Downing Street has yet to respond to Farage’s demand, but speaking on LBC, Healey said Farage wanted to fill the Lords with “his cronies”. He also pointed out that Farage had previously called for the abolition of the Lords.
Healey said:
I’m not sure that parliament’s going to benefit from more Putin apologists like Nigel Farage, to be honest.
Asked whether that accusation was “a bit strong”, Healey replied:
Look at what he’s said about Russia, look at what he’s said about Putin in the past.
John Healey said suggestions that Russian occupation in parts of Ukraine and a minerals deal featuring in any truce were “all hypotheticals”.
Asked whether the UK would back those ideas, the defence secretary told Sky News:
I think those are all hypotheticals. This is, as President Trump said, a first meeting, there’s an important principle, once serious negotiations start, that there can be no decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine.
So his declaration of bringing President Zelensky into the discussions is important, just as the aim to secure an unconditional ceasefire, to allow the negotiations to take place, is an important part of what I hope we will start to see as a result of the discussions today.
But this, in the end, is a question and a pressure on Putin. Will he do what he says? Is he ready, as he says, for peace, and will he step back from the war that he’s been waging on Ukraine now for three-and-a-half years without succeeding in securing any of his strategic objectives, and having lost over a million Russian casualties during that time.
This is a huge human cost, both to Russia, but especially to Ukraine.
Defence secretary says Trump-Putin talks are ‘first steps’ that could lead to ‘serious negotiations’
John Healey said the talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin were “first steps” towards a potential peace which could lead to “serious negotiations” which involve Ukraine in the future.
Asked whether Friday’s meeting between the two leaders in Alaska – and a possible joint press conference – was simply a “reward” for Putin, the defence secretary told Times Radio:
It’s a recognition that you can only end fighting by talking. And to have talking and serious negotiation, it requires someone to broker those talks.
President Trump is playing that role in a way that only President Trump can, and it’s why we and other European leaders and Ukraine have been willing to give President Trump our full support in trying to take these first steps.
Asked whether the US president’s approach to Russia meant the UK needed to change its approach to Russia, he said:
Well, I think, well, first of all, we need to see what happens in the discussions today and whether they lead to serious negotiations that will properly involve Ukraine in the future.
But our first priority, is to continue to stand with Ukraine, as we have since the outset of this full scale war, to step up our support for the diplomatic pressure and the economic pressure on Putin, but also to keep a focus on the frontline while all eyes are on Alaska, because we can’t jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the war.
The “pressure and the focus” must be on Putin as the talks get under way, he said.
The defence secretary dismissed suggestions that the UK’s approach to the Ukraine war was to “watch and wait” as US president Donald Trump holds talks with Vladimir Putin over a potential deal.
Asked whether Britain’s role was to “watch and wait”, John Healey told BBC Breakfast:
No, the UK’s role is to stand with Ukraine on the battlefield and in the negotiations, and prepare as we have been, leading 30 other nations with military planning for a ceasefire and a secure peace through what we call the coalition of the willing.
Our role is to lead the charge as we have been on more intensive diplomacy, to lead the charge on military aid to Ukraine so that we don’t jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the current war, and being ready also to step up economic pressure on Putin if he’s not willing to take the talks seriously.
House of Lords does not need ‘Putin apologists like Farage’, defence secretary says
Parliament will not benefit from “more Putin apologists”, a cabinet minister said, as he poured cold water on Nigel Farage’s call for the prime minister to allow him to appoint peers to the Lords.
Farage has previously pushed for reform of the upper chamber, saying it is too large and needs to be made more democratic.
According to the PA news agency, when asked about the Reform UK leader’s demands, defence secretary John Healey told LBC “the same Nigel Farage that called for the abolition of the House of Lords” wanted to fill it with “his cronies”.
He then added:
But look, I’m not sure that parliament’s going to benefit from more Putin apologists like Nigel Farage, to be honest.
Asked whether that accusation was “a bit strong”, Healey replied:
Look at what he’s said about Russia, look at what he’s said about Putin in the past. Look [at] what he said in the middle of the general election campaign.
At this point, when maximum pressure needs to be put on Putin to support Ukraine in negotiations, when the maximum condemnation of Putin is required from someone who is sitting down with Trump in Alaska but turning up the attacks on Ukraine, it needs all voices.
And I have to say, the voice of Reform is conspicuously absent in any of our discussions and any of our defence debates about Ukraine and about Russia. And I’d really welcome Nigel Farage weighing in alongside us and the other parties in the House of Commons to condemn Putin and to work, as we’re trying to do as well, to reinforce the prospects of peace.
Ukraine cause akin to second world war allies, Starmer says before Trump-Putin Alaska talks
Ukraine is fighting for the same values as the allies did in the second world war, Keir Starmer has said before a summit in Alaska between US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Addressing a reception in Downing Street, including veterans, to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, which marked the allies’ defeat of Japan, the prime minister said:
I sat on this terrace this very morning with President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, who is fighting for the same values as we were fighting for. And so when we say never forget, we must pass on the stories of those who have gone before us.
It came as Trump suggested European leaders could be invited to a second meeting if the summit is successful. Trump will meet Putin on Friday at the summit which could see the drawing up of peace terms for Ukraine.
Trump and Starmer have spoken optimistically about a potential ceasefire, including at a virtual meeting of Ukrainian allies on Wednesday.
Leaders of the European-led ‘coalition of the willing’ could then join talks between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy to end the war. The PA news agency understands that Starmer will attend a meeting if he is invited.
Also today, defence secretary John Healey is on morning media round for the government, while shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge is doing the same for the Conservatives. I’ll bring you any interesting lines from them in a moment.
But first, in other developments:
