UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper reaffirmed Britain’s backing for Kyiv ahead of this week’s NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting, stressing that the UK remains fully committed as Russia intensifies strikes on civilian areas.
She said “the UK continues strongly to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the face of continued Russian aggression, including appalling strikes against civilians this weekend.” Cooper added that the Prime Minister had recently met leaders of the coalition of the willing, who “welcomed US efforts to seek a just and lasting peace,” and confirmed she will join NATO counterparts tomorrow to underline support for “a strong and sovereign Ukraine.”
The Foreign Office did not respond to repeated requests for comment on what points would be discussed, an unusual silence given the significance of the UK’s public position on Ukraine. Believe me, I tried; multiple requests to their news desk went ignored.
Her remarks come as NATO shifts focus to the pace of defence output and readiness ahead of ministerial talks.
At a pre-meeting press conference in Brussels, Secretary General Mark Rutte argued that the Alliance is still at the beginning of rebuilding credible warfighting mass. Ministers will review progress since leaders agreed at The Hague to spend 5 percent of GDP on defence, including 3.5 percent on core military capability. Rutte called it a major strategic reorientation, saying “that commitment to invest more in our security was a major leap which recognised our changing reality. But this is only the beginning of a long road, and we cannot be complacent.”
He warned that higher budgets will only matter if production capacity keeps pace. “Increasing our investment is only truly effective if supply matches demand, and that’s why we are also rapidly scaling up production capacity,” he said, emphasising the need for tighter transatlantic industrial cooperation.
Ukraine will dominate tomorrow’s discussions, with a NATO Ukraine Council meeting bringing together Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas. Rutte condemned Russia’s intensified winter strikes, stating that “Russia is systematically targeting civilian infrastructure, depriving Ukrainians of heat and light.” He added that Moscow continues to benefit from Chinese, Iranian and North Korean support.
He noted that European and Canadian Allies have delivered billions in equipment through the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List in recent months and suggested further contributions are expected. He closed by urging continued collective resolve, saying “Allies have shown they are already willing and able to work together to ensure we can tackle the challenges effectively, keeping our one billion people safe today and into the future.”
we’ve had a decade of tough talking from Williamson, Cameron, Boris, Sunak, Wallace, Starmer – what have we got to show for it? not just hollowed out, but stripped to the bone defence force barely able to scrape together a fighting division, 2 Deployable FJ Squadrons and any more than 4 Frigates/ Destroyers. Where is the growth, where’s the immediacy? Commentators here regularly point out ‘but we’re part of NATO’ so we don’t need so much. The US under asset Trump? is as no longer a reliable NATO partner – even Putin knows that.
It’s now too late to do much about it. What we have today is what we’ll be going to war with for the next 5 years. We’re in trouble and I hope the likes of Cameron, Boris, Sunak, Starmer are held to account for their treason!
It’s not Rocket science to deduce that of all the Politicians you mention, they have one thing in common – have a guess what it is ?.
They all have a two-syllable surname. What’s the prize?!
Arseholes?
USA isolation, German appeasement, UK drained after 2 desert wars
Unlikely Wiscoff will leave Moscow this week having persuaded Putin to accept Rubio’s 19 point peace plan. So it will be make your mind up time for Trump; back Europe or sell out Ukraine and give Putin the split between the US and Europe he wants. Happy Christmas?
Witkoff is Trump’s bagman. He’s in Moscow raising funds for his and the Donald’s investment fund. Same as when he was doing the rounds in the Gulf. Everything else is a footnote…
Wifkoff is a snake oil salesman and Kuchner is ten times worse and illustrates the stench of fetid rotten corruption that emanates from the US these days, even worse than usual. There will be no peace until Emperor Trump has bought Ukraine for a nickel and sold it to Emperor Putin for billions and the video back. We are a joke right down there with Spain and Portugal, we are ordering next to no equipment, we are not spending more money it is all a lie. Ajax is a sick joke. the new support ships are so far overdue it’s incredible and now we need 9 months to decide which snipers rifle to buy. God help us what will come out of the rifle replacement programme and don’t even mention the Land Rover replacement which I predict will be the biggest cock up in MOD history with us ending up with massive over priced sort of armoured cars with full digital integration with AI based real time overviews of something….oh yes sorry but we can only afford 4000 of them, the rest of you guys can walk.
I applaud your perseverance in seeking a comment from FCDO ahead of the NATO meeting. I am unsurprised nothing of substance is available at present.
European members of NATO rely on the United States. We always have and, so long as NATO exists, we will continue to do so. Whomever is President is largely irrelevant; the permanent government never changes.
It is important to differentiate between Ukraine issues – where the Russian and US governments have made it clear the primary negotiations will now be between themselves, and the continued team discussion of increasing NATO capability in general.
I wonder what progress Starmer will report at the transition to the 5% target. I don’t think we have seen a single signficant platform order since they took over in July 2024.