UK States Ukraine Conflict is Entering a 'Critical Stage'
British Defense Secretary John Healey has stated that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is entering a “critical stage.” Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
British Defense Secretary John Healey has emphasized the need for Western Europe to “redouble” its support for Kyiv as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine approaches a “critical stage.”
Healey made these remarks after a meeting of defense ministers from Germany, France, the UK, Italy, and Poland in Berlin on Monday, where Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov participated via video link.
"We discussed with Rustem Umerov the need to redouble our support for Ukraine because the defense of Europe, the defense of the UK, starts in Ukraine, and if [Russian President Vladimir] Putin prevails in Ukraine, he will not stop there,” Healey asserted.
He pointed out that “the war in Ukraine is entering a critical stage” and called on Western European nations to “step up our security and our collective defense.”
During the press conference, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius commented on the potential shift in the US's stance towards Ukraine, particularly with President-elect Donald Trump, who has expressed skepticism about further aid to Kyiv, set to return to the White House on January 20, 2025.
"With President Trump, with a new US administration, certain things will change, and the sooner we prepare for this, the better. And, of course, we will continue to coordinate closely with our European partners,” he mentioned.
Pistorius assured that Berlin and its NATO allies would maintain their support for the Ukrainian military and the nation's defense sector. “Our target must be to enable Ukraine to act out of a position of strength,” he stated.
Furthermore, Pistorius noted that the impact of Moscow’s military operations extends beyond Ukraine, as “Russian threats are always directed at us at the same time.”
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu reported that Paris plans to deliver Mistral short-range air defense systems to Kyiv in the coming weeks.
Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed claims that his country was planning aggression against NATO as “nonsense,” asserting that such statements are made by Western politicians to mislead their citizens and justify increased defense spending and support for Kyiv amidst the ongoing conflict with Moscow. “In Ukraine, we are just protecting ourselves,” Putin insisted.
However, after Ukraine received approval for long-range strikes from the US and UK and utilized foreign-supplied missiles to target Russia’s internationally recognized territory last week, Putin cautioned that “we consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against the military facilities of those countries that allow the use of their weapons against our facilities.” He further indicated that in the event of heightened aggression, Russia would respond “decisively and in a mirror-like manner.”
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
Healey made these remarks after a meeting of defense ministers from Germany, France, the UK, Italy, and Poland in Berlin on Monday, where Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov participated via video link.
"We discussed with Rustem Umerov the need to redouble our support for Ukraine because the defense of Europe, the defense of the UK, starts in Ukraine, and if [Russian President Vladimir] Putin prevails in Ukraine, he will not stop there,” Healey asserted.
He pointed out that “the war in Ukraine is entering a critical stage” and called on Western European nations to “step up our security and our collective defense.”
During the press conference, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius commented on the potential shift in the US's stance towards Ukraine, particularly with President-elect Donald Trump, who has expressed skepticism about further aid to Kyiv, set to return to the White House on January 20, 2025.
"With President Trump, with a new US administration, certain things will change, and the sooner we prepare for this, the better. And, of course, we will continue to coordinate closely with our European partners,” he mentioned.
Pistorius assured that Berlin and its NATO allies would maintain their support for the Ukrainian military and the nation's defense sector. “Our target must be to enable Ukraine to act out of a position of strength,” he stated.
Furthermore, Pistorius noted that the impact of Moscow’s military operations extends beyond Ukraine, as “Russian threats are always directed at us at the same time.”
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu reported that Paris plans to deliver Mistral short-range air defense systems to Kyiv in the coming weeks.
Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed claims that his country was planning aggression against NATO as “nonsense,” asserting that such statements are made by Western politicians to mislead their citizens and justify increased defense spending and support for Kyiv amidst the ongoing conflict with Moscow. “In Ukraine, we are just protecting ourselves,” Putin insisted.
However, after Ukraine received approval for long-range strikes from the US and UK and utilized foreign-supplied missiles to target Russia’s internationally recognized territory last week, Putin cautioned that “we consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against the military facilities of those countries that allow the use of their weapons against our facilities.” He further indicated that in the event of heightened aggression, Russia would respond “decisively and in a mirror-like manner.”
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
