UK Foreign secy warns Europe will be 'less safe' if NATO fails to push Putin's troops out

As the devastating war in Ukraine continues with no sign of ceasing any time soon, United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss claimed that Europe will be "much less safe" if North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) does not make it their "absolute priority" to Push Moscow's troops out of Kyiv. She also called Russian President Vladimir Putin an "appalling dictator" who has been waging a war that is in no way legitimate or legal. "I have not met Vladimir Putin, I don't know the motivation for carrying out this appalling war. All I know is that we have to make it our absolute priority to stop this war and to push the Russian troops out of Ukraine," Truss told Sky News. 

The UK Foreign Secretary made these remarks during the opening day of the NATO summit in Madrid, where leaders of the alliance have gathered to formulate a new strategy in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the UK government has declared that it will provide Ukraine with an additional £1 billion ($1.2 billion) in military assistance. With this, Britain has provided military aid totalling £2.3 billion since the onset of war -- more than any country except the United States. 

Zelenskyy lauds UK govt for providing additional support

According to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the additional funding would be used to develop capabilities such as advanced air defence systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, cutting-edge new electronic warfare gear, and other essential equipment for Ukrainian Armed Forces. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy extended his gratitude to the UK government for the additional assistance. "I’m grateful to UK Prime Minister @BorisJohnson  for allocating an additional £1 billion for security assistance to Ukraine. The UK is our true friend and strategic partner. We appreciate the consistent, leadership support for Ukraine in countering Russian aggression [sic]," he tweeted. 

UK Defence Secy urges PM Johnson to increase defence budget

It is pertinent to mention here that the UK leadership is also engaged in a heated discussion about whether to raise defence spending in face of the conflict. The UK presently devotes about 2% of its GDP to defence, which is in line with the goal NATO has set for its members. However, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has pushed PM Johnson to increase military spending in response to the ongoing war. Truss declined to comment on Wallace's plea but stated that the budget needed to be "fit for purpose," Sky News reported. 

Image: AP