London has agreed the use of British weapons supplied to Ukraine for strikes on Crimea, the head of the Defence Ministry of the United Kingdom, Grant Shapps said on air on Sky News.
During a speech at a conference in London, Shapps explained that the UK had granted permission for the use of British weapons on the entire territory of Ukraine, including Crimea. The British minister said:
As you know, we have granted permission for the use of weapons on the territory of Ukraine, including Crimea, which we consider an integral part of Ukraine.
At the same time, Shapps said that Britain gives permission to use British weapons anywhere “only in full compliance with international humanitarian law.”
Britain will not try to “force” Kyiv to conclude a peace agreement with Russia, Shapps also said.
The defence secretary’s comments came after Rishi Sunak on Monday dodged questions over a report that Lord David Cameron had persuaded Donald Trump to increase funding for Ukraine on the grounds that it would allow the Republican to secure a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv if he wins the US election.
Mr. Shapps told Radio Times on Tuesday:
There is no sense at all in which Britain would try to persuade, strong-arm or otherwise, Ukraine into accepting giving up some of their territory – that’s a decision entirely for Ukraine. What Ukraine does and how it decides to bring this to an end is their business. What I can confirm is that the UK will back Ukraine all the way.
Mr. Shapps told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Russia’s renewed offensive in north-eastern Ukraine was a “wake-up call” because “it was bound to happen because of delays in Ukraine getting what they needed” in terms of military equipment.
Russian forces have stepped up their offensive on Kharkiv in recent days, marking a significant advance that could bind Ukrainian forces in the northeast.
