A Russian warship firing its weapons off the British coast on Monday was “performative and irresponsible”, Wes Streeting has said.
New Defence Secretary Mr Streeting also warned “Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this Government and this Prime Minister” in his first engagement in the job.
The live-fire exercise took place 40 nautical miles (46 miles) off the coast of Plymouth on Monday, the same day Andy Burnham entered Government as the new Prime Minister.
The Royal Navy “continues to track the vessel’s activity closely, and stands ready to protect UK national security”, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said.
Mr Streeting was asked for his response to the incident, as he welcomed defence ministers from Japan, Italy and Canada to London to discuss the Global Combat Air Programme, a pact between the countries to develop a new generation of fighter jets.
He told reporters: “We should see yesterday’s events as performative and irresponsible. It’s not the first time that Russia has behaved like this, and frankly, it’s the tip of the iceberg of the daily threats that this country faces and our allies face.
“Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this Government and this Prime Minister, our resolve to stand against Russian aggression in Ukraine, but also Russian aggression against all of our allies.”
The Russian ship informed HMS Tyne that it intended to conduct gunnery activity before firing the rounds.
It asked the Royal Navy vessel to move to a safer distance, which HMS Tyne did, then started its 30-minute exercise in international waters.
Lord Dannatt, chief of the British Army’s general staff between 2006 and 2009, told Times Radio the activity was another “illustration of the aggressive instinct” shown by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He added that Mr Putin “wants to demonstrate that Russia’s got muscles that it can flex and it’s not entirely by happenstance that that Russian warship chose to carry out a live-fire exercise on the same day that Andy Burnham became prime minister”.
He continued: “This is an indication from the Kremlin that ‘we’re here and we’re powerful, we’re strong, and what are you going to do about it?’ So it’s a challenge.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said he would not engage in “speculation around Russia’s intent”.
But he added: “What I can say is that our armed forces are at a state of constant readiness to protect UK national security.”
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said he only knows “a very sketchy amount” about the exercise but “in principle, obviously (it’s) very concerning” and “typical bravado from Putin”.
Also speaking on Times Radio, the Conservative frontbencher warned there was “very obviously a lack of surface ships for the Royal Navy”.
He said: “More surface ships, more frigates in our shores, would send a very powerful signal to Putin that we’re not going to tolerate this sort of behaviour.”
Mr Streeting faced questions about defence spending at the press conference.
He said Ministry of Defence leaders have “a firm friend in His Majesty’s Treasury”, where former defence secretary John Healey is the new Chancellor.
“I think the Prime Minister has been clear and will continue to do so that this is a country under his leadership that honours our commitments to our international allies and partners,” Mr Streeting said.
“He recognises both the challenge of current threats this country faces but also the evolving nature of those threats and the need to invest in defence.”
At the Foreign Office, Ed Miliband used his first diplomatic phone call to speak with his Ukrainian counterpart, as war continues in eastern Europe.
“Ukraine is on the front line of the fight for the values of freedom and democracy in Europe,” the new Foreign Secretary wrote on X.
Andrii Sybiha, Kyiv’s minister of foreign affairs, wrote on social media: “I briefed my colleague on the latest developments on the battlefield and thanked him for his solidarity following Russia’s latest massive attack on Kyiv.
“We discussed further strengthening our co-operation, continued military assistance, support for Ukraine’s energy sector ahead of winter, increasing pressure on Russia.”
A Foreign Office spokesperson said their call showed the Government’s “commitment to continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Ukraine, as Britain has done for the last four years”.
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