‘We’re determined to press on until Ukraine prevails’
BRITAIN has vowed to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine for as long as it takes to defeat Russian despot Vladimir Putin’s invading forces.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will today join French President Emmanuel Macron for an Armistice Day service of remembrance at the Arc de Triomphe.
And as Europe prepares to fall silent to honour its Glorious Dead he issued a defiant message to the bloodthirsty Kremlin.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Express, Mr Cleverly said: “Putin has made his war everybody’s business. We are determined to show strategic endurance and press on until Ukraine prevails.
“Our message is clear: as Putin attacks Ukraine, using tactics that leave the world’s most vulnerable people further exposed, we will not be silent, and nor will our friends among the free nations.”
As the millions who perished in past conflicts are solemnly commemorated, a war continues to rage in Europe.
Today’s ceremony in Paris will honour those lost as the continent battled tyranny 80 years ago. But it will also be a symbolic show of strength as Britain and France face down indiscriminate slaughter.
Mr Cleverly’s message to Moscow encapsulates the spirit of the free and occupied European nations who rose up as one to defeat fascism during the Great War and Second World War.
And as he arrived in Paris, inset, he was greeted by Chelsea Pensioners Fred Aldridge, 84, and Peter Henry, 74, who will stand proudly alongside him to remember fallen brothers in arms. Father-of-two Mr Cleverly, 53, a British Army Reservist and former Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army, thanked the veterans as he disembarked at Gare du Nord where they have been helping the Paris branch of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. He bought a Poppy and the French equivalent, a bleuet. Mr Cleverly said: “I still volunteer and am immensely proud of the work our military does around the world. Armistice Day is an important moment to remember and pay tribute to our veterans, and ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten.
“The UK and France were allied nations during the World Wars and today we stand by side to make sure Russia cannot further undermine the stability of Europe.”
Since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the UN estimates there have been 6,490 civilian deaths. Of these, 403 are children. A further 9,972 people have been injured.
Russia’s weary and demoralised forces continue to shell cities in the face of fierce resistance. But as Putin’s iron grip on power loosens, fears rise as to his next move.
Next week the fragile Black Sea grain export deal is set to expire. Signed on July 27, it has helped alleviate famine for millions and the UN estimates it has stopped 100 million people falling into poverty.
Tensions are mounting amid fears Russia will permanently pull the plug on its comside
mitments, unleashing a tidal wave of hunger. More than 60 per cent of the wheat exported has gone to struggling countries such as Ethiopia, Yemen, and Afghanistan.
Last month Russia suspended the deal, with more than 100 ships blocked from entering key Ukrainian ports, including Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny. It made a U-turn on that decision last week. Around 100,000 tons of grain is exported every day under the initiative – enough to feed five million people for a month.
Ukraine wants the deal expanded to include more ports and goods, and is hopeful a decision to extend the agreement for another year can be brokered. But increasingly volatile manoeuvres by Putin mean the fragile framework is in jeopardy, putting tens of millions of lives in peril. Ambassador Dame Barbara Woodward, the UK’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said: “Ending the grain initiative would unleash the ‘unprecedented wave of hunger and destitution’ of which was warned in June.”
●●Royal Navy flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth has set sail for northern Europe to head a carrier strike group that includes helicopters and F35B Lightning fighter jets.
The 65,000-ton warship will be part of Operation Achillean alongside Nato and Joint Expeditionary Force allies with the aim of “safeguarding European security”, a Navy spokesman said.
BRITAIN is honoured to stand in solidarity with our Ukrainian friends and allies as they resist Vladimir Putin’s murderous invasion of their country.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told us: “Putin has made his war everybody’s business.We are determined to show strategic endurance and press on until Ukraine prevails.”
Britain has led the way in marshalling assistance for this sovereign country and our commitment will not weaken.A day is coming when the free world will celebrate the liberation of Ukraine.