Downing Street Refuses To Endorse Liz Truss’ Support For Brits To Travel To Fight In Ukraine
3 min read
Number 10 has refused to back Liz Truss after she offered support for Brits who want to get to Ukraine and help fight the Russian invasion.
Over the weekend, the foreign secretary suggested she would back people from the UK joining so-called "International Brigades” trying to repel Vladimir Putin’s forces, but Downing Street said they should not travel to Ukraine.
Asked if they agreed with Truss’ comments, the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said the government felt “the best way we can help Ukraine right now is by ensuring Putin fails”.
They pointed to advice put out by the Ukrainian Embassy in London about how British people can support the country, but would not repeat her calls about travelling there to fight.
Pressed on whether the Foreign Secretary misspoke or overstepped, the spokesperson simply pointed to the official Foreign Office travel advice, which urges “against all travel to Ukraine”.
It comes after Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said only “trained military personnel” should travel to fight in Ukraine,
Speaking this morning he said while his Cabinet colleague Truss was “right to say” the cause was just, only the military should be heading to the region.
“Our armed forces are contributing in a proper way to do this. If you’re keen to help, come and join our armed forces. There are people who will go,” he told Sky News.
"Unless you are properly trained, unless you are an experienced member of the armed forces, I think there are better ways for you to contribute to the security of Ukraine."
He urged Britons not to “put yourselves in harm's way” by making the journey to Ukraine.
Yesterday Truss had suggested she would support British people joining so-called "International Brigades”, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said any foreign national who came to the country would be given weapons to help fight the Russian invasion.
"I do support that, and of course that is something that people can make their own decisions about,” she told the BBC.
"The people of Ukraine are fighting for freedom and democracy not just for Ukraine, but for the whole of Europe because that's what President Putin is challenging.”
Elsewhere Downing Street said Boris Johnson will travel to Estonia and Poland for meetings with his counterparts and NATO’s Secretary General.
The Home Secretary Priti Patel is due to outline new visa measures to help more Ukrainians displaced by the conflict to come to the UK, after the government was criticised for not being generous enough.
"As the Prime Minister has said, we will go further than even what was announced yesterday, there will be further support as you would expect for those who are fleeing the violence," Johnson's spokesperson said.
A tweet by the immigration minister Kevin Foster suggesting those claiming refuge could apply through a scheme for seasonal workers was later deleted, which today Downing Street said was “rightfully so”.
The Prime Minister chaired Cabinet this morning and is then speaking to Polish President and other G7 leaders this afternoon. This evening he will also address a reception for Western Balkans leaders at the Foreign Office.
Speaking to his senior ministers, Johnson said Putin’s invasion has been “hampered by logistic problems and the heroic efforts of Ukrainian military who are inflicting significant casualties on Russian troops”.
The UK believes Russia is continuing to find the invasion significantly harder going than they expected, and while it has made progress in the south of Ukraine it is facing much tougher resistance in the capital Kyiv than expected, as well it own logistic challenges.
Intelligence officials are said to think Putin has grossly misread the situation, and believed his invading forces would be welcome, while also overestimating Russia’s military capability and strategy.
But they fear that as the operation gets harder the more likely the Russian president’s actions are to become more indiscriminate.
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