The nuclear rhetoric coming from the Kremlin should not scare Western leaders, so support for Ukraine will continue, said British Defense Secretary John Healy, who arrived in Kyiv on December 18.
Points of attention
- British Defense Minister John Healy dismisses Putin's nuclear threats as ineffective in deterring Western support for Ukraine.
- Strengthening Ukraine with coordinated support from other countries is crucial, as expressed in the joint plan discussed during the visit to Kyiv.
- The British Defense Minister's visit to Kyiv underscores the commitment to supporting Ukraine beyond the current conflict, signaling resilience against Putin's tactics.
The West is not scared by Putin's nuclear threats — Healy
When asked about Russian leader Vladimir Putin's attempts to impose his own rules of the game on the Western world through nuclear threats, Gili said:
First, we should not be scared by Putin's rhetoric or any of his escalating actions. And we are not.
John Healy
British Minister of Defense
He added that the purpose of his visit to Kyiv was to discuss with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov a joint plan to strengthen Ukraine.
It's about strengthening "not just now, in the battle you're fighting right now, but throughout 2025 and into the future," the British minister explained.
This is also a way to tell Putin that we will support Ukraine and work to coordinate the activities of other countries to support Ukraine for as long as necessary.
He expressed his belief that Putin "will not win, no matter how long it takes."
We need to make Ukraine stronger and put pressure on Putin. This is our imperative, and it requires us to work together in the coming weeks and months.
Russia constantly scares the West with a nuclear strike
Russian media have mentioned the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons more than 5,500 times since February 2022.
The Head of the NATO Mission to Ukraine, Patrick Turner, stated that despite nuclear threats from Moscow against the backdrop of the aggressive war that Russia is waging against Ukraine, NATO considers it irresponsible to engage in rhetoric and at the same time continues to take nuclear deterrence measures.
In addition, according to him, the Alliance is watching "what is happening in reality and, in particular, the Russian Federation's nuclear doctrine," and from the perspective of this reality, NATO sees no signs of preparations for "a different Russian nuclear policy."
