UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting: Putin is already waging war in Europe

UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting: Putin is already waging war in Europe
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting: Putin is already waging war in Europe

Warning about Moscow's intentions

European countries should treat Russian leader Vladimir Putin's public assurances that he has no intention of attacking other states on the continent with great caution. According to UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, he is in fact already waging war in Europe.

The British official expressed this view on Monday while in Brussels. There, he held a bilateral meeting with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, dedicated to defence and security issues.

“We share a vision of the threats facing our continent, including the threat of Russian aggression. We see their unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine. And while, I think, we would all like to take President Putin at his word when he says he does not seek war with Europe, we could perhaps take these assurances more seriously if he were not currently waging war in Europe,” Streeting emphasised.

Need to deepen the alliance

The UK Defence Secretary stressed that the UK and the EU need to continue strengthening their partnership in the defence sector.

“We all need to work together. The UK – we are also Europeans, so we seek to be at the very centre of ensuring the security and stability of our continent,” he added.

According to Streeting, the analysis of defence challenges must also take into account the economic dimension.

“Part of the capacity we need is not just lethal weapons. It is also about the strength of our defence-industrial base. And the truth is that even if every NATO member could afford to double their defence spending tomorrow, we would not be able to absorb it, because the industrial base is not strong enough,” the minister stated.

He also warned against turning the protection of national interests into “self-destructive protectionism”.

“We should avoid this danger, because the stronger we are together, the more likely we are to deter Russia and other threats,” Streeting emphasised.

Brussels' reaction and the Brexit issue

Commenting on the situation surrounding the SAFE programme and the failure of negotiations regarding the UK's participation in it, Kaja Kallas noted that London remains integrated into the broader defence architecture. In her view, there are other areas where deeper interaction is possible.

In response to journalists' questions about the prospects of the UK returning to the European Union, Wes Streeting stressed that the country cannot simply leave the EU and then “expect to press a button – and go back”.

“I think the situation is different now. The agenda features more substantial questions: what exactly could deeper cooperation look like? What are the options? What could the compromises be? And only then, in my opinion, will we be able to discuss these topics more substantively with the public,” the Defence Secretary explained.

He also added that both supporters and opponents of Brexit currently feel the negative impact of leaving the EU on the British economy.

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