Putin faces tough year amid economic woes, warns UK foreign secretary
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy informed that all the data from our interview indicates that Vladimir Putin's situation will become much more difficult next year.
The Foreign Secretary asserts that this is related to Russia's economic situation, which is in a "bad state." He emphasized in an interview with "Voice of America" that it will be very difficult for him to cope with the number of losses and casualties he has suffered.
He said, "I am really clear that this is a time for Western allies to show nerve and guts, because Vladimir Putin thinks that we’ll get distracted. He thinks that we haven’t got the attention span to stand with our Ukrainian friends."
Lammy also assured that London will stand shoulder to shoulder with Kyiv and provide Ukraine with the "political, diplomatic, and humanitarian" assistance necessary to survive the upcoming year.
What about attacks inside Russia? No clear declaration
The British Foreign Secretary also pointed to the "Global South" as an area of intense Russian influence that needs to be counteracted. In his view, this region must not fall to "Russian propaganda and Russian efforts to destabilize the international community."
In the conversation with "Voice of America," Lammy, however, avoided making a clear declaration about allowing Ukraine to use Western weapons to attack targets inside Russia.
- We’re really clear that under the U.N. Charter and under Article 51, Ukraine has the right to defend itself, to defend itself against the horrendous attacks that are coming from Russia, and we will do all we can within international law and the rules of engagement to support Ukraine to defend itself, he stated.
