Britain hailed the “bravery and resilience” of Ukraine against Vladimir Putin’s war and warned the West must not “wobble” in its support to defeat the Russian invasion.
Home Secretary James Cleverly delivered the strong message a day ahead of the second anniversary of Putin’s invasion.
Mr Cleverly, who was previously Foreign Secretary, told LBC Radio: “I have had the chance to meet Ukraniains both here in the UK and in Ukraine and on the international circuit.
“Their bravery, their resilience, their willingness to endure is breathtaking.
“It’s absolutely essential that we stick with them until this job is done.”
With Republicans in America blocking a new aid and military package for Kyiv, Mr Cleverly added: “The message that we would send to dictators around the world if we wobble at this stage would be really, really negative.
“My admiration is unbounded and we will continue to support them as they defend themselves.”
Putin is believed to have expected that his forces would seize Ukraine’s capital within days of the invasion.
But the Russian military failed to take Kyiv and was then forced back to eastern Ukraine.
The conflict, there, is now locked in attritional warfare, with Russian soldiers making limited gains while suffering heavy losses.
A fresh Russian offensive is expected within months.
The course of the war may be decided by whether the West can provide Ukraine with the military and other support to match Russia’s defence production capabilities and imports of equipment and munitions from Iran and North Korea.
There are growing concerns that if Donald Trump makes a comeback to the White House that he could scale back US support for Ukraine.
Britain has led the way in arming Ukraine, first with NLAW anti-tank missiles, then Challenger II tanks and long range artillery, with America providing the bulk of support compared to other allies.
Ukraine is pleading for more support for its air force, including modern fighter jets, and for its air defences to stop Russian attacks.
All Ukrainians are waiting for the day when the first Ukrainian F-16s appear in our skies and strengthen the defense of our cities and communities, as well as the capabilities of Ukraine’s Defense Forces. While our pilots and personnel continue their training, I thank the F-16… pic.twitter.com/NgaAtC5x8K
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 23, 2024
Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, tweeted: “All Ukrainians are waiting for the day when the first Ukrainian F-16s appear in our skies and strengthen the defense of our cities and communities, as well as the capabilities of Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
“While our pilots and personnel continue their training, I thank the F-16 coalition for bringing this day closer.”
The need for better air defences was highlighted by the latest attacks by Putin’s military.
A Russian drone hit a commercial area in Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa, killing three people, the Ukrainian military and regional governor Oleh Kiper said on Friday.
The military said Russia launched 31 drones at Ukraine overnight, with air defences destroying 23 of them.
Ukraine’s Southern Forces said they had intercepted nine drones, but one struck an area near the port, causing a blaze.
Firefighters recovered one body and said people might still be under the rubble as emergency teams fought to control the blaze. A woman security guard was rescued unharmed from a building, the post said.
“The bodies of two more people were found under the rubble,” Mr Kiper, the regional governor, said.
“In total, three people died as a result of the enemy attack.”
The military said missiles were also used in the attack, but failed to hit any targets. Pictures posted show heavy damage to buildings in the area and rescue teams picking their way through debris.
In the central city of Dnipro, a Russian drone hit a multi-storey apartment building, injuring eight people, the regional governor said.
Serhiy Lysak, governor of Dnipropetrovsk region, said that the search ran through the night and other residents might still be under rubble.
