London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Dec 03, 2025

Ukraine-Russia war: The era of complacency is over, says Liz Truss

Ukraine-Russia war: The era of complacency is over, says Liz Truss

Russia's invasion of Ukraine shows that "the era of complacency" is over, the Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will warn in a speech in Washington DC.

Addressing a think tank, Ms Truss will say aggression, such as that shown by Vladimir Putin, can never again be allowed to "grow unchecked".

She will also call for more defence spending and an end to dependence on "hostile and authoritarian states".

The West has reacted to Russia's invasion with a range of sanctions.

On Tuesday, the US and UK announced a ban on Russian oil, while the EU said it would end its reliance on Russian gas.

The same governments have frozen the assets of wealthy Russians believed to have links with Mr Putin.

Giving the Makins lecture to the Atlantic Council think tank, Ms Truss will say countries need to introduce further sanctions - including banning Russia completely from using the international payment system, Swift and freezing all Russian banking assets.

The foreign secretary will use her speech to argue that the war in Ukraine is a "paradigm shift" comparable with the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States.

She is expected to urge the West to "rise to his moment" by increasing pressure on the Russian president.

"How we respond today will set the pattern for this new era.

"We must start with the principle that the only thing aggressors understand is strength… and we must start by working together to stop Putin's offensive in Ukraine."

"We want a situation where they can't access their funds, they can't clear their payments, their trade can't flow, their ships can't dock and their planes can't land," she will add.

More than two million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia invaded Ukraine


Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Ms Truss warned there would be "terrible implications for European and global security" if Mr Putin were not stopped in Ukraine.

Responding to Ms Truss' comments, Labour's shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said the invasion of Ukraine "marked the final end of the post-cold war era".

He criticised the Conservatives for "isolating Britain on the world stage" and said it was time "to bring Britain back to the table and deepen ties with our European partners".

He also called for a special tribunal to "prosecute Putin for the crime of aggression" and "an end to the UK's dependency on foreign energy".

The calls for stronger action come as western officials say they are "very concerned" Russia could resort to using non-conventional weapons.

This could include chemical weapons, biological weapons and dirty bombs.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Plans Major Cutback to Jury Trials as Crown Court Backlog Nears 80,000
UK Government to Significantly Limit Jury Trials in England and Wales
U.S. and U.K. Seal Drug-Pricing Deal: Britain Agrees to Pay More, U.S. Lifts Tariffs
UK Postpones Decision Yet Again on China’s Proposed Mega-Embassy in London
Head of UK Budget Watchdog Resigns After Premature Leak of Reeves’ Budget Report
Car-sharing giant Zipcar to exit UK market by end of 2025
Reports of Widespread Drone Deployment Raise Privacy and Security Questions in the UK
UK Signals Security Concerns Over China While Pursuing Stronger Trade Links
Google warns of AI “irrationality” just as Gemini 3 launch rattles markets
Top Consultancies Freeze Starting Salaries as AI Threatens ‘Pyramid’ Model
Macron Says Washington Pressuring EU to Delay Enforcement of Digital-Regulation Probes Against Meta, TikTok and X
UK’s DragonFire Laser Downs High-Speed Drones as £316m Deal Speeds Naval Deployment
UK Chancellor Rejects Claims She Misled Public on Fiscal Outlook Ahead of Budget
Starmer Defends Autumn Budget as Finance Chief Faces Accusations of Misleading Public Finances
EU Firms Struggle with 3,000-Hour Paperwork Load — While Automakers Fear De Facto 2030 Petrol Car Ban
White House launches ‘Hall of Shame’ site to publicly condemn media outlets for alleged bias
UK Budget’s New EV Mileage Tax Undercuts Case for Plug-In Hybrids
UK Government Launches National Inquiry into ‘Grooming Gangs’ After US Warning and Rising Public Outcry
Taylor Swift Extends U.K. Chart Reign as ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ Hits Six Weeks at No. 1
250 Still Missing in the Massive Fire, 94 Killed. One Day After the Disaster: Survivor Rescued on the 16th Floor
Trump: National Guard Soldier Who Was Shot in Washington Has Died; Second Soldier Fighting for His Life
UK Chancellor Reeves Defends Tax Rises as Essential to Reduce Child Poverty and Stabilise Public Finances
No Evidence Found for Claim That UK Schools Are Shifting to Teaching American English
European Powers Urge Israel to Halt West Bank Settler Violence Amid Surge in Attacks
"I Would Have Given Her a Kidney": She Lent Bezos’s Ex-Wife $1,000 — and Received Millions in Return
European States Approve First-ever Military-Grade Surveillance Network via ESA
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
UK Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Palestine Action as Critics Decry Heavy-Handed Measures
Investors Rush Into UK Gilts and Sterling After Budget Eases Fiscal Concerns
UK to Raise Online Betting Taxes by £1.1 Billion Under New Budget — Firms Warn of Fallout
Lamine Yamal? The ‘Heir to Messi’ Lost to Barcelona — and the Kingdom Is in a Frenzy
Warner Music Group Drops Suit Against Suno, Launches Licensed AI-Music Deal
HP to Cut up to 6,000 Jobs Globally as It Ramps Up AI Integration
MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Promises ‘Full-Time’ Education for All Children as School Attendance Slips
UK Extends Sugar Tax to Sweetened Milkshakes and Lattes in 2028 Health Push
UK Government Backs £49 Billion Plan for Heathrow Third Runway and Expansion
UK Gambling Firms Report £1bn Surge in Annual Profits as Pressure Mounts for Higher Betting Taxes
UK Shares Advance Ahead of Budget as Financials and Consumer Staples Lead Gains
Domino’s UK CEO Andrew Rennie Steps Down Amid Strategic Reset
UK Economy Stalls as Reeves Faces First Budget Test
UK Economy’s Weak Start Adds Pressure on Prime Minister Starmer
UK Government Acknowledges Billionaire Exodus Amid Tax Rise Concerns
UK Budget 2025: Markets Brace as Chancellor Faces Fiscal Tightrope
UK Unveils Strategic Plan to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
UK Taskforce Calls for Radical Reset of Nuclear Regulation to Cut Costs and Accelerate Build
UK Government Launches Consultation on Major Overhaul of Settlement Rules
Google Struggles to Meet AI Demand as Infrastructure, Energy and Supply-Chain Gaps Deepen
Car Parts Leader Warns Europe Faces Heavy Job Losses in ‘Darwinian’ Auto Shake-Out
×