Defence Sec John Healey is right to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes to defeat Putin

Firm on Putin

FROM Day One of the Russian invasion, our last Tory Government was resolute in its support for President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people.

It is hugely welcome that, in one of Labour’s first acts, new Defence Secretary John Healey travelled to Odesa to promise there would be no wavering in the UK’s position.

He embraced Zelensky, and promised that all military aid promised by us back in April will be delivered within 100 days, “guaranteed”.

After delays and foot-dragging by Ukraine’s other Western allies, this will bring great relief.

The perilous state of the war was amply illustrated by the fact that, during his visit with our Political Editor Harry Cole, Mr Healey had to evacuate his meeting and was scrambled to a bomb shelter because of a missile threat.

His message to Russia was crystal clear: “Putin is looking for Western nations to lose patience, to lose resolve.

“He must know that Britain under Labour will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes to win.

"We will confront Russian aggression and we will pursue him for his war crimes.”

We welcome, too, the commitment by the new Secretary of State to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence, even if the detail is scant.

We will take some convincing, though, over Labour’s decision not to have a dedicated Veterans Minister in the Cabinet.

Mr Healey says he will stand up for their interests around the Cabinet table.

He better had. We — and our brave ex-squaddies — will be watching.

Euro traps

THE Eurocrats hated the Tories for Brexit, spending the last eight years truculently stamping their feet and sneering at our decision to leave.

So it should be no surprise that the EU now talks of wanting “closer” ties with Sir Keir Starmer’s administration.

For his part, Sir Keir says he will seek to improve the existing trade deal negotiated by Boris Johnson. Beware.

Whether you are friend or foe, everything the legalistic EU offers comes at a price — usually taking rules from Brussels, and a loss of sovereignty.

That wouldn’t be an “improvement”. It would be a betrayal of the 2016 vote.

Euro claps

WE’VE barely got over the tension of Saturday’s Euro quarter-final but Wednesday night’s semi-final can’t come soon enough.

They may have started slowly — and they will need to raise their game once again against the Dutch — but the England stars have shown they have the bottle, and we are right behind them.

We know they’ll put us through the emotional ringer — they always do — but we’re hoping for some more passionate victory celebrations from Prince William!