Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has refused to directly answer whether Britain should prepare for nuclear war, despite escalating tensions between Russia and the West. During a speech at the G20 summit in Brazil, Starmer accused the Putin regime of “irresponsible rhetoric” but failed to give a clear response when asked if Britons should ready themselves for a potential nuclear conflict.
Starmer stated: “This is irresponsible rhetoric coming from Russia and that is not going to deter our support for Ukraine.” He went on to highlight that this marks the 1,000th day of Russia’s illegal invasion, emphasising the UK’s unwavering backing for Kyiv. However, when pressed on whether the public should prepare for nuclear war, the Prime Minister did not provide a direct answer.
The comments come after Moscow updated its nuclear doctrine on Tuesday, allowing the use of nuclear weapons in response to long-range missile attacks on Russian territory. Ukraine has also recently fired its first ATACMS missiles into Russia, a move that was previously blocked by the US over fears of provoking a Russian response.
While Starmer condemned Putin’s “irresponsible rhetoric”, he stopped short of advising the public on how to respond to the growing nuclear threat. The Prime Minister’s evasiveness on this critical issue has raised concerns about the government’s readiness to address the escalating tensions with Russia.
