Countries ‘secretly sending high tech weapons to Ukraine’

UK Armed Forces minister James Heappey says countries that abstained on UN votes over Ukraine secretly agreed to send high tech weapons to Kyiv.

Ukrainian military vehicles move past Independence square in central Kyiv. Picture: AFP.

For months James Heappey has travelled the world cajoling and encouraging countries to follow the lead of Britain in gifting or selling military hardware and munitions for Ukraine’s battle against Russia.

So much so that when he was queried by an inquisitive border guard several weeks ago as to the purpose of leaving the country, he responded, half in jest, “ arms dealing”.

Mr Heappey added that fortunately upon producing his passport, the guard recognised him as the British Minister for Armed Forces and encouragingly told him: “Good job, keep going”.

But Mr Heappey, who has been one of the key British political figures driving the UK’s £22bn contribution to Ukraine’s effort, and another £22bn costed for the coming year, says the support for Ukraine is much broader than that publicly known.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, he says, would be “furious” if he knew which countries were secretly selling high tech weapons to Britain to be passed onto Ukraine.

Now, as the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 is marked on Friday, Mr Heappey said the necessary elements of a Ukraine counter-offensive “which may happen in a month or four” was falling into place.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenky’s whistle stop tour to London, Brussels, and Paris urging for fighter jets – his tactic has been to aim high and accept anything – has seen the United States and Britain up their provision of long range missiles to the country.

“It is our expectation that the level of gifting (of military equipment) and the sophistication of the capabilities that are being gifted means it is entirely realistic for a Ukrainian offensive this (Northern hemisphere) spring/ summer to succeed,’’ Mr Heappey said before adding, “Now that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is realistic to expect complete Ukrainian success this year … but I think it is our belief that the Ukrainians are weathering these attempted Russian offences very well and have it well within their gift to be most successful because of the support that they are now enjoying.”

He noted that was particularly important because the Western European and North American public needs to see continued Ukrainian momentum at a time of considerable household strain in cost of living crises.

“I think what we’ve seen over this winter is that people haven’t forgotten the price for freedom and they understand that can’t be allowed to blackmail an entire continent, invade Ukraine and get away with it because we all put our heating bills ahead of standing up for the Ukrainian people,’’ he said.

Mr Heappey said other countries beyond the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea have “quietly want to make things available in order to show their support for Ukraine”. He said there were plenty of countries who have abstained on United Nations votes “but when I’ve come knocking, there’s been stuff they’ve been able to sell or give”.

He said both the Aussies and the Kiwis answered the call.

“Our Anglophone Antipodean cousins have been quick to answer but you kind of expect that. Your country has a wonderful history of coming and standing up for freedom in Europe at huge cost to Australia and so that wasn’t a hard argument to make more generally across the global south,’’ he said.

Australia has contributed Bushmaster vehicles and more recently gunpowder for ammunition as well as financial contributions.

While the US has been the big provider, it has been Britain that was the first supporter of Ukraine and that keeps breaking through new levels of military support for others to follow. One example has been the tanks, where Britain committed early on to provide them which then allowed other allies to follow suit. Now Britain is training Ukrainian military in using the West’s tanks, as well as preparing Ukrainian pilots to be able to fly the typhoon fighter jet.

While British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says nothing is off the table, the training is to prepare Ukraine for longer term security of its borders once the war is finished.

As to that end point, Mr Heappey said the West had to accept what Mr Zelensky and the Ukrainians want: the removal of all Russians from all of their territory.

“The fact is that Ukraine was living peacefully within its own borders,’’ Mr Heappey said.

“It was invaded by its neighbour and the message we need to send to Putin and to anybody else around the world who is having a look over their border at their neighbour’s territory, and thinking they might take a bite at it, is that you don’t get to do that. You don’t get to invade your neighbour, hold your nerve for a year or so and then the international community sort of backs away and pushes for some sort of territorial compromise that simply rewards the aggression in the first place. And so, the UK unapologetically has had that very clear line from the very beginning. This ends on Mr Zelensky’s terms, and Putin must fail in Ukraine and be seen to fail in Ukraine, because it’s not just about Russia. It’s about the message it sends to everybody else.”