Ex-national security adviser issues warning amid fraying US-Ukraine relationship

Ministers must do more to tell the public about the coming threat from Russia, a former national security adviser has warned as relations between the US and Ukraine continue to fray.

Lord Peter Ricketts is the latest senior security figure to warn about the threat of “hybrid” attacks by Moscow, saying eventually “people are going to land up being killed somewhere”.

And he urged ministers to provide more practical support for Ukraine, dismissing Andy Burnham’s suggestion that the UK could be a “bridge” between Kyiv and Washington after a week that saw relations between the two deteriorate sharply.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “I think they’ve really got to start a conversation with the British people about what may be coming, because not only is (Russian president Vladimir) Putin trying to break morale in Ukraine, he’s also trying to undermine morale in European countries.”

The past week has seen warnings from both the head of MI5, Sir Ken McCallum, and the head of the Army, General Sir Roly Walker.

On Tuesday, Sir Ken said MI5 was devoting more resources to combating threats from hostile states than it did during the Cold War and described Russia as the “number one aggressor”.

And on Friday, Sir Roly told troops at Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire, that politicians would soon need to have a “frank conversation” about the “sacrifices” that would be needed to prioritise defence and security.

The warnings come against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between Ukraine and the US, with Donald Trump waiving yet more sanctions on Russia late on Friday.

The White House claimed the move was in US “national interests”, despite Mr Trump previously endorsing the round of tough new sanctions that had been due to come into effect on Sunday.

Earlier this month, Mr Trump lifted sanctions on Russian diesel in an effort to bring down fuel prices ahead of American mid-term elections that threaten significant losses for his Republican Party.

Mr Trump has also suggested Volodymyr Zelensky should be replaced as Ukrainian president, claimed he is “more difficult to deal with than Putin”, and refused to say the Russian president started the war.

The row has sparked concerns the US may have stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv, and seen the Ukrainian military’s access to Elon Musk’s Starlink system restricted, inhibiting its ability to intercept Russian drone and missile attacks.

Ukraine’s access to Starlink has since been restored, and Mr Musk has claimed the decision to restrict it came ultimately from Mr Trump, which the president has denied.

Downing Street would not comment on Mr Trump’s latest sanctions waiver on Saturday morning.

However, the UK Government has backed Ukraine throughout the row, with Andy Burnham welcoming Mr Zelensky to Downing Street on Wednesday with an honour guard and an agreement to accelerate delivery of vital air defence missiles.

But the Prime Minister has so far refrained from directly criticising Mr Trump, telling MPs he needed to be “careful” with his language as he looked to try to “repair bridges so that the support comes back”.

Lord Ricketts, who was the top civil servant at the Foreign Office between 2006 and 2010 before becoming the UK’s first national security adviser, suggested this would have little impact.

He said: “I don’t really go on this ‘bridge’ business.

Lord Ricketts has urged more practical support for Ukraine (Yui Mok/PA)

PA Wire

“I mean, I don’t think in Trump’s current mood, there’s any influence that Britain can have in the short term on Donald Trump.”

He added that the UK should focus more on the European-led “coalition of the willing” and “get behind Ukraine to give Zelensky not just the arm around the shoulder in Downing Street, but the material, the economic, the military material to get through this very difficult winter”.

British troops are scheduled to take part in a major military exercise in Poland next month aimed at ensuring Nato forces are ready to provide Ukraine with security guarantees once the war is over.

With 1,500 troops taking part, the exercise will simulate moving troops and supplies such as food and fuel, and was agreed at a coalition of the willing summit in July.

Meanwhile, Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine continues, with Kyiv reporting further strikes on Friday, wounding civilians, damaging homes and disrupting power supplies.

Russia has regularly targeted Ukraine’s energy grid in the lead-up to winter in an effort to “weaponise” freezing temperatures, and officials in Kyiv have warned Moscow is stockpiling missiles for more attacks over the coming months.