Streeting meets US contact amid Ukraine concerns
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting is in the United States for a scheduled meeting with Pete Hegseth as debate over how to respond to the war in Ukraine gathers pace. The visit comes after public offers from Labour figures to help facilitate talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former US President Donald Trump.
Labour orders review of local power-sharing deals
Labour has instructed all its local council groups that share power with the Green Party to review their coalition arrangements after the Greens adopted a motion at their autumn conference declaring 'Zionism is racism'. Labour said councils should seek a formal condemnation of the motion from their Green partners and instructed groups to terminate any power-sharing agreements where that condemnation is not forthcoming. 'We cannot support a partnership with a party that holds [the] position that has recently been adopted,' the party said.
Calls to increase support for Ukraine
Streeting used comments linked to the trip to underline the need for stepped-up support for Ukraine. He said he was 'working on different ways we can step up support for Ukraine, military, diplomatic, and economic', and warned of the consequences of Russian attacks on civilian energy infrastructure as a harsh winter approaches. 'If anybody needed any reminder of that, it’s what we see coming out of Ukraine, with Putin targeting these energy systems, leaving thousands without power,' he said.
He added that the outcome of the conflict carries implications beyond Ukraine: 'The future of Ukraine is the future of European security, and that’s why it’s so crucial that Putin doesn’t prevail.'
Domestic and diplomatic implications
The developments underline a simultaneous strain in domestic coalition politics and a continued focus on international security. Labour's directive to council groups signals potential upheaval in local administrations where Green councillors currently share power, while Streeting's engagements in the US reflect an effort by the government to coordinate international support measures for Ukraine as questions over diplomatic contacts and reconciliation efforts continue to surface.