The UK is aware of “no connection whatsoever” between Ukraine and the Moscow terror attack, the Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has said.
Grant Shapps told MPs there is a need to “resist” the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin to link the two, amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
An affiliate of terror group, the so-called Islamic State, also known as Daesh and Isis, has claimed responsibility for the attack on Crocus City Hall, which killed more than 130 people and left more than 180 injured.
Speaking at defence questions, shadow defence secretary John Healey said: “We condemn the deadly terrorist attacks in Moscow on Friday and our thoughts are with all those who were affected.
“But the attack must not become a Kremlin cover for Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine and in recent days we’ve seen multiple Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and yet the last UK air defence support was announced last year.
“When is the next one?”
Mr Shapps said he joined Mr Healey in sending condolences following the “horrific terror attack”, adding: “He’s absolutely right to say there is no connection whatsoever that we’re aware of with Ukraine, and indeed Isis have claimed responsibility.
“We must resist Putin’s efforts to try to link the two.
“With regard to air defence, in fact there have been much more recent attempts to aid our Ukrainian friends, including through the international fund for Ukraine, which has laid 27 contracts, we have a £900 million fund run by the UK on behalf of a large number of other countries.”
Mr Healey said Labour welcomed the UK Government’s £2.5 billion commitment to Ukraine for 2024, but warned: “For nearly three months since that announcement, ministers have said that the first deliveries to Ukraine won’t happen until Q1 of the new financial year.
“Wars do not follow financial years so when will the UK move beyond this stop-start military aid and help Ukraine now with the spring-summer offensive?”
Mr Shapps said there is a “constant flow” of foreign material being bought and sent to Ukraine, adding: “I will just gently say to (Mr Healey) he needs to explain how his side would manage an increased budget to Ukraine when their plan is to cut £7 billion of the overall defence budget.”
Conservative former minister Tobias Ellwood also told the session: “The terrible terrorist attack in Moscow reminds us that jihadi extremism has not disappeared.
“Given its ideology, its reach and its strength, will the Secretary of State agree with me that Isis-K is every much a threat to the West as it is to Russia?”
Defence minister James Heappey replied: “(Mr Ellwood) is absolutely right.
“This perception that Daesh has gone away – the Daesh core is cooped up in prisons in northern Syria, but Daesh affiliates are growing alarmingly quickly in other parts of the world and the attack in Moscow is a reminder to us all that we must continue to focus both on the counter-terror threat as well as the state threats.”
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