‘Short-sighted, publicity-hungry’ Sturgeon shamed for ‘undermining UK against Putin’

Ukraine 'doesn't accept' active duty UK volunteers says fighter

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Since the Russia invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, the UK Government has faced calls to introduce a no-fly-zone over the besieged country. Boris Johnson has so far refused to introduce a no-fly zone, while Scotland’s First Minister Ms Sturgeon has thrown her support behind the move.

A no-fly zone would require military enforcement from the likes of NATO and the EU, which risks escalating the conflict with Russia despite Ukraine’s calls for it to be implemented.

Ms Sturgeon told ITV on Wednesday “the West has to keep its mind open to every way in which Ukraine can be helped”.

She said: “I understand and I share the concerns about a direct military confrontation between Russia and NATO that a no-fly zone may lead to.

“Nobody wants to see an escalation of that nature. But on the other hand, Putin is not acting in any way rationally or defensibly.

“We have a situation right now where perhaps the only thing nuclear weapons are deterring is the ability to properly and directly help Ukraine.

“All of these things must be considered on a daily basis right now because the world cannot stand by and watch Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty be extinguished.”

But former Labour MP Tom Harris said Ms Sturgeon’s comments showed she wants to “publicly support (Volodymyr Zelensky’s) demands while at the same time disagree with Britain’s own Conservative Prime Minister”.

He then said there are issues with Ms Sturgeon’s stance, and writing for The Telegraph, added: “Essentially, Sturgeon wants to rid Scotland of Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent, Trident. But she has also made it clear she opposes Britain, and therefore NATO, holding such weapons.

“If pressed, I’m sure she would prefer Putin’s Russia to get rid of all his warheads too. Even Sturgeon realises that that will never happen but that hasn’t changed her mind about our own nukes.

“So we are left with the SNP not only wishing for a world in which only Russia, North Korea and China would own nuclear weapons (what could possibly go wrong?), but also wants the disarmed West to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine and to start shooting down Russian fighters.

“All while Putin looks on, his finger resting lightly on a big shiny red button.”

Mr Harris then added the First Minister “will know that her remarks will encourage people across the UK, not just in Scotland, to question the wisdom of Johnson’s resistance to a no-fly zone”.

He added: “If a nice, sensible, pro-European progressive leader like Sturgeon thinks a no-fly zone would be a good idea, then why should the rest of us be against it?

“To dismantle such a stance with logic and facts would be but the work of a moment; nevertheless, Britain’s united front against Putin is undermined by Sturgeon’s lust for front page glory.

“Does she really believe that Putin is the kind of chap who will greet with calm equanimity the shooting down of his own jets by British or American planes? Nicola Sturgeon claims to think so.

“We should be grateful, now more than ever, that defence and foreign affairs are safely outside the remit of our short-sighted, publicity-hungry, devolved politicians.”

Mr Johnson said on Friday it was “deeply upsetting” to refuse the Ukrainian President a no-fly zone over the country.

He told Sky News: “It’s agonising, absolutely agonising.

“I’ve had this conversation at least a couple of times with Volodymyr but I think the difficulty is that it will require me to order RAF jets, UK pilots into the air with a mission to shoot down Russian fast jets.”

Ms Sturgeon has also consistently called for the UK to unilaterally cease renewing the Trident nuclear weapons system.

Dr Nick Ritchie at the University of York told Express.co.uk in November the SNP would likely have to “compromise” over its desired removal of the UK’s Trident nuclear deterrent, in the hypothetical event Scotland does split from the UK.

Mr Harris then added the First Minister “will know that her remarks will encourage people across the UK, not just in Scotland, to question the wisdom of Johnson’s resistance to a no-fly zone”.

He added: “If a nice, sensible, pro-European progressive leader like Sturgeon thinks a no-fly zone would be a good idea, then why should the rest of us be against it?

“To dismantle such a stance with logic and facts would be but the work of a moment; nevertheless, Britain’s united front against Putin is undermined by Sturgeon’s lust for front page glory.

“Does she really believe that Putin is the kind of chap who will greet with calm equanimity the shooting down of his own jets by British or American planes? Nicola Sturgeon claims to think so.

“We should be grateful, now more than ever, that defence and foreign affairs are safely outside the remit of our short-sighted, publicity-hungry, devolved politicians.”

It comes as Ms Sturgeon said ramping up North Sea oil and gas production is not a short-term solution to Europe’s reliance on Russian supplies.

Mr Johnson said on Tuesday the UK will phase out imports of Russian oil by the end of 2022.

Russian imports account for eight percent of total UK oil demand, but Ms Sturgeon said it would take years to open up new oil or gas fields.

She said the best move was to “accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels”, and called on the Government to act to shield households from energy price rises in the meantime.

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