A minister has condemned Diane Abbott for claiming the threat from Russia ‘NATO fiction’.
Anna Turley said she “completely disagreed” with the veteran Labor MP and stressed the government’s “steadfast” support Ukraine.
However, Ms Abbott appears to be able to escape disciplinary action from the party over the controversial comments.
Yesterday a firestorm erupted when Ms Abbott wrote on social media that ‘the imminent threat from Russia is a NATO fiction to justify their complete capitulation to Trump’s demands for more military spending’.
She added that “the increase should not continue,” referring to the government’s goals to boost defense spending.
Ms Abbott’s comments came despite Vladimir Putin He gave his clearest hint yet that Russia would attack Britain for supplying weapons to Ukraine.
A minister has condemned Diane Abbott for claiming the threat from Russia is ‘Nato fiction’
A storm erupted yesterday when Ms Abbott wrote on social media that ‘Russia’s immediate threat is a NATO fiction to justify their complete capitulation to Trump’s demands for more military spending’
Asked whether he would attack British military facilities, the Russian leader said: “That is a secret. A military secret.’
The German government said on Tuesday that a drone attack on Leipzig airport came from Russia.
It was previously discovered that Russia was behind the nerve agent outrage in Salisbury in 2018 and the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006.
During a round of interviews this morning, Ms Turley said: ‘I completely disagree with Diane Abbott, I’m afraid. I think she is wrong about this.
“We have been very clear in our commitment to Ukraine. The Prime Minister met President Zelensky and firmly expressed our support for his country, as we have done as a Labor government and as a cross-party party on this issue.
“So I’m afraid I fundamentally disagree with Diane Abbott on that. In this country we wholeheartedly support Ukraine.’
Despite the backlash, Labor sources suggested there was no prospect of Ms Abbott facing disciplinary action.
Asked whether Ms Abbott should lose the whip, Ms Turley said that would be a matter for the party’s chief whip.
Asked about the post yesterday, a spokesman for Andy Burnham said: ‘As the Prime Minister said yesterday, Britain stands in full solidarity with Germany following Russia’s blatant and reckless attack in Leipzig.
“Our commitment to support Ukraine against Russia’s illegal invasion is rock-solid.”
Ms Abbott’s latest intervention comes after she repeatedly questioned the West’s support for Ukraine in recent months.
She called warnings of a future Russian invasion of Western countries “bizarre” in July, and criticized “NATO’s campaign against Russia” the month before.
Writing in the left-wing newspaper Morning Star, she said: ‘The reason there is so much buzz about military spending now is not because Russian troops are in Ukraine; that happened over four years ago.
“No, the reason for the outlandish claims about an impending Russian invasion is simply because Trump demanded more military spending from NATO members.”
She added: “None of this makes us safer. On the contrary. Russia is a major military power, but NATO is engaged in a war that is now striking deep into Russian territory and provoking widespread calls for retaliation against NATO countries.”
Ms Abbott’s comments came despite Vladimir Putin giving his clearest hint yet that Russia would attack Britain for supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Ms Abbott was readmitted to the Labor Party in July after a year-long suspension for repeated comments about racism for which she had previously apologized.
She was previously suspended and investigated by the party following a 2023 letter to The Observer newspaper in which she suggested that Jewish, Irish and Traveler people experience prejudice, but not racism.
The long-serving MP was subsequently allowed to rejoin the party in time to contest her seat in the 2024 general election.
Shadow Defense Minister and former soldier Ben Obese-Jecty accused Ms Abbott of ‘deliberately playing the role of Putin’s useful idiot’ and being ‘dangerously out of touch’.
