Rewritten:
On September 24, at a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of running a “mafia state” and compared him to a slave owner. Lammy, who became British Foreign Secretary in July 2024, has consistently expressed support for Ukraine and condemned Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian civilians and violations of international law.
During his speech, Lammy criticized Putin’s actions in the invasion of Ukraine, likening them to the days of slavery. He accused the Russian government of disregarding international law while claiming to defend the so-called Global South. Lammy directly addressed Putin, stating that the invasion was solely for his own interests and to expand his “mafia state” into an empire built on corruption.
Lammy also spoke as a Black man, acknowledging his ancestors’ history of being taken from Africa and enslaved. He emphasized that he stands against imperialism and will call it out for what it is.
Lammy delivered his speech as Ukraine continues to seek permission to use long-range Western weapons, including British-made Storm Shadow missiles, to strike deep into Russia. These missiles are currently only allowed to be used on Ukrainian territory. However, there have been reports of Ukraine using them to target Russian military sites in Crimea, a sovereign Ukrainian territory that was illegally annexed by Russia.
According to The Telegraph, the U.K. is privately in favor of allowing Ukraine to use these missiles, but is hesitant to publicly push for this change due to potential backlash from the U.S. Lammy’s speech comes at a critical time as tensions between Ukraine and Russia continue to escalate.
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