Russia feeds its soldiers into meat grinder, says Starmer

Russia is treating its own citizens as "bits of meat to fling into the grinder" in Ukraine, Sir Keir Starmer said as he urged Vladimir Putin to end the conflict.

- DAVID HUGHES

The prime minister, speaking at the UN Security Council in New York yesterday, said Russia was responsible for “colossal human suffering” as a result of the conflict.

He said Russia, which is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council alongside the UK, was behind the “greatest violation of the [UN] charter in a generation”.

“I wonder how Russia can show its face in this building,” he added. “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is illegal. It threatens global security. And it has caused colossal human suffering.

“Over 35,000 civilians have been killed or injured, 6 million forced to flee and almost 20,000 Ukrainian children forcefully deported. Kidnapped, to put it bluntly.”

Some 600,000 Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded, Sir Keir said.

“The UN Charter – which they sit here to uphold – speaks of human dignity. Not treating your own citizens as bits of meat to fling into the grinder,” he added.

Sir Keir said “there must be accountability” to show that “aggression cannot pay”. “Russia started this illegal war. It must end it – and get out of Ukraine,” he said.