Putin 'Foolish' To Think Allied Support Waning

VLADIMIR Putin would be "foolish" to believe internal political rows in the West were a sign that support for Ukraine is beginning to crack, Grant Shapps insisted yesterday.

-  David Hughes

The Defence Secretary suggested the possibility of Donald Trump winning the next US election would not necessarily result in the "worst case scenario" of America cutting its support.

Disputes

The Western alliance has suffered blows with support for Ukraine dropped from a US stopgap budget bill, election success for a pro-Russian party in Slovakia and disputes between Poland and Kyiv over grain supplies.

But Mr Shapps told the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Moscow should not over-interpret domestic wrangles.