The US ambassador to the UK has issued a stern warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin will remain bellicose in Europe if his forces succeed in Ukraine.
“Anyone who thinks Russia can stop after this, I think they are wrong,” ambassador Jane Hartley told Sky News’ Kay Burley in a new interview.
Hartley, 73, went on to say he is “optimistic” that President Joe Biden will secure much-needed funding for the Ukraine war effort despite severe opposition from the wing of the Republican Party that supports Donald Trump.
‘I was ambassador (in France and Monaco) in 2014 and I saw what happened in Crimea. I don’t know why anyone would say, ‘Oh, this is it for Russia.’ I think democracy is at stake. That’s why we need to support Ukraine,” Hartley added.
Hartley compared the current geopolitical climate to that of the build-up to World War II. “We want to do everything we can to make sure that Ukraine remains a strong democracy and that Russia loses the war.”
Jane Hartley attended an interview with Sky News’ Kay Burley at her London residence.
Hartley warned that Putin will not stop if his forces succeed in Ukraine
Experts from Orense collect remains of a Russian missile after the attack on March 25, 2024 in kyiv
Last week, Putin won a landslide victory in his country’s presidential election.
He then told his people that Moscow will not relent in its invasion of Ukraine and plans to create a buffer zone to help protect against long-range Ukrainian attacks and cross-border incursions.
Kremlin forces have made gains on the battlefield as kyiv’s troops battle a severe shortage of artillery shells and depleted frontline units after more than two years of war.
The front line extends more than 620 miles across eastern and southern Ukraine.
Since its victory, Russia has been rocked by a brutal terrorist attack by Islamic fundamentalists that killed 137 people and injured more than 100 inside a concert hall outside Moscow.
Speaking on other issues, Hartley defended Israel’s right to defend itself but called the humanitarian situation in Gaza “terrifying.”
Hartley said “no child should ever go” hungry and also said humanitarian aid should reach the area.
Hartley also called President Joe Biden “the best candidate” in the 2024 election.
‘I’m a friend. I’m a fan. I have known the president for many, many, many years. But all you have to do is look at his record and see where he has taken our country,” he said.
“Not only does it have capability, but it also has a sense of history,” Hartley added.
Hartley also rejected Donald Trump’s claims that Prince Harry could be subject to deportation from the United States if he is found to have lied on a visa application about his past drug use.
“That’s not going to happen in the Biden administration.”
Biden decided on Hartley for the high-profile UK embassy in July 2021, just six months into his presidency.
She served as ambassador to France and Monaco during the Obama administration. She was a top fundraiser for Biden’s 2020 presidential run and has been a strong supporter of Democratic candidates over the years.
Hartley serves on the board of directors of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and is a member of the board of overseers of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
She is also president of the board of directors of Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street.
“Given the critical challenges we face right now, the relationship with our allies is of crucial importance,” Hartley said in a statement at the time of his appointment.
“I look forward to strengthening our special relationship with the UK and deepening the partnership with one of our most important allies.”
Presidents have typically rewarded donors and their key supporters with coveted embassies.
About 44 percent of Donald Trump’s ambassadorial appointments were political appointments, compared to 31 percent for Barack Obama and 32 percent for George W. Bush, according to the American Foreign Service Association.
Biden hopes to keep political appointments at about 30 percent of chosen ambassadors, according to an administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions.