A former British Conservative defence minister has suggested Ukraine and its allies should seek to offer Russian President Vladimir Putin something that will “enable him to save face” while also offering him a way out of the conflict.
Andrew Murrison made the comments in the Commons during an MP debate about the situation in Ukraine.
But current Defence Minister James Heappey said the Russian leader does not “deserve any further opportunities for an off-ramp when he has made his decision on what should come next”.
Dr Murrison, the MP for South West Wiltshire, was a defence minister between 2012 and 2014, and more recently served for a little less than a year as a Foreign Office minister until February 2020.
“Unless we’re going to defeat Russia in classical terms — which is unlikely and desirable — there has to be an off-ramp to allow Putin to construct a narrative that will go down well amongst his population and through the media, which he controls,” he told the Commons.
“It’s just not acceptable to say that we cannot offer Putin something out of this that will enable him to save face and therefore get whatever it is through with his population.”
Mr Heappey replied: “I’m not sure I agree with [Dr Murrison] entirely. If Putin was looking for an off-ramp he’s had plenty of opportunities to de-escalate and claim victory at some points along the route.
“In the 48 hours immediately following the mobilisation of Russian society, which is a clear escalation, I’m certainly not — representing His Majesty’s government — going to stand here and say he deserves any further opportunities for an off-ramp when he has made his decision on what should come next.”
Putin's inner circle — in pictures
At another point in the debate, Mr Heappey told MPs that Russia “lacks sufficient manpower in the field to achieve any of its objectives and the mood of Moscow is changing quickly”.
Pressed about Mr Putin’s nuclear threats, Mr Heappey described it as “nuclear sabre-rattling” before noting it is the “act of a desperate man who knows this is not going his way”.
Asked whether the UK believes Mr Putin is bluffing, the minister said: “The government’s exact intelligence assessment is not something to be shared in the House … we believe that it is sabre-rattling and we believe it is designed to try to put a wedge amongst the cohesion of the western alliance and to deter us from supporting Ukraine at the exact moment Ukrainian troops seem to have the upper hand.”
Questioned about Nato’s response if Russia does use one of its weapons, Mr Heappey said: “I’m not going to discuss nuclear doctrine at the despatch box.”
Vladimir Putin says Russia will use 'all means' to defend its territory — video
Speaking later in debate, Conservative former defence secretary Liam Fox warned: “It may be sabre-rattling — but it may be not. We have miscalculated with Putin before. We can’t afford to miscalculate again. He is a tyrant with a tyrant’s behaviour.”
Conservative former prime minister Boris Johnson, in his first contribution to a debate since becoming a backbencher earlier this month, said: “I have no doubt that in the hard winter months ahead with the price of energy continuing to inflict hardship on people in this country and around the world, there will continue to be some who draw the false conclusion that the Ukrainians must be encouraged to do a deal to trade land for peace to allow Russian gas to flow to Europe.
“Even if it were politically possible for Volodymyr Zelenskyy or any Ukrainian government to do such a deal, which I very much doubt, there is absolutely no sign that Putin either wants such a compromise or can be trusted to deliver it.”
Putin: Russia to support referendums in Ukraine's regions — video
After the debate, MPs approved a series of motions for new, strengthened sanctions against Russia.
The sanctions include preventing exports of goods and technology from the defence sector, as well as chemicals, metals and fertilisers, and banning more UK investments and services in Russia.
Foreign Office Minister Jesse Norman told the Commons: “The measures we are debating today are designed to isolate Russia’s economy still further and to target key industries supporting President Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine.”
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
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Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 0
Liverpool 2 (Mane 50', 54')
Red card: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)
Man of the match: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
OPENING FIXTURES
Saturday September 12
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Fulham v Arsenal
Liverpool v Leeds United
Tottenham v Everton
West Brom v Leicester
West Ham v Newcastle
Monday September 14
Brighton v Chelsea
Sheffield United v Wolves
To be rescheduled
Burnley v Manchester United
Manchester City v Aston Villa
FORSPOKEN
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Starfield
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Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
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The squad traveling to Brazil:
Faisal Al Ketbi, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Khalfan Humaid Balhol, Khalifa Saeed Al Suwaidi, Mubarak Basharhil, Obaid Salem Al Nuaimi, Saeed Juma Al Mazrouei, Saoud Abdulla Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Zayed Saif Al Mansoori, Saaid Haj Hamdou, Hamad Saeed Al Nuaimi. Coaches Roberto Lima and Alex Paz.
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar